Michal

For other uses, see Michal (disambiguation).

Two window scenes

Gustave Doré (1865)

Francesco Salviati (c. 1553)

The narrative of Michal in Samuel includes two window scenes. In 1 Samuel 19, Michal helps David escape from Saul by letting him down through a window (top), while in 2 Samuel 6, Michal watches David dance before the ark (bottom).

Michal (/mᵻˈxɑːl/; Hebrew: מיכל‎  [miˈχal]) was a daughter of Saul, king of Israel, who loved and became the first wife of David, (1 Samuel 18:20–27) who later became king of Judah, and later still of the united Kingdom of Israel.

Michal in the Bible

Their story is recorded in the Book of Samuel. It is recorded that she chose the welfare of David over the wishes of her father. When Saul's messengers were searching for David in order to kill him, Michal secretly sent them away while pretending he was ill and laid up in bed. She let David down through a window and hid teraphim in his bed as a ruse. (1 Samuel 19:11–17)

Whilst David was hiding for his life, Saul gave Michal as a wife to Palti, son of Laish, and David took several other wives, including Abigail. (1 Samuel 25:43–44) Later when David became king of Judah and Ish-bosheth Michal's brother (and Saul's son) was king of Israel, David demanded her return to him, in return for peace between them. This Ish-bosheth did, despite the public protests of Palti.

These events have raised moral issues within Judaism, especially in the context of the prohibition in Deuteronomy 24:1–4. On the one hand, some argue that it is prohibited to re-establish a marriage with a previous spouse who has subsequently remarried. On the other hand, other commentators explain that David had not divorced Michal at this point in time, but rather Saul acted to break their marriage by marrying her off to another without David's consent. On that view, they were not technically divorced as David had not issued a writ of divorcement according to biblical law.

After Michal came back to David, she criticised him because he danced, partially unclothed, as he brought the Ark of the Covenant to the newly captured Jerusalem in a religious procession. (2 Samuel 6:14–22) Unlike Abigail and Bathsheba, Michal is not described as being beautiful, though Rabbinic tradition holds that she was of "entrancing beauty."

Offspring

It is unclear whether Michal died barren and childless, as stated in 2 Samuel 6:23, or had children, as described in most manuscripts of 2 Samuel 21:8, which mention "the five sons of Michal the daughter of Saul".

Gill attempted to resolve the contradiction by translating 2 Samuel 21:8 as "the five sons of Michal the daughter of Saul, whom she brought up for Adriel the son of Barzillai the Meholathite". Now, Merab, Michal's older sister, was the wife of Adriel (1 Samuel 18:19). According to Gill, these five sons were not born to Michal but were brought up or educated by her after Merab perhaps had died; i.e., Merab brought them forth, and Michal brought them up. However, the Hebrew word, ילדה, which Gill understands to mean "brought up," everywhere else means "gave birth to."

Michal in poetry

• In her poem "Michal", the Israeli poet Ra'hel Bluwstein draws a parallel between the speaker and Michal:

"Like you I am sad, O Michal ... and like you doomed to love a man whom I despise." (Poem "Michal" in her book Flowers of Perhaps.)

"Michal"

“And Michal, Saul’s daughter, loved David

And she despised him in her heart”

Michal, distant sister, time’s thread has not been severed,

time’s thorns in your sad vineyard have not prevailed.

Still in my ear I hear the tinkling of your gold anklet,

the stripes in your silk garment have not paled.

Often I have seen you standing by your small window

pride and tenderness mingling in your eyes.

Like you I am sad, O Michal, distant sister, and like you doomed to

love a man whom I despise.

Or alternatively translated:

"Michal"

Though years divide, we’re sisters yet;

Your vineyard stands though weeds invade;

Still tinkle anklet, amulet;

Your red silk garment does not fade.

By a small window still you stand,

Proud but a death within your eyes.

My sister, I can understand –

Who also love whom I despise.

1927, Israel

Translated by Robert Friend

Use as a name

"Michal" was one of the Biblical names embraced by Zionism, very rarely found in pre-Zionist communities. It is a very common female first name in contemporary Israel.

Although possessing an identical or almost identical spelling when using the Latin alphabet, the Czech and Slovak language "Michal" and the Polish language "Michał" (popular male given names) are the local forms of "Michael" rather than of "Michal". This can be compared to French spelling "Michel", which is also a local form of "Michael".