Who was Michal in the Bible?

from the old testament

• Michal was the younger of King Saul's two daughters; she loved David and became his first wife (1 Samuel 14:49; 18:20–27). Michal met David when he served in her father's court. First Samuel 18:20 says that she loved David. King Saul was jealous that David had been anointed as the next king, so he sought to kill David. When he realized that Michal loved David, Saul decided he could have David killed by asking him to fight their enemies, the Philistines, in order to win Michal's hand in marriage (1 Samuel 18:21, 25). Instead of dying, God gave David success, and he returned with the foreskins of two hundred Philistines, twice the amount Saul had required. David and Michal were soon married, but "Saul was David's enemy continually" (1 Samuel 18:29).
• When Michal learned of another of her father's plots to kill David, she warned him, helped him escape out of a window that night, and then lied to Saul's messengers in order to spare David's life (1 Samuel 19:11–18). David escaped to Ramah, where he met with the prophet Samuel, and the two of them fled to Naioth (1 Samuel 19:18). Unfortunately, living in hiding meant that David was separated from Michal. Saul took the opportunity to marry Michal to another man, Palti from Gallim (1 Samuel 25:44). David also married new wives, including Abigail and Ahinoam, during this time apart.
• After Saul died in battle, David returned to Jerusalem to assume the throne, and he requested that Michal be returned to him as his wife (2 Samuel 3:13). Michal's husband, Palti, seemed to care about her, as he "went with her, weeping after her all the way to Bahurim" (2 Samuel 3:16). She was returned to David in the palace, where she lived as royalty.
• Michal is likely most remembered for rebuking David for the way he danced when the Ark of the Covenant was brought into Jerusalem (2 Samuel 6). When David recaptured the Ark of the Covenant and brought it into Jerusalem, he stripped off his royal robes, "and David danced before the LORD with all his might. And David was wearing a linen ephod" (2 Samuel 6:14). In this act, David expressed that God was the true King of Israel and that he served in submission to the Lord. "Michal the daughter of Saul looked out of the window and saw King David leaping and dancing before the LORD, and she despised him in her heart" (2 Samuel 6:16). When David came inside, Michal rebuked him, saying that he had dishonored his position by "uncovering himself today before the eyes of his servants' female servants, as one of the vulgar fellows shamelessly uncovers himself!" (2 Samuel 6:20). As the daughter of King Saul, Michal had been raised in the palace with instruction on royal decorum, and she felt David had disregarded appropriate cultural customs. However, David responded that his position as king was due to God's anointing and not dependent upon his ability to act in a royal manner. He was rightfully worshiping the Lord, and he vowed, "I will celebrate before the LORD. I will make myself yet more contemptible than this, and I will be abased in your eyes. But by the female servants of whom you have spoken, by them I shall be held in honor" (2 Samuel 6:21–22). This marital falling out seems not to have been repaired, as the following verse simply states, "And Michal the daughter of Saul had no child to the day of her death" (2 Samuel 6:23).

from the new testament

• Michal is not mentioned in the New Testament.

implications for today

Despite living in a society where women often had limited autonomy and were viewed as political assets for strategic marriages, Michal defied societal norms by actively saving David's life. Her bravery and loyalty in the face of danger exemplify the potential for individuals to influence and shape their own destinies, even within restrictive circumstances.

Michal's chiding of David's unencumbered worship before the Ark of the Covenant serves as a caution about the dangers of prioritizing cultural norms and our own reputations over genuine spiritual expression. Michal's criticism of David's exuberant praise highlights the risk of allowing societal expectations to dictate our worship and devotion to God. As believers, we are called to worship with authenticity and wholeheartedness, in spirit and in truth (John 4:24), unafraid of how others might perceive our actions. Michal's story warns us against becoming gatekeepers of propriety in worship, reminding us that true worship is about honoring God, not maintaining our own dignity or adhering to human standards. Instead of criticizing or looking down on others for their sincere expressions of faith, we should encourage and support each other in glorifying the Lord rather than focusing on personal reputation. Our worship and the way we live is an opportunity to have Him be magnified.