View source for Michal

{{Short description|Old Testament character}}
{{Otheruses}}
{{multiple image
   | direction = vertical
   | width     = 180
   | header    = Two window scenes
   | footer    = The narrative of Michal in [[Books of Samuel|Samuel]] includes two [[Type scene|window scenes]].<ref>Ellen White, "Michal the Misinterpreted," ''[[Journal for the Study of the Old Testament|JSOT]]'' 31.4 [2007] 451–464.</ref> 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'').
   | image1    = michal Gustave Doré.jpg
   | alt1      = 1 Samuel 18
   | caption1  = [[Gustave Doré]] (1865)
   | image2    = Francesco Salviati 004.jpg
   | alt2      = 2 Samuel 6
   | caption2  = [[Francesco de' Rossi (Il Salviati)|Francesco Salviati]] (c. 1553)
}}

'''Michal''' ({{IPAc-en|m|ᵻ|ˈ|x|ɑː|l}}; {{langx|he|מִיכַל}}&nbsp;{{IPA|he|miˈχal|}}; {{langx|el|Μιχάλ}}) was, according to the first [[Books of Samuel|Book of Samuel]], a princess of the [[Kingdom of Israel (united monarchy)|United Kingdom of Israel]]; the younger daughter of [[Saul|King Saul]], she was the first wife of [[David]] ({{bibleverse|1|Samuel|18:20–27|NIV}}), who later became king, first of [[king of Judah|Judah]], then of all [[Kingdom of Israel (united monarchy)|Israel]], making her queen consort of Israel.

==In the Bible==
{{bibleverse|1|Samuel|14:49|NKJV}} identifies Saul's elder daughter as [[Merab]] and younger daughter as Michal. Michal's story is recorded in the first [[Books of Samuel|Book of Samuel]], where it is said in {{bibleverse|1|Samuel|18:20|NKJV}} and {{bibleverse-nb|1|Samuel|18:28|NKJV}} that Michal loved David. The narrative does not indicate whether this is reciprocated.<ref>In {{bibleverse|1|Samuel|18:26|NKJV}}, David is "pleased ... to become the king’s son-in-law" but we are not told whether he was pleased to have married Michal. See Cohen, M., "The Transparency of Saul", ''European Judaism'', volume 39, no. 1, 2006, for a comparison of the transparent presentation of Saul and the opaqueness of David's character in 1 Samuel.</ref> After David's success in battle against the [[Philistine]] giant [[Goliath]], Merab was given in marriage to Adriel.

Later, after Merab had married [[Adriel|Adriel the Meholathite]], Saul invited David to marry Michal. David replied, "I am a poor and lightly esteemed man", meaning that he was unable to provide a [[bride price]]. Saul then advised him that no bride price was required except for the [[foreskin]]s of 100 Philistines. David took part in a further battle, killed 200 Philistines, and brought their foreskins to Saul as a double bride price.

In the biblical narrative, Michal chooses the welfare of David over the wishes of her father. When Saul's messengers search for David in order to kill him, Michal sends them away while pretending he was ill and laid up in bed. She lets David down through a window and hides [[teraphim]] in his bed as a ruse.<ref name=Exum>{{Cite web|url=https://jwa.org/encyclopedia/article/michal-bible|title=Michal: Bible|website=Jewish Women's Archive}}</ref> J. Cheryl Exum points out that although she risked her life in helping him, after he leaves the court, he makes no attempt to contact her.<ref name=Exum/>

While David was hiding for his life, Saul gave Michal as a wife to [[Palti, son of Laish]], and David took [[King David's wives|several other wives]], including [[Abigail]].<ref>{{bibleverse|1|Samuel|25:43–44|HE}}</ref> Later, when David became [[king of Judah]] and [[Ish-bosheth]] (Michal's brother, and Saul's son) was [[Kingdom of Israel (Samaria)|king of Israel]], David demanded her return to him in return for peace between them. Ish-bosheth complied, despite the public protests of Palti.<ref>{{bibleverse|2|Samuel|3:13–16|HE}}</ref> [[Robert Alter]] observes that by stressing that he had paid the requested bride price, David makes a legal argument as a political calculation to reinforce his legitimacy as a member of the royal house. Alter notes the contrast between David's measured negotiations and Palti's public grief.<ref name=Alter>{{cite book | chapter-url= https://books.google.com/books?id=Fd4J8uRLNA4C&q=michal&pg=PA6 | last= Alter | first= Robert | chapter= Characterization and the Art of Reticence | title= The Art of Biblical Narrative. | place= London | publisher= George Allen & Unwin | year= 1981| isbn= 9780567453280 }}</ref> 

After Michal was returned to David, she criticised him for dancing in an undignified manner, as he brought the [[Ark of the Covenant]] to the newly captured [[Jerusalem]] in a religious procession.<ref>{{bibleverse|2|Samuel|6:14–22|HE}}</ref> For this she is punished, according to Samuel, with not having children till the day she dies.<ref>{{bibleverse|2|Samuel|6:23|HE}}</ref> Unlike Abigail and [[Bathsheba]], Michal is not described as being beautiful, though Rabbinic tradition holds that she was of "entrancing beauty."<ref>{{cite web| authorlink= Louis Ginzberg | first= Louis | last= Ginzberg | url= http://philologos.org/__eb-lotj/vol4/p04.htm | title= The Family of David | work= The Legends of the Jews | volume= 4 | via= philologos.org}}</ref>

Michal is also briefly mentioned in [[1 Chronicles 15:29]].

==Legality of second marriage==
These events have raised moral issues within Judaism, especially in the context of the prohibition in {{bibleverse||Deuteronomy|24:1–4|HE}}. 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.<ref>Though the Book of Deuteronomy attributes itself to the period of the Hebrews' Exodus from Egypt, many historians regard it as having been actually written during the late monarchy. David's appearing to be oblivious to the prohibition laid down in it seems additional evidence in support of such theories.</ref>  On that view, they were not technically divorced as David had not issued a [[Get (divorce document)|writ of divorcemen]]t according to biblical law. 

===Offspring=== 
Some have argued that it is unclear whether Michal died barren and childless, as stated in {{bibleverse|2|Samuel|6:23|HE}}, or had children, as described in most manuscripts<ref name="New International Version footnote">{{Cite web|url=https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2%20Samuel%2021&version=NIV|title=Bible Gateway passage: 2 Samuel 21 - New International Version|website=Bible Gateway}}</ref> of {{bibleverse|2|Samuel|21:8|KJV}}, which mention "the five sons of Michal the daughter of Saul." The justification for the NIV's textual rendering (see also ESV, NASB, and NRSV) is surely found in the completion of the clause, which states "...whom she had borne to Adriel son of Barzillai the Meholathite." That it was Merab who married Adriel is attested without ambiguity ({{bibleverse|1|Samuel|18:19|9}}); it is extraordinarily difficult to argue that Michal might have borne five sons to her sister's husband.     

Gill attempted to resolve the conundrum presented by many Hebrew manuscripts' use of Michal, rather than Merab, 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 ({{bibleverse|1|Samuel|18:19|9}}).  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.<ref>See [http://www.freegrace.net/gill/2_Samuel/2_Samuel_21.htm John Gill commentary on 2 Samuel 21] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110807115032/http://www.freegrace.net/gill/2_Samuel/2_Samuel_21.htm |date=2011-08-07 }}</ref> However, the Hebrew word, ילדה, which Gill understands to mean "brought up," everywhere else means "gave birth to."

==Michal in poetry and literature==
* In 1707, [[Georg Christian Lehms]] published in [[Hanover]] the novel ''Die unglückselige Princessin Michal und der verfolgte David'' ('The hapless Princess Michal and David pursued'), based on the Biblical story.  
* In her poem "Michal", in her book ''Flowers of Perhaps'', 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."
* Michal is a featured character in the novel ''The Secret Book of Kings'',<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.secretbookofkings.com/|title=The Secret Book of Kings|website=The Secret Book of Kings}}</ref> by {{Ill|Yochi Brandes|he|יוכי ברנדס}}.

==Use as a name==

"Michal" is a very common female first name in contemporary [[Israel]],<ref>{{Cite book |title=What's in a Name? 25 Jewish Stories |publisher=Jewish Museum of Switzerland |year=2022 |isbn=978-3-907262-34-4 |location=Biel |language=de, en, fr}}</ref> but the given name is used also for men.

"Micol" is an Italian variant of the given name. 

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

==Notes==

<references/>

==External links==
* {{commons cat inline}}

{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Michal}}
[[Category:11th-century BC women]]
[[Category:10th-century BC women]]
[[Category:11th-century BCE Hebrew people]]
[[Category:10th-century BCE Hebrew people]]
[[Category:Wives of David]]
[[Category:Jewish royalty]]
[[Category:Ancient princesses]]
[[Category:House of Saul]]
[[Category:Children of Saul]]
[[Category:Daughters of kings]]
[[Category:11th-century BC Hebrew women]]