Michal and David's Argument/2

Michal and David's Argument

Exegetical Approaches

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Overview

Michal and David's quarrel has been understood as both an argument between king and queen, and as a marital spat between husband and wife.  Most commentators suggest that David and Michal's dispute reflected their opposing attitudes towards the monarchy.  While Michal felt that a king should be above the people, and that his dignity was paramount, David explained that an Israelite king can never forget that he always stands "in front of Hashem", the true King.  As such, he is really on par with the rest of the nation and dancing alongside them is an appropriate way to honor Hashem. 

A second approach, in contrast, views Michal's anger as an expression of her frustration at being an unwanted wife, useful only as an object for political gain. Seeing David dance with other women while she was neglected at home, was too much for her to bear.  David's reply that he was chosen over her father simply reinforced the fact that he no longer needed Michal even for her political utility.

Dispute Over Monarchic Behavior

Michal and David's dispute stemmed from differing attitudes towards kingship.

Sources:Midrash Shemuel25About Midrash Shemuel, RadakShemuel II 6:16Shemuel II 6:20-23About R. David Kimchi, RalbagShemuel II 6:16Shemuel II 6:20Shemuel II Toalot 6:16About R. Levi b. Gershom, Abarbanel, MalbimShemuel II 6:16Shemuel II 6:20-23About R. Meir Leibush Weiser,

"אֲשֶׁר נִגְלָה הַיּוֹם " – Midrash Rabbah (followed by others) maintains that Michal despised David for his immodesty in dancing and revealing himself before the maidservants, claiming that this was unbecoming of a king and that her father's household had much more self respect.

"לְעֵינֵי אַמְהוֹת עֲבָדָיו" – Malbim asserts that these words show that Michal was further troubled by David's mingling with those of lower stature than himself.  She felt that it was beneath a king's dignity to dance with the masses, as if he were one of them.

David's retort: repetition of "לִפְנֵי י"י" – Twice in his response to Michal, David repeats that his actions were doneלִפְנֵי י"י" ,‏‎"¹ emphasizing to his wife that before God, the true King, he really is no different from anyone else in the nation.  As such, joining the nation was not shame worthy, but a means of glorifying Hashem.

Michal bat Shaul – Throughout the passage Michal is consistently referred to in relationship to her father, as "בַּת שָׁאוּל".  This might be the text's subtle way of emphasizing that Michal's attitude towards David's behavior stemmed from her growing up in Shaul's palace and following the values of her father.

Shaul and honor – Sefer Shemuel suggests in several places that Shaul's downfall lay in his forgetting that, though a king, he was still subservient to Hashem.  Thus, both in Gilgal and his battle with Amalek, when he saw himself as above heeding the prophetic command, he was punished with losing the kingship.  [For details, see Shaul's Sin in Gilgal and Shaul's Sin in the Battle with Amalek.]  David's recognition that he must act לִפְנֵי י"י"‏" thus highlights the contrast between the two kings.²

"God chose me over your father's house" – In reacting to Michal, David explains to her that their different visions of kingship are what led to the rejection of Shaul and choice of David.  While Shaul put human honor above Divine glory, David did the reverse.³ As such, it was he, not Shaul, who merited to head the dynastic line.

"וּנְקַלֹּתִי עוֹד מִזֹּאת וְהָיִיתִי שָׁפָל" – These words echo David's initial response to the invitation to marry Michal, back in Shemuel I 18, "הַנְקַלָּה בְעֵינֵיכֶם הִתְחַתֵּן בַּמֶּלֶךְ וְאָנֹכִי אִישׁ רָשׁ וְנִקְלֶה".  Perhaps already then, David identified the difference between himself, "a lowly man" and the lofty House of Shaul.

No children – All of these sources read this as a punishment for Michal's words.⁴  It is possible that until this story, Michal stood the chance of being the Queen Mother and bearing the heir to the throne.  However, once she demonstrated that she had inherited the traits of her father's house, Michal was no longer considered worthy.  Thus, the story concludes with the fact that she did not bear any children, highlighting that she was the end of the line, and that the Davidic dynasty would not continue with any of Shaul's blood.⁵

Hanging of "Michal's children" – According to Radak and Ralbag, the children that David hanged were actually born to Merav, and are only attributed to Michal since she helped raise them.  Regardless, the story further highlights how Shaul's line had no hopes of revival.

Portrait of David – This approach views David positively, as a model of what a king should represent.

Anguish Regarding Marital Relations

Michal's outburst related to her personal, family life with David.  Seeing him dance with the maidservants highlighted the problematic nature of in their relationship.

Sources:modern scholars⁶

Michal's love of David – Michal is introduced to the reader in Shemuel I 18 with the words "וַתֶּאֱהַב מִיכַל בַּת שָׁאוּל אֶת דָּוִד".  The scene ends as it begins, with the fact of her love: "וּמִיכַל בַּת שָׁאוּל אֲהֵבַתְהוּ".  As Michal is the only woman in Tanakh (excepting the beloved in Shir HaShirim) explicitly mentioned to have loved a man, the emotion is all the more stark.

David's love for Michal – Though Shemuel I 18 does not reveal David's feelings regarding Michal,⁷ his motive for taking her as a wife is explicit: "וַיִּשַׁר הַדָּבָר בְּעֵינֵי דָוִד לְהִתְחַתֵּן בַּמֶּלֶךְ".  The contrast between the couple is clear: while Michal desires to marry David because she loves him, David desires Michal because she is an instrument which will allow him to marry into kingship.⁸

Michal saves David – When Shaul seeks to kill David in his home in Shemuel I 19, Michal sides with her husband,⁹ putting her love into action as she devises and executes a plan to save David.  David, too, replies with action as he "goes, flees, and escapes" – with not a word to the wife he is leaving behind.¹⁰  Again, while Michal cares for David, he cares for himself.  Michal is simply the instrument which will enable him to become king.

David remarries – The next mention of Michal is in Shemuel I 25.  The narrator shares that while on the run, David took two new wives, Avigayil and Achinoam.  The very next verse reveals that Michal, on the other hand, was given away by Shaul to Palti b. Layish.  The juxtaposition of the two facts sends the message that, in David's eyes, Michal was replaceable.

"תְּנָה אֶת אִשְׁתִּי אֶת מִיכַל" – Though one might like to read David's ultimatum to Avner - that he would only agree to an alliance if Avner returned Michal - as a sign of David's love and devotion, it is more probable that this, too, was a political ploy.  David needed Michal to demonstrate his rights to the throne.  If he were related through marriage to Shaul, he need not be viewed as a usurper.¹¹

"אֲשֶׁר נִגְלָה הַיּוֹם לְעֵינֵי אַמְהוֹת עֲבָדָיו" – In these words, Michal ostensibly chastises David for his immodesty and lack of royal dignity.  In reality, though, she might simply be giving vent to her jealousy, born from years of neglect; David has revealed himself to other women, but never to her.¹²

"God chose me over your father's house" – David's reply insinuates that now that he has been chosen as king in his own right, with the House of Shaul rejected, Michal no longer held any political utility.   As such, he could consort with whomever he liked, even maidservants.

Michal "bat Shaul" – Michal might be referred to in this manner to highlight that for David, she had never been important except in her role as "the daughter of Shaul."

"לִפְנֵי י"י" – This approach does not relate to David's two-fold mention that he is acting "before Hashem."  It might suggest that this is David's way of preempting any possible retort from Michal.  If he is dancing before God, how can she complain?

No children – It is possible that after this interchange, with their relationship beyond repair, David simply ceased to have conjugal relations with Michal, condemning her to barrenness.

Portrait of David – This approach views David negatively.  Though he might be a savvy politician, on the domestic front he is found lacking.  That said, it is common in Tanakh for marriages to be made for political purposes and as a means to form alliances, so David's relationship with Michal is not unusual.   Though Michal might have been hurt, an emotional bond in marriage should not necessarily have been expected.

Biblical parallels: David and Yonatan – It is possible that David's relationship with Yonatan, too, is an uneven one, with Yonatan consistently on the giving end and David on the receiving. Thus, it is Yonatan who repeatedly saves David and sacrifices for him, while David does nothing in return.  David's eulogy for Yonatan reflects this, as he speaks only of Yonatan's love for him and not the reverse: "נִפְלְאַתָה אַהֲבָתְךָ לִי מֵאַהֲבַת נָשִׁים".

¹ This phrase repeats six times throughout the chapter, each time emphasizing how all of David's actions were done with Hashem's honor in mind.

² See Malbim who points out this contrast between the two monarchic houses.

³ This is evident from David's very first actions.  When fighting Golyat, David explicitly states that power lay not in the strength of the sword but "בְּשֵׁם י"י צְבָאוֹת" since "לַי"י הַמִּלְחָמָה".

⁴ While Abarbanel implies that Hashem intervened to ensure this (by closing Michal's womb), Ralbag suggests that from this day forward David ceased to love Michal and stopped having relations with her.

⁵ Abarbanel adds that Hashem knew that David would need to avenge Shaul's killing of the Givonites by ordering Shaul's offspring to be killed (see Shemuel II 21).  If Michal had borne children to David he would be in a quandary, either forced to kill his own children or be accused of unjustly having mercy on them.

⁶ See for example, R. Alter, The Art of Biblical Narrative (New York, 1981): 113-127, and R"A Bazak, "העלאת הארון וצחוקה של מיכל".

⁷ This silence alone, however, would not be enough to suggest that David did not love Michal, as it is the norm for Tanakh to be silent about the emotions of its characters.

⁸ Both times that Michal is mentioned in the unit she is referred to as "בת שאול", perhaps because it was her position as Shaul's daughter that David coveted.

⁹ It is perhaps for this reason that this passage opens by referring to Michal not as "the daughter of Shaul" but as the "wife" of David.

¹⁰ Again, however, it should be noted, that this silence is quite expected in Tanakh, which does not normally provide insights into the private family lives of its protagonists.

¹¹ See Malbim who states, "שלא ידמה כעבד מורד באדוניו... רק כתופס מלכות על פי נביא... רצה שישיב לו את מיכל, שמצד זה הוא חתן המלך אשר לפניו, ויש לו זכות במלוכה גם מצד שאול"

¹² R"A Bazak (see article cited above) suggests that the phrase "וּמִיכַל בַּת שָׁאוּל נִשְׁקְפָה בְּעַד הַחַלּוֹן" recalls the earlier "וַתֹּרֶד מִיכַל אֶת דָּוִד בְּעַד הַחַלּוֹן" of Chapter 18 to highlight how Michal's initial selfless love and commitment, marked by her lowering David out the window, has now turned to contempt, as she again looks out the window.  He also notes the parallel to Bereshit 26:8, "וַיַּשְׁקֵף אֲבִימֶלֶךְ מֶלֶךְ פְּלִשְׁתִּים בְּעַד הַחַלּוֹן".  Avimelekh looks out his window to see "יצְחָק מְצַחֵק אֵת רִבְקָה אִשְׁתּוֹ"