Michal

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Michal is a female name. For the similar male name, see Michael. For the citrus fruit, see Michal Mandarin.

Michal (Hebrew: מיכל) was a daughter of King Saul in the Hebrew Bible, who loved and married David. Their story is recorded in the Book of Samuel. In I Samuel chapter 19, she chooses the welfare of her husband over the wishes of her father. When Saul's messengers are searching for David in order to kill him, Michal secretly sends David away while pretending he is ill and laid up in bed. Whilst David is hiding for his life, Saul gives Michal as a wife to Palti son of Laish, and David takes several other wives including Abigail.

Despite an apparent prohibition in Deuteronomy 24:1-4 on re-establishing a marriage with a previous spouse who has subsequently remarried, David demands the return of Michal after he is crowned in Judah following Saul's death. It is important to note by explanation that David had not divorced Michal at this point in time but rather Saul had made the act to break the marriage. Therefore they were not technically divorced and David had not issued a writ of divorcement according to the Hebraic Law. Nonetheless, Palti follows [Michal] weeping but Abner commands him to return home.

And David sent messengers to Ishbosheth, Saul's son, saying, 'Deliver me my wife Michal, which I espoused to me for an hundred foreskins of the Philistines.'

And Ishbosheth sent, and took her from her husband, even from Phaltiel the son of Laish.

And her husband went with her along weeping behind her to Bahurim. Then said Abner unto him, 'Go, return.' and he returned.

(II Samuel 3:14-16, King James Version)

In II Samuel 6, Michal criticizes David because he dances, partially unclothed, as he brings the Ark of the Covenant to the newly-captured Jerusalem in a religious procession. Michal dies childless, with the implication that this is a punishment (from God or David is not clear) for her criticism.

David would be succeeded by Solomon, a son of Bathsheba.

[edit] References in Popular Culture

The curse Michal was placed under due to her criticisms of David's dancing were the basis for the title song of Christian Punk act Lust Control's album, Dancing Naked.