Michal’s Contempt for David

Michal despises David as the ark enters the city, while David installs the ark, offers sacrifices, blesses the people, and sends them home with food.

A¹⁶s the ark of the LORD was entering the City of David, Saul’s daughter Michal looked down from a window and saw King David leaping and dancing before the LORD, and she despised him in her heart. ¹⁷So they brought the ark of the LORD and set it in its place inside the tent that David had pitched for it. Then David offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before the LORD. ¹⁸When David had finished sacrificing the burnt offerings and peace offerings, he blessed the people in the name of the LORD of Hosts. ¹⁹Then he distributed to every man and woman among the multitude of Israel a loaf of bread, a date cake, and a raisin cake. And all the people departed, each to his own home.

Michal mocks David’s exposure before the servants, but David insists he is celebrating before the LORD who chose him, and the chapter closes with Michal’s childlessness.

²⁰When David returned home to bless his own household, Saul’s daughter Michal came out to meet him. “How the king of Israel has distinguished himself today!” she said. “He has uncovered himself today in the sight of the maidservants of his subjects, like a vulgar person would do.” ²¹But David said to Michal, “I was dancing before the LORD, who chose me over your father and all his house when He appointed me ruler over the LORD’s people Israel. I will celebrate before the LORD, ²²and I will humiliate and humble myself even more than this. Yet I will be honored by the maidservants of whom you have spoken.” ²³And Michal the daughter of Saul had no children to the day of her death.