Mar. 14, 2021. II Samuel 6:20-23

Posted byJohn Sanzone

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STRIFE WITH THE WIFE.  II Samuel 6:20-23.  3/14/21.  #15.

II Samuel 6:20-23 [New King James Version]

20 Then David returned to bless his household. And Michal the daughter of Saul came out to meet David, and said, “How glorious was the king of Israel today, uncovering himself today in the eyes of the maids of his servants, as one of the base fellows shamelessly uncovers himself!” 21 So David said to Michal, “It was before the Lord, who chose me instead of your father and all his house, to appoint me ruler over the people of the Lord, over Israel. Therefore I will play music before the Lord. 22 And I will be even more undignified than this, and will be humble in my own sight. But as for the maidservants of whom you have spoken, by them I will be held in honor.” 23 Therefore Michal the daughter of Saul had no children to the day of her death.

  1. A blessing rejected
    1. After David brought the ark back in a celebratory fashion,
    1. he blessed all the people and gave them gifts
    1. Finally, David enters the palace to bless his household
      1. Michal meets him with scorn for his unseemly display and irreverent abandonment
      1. Michal is mortified, incensed, and scorning
    1. David is taken back by his wife’s reaction
      1. This was a day of celebration and she was throwing cold water on the proceedings
      1. David does not understand Michal’s objections
  2. Michal’s complaints are from her idea of proper decorum
    1. She uses biting sarcasm: “How glorious was the king of Israel today…”
      1. She meant just the opposite
      1. She expected David to set the example for dignity, reverence, and proper worship
      1. David did not live up to her expectations
    1. David uncovered (exposed) himself before his maid servants (young maidens)
      1. This was Michal’s most grievous complaint
      1. What Michal felt was a level of exposure reserved for a wife alone, David displayed publicly for all to see
        1. David was not completely naked
        1. David was wearing what we would view as underwear (“base shameless fellow”)
  3. David rejected Michal’s criticism
    1. David counterattacked: ‘God chose me in place of your father and ALL HIS HOUSE’
      1. David hints that Saul was the one debased
      1. David showed God respect through devotion
    1. David argues that his indignity was an act of humiliation
      1. Job sat in a beggar’s cloth and ashes, Isaiah walked around 3 days naked (Is. 20:2-3), and the entire city of Nineveh was in sackcloth and ashes in Jonah
      1. What Michal saw as undignified, David saw as an act of contrition and submission (God was exalted and David was not glorious before him)
    1. Where is the line between humility and immodesty here?
    1. David argues that he is honored among the maidens that Michal was concerned about
  4. Michal gets a bum rap by preachers throughout church history
    1. It is often preached that Michal had no children and was even put away in seclusion because of this episode (not in Bible)
    1. Even translators are caught up in the Michal bad critique
      1. KJV has “and Michal…had no children…”
        1. NKJV and others have “therefore Michal…had no…” Assumption that Michal’s complaint was the cause of her childlessness
        1. Hebrew has “and (waw, ɿ) Michal…”, not therefore Michal…” = just an added note
    1. The reason why Michal had no children is found in the passages
      1. Throughout this chapter Michal is called “Saul’s daughter” and not “David’s wife”
      1. I Samuel 22 the kingdom was taken from Saul
      1. David adds “and all Saul’s household”
      1. Had Michal had sons, David’s line would have been mixed with Saul’s (Michal was childless because of her father = better than Merab’s fate)