1 Samuel 19:13

1 Samuel 19:13 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And Michal took an image, and laid it in the bed, and put a pillow of goats’ hair for his bolster, and covered it with a cloth.
• New International Version (NIV)Then Michal took an idol and laid it on the bed, covering it with a garment and putting some goats’ hair at the head.
• English Standard Version (ESV)Michal took an image and laid it on the bed and put a pillow of goats' hair at its head and covered it with the clothes.
• New King James Version (NKJV)And Michal took an image and laid it in the bed, put a cover of goats’ hair for his head, and covered it with clothes.

Context of 1 Samuel 19:13

11Then Saul sent messengers to David’s house to watch for him, so that he might kill him in the morning. But Michal, David’s wife, told him, “If you do not save your life tonight, tomorrow you will be killed.” 12So Michal let David down through the window, and he fled and escaped. And Michal took the household idol and laid it on the bed, put a pillow of goats’ hair at its head, and covered it with clothes. 14And when Saul sent messengers to take David, she said, “He is sick.” 15Then Saul sent the messengers [again] to see David, saying, “Bring him up to me on his bed [if necessary], so that I may kill him.”

1 Samuel 19:13 word by word

וַתִּקַּ֨ח מִיכַ֜ל אֶת־הַתְּרָפִ֗ים וַתָּ֙שֶׂם֙ אֶל־הַמִּטָּ֔ה וְאֵת֙ כְּבִ֣יר הָֽעִזִּ֔ים שָׂ֖מָה מְרַֽאֲשֹׁתָ֑יו וַתְּכַ֖ס בַּבָּֽגֶד׃ סRead the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And Michalמִיכַלmîykâl · MichalH4324
• tookלָקַחlâqach · to take: takeH3947
• an imageתְּרָפִיםterâphîym · teraphimH8655
• and laidשׂוּםώûm ώîym · to set: putH7760
• in the bedמִטָּהmiţţâh · bedH4296
• a pillowכָּבִירkebîyr · quiltH3523
• of goats’עֵז‛êz · goatH5795
• for his bolsterמְרַאֲשָׁוֹתmera'ăshâh · headH4763
• and coveredכָּסָהkâsâh · to coverH3680
• with a clothבֶּ֫גֶדbeged · garmentH899

Cross-references for 1 Samuel 19:13

• Genesis 31:19When Laban had gone to shear his sheep, Rachel [went inside the house and] stole her father’s household gods.
• Judges 17:5Now the man Micah had a house of gods (shrine), and he made an ephod and teraphim and dedicated and installed one of his sons, who became his [personal] priest.
• Judges 18:14Then the five men who had gone to scout the country of Laish said to their relatives, “Do you know that there are in these houses an ephod, teraphim, an image [of silver-plated wood], and a cast image [of solid silver]? Now therefore, consider what you should do.”
• Hosea 3:4For the sons of Israel will remain for many days without king or prince, without sacrifice or [idolatrous] pillar, and without ephod or teraphim (household idols).
• 1 Samuel 13:9So Saul said, “Bring me the burnt offering and the peace offerings.” And he offered the burnt offering [which he was forbidden to do].

Commentaries on 1 Samuel 19:13

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 13Michal took an image - התרפים את eth hatteraphim, the teraphim. The Hebrew word appears to mean any kind of image, in any kind of form, as a representative of some reality. Here it must have been something in the human form; because it was intended to represent a man lying in bed indisposed. A pillow of goats' hair - Perhaps she formed the appearance of a sick man's head muffled up by this pillow or bag of goats' hair. So I think the original might be…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 13An image - “Teraphim” (see the margin), an image, or bust in human form, and as large as life, of a kind of household god, to the worship of which the Israelites, and especially women, were much addicted. A pillow - It was probably a quilt or blanket of goats‘ hair and of common use as a bed-covering. Whether Michal drew it over the head of the teraphim, as if for warmth, and so covered it, or whether she disposed it about the head so as to look like…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 11-24Verses 11-24 Michal's stratagem to gain time till David got to a distance was allowable, but her falsehood had not even the plea of necessity to excuse it, and manifests that she was not influenced by the same spirit of piety which had dictated Jonathan's language to Saul. In flying to Samuel, David made God his refuge. Samuel, as a prophet, was best able to advise him what to do in this day of distress. He met with little rest or satisfaction in Saul's…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 13A household idol: The Hebrew word teraphim refers to household idols (small images used in homes, often for worship or protection). These idols appear in several Old Testament passages, such as Genesis 31:30; Judges 17:5; and 2 Kings 23:24. Having an idol in David and Michal's home might show how common pagan idol worship was among the Israelites. The idol might have belonged to Michal. David did not seem to object to Michal having it. (Compare to Rachel…Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 13-1413-14. And Michal took an image, and laid it in the bed--"an image," literally, "the teraphim," and laid, not in the bed, but literally on the "divan"; and "the pillows," that is, the cushion, which usually lay at the back of the divan and was stuffed with "goat's hair," she took from its bolster or heading at the upper part of the divan. This she placed lower down, and covered with a mantle, as if to foster a proper warmth in a patient; at the same time…Read the comment

Topics related to 1 Samuel 19:13

• David
• Falsehood
• Goat
• Jealousy
• Michal
• Pillow

In the dictionaries

• Goats' Hair
• Bed
• Bolster
• Cattle
• David
• Idol
• Michal
• Secret
• Teraphim
• Watch

Commentaries on 1 Samuel 19

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings