II Shmuel 6: Dancing in the Street

After conquering his capital city, David now turns his attention to the Ark of the Covenant. Since the Philistines returned the Ark on two wandering cattle, it had been situated in the house of Obed-Edom. The procession is festive with musical instruments and dancing. Along the way, however, the Ark slips, and Uzzah reaches out to protect it. God is angry that Uzzah thought the Ark needed protection from man. Uzzah dies on the spot (וַיִּשְׁלַח עֻזָּה אֶל־אֲרוֹן הָאֱלֹהִים וַיֹּאחֶז בּוֹ כִּי שָׁמְטוּ הַבָּקָר. וַיִּחַר־אַף ה׳ בְּעֻזָּה וַיַּכֵּהוּ שָׁם הָאֱלֹהִים עַל־הַשַּׁל) (II Samuel 6:6-7). David stops the procession for a period of time following the tragic death, but then continues the procession up to the City of David.While the people gather around in the procession playing music, David dances and flips in front of the Ark wearing an ephod (וְדָוִד מְכַרְכֵּר בְּכׇל־עֹז לִפְנֵי ה׳ וְדָוִד חָגוּר אֵפוֹד בָּד) (II Samuel 6:14). As the procession passes David’s palace, Michal, his wife, looks out the window “and saw King David leaping and whirling before the LORD; and she despised him for it” (וּמִיכַל בַּת־שָׁאוּל נִשְׁקְפָה בְּעַד הַחַלּוֹן וַתֵּרֶא אֶת־הַמֶּלֶךְ דָּוִד מְפַזֵּז וּמְכַרְכֵּר לִפְנֵי ה׳ וַתִּבֶז לוֹ בְּלִבָּהּ) (verse 16). Later, when David returns home, Michal expresses the source of her displeasure: “Didn’t the king of Israel do himself honor today, exposing himself today in the sight of the slavegirls of his subjects, as one of the riffraff might expose himself” (מַה־נִּכְבַּד הַיּוֹם מֶלֶךְ יִשְׂרָאֵל אֲשֶׁר נִגְלָה הַיּוֹם לְעֵינֵי אַמְהוֹת עֲבָדָיו כְּהִגָּלוֹת נִגְלוֹת אַחַד הָרֵקִים) (verse 20).David is furious with her response and raises the temperature by attacking Michal’s father Shaul (לִפְנֵי ה׳ אֲשֶׁר בָּחַר־בִּי מֵאָבִיךְ וּמִכׇּל־בֵּיתוֹ) (verse 21). Was Michal right to criticize David? Michal’s point is that the king needs to have some level of respectability no matter the circumstance. Her concern seems to read as a classist response focusing only on the high status that a king should have. But this is out of character for Michal. She does not act like a highborn snobby person anywhere else in the text. Furthermore, “respect for the king” seems to be what David himself espoused while on the run from Shaul. Twice he had the chance to kill Shaul but instead chose not to. Each time he ordered his guards not to kill the anointed of God (חָלִילָה לִּי מֵה׳ אֶשְׁלַח יָדִי בִּמְשִׁיחַ ה׳) (I Samuel 24:7; 26:11). Similarly, he killed the Amalekite and Ish Boshet’s guards for disrespecting the office of the king even when they killed his sworn enemy. So it also seems out of character for David to be upset at her protestations.Perhaps the Navi gives a hint as to Michal’s motivation in verse 16. The Navi makes the point to add that Michal looked out the window (וּמִיכַל בַּת־שָׁאוּל נִשְׁקְפָה בְּעַד הַחַלּוֹן) (verse 16). The last time David and Michal were together with a window was back in I Samuel 19. Shaul sends officers to kill David, and Michal lowers David out the window to safety (וַתּוֹרֶד מִיכַל אֶת־דָּוִד בְּעַד הַחַלּוֹן) (I Samuel 19:12). The two do not meet again until after Shaul dies.Michal saw firsthand what happens when a king debases his position by acting irrationally. She had to lower her husband out the window to save him from her raving father. Now, looking out a window again, she fears she sees her husband forgetting the lessons of Shaul. Unfortunately, David does not understand, and instead impulsively curses her. The shock of seeing her husband exhibiting similar dangerous characteristics as her father may have led to Michal swearing off further royal offspring. Indeed, the chapter closes: וּלְמִיכַל בַּת־שָׁאוּל לֹא־הָיָה לָהּ יָלֶד עַד יוֹם מוֹתָהּ (“And Michal daughter of Saul had no child until the day of her death”) (II Samuel 6:23).