1 Samuel 19:14

1Sa 19:14 And when Saul sent messengers to take David, she said, He [is] sick.

Ver. 14. She said, He is sick.] This officious lie she held belike either no sin, or a very peccadillo, since it was to save the life of her husband: wherein she becometh an example of human infirmity.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

1Sa 19:14-17. Saul sent messengers to take David — As he did not come out of doors, where they waited for him, Saul sent other messengers to take him in the house. She said, He is sick — Her affection for David, and fear for his life, induced her to tell a plain lie, in which she is neither to be justified nor imitated. She intended hereby, however, to keep Saul in suspense for a while, till David should arrive at some place of safety. He said, Let me go; why should I kill thee? — This was another untruth; and an untruth very injurious to David’s reputation. Far was it from him either to intend or threaten to kill any one, much more his own wife. But Michal feared to enrage her father to too high a degree if she told the truth. Her weakness is to be pitied, while it is to be condemned and shunned.

Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

14. she said, He is sick] Apparently she took the messengers into the outer chamber and pointed to the figure in bed in an inner closet, not letting them go near enough to detect the imposture. The plan gained David time to escape. The Sept. has, “and they [the messengers] brought word that he was sick.”

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

And when Saul sent messengers to take David,.... Either the same who in the morning inquired for David, or those staying longer than Saul expected, and fearing they were negligent or corrupted, he sent others: to whom

she said, he is sick; and in bed, and cannot be spoke with; this lie she told through her affection to David, and to preserve his life; and this stratagem she devised to gain time, that while she was amusing the messengers with this tale of hers, before they could discover the truth of the matter David would be out of their reach; whereas, had she denied his being at home, or signified that he had made his escape, they would have immediately pursued after him, and he would have been in danger of being taken by them.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Sick. This is an officious lie. She tells another to excuse herself, ver. 17. The children of Saul strive to prevent their father’s cruelty, by taking part with the innocent David. (Haydock) --- It is thought that David composed the 68th Psalm, Eripe, &c., on this occasion. (Calmet)

George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).

Messengers, to wit, other messengers in the morning, supposing the former to be either slow or perfidious.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

Vers. 14-17. When, after waiting till the usual hour for David"s appearance, he came not, the watchers send and inform Saul, who now orders his open arrest. But Michal despatches a messenger to tell her father that he is sick. Upon this Saul orders bed and all to be brought, that he may slay him. As an Oriental bed is usually a mere strip of carpet, this would be easy enough. But when the messengers force their way through, in spite of every obstruction which Michal can devise to waste time, and come up close to the sleeping figure, "Lo, teraphim in the bed, and a goatskin at its head." They carry the news to Saul, who sends for Michal, and reproaches her for letting his enemy go. And she, afraid of bringing her father"s anger upon herself, answers with a falsehood, such as we find David also too readily having resort to; for she tells Saul that his flight was David"s own doing, and that she had taken part in it only to save her life. Why should I kill thee? She pretends that David had told her not to force him to kill her by refusing to give her aid in his escape. Saul, no doubt, saw that she had been a willing agent; but as she professed to have been driven to do what she had done by David"s threats, he could say no more.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

General Information:

Saul acts out his desire to kill David.

take David

"take David back to Saul"

she said

Here "she" refers to Michal.

Bring him up to me in the bed

The reason why the men thought David was in bed can be made explicit. AT: "If he really is too sick to come to me, bring me the bed with him in it" (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)

translationWords

Saul (OT)

David

unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.