And Saul said unto Michal, Why hast thou deceived me so, and sent away mine enemy, that he is escaped? And Michal answered Saul, He said unto me, Let me go; why should I kill thee?

1 SAMUEL 19:17KJV
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1 Samuel 19:17 (KJV)

What does 1 Samuel 19:17 mean?

1 Samuel 19:17 describes Saul confronting his daughter Michal after she helped David escape from Saul’s attempt to kill him. Saul accuses Michal of deceiving him and letting his enemy get away, but Michal defends herself by saying David threatened her life if she did not help him.

In this scene, Saul is speaking to Michal after discovering that David, whom Saul now considers an enemy, has escaped with her help. Michal tries to protect herself by claiming that David forced her to do it, saying, “Let me go; why should I kill thee?” This exchange shows the tension within Saul’s own family as his pursuit of David intensifies.

The Hebrew behind 1 Samuel 19:17

  • “Deceived” (הִרְמִיתִנִי, hirmitini): This word often carries the sense of tricking or misleading someone. Saul’s use of it highlights his feeling of betrayal by his own daughter.
  • “Enemy” (אֹיֵב, oyev): Saul refers to David as his enemy, showing how far their relationship has deteriorated and how personal Saul’s anger has become.
  • “Escaped” (מָלַט, malat): This word means to slip away or escape, emphasizing that David’s departure was not just leaving but fleeing danger.
  • “Kill” (מוּת, muth): Michal uses this word to claim that David threatened her life, which may or may not have been true, but it shows her desperation to justify her actions to Saul.

Why 1 Samuel 19:17 matters

  • This verse highlights the growing conflict within Saul’s own household, as even his daughter sides with David against him.
  • The way Saul calls David “my enemy” marks a turning point in their relationship, showing Saul’s increasing paranoia and hostility.
  • Michal’s response reveals the pressure and danger faced by those caught between Saul and David, and how fear and self-preservation shape their choices.

Where else these words appear

“so” Hebrew H7411 · used in 12 verses

  • Genesis 29:25 And it came to pass, that in the morning, behold, it was Leah: and he said to Laban, What is this thou hast done unto me? did not I serve with thee for Rachel? wherefore then hast thou beguiled me?
  • Joshua 9:22 And Joshua called for them, and he spake unto them, saying, Wherefore have ye beguiled us, saying, We are very far from you; when ye dwell among us?
  • Psalms 78:9 The children of Ephraim, being armed, and carrying bows, turned back in the day of battle.

“Michal” Hebrew H4324 · used in 17 verses

  • 1 Samuel 14:49 Now the sons of Saul were Jonathan, and Ishui, and Melchishua: and the names of his two daughters were these; the name of the firstborn Merab, and the name of the younger Michal:
  • 1 Samuel 19:12 So Michal let David down through a window: and he went, and fled, and escaped.
  • 2 Samuel 6:16 And as the ark of the LORD came into the city of David, Michal Saul's daughter looked through a window, and saw king David leaping and dancing before the LORD; and she despised him in her heart.

“escaped” Hebrew H4422 · used in 85 verses

  • Genesis 19:17 And it came to pass, when they had brought them forth abroad, that he said, Escape for thy life; look not behind thee, neither stay thou in all the plain; escape to the mountain, lest thou be consumed.
  • Esther 4:13 Then Mordecai commanded to answer Esther, Think not with thyself that thou shalt escape in the king's house, more than all the Jews.
  • Isaiah 46:2 They stoop, they bow down together; they could not deliver the burden, but themselves are gone into captivity.