1 Samuel 19:12 kjv
So Michal let David down through a window: and he went, and fled, and escaped.
1 Samuel 19:12 nkjv
So Michal let David down through a window. And he went and fled and escaped.
1 Samuel 19:12 niv
So Michal let David down through a window, and he fled and escaped.
1 Samuel 19:12 esv
So Michal let David down through the window, and he fled away and escaped.
1 Samuel 19:12 nlt
So she helped him climb out through a window, and he fled and escaped.
1 Samuel 19 12 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference Note |
|---|---|---|
| Ps 18:48-50 | He delivers me from my enemies... He delivers me from violent men. | God's deliverance of David from adversaries. |
| Ps 34:19 | Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the LORD delivers him out of them all. | General truth of divine deliverance from trouble. |
| Ps 59:1 | Deliver me from my enemies, O my God... when Saul sent men to watch his house... | David's direct prayer and context related to this event. |
| Ps 124:7 | We have escaped like a bird from the snare of the fowlers; the snare is broken, and we have escaped! | A celebratory declaration of deliverance from danger. |
| 1 Sam 16:14 | Now the Spirit of the LORD departed from Saul, and a harmful spirit from the LORD tormented him. | The spiritual cause of Saul's escalating hostility towards David. |
| 1 Sam 18:10-11 | The next day a harmful spirit from God rushed upon Saul... and he hurled it, thinking, "I will pin David to the wall." | Saul's earlier attempt to kill David with a spear. |
| 1 Sam 19:9-10 | A harmful spirit from the LORD came upon Saul... Saul sought to pin David to the wall with his spear... David escaped... | The immediate previous event, showing Saul's repeated murderous intent. |
| 1 Sam 20:3 | David also swore, "Your father knows very well that I have found favor in your eyes..." | Jonathan's awareness of Saul's deep-seated intent to kill David. |
| 1 Sam 23:26 | Saul went on one side of the mountain and David and his men on the other... David made haste to get away from Saul... | God's continued deliverance of David during his fugitive period. |
| Jos 2:15-16 | So she let them down by a rope through the window... "Go into the hills, so that the pursuers may not find you." | Rahab's act of helping spies escape through a window. |
| Judg 5:28 | "Out through the window she peered..." | Context where windows were associated with observation or activity. |
| Prov 21:30 | No wisdom, no understanding, no counsel can avail against the LORD. | God's ultimate sovereignty cannot be thwarted by human schemes. |
| Isa 14:27 | For the LORD of hosts has purposed, and who will annul it? | Reinforces God's unchanging and irresistible purpose. |
| Dan 4:35 | He does according to His will among the host of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth; and none can stay His hand... | God's absolute sovereignty over all actions, human and divine. |
| Rom 8:31 | What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? | The invincible protection of God for His chosen. |
| Rom 9:11 | ...though they were not yet born and had done nothing either good or bad, in order that God's purpose of election might continue... | God's pre-determined purpose stands, independent of human merit. |
| 2 Cor 1:10 | He delivered us from such a deadly peril, and He will deliver us. | Testimonies of God's past and future deliverance from danger. |
| 2 Tim 4:18 | The Lord will rescue me from every evil deed and bring me safely into His heavenly kingdom. | Paul's confidence in ultimate divine deliverance. |
| Acts 9:25 | His disciples took him by night and let him down through the wall, lowering him in a basket. | Similar instance of escape from danger by being let down through an opening. |
| Heb 11:32-34 | ...who through faith conquered kingdoms, enforced justice, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword... | Examples of faith leading to deliverance and triumph over persecution. |
1 Samuel 19 verses
1 Samuel 19 12 Meaning
In this verse, Michal, daughter of King Saul and wife of David, actively saves her husband from her father's murderous plot. She enables David to escape by lowering him from a window, allowing him to flee from Saul's messengers and successfully evade capture and imminent danger. This swift action signifies a moment of critical divine protection for David through human agency, demonstrating that God's purpose for him would not be thwarted by Saul's malicious intent.
1 Samuel 19 12 Context
This verse is set during a tumultuous period in 1 Samuel, highlighting the intense conflict between King Saul and David, God's chosen anointed king. Immediately preceding this verse (1 Sam 19:10), Saul, driven by an evil spirit and deep-seated jealousy, again attempted to kill David by hurling a spear at him as he played the lyre. David narrowly escaped. Saul then sent messengers to David's house to wait for him, planning to kill him in the morning.
Michal, David's wife and Saul's daughter, became aware of her father's plot. This passage demonstrates Michal's loyalty to David, defying her father's murderous intentions. Her decisive action of lowering David through a window was critical for his survival and marked the true beginning of David's extended period as a fugitive, continuously pursued by Saul. Historically, houses, especially those built into or adjacent to city walls, could have windows large enough or accessible enough for such an escape. This desperate escape underscores the imminent threat to David's life and the lengths God's providence would go to protect His future king.
1 Samuel 19 12 Word analysis
- So Michal: (וַתֹּ֣רֶד מִיכַל֩ - wattōred Mîḵal) The name Michal signifies her identity as King Saul's daughter and David's wife. Her action here is one of defiant loyalty, placing her husband's life above filial obedience to a father consumed by evil. It emphasizes her direct and pivotal role in David's salvation at this moment.
- let ... down: (וַתֹּ֣רֶד - wattōred) This is the Hebrew Hiphil stem of the verb יָרַד (yarad), meaning "to go down." The Hiphil signifies a causative action, "she caused him to go down." It highlights Michal's active and decisive involvement, implying the use of a rope or other means, reflecting a quick and ingenious rescue attempt.
- through a window: (בַּעַד֮ הַחַלּוֹן֙ - baʿad haḥallôn) "Through the window" specifies the means of escape. Windows in ancient Israelite homes could vary, and in times of distress, such openings were desperate avenues of escape. This detail evokes images of urgency and the hazardous nature of David's escape, common in narratives of flight from enemies (compare Rahab's actions in Joshua 2).
- and he fled: (וַיֵּ֤לֶךְ - wayyēleḵ) The verb הָלַךְ (halakh), "to go," here denotes swift movement and immediate departure, indicating that David did not hesitate but immediately sought safety upon reaching the ground. It suggests the urgency of the situation.
- and escaped: (וַיִּמָּלֵֽט - wayyimmālēṭ) This is the Hebrew Niphal stem of the verb מָלַט (malat), meaning "to escape" or "to be delivered." The Niphal can convey a reflexive or passive sense ("he himself escaped," or "he was delivered"). It points to the successful outcome of the flight, signifying divine deliverance from imminent peril. David's survival is not merely by human ingenuity but by God's guiding hand, enabling him to evade Saul's trap.
1 Samuel 19 12 Bonus section
This passage foreshadows the continuing tension between Saul and David, leading to David's nomadic life as a fugitive for many years. Michal's decision to save David had long-term consequences for her relationship with her father and ultimately with David as well, as her loyalty to David in this moment solidified his position as God's anointed even as she defied her natural father. The episode emphasizes that God's plans are unchangeable and He will use any means necessary, including the daring actions of individuals, to accomplish His will for His chosen vessels, regardless of the opposition.
1 Samuel 19 12 Commentary
1 Samuel 19:12 is a powerful vignette demonstrating divine providence through human agency. Saul's deep-seated malice and his repeated attempts to kill David underscore the reality of his rebellion against God's will. Despite Saul's kingly authority and overwhelming power, God orchestrates David's escape, not by miraculous intervention alone, but through the courage and quick thinking of Michal. This act highlights several themes: the personal risks taken by those loyal to God's chosen one, the lengths to which divine protection extends, and the futility of human efforts to thwart God's established plan. Michal's actions initiate David's flight from Saul, marking a prolonged period of exile that further refines David's character and demonstrates God's unwavering commitment to His covenant with His anointed. The window becomes a symbol of narrow escape and divine rescue, where the mundane becomes a means for the miraculous preservation of God's purpose.