2 Samuel 6:23 kjv
Therefore Michal the daughter of Saul had no child unto the day of her death.
2 Samuel 6:23 nkjv
Therefore Michal the daughter of Saul had no children to the day of her death.
2 Samuel 6:23 niv
And Michal daughter of Saul had no children to the day of her death.
2 Samuel 6:23 esv
And Michal the daughter of Saul had no child to the day of her death.
2 Samuel 6:23 nlt
So Michal, the daughter of Saul, remained childless throughout her entire life.
2 Samuel 6 23 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference Note |
|---|---|---|
| Gen 16:2 | And Sarai said to Abram, "Behold now, the Lord has prevented me from bearing children..." | Barrenness by divine prevention. |
| Gen 20:18 | For the Lord had closed up all the wombs of the house of Abimelech... | God actively causing barrenness. |
| Gen 29:31 | When the Lord saw that Leah was hated, he opened her womb... | God opening and closing the womb. |
| Gen 30:2 | Jacob's anger was kindled against Rachel, and he said, "Am I in the place of God, who has withheld from you the fruit of the womb?" | Barrenness as God's prerogative. |
| Gen 30:22 | Then God remembered Rachel, and God listened to her and opened her womb. | God ending barrenness by His will. |
| Exod 23:26 | None shall miscarry or be barren in your land; I will fulfill the number of your days. | Barrenness lifted as part of divine blessing for obedience. |
| Deut 7:14 | You shall be blessed above all peoples. There shall not be male or female barren among you... | Divine blessing includes fertility. |
| 1 Sam 1:5 | But to Hannah he would give a double portion, because he loved Hannah, though the Lord had closed her womb. | God initiating barrenness (Hannah). |
| 1 Sam 2:5 | Those who were full have hired themselves out for bread, but those who were hungry have ceased to hunger. The barren has borne seven... | Divine reversal of barrenness (Hannah's song). |
| Ps 113:9 | He gives the barren woman a home, making her the joyous mother of children. | God's power to overcome barrenness. |
| Isa 4:2 | In that day the branch of the Lord shall be beautiful and glorious, and the fruit of the land shall be the pride and adornment of the survivors... | Offspring as blessing and fruit. |
| Isa 54:1 | "Sing, O barren one, who did not bear; break forth into singing and cry aloud..." | Spiritual barrenness contrasted with future fertility (NT church). |
| Hos 9:14 | Give them a miscarrying womb and dry breasts. | Divine judgment including reproductive inability. |
| Prov 16:18 | Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall. | Connects to Michal's pride and its outcome. |
| Prov 18:12 | Before destruction a man's heart is haughty, but humility comes before honor. | Michal's haughtiness led to disgrace and lack of progeny. |
| 2 Sam 3:7 | Now Saul had a concubine whose name was Rizpah... and Ish-Bosheth said to Abner, "Why have you gone in to my father's concubine?" | Highlighted Saul's lineage vulnerability through women. |
| 2 Sam 7:12-16 | When your days are fulfilled... I will raise up your offspring after you... and I will establish his kingdom. | God's promise of lasting progeny for David. |
| Ps 127:3 | Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb a reward. | Children as a divine gift and blessing. |
| Matt 21:19 | And seeing a fig tree by the road, he came to it and found nothing on it but leaves, and said to it, "May no fruit ever come from you again." | Judgment symbolized by lack of fruit (spiritual barrenness). |
| Luke 1:7 | But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and both were advanced in years. | Barrenness overcome by God's power (John the Baptist's parents). |
2 Samuel 6 verses
2 Samuel 6 23 Meaning
The verse states that Michal, daughter of Saul, remained childless until the day of her death. This is presented as a direct divine consequence of her disdain for David, her husband, and his humble, fervent worship before the Lord when bringing the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem. It signifies a profound spiritual judgment and the ultimate termination of her line, further solidifying the complete separation between the house of Saul and the blessed house of David.
2 Samuel 6 23 Context
2 Samuel 6:23 concludes the account of Michal, David's wife and daughter of King Saul, and her reaction to David's joyous, undignified dancing before the Lord as the Ark of the Covenant was brought into Jerusalem. In the preceding verses (6:16-22), Michal looked down on David with contempt, viewing his humble actions as debasing for a king. She verbally chastised him for exposing himself and acting like "common people" rather than maintaining royal decorum. David, in response, firmly stated his reverence for the Lord, who had chosen him over her father Saul and his house, and that he would humble himself further before God. This verse then declares the immediate and lasting consequence of her scorn: perpetual barrenness. This outcome not only underscores divine displeasure but also serves to cut off any potential lineage from the house of Saul through Michal, further securing David's kingdom as a pure, God-appointed dynasty. The overall context of 2 Samuel 6 is the establishment of Jerusalem as Israel's spiritual and political capital through the relocation of the Ark, signifying God's presence and validation of David's rule.
2 Samuel 6 23 Word analysis
- Michal: הַכָּא (hakkah), "Michal." She was the daughter of King Saul, David's first wife. Her identification specifically as "the daughter of Saul" underscores her lineage from the deposed royal house, implying a lingering adherence to Saul's worldview and pride, in contrast to David's humble devotion. This also positions her as a representative of Saul's house being set apart from David's.
- the daughter of Saul: בַּת שָׁאוּל (bat Sha'ul). This phrase emphasizes her identity as belonging to Saul's line, drawing a strong contrast with David's divine appointment and humble service. It implicitly highlights the dynastic tension between the two houses.
- had no child: לֹא הָיָה לָהּ יָלֶד (lo hayah lah yeled). "Yeled" refers to a child or offspring. This is a definitive statement of barrenness. In ancient Israelite culture, especially for a woman of royal status, childlessness was considered a great misfortune and could be interpreted as a divine curse or disfavor, signifying a lack of divine blessing and preventing the continuation of one's lineage.
- until: עַד (ʿad). This preposition emphasizes duration and finality, indicating a continuous state.
- the day of her death: יוֹם מוֹתָהּ (yōm môṯāh). This specifies that her childless state was not temporary but lifelong and permanent. This reinforces the severity and irreversibility of the divine judgment, indicating that her opportunity to bear children, and thereby contribute to a potential blended Davidic-Saulide lineage, was entirely removed.
Words-group analysis
- Michal the daughter of Saul had no child: This phrase explicitly connects Michal's lineage from Saul to her childlessness, strongly suggesting that this consequence is related to her defiant pride against David and the Lord's Anointed. It implies the end of a potential direct continuation of Saul's line through her children, preventing any future claim or confusion in the succession of the kingdom through David's offspring.
- had no child until the day of her death: This segment emphasizes the permanence of the judgment. Her barrenness was not a temporary state, but a lasting condition throughout her life. It seals her fate as a finality, cutting off all hope of an heir from her womb. This perpetual barrenness can be seen as a symbol of the end of the Saulide dynasty, specifically through Michal's rejection of God's ways as manifest in David.
2 Samuel 6 23 Bonus section
The passage does not state that Michal was made barren, but that she had no child until her death following this event. This phrasing suggests either a pre-existing barrenness that became confirmed as permanent, or more commonly interpreted by scholars, that God withheld offspring from her from this point forward. The implication is divine intervention as a direct result of her unrepentant scorn. Her barrenness ensures that David's future line would not be complicated by a direct heir also carrying the genes and claims of Saul's house, providing a clear lineage for the messianic promise. Some rabbinic traditions debate whether Michal genuinely loved David or just used him for personal gain, with this barrenness reinforcing the latter view of a hardened heart against God's ways.
2 Samuel 6 23 Commentary
2 Samuel 6:23 presents a powerful statement of divine judgment. Michal's scorn for David's authentic and humble worship was a direct affront not merely to her husband, but to God himself, who had chosen David and legitimized his reign. Her reaction revealed a pride characteristic of Saul's house, which prioritized human dignity and conventional appearances over profound devotion to the Lord. As a result, she suffered perpetual barrenness, a severe and publicly recognized consequence in ancient Israel, often associated with divine displeasure. This judgment prevented any blending of the Davidic and Saulide lines through her children, thus ensuring the purity and unadulterated nature of God's promise for an everlasting dynasty solely through David (as seen in 2 Samuel 7). It stands as a reminder that sincere reverence for God, exemplified by David, is favored, while contempt and pride, even from those of royal standing, lead to spiritual and tangible desolation.