Useful Bible Studies > 1 Samuel Commentary > chapter 18
Saul’s daughter, Michal, loved David. Michal’s older brother Jonathan also loved David, but of course it was a different kind of love (18:3).
Michal was clearly much younger than Jonathan. We have said that Jonathan was perhaps 30 years older than David. It seems that Saul had just one principal wife, Ahinoam (14:50). A woman who begins to have children at a young age can often continue to have children for another 25 years. However, Saul also had a concubine (a secondary wife of lower rank) called Rizpah (2 Samuel 3:7). If Michal was the daughter of Rizpah or another concubine, she may have been younger than David.
Jonathan’s love for David was simply the expression of his friendship. Jonathan always tried to support and to help David. He even risked his life to do that (see 1 Samuel 20:33). He remained loyal to David as his friend in every situation.
On the other hand, Michal probably loved David because he was strong, successful and popular. So, she wanted to marry him. She too saved David’s life when Saul tried to kill him (19:11-17). However, she did not remain with David during his most severe troubles. Instead, she stayed with her father who arranged for her to marry another man, Paltiel (1 Samuel 25:44; 2 Samuel 3:13-16).
Jonathan’s love for David was the result of his relationship with God. Both Jonathan and David had a very close relationship with God; they both trusted God completely, and they loved him sincerely. Michal did not have that kind of relationship with God. She cared much more about her husband’s honour than she cared about God’s honour (2 Samuel 6:20-23).
Next part: Saul’s plan to cause David’s death (1 Samuel 18:21-25)
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© 2014, Keith Simons.