1 Samuel 19:16

16 But when the messengers entered, there before them was the household idol in the bed, with the goat's-hair quilt at its head.

1 Samuel 19:16 Meaning and Commentary

1 Samuel 19:16

And when the messengers were come in
To David's house, and into the room where he was supposed to lie:

behold, [there was] an image in the bed to their great surprise;
they expected to see David, but instead of him the teraphim, as in ( 1 Samuel 19:13 ) ; if they had been in the room before, and thought they had seen David in the bed, they might be the more surprised to find that it was only an image they saw:

with a pillow of goats' [hair] for his bolster;
(See Gill on 1 Samuel 19:13).

1 Samuel 19:16 In-Context

14 When Sha'ul sent messengers to capture David, she said, "He's ill."

15 Sha'ul sent the messengers to see David with the order, "Bring him up to me, bed and all, so that I can kill him."

16 But when the messengers entered, there before them was the household idol in the bed, with the goat's-hair quilt at its head.

17 Sha'ul asked Mikhal, "Why did you deceive me this way and let my enemy go and escape?" Mikhal answered Sha'ul, "He threatened me, 'Let me go, or I'll kill you.'"

18 David fled and escaped, then came to Sh'mu'el in Ramah and told him everything Sha'ul had done to him. So he and Sh'mu'el went and stayed in the prophets'dormitory.