1 Samuel 19:16

16 But when the men entered, they found nothing but the statue in the bed. Some goat hair was at the place where David's head would have been.

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 Saul sent the men to capture David. But Michal told them, "He's sick."

15 Then Saul sent the men back to see David. He told them, "Bring him up here to me in his bed. Then I'll kill him."

16 But when the men entered, they found nothing but the statue in the bed. Some goat hair was at the place where David's head would have been.

17 Saul said to Michal, "Why did you trick me like this? Why did you help my enemy escape?" Michal told him, "He said to me, 'Help me get away. If you don't, I'll kill you.' "

18 After David had run away and escaped, he went to Samuel at Ramah. He told him everything Saul had done to him. Then David and Samuel went to Naioth and stayed there.