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1 Samuel 19:16

Made Simple — Modern English Translation

Translated by Verse Made Simple Editorial
KJV ORIGINAL
And when the messengers were come in, behold, there was an image in the bed, with a pillow of goats’ hair for his bolster.
Close to the original. Clear modern English.
✦ MADE SIMPLE

When the messengers came inside, they found a household idol in the bed, with a pillow made of goat hair at its head.

⚡ THE BOTTOM LINE

The messengers discovered that Michal had tricked them by putting a statue in David's bed to make it look like he was sleeping there.

📚 Historical Context

In the biblical narrative of 1 Samuel, King Saul was intensely jealous of David and sought to kill him, sending messengers to capture him at his home. David's wife, Michal, who was Saul's daughter, helped David escape by placing a household idol in the bed as a decoy, along with a pillow made of goats' hair to mimic his presence. This event reflects the common cultural practice of keeping idols in Israelite homes during that time, despite God's explicit prohibitions against idolatry in the Mosaic Law.

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