1 Kings 19:13
And Michol took an image and laid it on the bed, and put a goat's skin with the hair at the head of it, and covered it with clothes.
Open 1 Kings 19:13 in the Motif Searcher, word by word across all five texts →Show on the spiral →The verse in its languages
- Vulgate (Clementine)
- Tulit autem Michol statuam, et posuit eam super lectum, et pellem pilosam caprarum posuit ad caput ejus, et operuit eam vestimentis.
- Septuagint (Swete)
- καὶ ἔλαβεν ἡ Μελχὸλ τὰ κενοτάφια καὶ ἔθετο ἐπὶ τὴν κλίνην, καὶ ἧπαρ τῶν αἰγῶν ἔθετο πρὸς κεφαλῆς αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἐκάλυψεν αὐτὰ ἱματίῳ.
- Hebrew (WLC)
- וַתִּקַּ֨ח מִיכַ֜ל אֶת הַתְּרָפִ֗ים וַתָּ֨שֶׂם֙ אֶל הַמִּטָּ֔ה וְאֵת֙ כְּבִ֣יר הָֽעִזִּ֔ים שָׂ֖מָה מְרַֽאֲשֹׁתָ֑יו וַתְּכַ֖ס בַּבָּֽגֶד
Haydock's commentary
Image. Hebrew Teraphim. Aquila, "figures." Symmachus, "idols." Some believe that David had idols in his house, as ornaments, or to treat them with ignominy. (Mercer.)
But others cannot persuade themselves that he would keep such dangerous things. What Michol took, might therefore be some sacred representation, or a statue of some great man. (Genebrad.) (Kimchi; Maimonides) Or it might be some piece of wood, or clothes folded up, so as to make the guards believe that David was in bed. (Bochart, Anim. i. 2. 51.) See Genesis xxxi. 19. (Calmet)
They would not examine very narrowly. (Haydock)
The Taraphim denote both idolatrous and sacred things, Osee iii. 4. (Menochius)
Skin. Vatican and Alexandrian Septuagint, "liver," still warm and in motion. (Tirinus)
But they have followed a false reading, as well as Josephus and Aquila. (Calmet)
Some have inferred that the hair of goats in that country is reddish, because it was designed to resemble David's hair, of the same colour. (Tirinus)
This is, however, uncertain. The skin might form his pillow or coverlet. (Calmet)
From Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary, 1859, in the transcription made by Todd Easton and kept online by John Paul Wohlschied at johnblood.gitlab.io/haydock.
The Fathers on this verse
St John Chrysostom Treatise Concerning the Christian Priesthood, Book I
What is the wrong that I have done thee, since I have determined to embark from this point upon the sea of apology? Is it that I misled you and concealed my purpose? Yet I did it for the benefit of thyself who wast deceived, and of those to whom I surrendered you by means of this deceit. For if the evil of deception is absolute, and it is never right to make use of it, I am prepared to pay any penalty you please: or rather, as you will never endure to inflict punishment upon me, I shall subject myself to the same condemnation which is pronounced by judges on evil-doers when their accusers have convicted them. …