royal dignity was perhaps all she had left; for David, it was completely irrelevant in the light of God’s glory and power. We are left with the strong impression that Michal’s bitterness, however much it arose from the despair of her own circumstances, is unacceptable. We are not told if Michal’s barrenness was a punishment sent by God or a result of a deliberate decision on her part or on David’s part to avoid sexual relations. What is clear is that Michal was to be cut off from any further involvement