And when the messengers came, behold, an idol was in the bed with a covering of goat's hair on its head — the messengers' discovery of the *teraphim* is a moment of irony: the would-be assassins are fooled by Michal's deception. The detailed description—the idol in the bed, the goat-hair covering—emphasizes both the crudeness of the deception and its effectiveness. The word *teraphim*, household idol, carries theological weight; the deception uses idolatrous imagery to protect the anointed of the LORD.

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