It is not clear exactly what Michal accused David of. Some commentators argue that she thought David was motivated by lust rather than seeking to honour the Lord and so when he danced in the sight of the slave girls he was looking for another woman with whom to have relations.1 While such an interpretation is possible, it is also very unlikely and misunderstands the emphasis on disrobing. When David disrobes in the sight of the slave girls, he was still wearing a linen ephod (2 Samuel 6:14); he was not in the nude. However, he did remove his royal garments. He was not wearing clothing appropriate for his royal status.2 Instead, just as Jonathan recognized David as king (1 Samuel 18:1–4), so David had disrobed his royal garments in order to recognize the Lord as King.3
20 And David returned to bless his household. But Michal the daughter of Saul came out to meet David and said, “How the king of Israel honored himself today, uncovering himself today before the eyes of his servants’ female servants, as one of the vulgar fellows shamelessly uncovers himself!”