The answer is: An idol

1 Samuel 19:13 - She placed an idol on his bed and covered it with goats hair and David's clothes

The story of Michal's quick thinking in 1 Samuel 19 is definitely a riveting narrative with significant implications for our understanding of early Israelite society. Here’s Michal, daughter of King Saul, playing a strategic game by cleverly saving her husband, David, from the king’s wrath. In ancient times, idols weren't unusual household items, as they reflected the complex relationship between Yahweh worshipers and neighboring nations steeped in idol worship.

The choice of a physical idol may seem puzzling, yet it underscores an interesting layer to this tale. Perhaps Michal's action was not just to deceive but also an acknowledgment of her times. The employment of idols around David hints at a cultural moment still pivoting between strict monotheism and the alluring polytheistic practices surrounding them.

And can we talk about her almost MacGyver-like ingenuity? Covering the idol with goat's hair not only amplified the ruse but showcased her loyalty to David—a covert rebellion against her own father and an activation of a forbidden defiance in a time when familial lines often dictated one’s morality.

I'd wager the two-dimensional image of Michal as simply wife-of-David misses the richness of her narrative. She embodies the conflicted, dual repentance in her contempt for her father's ambitions and her love for David—a unique stance that correlates with other strong women depicted in Scripture, like Esther or Deborah, who operated under intense societal constraints but ultimately influenced pivotal turning points in biblical history. So next time you hear this tale, think not just of a trickster but of how courageously she reshapes her world within the breaks of tradition.