2 Samuel 6:14

14 et David saltabat totis viribus ante Dominum porro David erat accinctus ephod lineo

2 Samuel 6:14 Meaning and Commentary

2 Samuel 6:14

And David danced before the Lord with all [his] might
That is, before the ark of the Lord; not a set dance, or along with others; but he leaped and skipped as "car", a lamb, does, and that for joy that the ark was like to be brought home to his house, without any token of the divine displeasure, as before; the Targum is,

``he praised before the Lord with all his might;''

exerted himself to the uttermost in singing the praises of God vocally, or by playing on an instrument; to which sense are the Septuagint, Syriac, and Arabic versions, which is approved of by Castel ^F16; who observes, it nowhere appears to have been a custom to dance before the ark; but it might be now done, though not usual, and therefore was observed by Michal with contempt, ( 2 Samuel 6:16 ) ; a later writer ^F17 shows that dancing is the proper sense of the word:

and David [was] girded with a linen ephod;
which others, besides priests, sometimes wore, as Samuel did, and which David might choose to appear in, rather than in his royal robes, as being more agreeable to the service of God, and lighter for him both to walk and dance in on this occasion.

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FOOTNOTES:

F16 Lexic. col. 1793.
F17 Hackman. Praecidan. Sacr. p. 156, 157.

2 Samuel 6:14 In-Context

12 nuntiatumque est regi David benedixit Dominus Obededom et omnia eius propter arcam Dei abiit ergo David et adduxit arcam Dei de domo Obededom in civitatem David cum gaudio

13 cumque transcendissent qui portabant arcam Domini sex passus immolabat bovem et arietem

14 et David saltabat totis viribus ante Dominum porro David erat accinctus ephod lineo

15 et David et omnis domus Israhel ducebant arcam testamenti Domini in iubilo et in clangore bucinae

16 cumque intrasset arca Domini civitatem David Michol filia Saul prospiciens per fenestram vidit regem David subsilientem atque saltantem coram Domino et despexit eum in corde suo