2 Samuel 6:14

14 Et David sautait de toute sa force devant l'Éternel; et il était ceint d'un éphod de lin.

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 Puis on vint dire à David: L'Éternel a béni la maison d'Obed-Édom et tout ce qui est à lui, à cause de l'arche de Dieu. Alors David s'y rendit, et fit monter l'arche de Dieu, de la maison d'Obed-Édom en la cité de David, avec joie.

13 Et quand ceux qui portaient l'arche de Dieu eurent fait six pas, on sacrifia des taureaux et des béliers gras.

14 Et David sautait de toute sa force devant l'Éternel; et il était ceint d'un éphod de lin.

15 David et toute la maison d'Israël firent ainsi monter l'arche de l'Éternel, avec des cris de joie et au son des trompettes.

16 Mais comme l'arche de l'Éternel entrait dans la cité de David, Mical, fille de Saül, regardant par la fenêtre, vit le roi David qui sautait et dansait devant l'Éternel, et elle le méprisa en son cœur.