2 Samuel 6:12-22

12 And it was told to king David, that the Lord had blessed Obededom, and all his things, for the ark of God. And David said, I shall go, and bring the ark with blessing into mine house. Therefore David went, and brought the ark of God from the house of Obededom into the city of David with joy. (And it was told to King David, that the Lord had blessed Obededom, and all that he had/and all that was his, for keeping the Ark of God safe. And David said, Now I shall go, and bring the Ark of God with blessing to my house. And so David went, and brought the Ark of God from the house of Obededom to the City of David with great joy.)
13 And when they, that bare the ark of the Lord, had gone six paces, they offered an ox and a ram. (And when they, who carried the Ark of the Lord, had gone six paces, he offered an ox and a ram.)
14 And David smote in organs fastened to his arm (And David played on an instrument fastened to his arm); and he danced with all his strengths before the Lord; and David was clothed with (only) a linen surplice.
15 And David, and all the house of Israel, led forth the ark of [the] testament of the Lord/the ark of [the] witnessing of the Lord in hearty song, and in sound of trump. (And David, and all the house of Israel, brought forth the Ark of the Lord with hearty song, and the sound of trumpets.)
16 And when the ark of the Lord had entered into the city of David, Michal, the daughter of Saul, beheld by a window, and she saw the king skipping and dancing/hopping and dancing before the Lord; and she despised him in her heart.
17 And they brought in the ark of the Lord, and setted it in his place, in the midst of the tabernacle, which tabernacle David had made therefore/had made ready thereto; and David offered burnt sacrifices and peaceable (sacrifices) before the Lord. (And they brought in the Ark of the Lord, and set it in its place, in the midst of the Tent, which David had prepared for it; and David offered burnt sacrifices and peace offerings before the Lord.)
18 And when David had ended those, and had offered burnt sacrifices and peaceable (sacrifices), he blessed the people in the name of the Lord of hosts. (And when David had finished offering the burnt sacrifices and the peace offerings, he blessed the people in the name of the Lord of hosts.)
19 And he gave to all the multitude of Israel, as well to man as to woman, to each a cake of bread, and one part roasted of bugle flesh, and flour of wheat fried with oil; and all the people went forth, each into his house. (And he gave to all the multitude of Israel, yea, to each man and woman, a cake of bread, and a piece of roasted ox flesh, and wheat flour fried with oil; and then all the people went home.)
20 And David turned again to bless his house, and Michal, the daughter of Saul, went out into the coming of David, and said, How glorious was the king of Israel today, uncovering himself before the handmaids of his servants, and he was made naked, as if one of the knaves had been made naked? (And David returned to bless his own house, and Michal, Saul's daughter, went out to meet David, and said, How glorious was the king of Israel today, uncovering himself before the slave-girls of his servants, yea, he was made naked, just like one of the knaves would be made naked!)
21 And David said to Michal, The Lord liveth, for I shall play, (or I shall dance,) before the Lord, that chose me rather than thy father, and rather than all the house of him, and commanded to me, that I should be duke on the people of the Lord of Israel; and I shall play, (And David said to Michal, As the Lord liveth, I shall dance before the Lord, who chose me rather than thy father, and all of his family, and who commanded to me that I should be the leader of the people of the Lord of Israel; and so I shall dance,)
22 and I shall be made more vile than I am yet made, and I shall be meek in mine eyes, and I shall appear more glorious with those handmaidens, of which thou hast spoken. (and I shall be made even more vile than I am yet made, and I shall be abased in thine eyes, but I shall appear more glorious to those slave-girls of whom thou hast spoken.)

2 Samuel 6:12-22 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO SECOND SAMUEL 6

In this chapter we are told that David fetched the ark from Baale of Judah, with an intent to bring it to his own city, 2Sa 6:1-5; but Uzzah being smitten for his error concerning it, David was displeased, and left it at the house of Obededom, where it remained three months, and proved a blessing to his house, 2Sa 6:6-11; which David hearing of, went and brought it from thence with great expressions of joy before it as it came along, and offered offerings to the Lord at the setting it in its place, and gave gifts to the people, 2Sa 6:12-19; but Michal his wife was displeased with some of his gestures on that occasion, which made some difference between them, and which, on Michal's part, was resented by the Lord himself; for she became barren for it to the time of her death, 2Sa 6:20-23.

Copyright © 2001 by Terence P. Noble. For personal use only.