2 Samuel 6:18-23

18 When David had finished offering the burnt offering and the fellowship offerings, he blessed the people in the name of the Lord of Hosts.

19 Then he distributed a loaf of bread, a date cake, and a raisin cake to each one of the whole multitude of the people of Israel, both men and women.^[a] Then all the people left, each to his own home.

20 When David returned [home] to bless his household,^[b] Saul's daughter Michal came out to meet him. "How the king of Israel honored himself today!" she said. "He exposed himself today in the sight of the slave girls of his subjects like a vulgar person would expose himself."

21 David replied to Michal, "I was dancing^[c] before the Lord who chose me over your father and his whole family to appoint me ruler over the Lord's people Israel.^[d] I will celebrate before the Lord,

22 and I will humble myself even more and humiliate myself.^[e][f]I will be honored by the slave girls you spoke about."

23 And Saul's daughter Michal had no child to the day of her death.

2 Samuel 6:18-23 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.

Footnotes

• [a] 1 Ch 15:25-29; 16:1-3
• [b] 1 Ch 16:43
• [c] LXX; MT omits I was dancing
• [d] 1 Sm 13:14; 15:28
• [e] LXX reads more and I will be humble in your eyes
• [f] Lit more and I will be humble in my own eyes