2 Samuel 6:21

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,)

2 Samuel 6:21 Meaning and Commentary

2 Samuel 6:21

And David said unto Michal, [it was] before the Lord
Before the ark of the Lord, what was done was done there; she upbraided him with his dancing and singing, which was designed for the honour and glory of God, and in thankfulness to him for the bringing the ark to his city, and therefore she ought not to have reproached him with it, and he adds,

which chose me before thy father, and before all his house;
see ( 1 Samuel 13:14 ) ; which he observed to humble her pride, and mortify her, as well as to remark the distinguishing goodness of God to him, which laid him under obligation to express his thankfulness to him in every shape:

to appoint me ruler over the people of the Lord, over Israel;
which was a high honour conferred upon him, and required the utmost gratitude:

therefore will I play before the Lord;
upon the harp, or praise before him, as the Targum, sing his praise before the ark, unto any instrument of music, without once imagining I disgrace myself, on the contrary think it to be the highest honour to me to be employed in such service.

2 Samuel 6:21 In-Context

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.)

23 Therefore a son was not born to Michal, the daughter of Saul, till into the day of her death. (And so no child was ever born to Saul's daughter Michal, unto the day of her death.)