2 Samuel 6:21

Contextual Overview

²⁰When David returned home to bless his household, Michal daughter of Saul came out to meet him and said, "How the king of Israel has distinguished himself today, disrobing in the sight of the slave girls of his servants as any vulgar fellow would!" ²⁰ When David returned home to bless his household, Michal daughter of Saul came out to meet him and said, "How the king of Israel has distinguished himself today, going around half-naked in full view of the slave girls of his servants as any vulgar fellow would!" ²⁰But David returned to bless his household, and Michal the daughter of Saul came out to meet David and said, "How the king of Israel has glorified himself today! He uncovered himself today in the eyes of his servants' maids as one of the worthless ones shamelessly uncovers himself!" ²⁰ But when David returned to bless his household, Michal the daughter of Saul came out to meet David and said, "How the king of Israel distinguished himself today! He uncovered himself today in the eyes of his servants' maids as one of the foolish ones shamelessly uncovers himself!" ²⁰ Then Dauid returned to blesse his housholde, and Michol the daughter of Saul came out to meete Dauid, & sayd: O howe glorious was the king of Israel this day, whiche was vncouered to day in the eyes of the maydens of his seruauntes, as a foole vncouereth him selfe? ²⁰ David went back to bless his house, but Saul's daughter Michal came out to meet him. She said, "The king of Israel did not honor himself today! You took off your clothes in front of your servants' girls. You were like a fool who takes off his clothes without shame!" ²⁰ And David returned to bless his house. And Michal the daughter of Saul went out to meet David, and said, How glorious was the king of Israel today, who was uncovered today before the eyes of the slave-girls of his servants, as one of the vainones shamelessly uncovers himself. ²⁰ And David returned to bless his household. But Michal the daughter of Saul came out to meet David, and said, "How the king of Israel honored himself today, uncovering himself today before the eyes of his servants' maids, as one of the vulgar fellows shamelessly uncovers himself!" ²⁰ Then David returned to bless his household. Michal the daughter of Saul came out to meet David, and said, How glorious was the king of Israel today, who uncovered himself today in the eyes of the handmaids of his servants, as one of the vain fellows shamelessly uncovers himself! ²⁰ Then Dauid returned to blesse his houshold: and Michal the daughter of Saul came out to meete Dauid, and said, How glorious was the King of Israel to day, who vncouered himselfe to day in the eyes of the handmaids of his seruants, as one of the vaine fellowes shamelessely vncouereth himselfe!

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

before: 2 Samuel 6:14, 2 Samuel 6:16, 1 Corinthians 10:31

chose: 1 Samuel 13:14, 1 Samuel 15:28, 1 Samuel 16:1, 1 Samuel 16:12, Psalms 78:70-72, Psalms 89:19, Psalms 89:20, Acts 13:22

play: 2 Samuel 6:5, 1 Chronicles 15:29

Reciprocal: Judges 21:21 - dance 2 Samuel 7:8 - ruler 2 Samuel 21:9 - before the Lord 1 Chronicles 17:7 - ruler Job 2:10 - as one Psalms 75:7 - he putteth Acts 7:46 - found 2 Corinthians 5:13 - it is to 1 Thessalonians 3:9 - before

Cross-References

Job 38:41
Who provides food for the raven when its young cry out to God and wander about for lack of food?

Job 38:41
Who provides food for the raven when its young cry out to God and wander about for lack of food?

Job 38:41
Who prepares for the raven its provisionWhen its young cry for help to GodAnd wander about without food?

Job 38:41
"Who prepares for the raven its nourishment When its young cry to God And wander about without food?

Job 38:41
Who prouideth meate for the rauen, when his young ones crye vnto God, and flee about for lacke of meate?

Job 38:41
Who provideth for the raven his food, when his young ones cry unto God, [and] they wander for lack of meat?

Job 38:41
Who provides food for the raven, When its young ones cry to God, And wander about for lack of food?

Job 38:41
Who provides food for the raven, when its young ones cry to God and wander about without food?

Job 38:41
Who feeds the ravens when their babies cry out to God and wander around without food?

Job 38:41
Who provides for the raven his prey, When his young ones cry to God, And wander for lack of food?

Gill's Notes on the Bible

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.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Play - See 2 Samuel 6:5 note. The speech might be paraphrased, Before the Lord which chose me, etc., yea, before the Lord have I danced. He humbles Michal’s pride by the allusion to her father’s rejection, and shows by Saul’s example how little pride contributes to the stability of greatness. Therefore, for his part, he will not think anything done for the glory of God too mean for him; and if he cannot have honor from Saul’s daughter, he will be content to be honored by the maid-servants.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 2 Samuel 6:21. It was before the Lord, which chose me — David felt the reproach, and was strongly irritated, and seems to have spoken to Michal with sufficient asperity.