2 Samuel 6:21

2 Samuel 6:21 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And David said unto Michal, It was before the Lord, which chose me before thy father, and before all his house, to appoint me ruler over the people of the Lord, over Israel: therefore will I play before the Lord.
• New International Version (NIV)David said to Michal, “It was before the Lord, who chose me rather than your father or anyone from his house when he appointed me ruler over the Lord’s people Israel—I will celebrate before the Lord.
• English Standard Version (ESV)And David said to Michal, "It was before the Lord, who chose me above your father and above all his house, to appoint me as prince over Israel, the people of the Lord—and I will celebrate before the Lord.
• New King James Version (NKJV)So David said to Michal, “It was before the Lord, who chose me instead of your father and all his house, to appoint me ruler over the people of the Lord, over Israel. Therefore I will play music before the Lord.

Context of 2 Samuel 6:21

19and distributed to all the people, the entire multitude of Israel, both to men and women, to each a [ring-shaped] loaf of bread, a cake of dates, and a cake of raisins. Then all the people departed, each to his house. 20Then David returned to bless his household. But [his wife] Michal the daughter of Saul came out to meet David and said, “How glorious and distinguished was the king of Israel today, who uncovered himself and stripped [off his kingly robes] in the eyes of his servants’ maids like one of the riffraff who shamelessly uncovers himself!” So David said to Michal, “It was before the Lord [that I did this], who chose me above your father and all his house, to appoint me as ruler over Israel, the people of the Lord. Therefore I will celebrate [in pure enjoyment] before the Lord. 22Yet I will demean myself even more than this, and will be humbled (abased) in my own sight [and yours, as I please], but by the maids whom you mentioned, by them I shall be held in honor.” 23Michal the daughter of Saul had no child to the day of her death.

2 Samuel 6:21 word by word

וַיֹּ֣אמֶר דָּוִד֮ אֶל־מִיכַל֒ לִפְנֵ֣י יְהוָ֗ה אֲשֶׁ֨ר בָּֽחַר־בִּ֤י מֵֽאָבִיךְ֙ וּמִכָּל־בֵּית֔וֹ לְצַוֹּ֨ת אֹתִ֥י נָגִ֛יד עַל־עַ֥ם יְהוָ֖ה עַל־יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל וְשִׂחַקְתִּ֖י לִפְנֵ֥י יְהוָֽה׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And Davidדָּוִדdâvid dâvîyd · DavidH1732
• saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• unto Michalמִיכַלmîykâl · MichalH4324
• beforeפָּנֶהpânîym · face: beforeH6440
• the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
• which choseבָּחַרbâchar · to chooseH977
• me before thy fatherאָב'âb · fatherH1
• and before all his houseבַּ֫יִתbayith · house: householdH1004
• to appointצָוָהtsâvâh · to commandH6680
• me rulerנָגִידnâgîyd nâgid · leaderH5057
• over the peopleעַם‛am · peopleH5971
• over Israelיִשְׂרָאֵלyiώrâ'êl · IsraelH3478
• therefore will I playשָׂחַקώâchaq · to laughH7832

Cross-references for 2 Samuel 6:21

• 2 Samuel 6:14And David was dancing before the Lord with great enthusiasm, and David was wearing a linen ephod [a priest’s upper garment].
• 1 Corinthians 10:31So then, whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of [our great] God.
• 1 Samuel 13:14But now your kingdom shall not endure. The Lord has sought out for Himself a man (David) after His own heart, and the Lord has appointed him as leader and ruler over His people, because you have not kept (obeyed) what the Lord commanded you.”
• 1 Samuel 15:28So Samuel said to him, “The Lord has torn the kingdom of Israel from you today and has given it to your neighbor, who is better than you.
• 1 Samuel 16:1The Lord said to Samuel, “How long will you grieve for Saul, when I have rejected him as king over Israel? Fill your horn with oil and go; I will send you to Jesse the Bethlehemite, for I have chosen a king for Myself among his sons.”
• Psalms 78:70He also chose David His servant And took him from the sheepfolds;
• Psalms 89:19Once You spoke in a vision to Your godly ones, And said, “I have given help to one who is mighty [giving him the power to be a champion for Israel]; I have exalted one chosen from the people.
• Acts 13:22And when He had removed him, He raised up David to be their king: of him He testified and said, ‘I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after My own heart [conforming to My will and purposes], who will do all My will.’
• 2 Samuel 6:5Meanwhile, David and all the house of Israel were celebrating and dancing before the Lord with all kinds of instruments made of fir or cypress wood, with lyres, harps, tambourines, castanets, and cymbals.
• 1 Chronicles 15:29It happened that as the ark of the covenant of the Lord came to the City of David, Michal [David’s wife] the daughter of Saul, looking down through a window, saw King David leaping and dancing [in celebration]; and she despised him in her heart.

Commentaries on 2 Samuel 6:21

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 21It 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.Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 20-23Verses 20-23 David returned to bless his household, to pray with them, and for them, and to offer up family thanksgiving for this national mercy. It is angels' work to worship God, surely that cannot lower the greatest of men. But even the palaces of princes are not free from family troubles. Exercises of religion appear mean in the eyes of those who have little or no religion themselves. If we can approve ourselves to God in what we do in religion, and…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 21David’s response to Michal may suggest the deeper reason for her anger. She may have resented David’s success because her father’s family was losing power and honor.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 20-2220-22. Michal ... came out to meet David, &c.--Proud of her royal extraction, she upbraided her husband for lowering the dignity of the crown and acting more like a buffoon than a king. But her taunting sarcasm was repelled in a manner that could not be agreeable to her feelings while it indicated the warm piety and gratitude of David.Read the comment

Topics related to 2 Samuel 6:21

• David
• Family
• Malice
• Michal
• Retaliation
• Sarcasm
• Thankfulness
• Women

In the dictionaries

• David
• Israel
• Israel, Israelites
• Jacob, Israel
• Chronicles, Books of
• Cornet
• Fatling
• Heart
• Lack
• Sacrifice

Commentaries on 2 Samuel 6

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings