2 Samuel 6:20

2 Samuel 6:20 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Then David returned to bless his household. And Michal the daughter of Saul came out to meet David, and said, How glorious was the king of Israel to day, who uncovered himself to day in the eyes of the handmaids of his servants, as one of the vain fellows shamelessly uncovereth himself!
• New International Version (NIV)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!”
• English Standard Version (ESV)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' female servants, as one of the vulgar fellows shamelessly uncovers himself!"
• New King James Version (NKJV)Then David returned to bless his household. And Michal the daughter of Saul came out to meet David, and said, “How glorious was the king of Israel today, uncovering himself today in the eyes of the maids of his servants, as one of the base fellows shamelessly uncovers himself!”

Context of 2 Samuel 6:20

18After David had offered those sacrifices, he prayed that the Lord Almighty would bless the people. 19Then he gave a gift to every man and woman in the crowd of Israelite people. Each person received a loaf of bread, some dates and some raisins. Then all the people went to their homes. David returned to his home to bless his own family. As he arrived, Saul's daughter Michal came out to meet him. She said, ‘The king of Israel has brought honour to himself today, has he? No, he has brought shame on himself! Even your officers' slave girls have seen how stupid you are. You have made your body bare like a useless fool!’ 21David said to Michal, ‘I was worshipping the Lord with joy! It was the Lord who chose me to be the ruler of his people, Israel. He chose me instead of your father or any of his family. 22I am ready to bring even more shame on myself. Even I will be ashamed of myself! But the slave girls that you spoke about will still give me honour!’

2 Samuel 6:20 word by word

וַיָּ֥שָׁב דָּוִ֖ד לְבָרֵ֣ךְ אֶת־בֵּית֑וֹ וַתֵּצֵ֞א מִיכַ֤ל בַּת־שָׁאוּל֙ לִקְרַ֣את דָּוִ֔ד וַתֹּ֗אמֶר מַה־נִּכְבַּ֨ד הַיּ֜וֹם מֶ֣לֶךְ יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל אֲשֶׁ֨ר נִגְלָ֤ה הַיּוֹם֙ לְעֵינֵ֨י אַמְה֣וֹת עֲבָדָ֔יו כְּהִגָּל֥וֹת נִגְל֖וֹת אַחַ֥ד הָרֵקִֽים׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Then Davidדָּוִדdâvid dâvîyd · DavidH1732
• returnedשׁוּבshûb · to return: returnH7725
• to blessבָּרַךְbârak · to blessH1288
• his householdבַּ֫יִתbayith · house: householdH1004
• And Michalמִיכַלmîykâl · MichalH4324
• the daughterבַּתbath · daughterH1323
• of Saulשָׁאוּלshâ'ûl · SaulH7586
• came outיָצָאyâtsâ' · to come out: comeH3318
• to meetקִרְאָהqir'âh · befallH7125
• and saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• How gloriousכָּבֵדkâbad kâbêd · to honor: honourH3513
• was the kingמֶ֫לֶךְmelek · kingH4428
• of Israelיִשְׂרָאֵלyiώrâ'êl · IsraelH3478
• to dayיוֹםyôm · dayH3117
• who uncoveredגָּלָהgâlâh · to reveal: uncoverH1540
• in the eyesעַ֫יִן‛ayin · eyeH5869
• of the handmaidsאָמָה'âmâh · maidservantH519
• of his servantsעֶ֫בֶד‛ebed · servant/slaveH5650
• as oneאֶחָד'echâd · oneH259
• of the vain fellowsרֵיקrêyq rêq · worthlessH7386

Cross-references for 2 Samuel 6:20

• 2 Samuel 6:18After David had offered those sacrifices, he prayed that the Lord Almighty would bless the people.
• Genesis 18:19I have chosen him so that he will teach my message to his children and their families. He will teach them to do what is right and what is fair. Then I, the Lord, will do for Abraham everything that I have promised to him.’
• Joshua 24:15But if you refuse to serve the Lord, then you should choose another god to worship. Decide today! Will you serve the gods that your ancestors worshipped across the river? Will you serve the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are now living? You choose! But as for me and my family, we will serve the Lord.’
• 1 Chronicles 16:43After that, all the people left to return to their homes. David also went home to ask God to bless his family.
• Psalms 30:1Lord, I will praise you, because you have saved me from death. You have not let my enemies laugh at me.
• Psalms 101:2I will be careful to live in a completely good way. When will you come to help me, Lord? In my own home, I will always be completely honest.
• 2 Samuel 6:16While they were bringing the Lord's Covenant Box into the City of David, Saul's daughter Michal looked out through a window. She saw what King David was doing. He was jumping and dancing to worship the Lord. Michal felt ashamed of him.
• Psalms 69:7Because I belong to you, people insult me. They make me feel ashamed.
• Mark 3:21People told his family what was happening. So they went to take him away with them. They thought that Jesus was crazy.
• Nehemiah 4:3Tobiah the Ammonite was with him. Tobiah said, ‘The wall that the Jews are trying to build is very weak. Even if a little fox climbs up on it, the stones would all fall down again!’
• Isaiah 53:2God's servant grew up in front of him, like a young, green plant, with its roots in dry ground. He was not handsome. He did not seem like a great king. We did not see him as a special person. There was nothing to see that would make us want to be with him.
• John 13:6Jesus came to Simon Peter. Peter asked him, ‘Lord, will you really wash my feet?’
• 1 Corinthians 4:10We have become like fools so that we can serve Christ. But you think that you are wise because you belong to Christ. We seem like weak people, but you seem to be strong! People respect you but they insult us!
• Philippians 2:7Instead, he chose to leave heaven. He took for himself the nature of a slave. He became like a human.
• 2 Samuel 6:14David was wearing a linen ephod. He danced with all his strength to worship the Lord.
• 1 Samuel 19:23Saul went to Naioth. The Spirit of God came on him also. He started to prophesy as he walked towards Naioth.

Commentaries on 2 Samuel 6:20

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 20To bless his household - This was according to the custom of the patriarchs, who were priests in their own families. It is worthy of remark, that David is called patriarch by Stephen, Acts 2:29, though living upwards of four hundred years after the termination of the patriarchal age. How glorious was the king of Israel - This is a strong irony. From what Michal says, it is probable that David used some violent gesticulations, by means of which some parts…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. 1-23Except for a brief reference in 1 Samuel 14:18 (see note), the ark of the covenant does not appear again after 1 Samuel 7:1–2. In that passage, the Philistines returned the captured ark to Beth-shemesh, and it was later taken to Kiriath-jearim. There, the ark was placed in the home of Abinadab. The ark’s long absence during the reign of Saul is significant. It shows that Saul did not seek the Lord and was spiritually insensitive (see 1 Chronicles…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 6:20

• David
• Family
• Irony
• Michal
• Women

In the dictionaries

• David
• Israel
• Saul
• Israel, Israelites
• Jacob, Israel
• Paul, Saul
• Chronicles, Books of
• Cornet
• Fatling
• Heart

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