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.
• 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.
• New Living Translation (NLT)David retorted to Michal, “I was dancing before the Lord, who chose me above your father and all his family! He appointed me as the leader of Israel, the people of the Lord, so I celebrate before the Lord.

Context of 2 Samuel 6:21

19Then he gave a loaf of bread, a cake of dates and a cake of raisins to each person in the whole crowd of Israelites, both men and women. And all the people went to their homes. 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, going around half-naked in full view of the slave girls of his servants as any vulgar fellow would!” 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. 22I will become even more undignified than this, and I will be humiliated in my own eyes. But by these slave girls you spoke of, I will be held in honor.” 23And Michal daughter of Saul had no children 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 6:14Wearing a linen ephod, David was dancing before the Lord with all his might,
• 1 Corinthians 10:31So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.
• 1 Samuel 13:14But now your kingdom will not endure; the Lord has sought out a man after his own heart and appointed him ruler of his people, because you have not kept the Lord’s command.”
• 1 Samuel 15:28Samuel said to him, “The Lord has torn the kingdom of Israel from you today and has given it to one of your neighbors—to one better than you.
• 1 Samuel 16:1The Lord said to Samuel, “How long will you mourn for Saul, since I have rejected him as king over Israel? Fill your horn with oil and be on your way; I am sending you to Jesse of Bethlehem. I have chosen one of his sons to be king.”
• Psalms 78:70He chose David his servant and took him from the sheep pens;
• Psalms 89:19Once you spoke in a vision, to your faithful people you said: “I have bestowed strength on a warrior; I have raised up a young man from among the people.
• Acts 13:22After removing Saul, he made David their king. God testified concerning him: ‘I have found David son of Jesse, a man after my own heart; he will do everything I want him to do.’
• 2 Samuel 6:5David and all Israel were celebrating with all their might before the Lord, with castanets, harps, lyres, timbrels, sistrums and cymbals.
• 1 Chronicles 15:29As the ark of the covenant of the Lord was entering the City of David, Michal daughter of Saul watched from a window. And when she saw King David dancing and celebrating, 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