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Tuesday, July 22nd, 2025
the Week of Proper 11 / Ordinary 16
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Read the Bible

Easy-to-Read Version

2 Samuel 6:14

David was dancing in front of the Lord . He was wearing a linen ephod.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Ark;   Dancing;   David;   Ephod;   Jerusalem;   Thompson Chain Reference - Dancing;   Ephod;   Linen;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Ark of the Covenant;   Ephod, the;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Ark of the Covenant;   Dancing;   Ephod;   Linen;   Uzzah;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Ark;   Dancing;   Ephod;   Music;   Tabernacle;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Jerusalem;   Psalms, Theology of;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Dance;   Ephod;   Linen;   Tabernacle;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Dance;   High Priest;   King;   Levites;   Mahol;   Priest;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Ark of the Covenant;   Art and Aesthetics;   Ephod;   Music, Instruments, Dancing;   Pilgrimage;   Praise;   Samuel, Books of;   Transportation and Travel;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Ark;   Chronicles, I;   Dress;   Games;   Jerusalem;   Linen;   Priests and Levites;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Ephod;   The Hawker's Poor Man's Concordance And Dictionary - Dancing;   Nachon;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Dance;   David;   Ephod;   Jerusalem;   Watson's Biblical & Theological Dictionary - Ephod;  

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - Hebrew Monarchy, the;   International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Abiathar;   Ark of the Covenant;   Criticism (the Graf-Wellhausen Hypothesis);   David;   Dress;   Ephod (1);   Games;   Gesture;   Images;   Linen;   Praise;   Psalms, Book of;   Kitto Biblical Cyclopedia - Ark of the covenant;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Dancing;   Ephod;   Linen;   Priest;   Samuel, Books of;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
David was dancing with all his might before the Lord wearing a linen ephod.
Hebrew Names Version
David danced before the LORD with all his might; and David was girded with a linen efod.
King James Version
And David danced before the Lord with all his might; and David was girded with a linen ephod.
Lexham English Bible
Now David was dancing with all his might before Yahweh, and David was wearing a linen ephod.
English Standard Version
And David danced before the Lord with all his might. And David was wearing a linen ephod.
New Century Version
Then David danced with all his might before the Lord . He had on a holy linen vest.
New English Translation
Now David, wearing a linen ephod, was dancing with all his strength before the Lord .
Amplified Bible
And David was dancing before the LORD with great enthusiasm, and David was wearing a linen ephod [a priest's upper garment].
New American Standard Bible
And David was dancing before the LORD with all his strength, and David was wearing a linen ephod.
Geneva Bible (1587)
And Dauid danced before the Lorde with al his might, & was girded with a linnen Ephod.
Legacy Standard Bible
And David was dancing before Yahweh with all his strength, and David was girded with a linen ephod.
Contemporary English Version
He was dancing for the Lord with all his might, but he wore only a linen cloth.
Complete Jewish Bible
Then David danced and spun around with abandon before Adonai , wearing a linen ritual vest.
Darby Translation
And David danced before Jehovah with all his might; and David was girded with a linen ephod.
George Lamsa Translation
And David sang praises before the LORD with all his might; and David was girded with a linen ephod.
Good News Translation
David, wearing only a linen cloth around his waist, danced with all his might to honor the Lord .
Literal Translation
And David was dancing with all his might before Jehovah. And David was girded with a linen ephod.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
And Dauid daunsed wt all his mighte before the LORDE, and was girded with an ouerbody cote of lynne.
American Standard Version
And David danced before Jehovah with all his might; and David was girded with a linen ephod.
Bible in Basic English
And David, clothed in a linen ephod, was dancing before the Lord with all his strength.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
And Dauid daunced before the Lorde with all his might, & was girded with a linnen Ephod.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
And David danced before the LORD with all his might; and David was girded with a linen ephod.
King James Version (1611)
And Dauid daunced before the Lord with all his might, and Dauid was girded with a linnen Ephod.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And David sounded with well-tuned instruments before the Lord, and David was clothed with a fine long robe.
English Revised Version
And David danced before the LORD with all his might; and David was girded with a linen ephod.
Berean Standard Bible
And David, wearing a linen ephod, danced with all his might before the LORD,
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
and daunside with alle strengthis bifor the Lord; sotheli Dauid was clothid with a lynnun surplis.
Young's Literal Translation
And David is dancing with all strength before Jehovah, and David is girded with a linen ephod,
Update Bible Version
And David danced before Yahweh with all his might; and David was girded with a linen ephod.
Webster's Bible Translation
And David danced before the LORD with all [his] might; and David [was] girded with a linen ephod.
World English Bible
David danced before Yahweh with all his might; and David was girded with a linen ephod.
New King James Version
Then David danced before the LORD with all his might; and David was wearing a linen ephod.
New Living Translation
And David danced before the Lord with all his might, wearing a priestly garment.
New Life Bible
He was dancing before the Lord with all his strength. And he was wearing a linen vest.
New Revised Standard
David danced before the Lord with all his might; David was girded with a linen ephod.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And, David, was dancing with all boldness before Yahweh, - David, being girt with an ephod of linen.
Douay-Rheims Bible
And David danced with all his might before the Lord: and David was girded with a linen ephod.
Revised Standard Version
And David danced before the LORD with all his might; and David was girded with a linen ephod.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
And David was dancing before the LORD with all his might, and David was wearing a linen ephod.

Contextual Overview

12 Later people told David, "The Lord has blessed the family of Obed Edom and everything he owns, because God's Holy Box is there." So David went and brought God's Holy Box from Obed Edom's house. David was very happy and excited. 13 When the men who carried the Lord 's Holy Box had walked six steps, they stopped and David sacrificed a bull and a fat calf. 14 David was dancing in front of the Lord . He was wearing a linen ephod. 15 David and all the Israelites were excited—they shouted and blew the trumpet as they brought the Lord 's Holy Box into the city. 16 Saul's daughter Michal was looking out the window. While the Lord 's Holy Box was being carried into the city, David was jumping and dancing before the Lord . Michal saw this, and she was upset at David. 17 David put up a tent for the Holy Box. The Israelites put the Lord 's Holy Box in its place under the tent. Then David offered burnt offerings and fellowship offerings before the Lord . 18 After David had finished offering the burnt offerings and the fellowship offerings, he blessed the people in the name of the Lord All-Powerful. 19 He also gave a share of bread, a raisin cake, and some date bread to every man and woman of Israel. Then all the people went home.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

danced: Exodus 15:20, Judges 11:34, Judges 21:21, Psalms 30:11, Psalms 149:3, Psalms 150:4, Luke 15:25

with all his: Deuteronomy 6:5, Ecclesiastes 9:10, Colossians 3:23

girded: 1 Samuel 2:18, 1 Samuel 2:28, 1 Samuel 22:18, 1 Chronicles 15:27

Reciprocal: Exodus 28:4 - ephod Exodus 32:19 - the dancing 1 Samuel 19:24 - stripped 2 Samuel 6:20 - uncovered 2 Samuel 6:21 - before 2 Chronicles 20:27 - forefront Ezekiel 46:10 - General Hosea 3:4 - ephod

Cross-References

Exodus 2:3
She hid him for as long as she could. After three months she made a basket and covered it with tar so that it would float. Then she put the baby in the basket and put the basket in the river in the tall grass.
Matthew 24:38
In those days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving their children to be married right up to the day Noah entered the boat.
Luke 17:27
People were eating, drinking, and getting married even on the day when Noah entered the boat. Then the flood came and killed them all.
1 Peter 3:20
Those were the spirits who refused to obey God long ago in the time of Noah. God was waiting patiently for people while Noah was building the big boat. And only a few—eight in all—were saved in the boat through the floodwater.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And David danced before the Lord with all [his] might,.... That is, before the ark of the Lord; not a set dance, or along with others; but he leaped and skipped as "car", a lamb, does, and that for joy that the ark was like to be brought home to his house, without any token of the divine displeasure, as before; the Targum is,

"he praised before the Lord with all his might;''

exerted himself to the uttermost in singing the praises of God vocally, or by playing on an instrument; to which sense are the Septuagint, Syriac, and Arabic versions, which is approved of by Castel p; who observes, it nowhere appears to have been a custom to dance before the ark; but it might be now done, though not usual, and therefore was observed by Michal with contempt, 2 Samuel 6:16; a later writer q shows that dancing is the proper sense of the word:

and David [was] girded with a linen ephod; which others, besides priests, sometimes wore, as Samuel did, and which David might choose to appear in, rather than in his royal robes, as being more agreeable to the service of God, and lighter for him both to walk and dance in on this occasion.

p Lexic. col. 1793. q Hackman. Praecidan. Sacr. p. 156, 157.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Danced - The Hebrew word is found only here and in 2 Samuel 6:16. It means “to dance in a circle,” hence, simply to dance. The parallel passage in 1 Chronicles 15:27 gives a widely different sense.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 2 Samuel 6:14. And David danced before the Lord — Dancing is a religious ceremony among the Hindoos, and they consider it an act of devotion to their idols. It is evident that David considered it in the same light. What connection dancing can have with devotion I cannot tell. This I know, that unpremeditated and involuntary skipping may be the effect of sudden mental elation.


 
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