And David, wearing a linen ephod, danced with all his might before the LORD,
Parallel translations
- WEB David danced before Yahweh with all his might; and David was clothed in a linen ephod.
- KJV And David danced before the LORD with all his might; and David was girded with a linen ephod.
- NKJV Then David danced before the Lord with all his might; and David was wearing a linen ephod.
- NASB And David was dancing before the Lord with all his strength, and David was wearing a linen ephod.
- NLT And David danced before the Lord with all his might, wearing a priestly garment.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
David danced before the LORD with all his might, wearing a simple linen ephod. He gave God wholehearted, undignified worship as a king laying aside his status before a greater King.
Overview
The linen ephod was a simple priestly-style garment, and David's energetic dancing expressed exuberant joy in God's presence. As king, David humbled himself, worshiping not as a distant monarch but as a glad servant of the LORD. His abandon foreshadows the heart of all true worship, offered wholeheartedly and without self-protecting pride.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 15
- 1 Sam 2:18Now Samuel was ministering before the LORD—a boy wearing a linen ephod.
- Exod 15:20Then Miriam the prophetess, Aaron’s sister, took a tambourine in her hand, and all the women followed her with tambourines and dancing.
- Ps 150:4Praise Him with tambourine and dancing; praise Him with strings and flute.
- Ps 149:3Let them praise His name with dancing, and make music to Him with tambourine and harp.
- Judg 11:34And when Jephthah returned home to Mizpah, there was his daughter coming out to meet him with tambourines and dancing! She was his only child; he had no son or daughter besides her.
- 1 Sam 2:28And out of all the tribes of Israel I selected your father to be My priest, to offer sacrifices on My altar, to burn incense, and to wear an ephod in My presence. I also gave to the house of your father all the offerings of the Israelites made by fire.
- Col 3:23Whatever you do, work at it with your whole being, for the Lord and not for men,
- Ps 30:11You turned my mourning into dancing; You peeled off my sackcloth and clothed me with joy,
- Luke 15:25Meanwhile the older son was in the field, and as he approached the house, he heard music and dancing.
- 1 Chr 15:27Now David was dressed in a robe of fine linen, as were all the Levites who were carrying the ark, as well as the singers and Chenaniah, the director of music for the singers. David also wore a linen ephod.
- Exod 19:6And unto Me you shall be a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words that you are to speak to the Israelites.”
- Eccl 9:10Whatever you find to do with your hands, do it with all your might, for in Sheol, where you are going, there is no work or planning or knowledge or wisdom.
- Judg 21:21and watch. When you see the daughters of Shiloh come out to perform their dances, each of you is to come out of the vineyards, catch for himself a wife from the daughters of Shiloh, and go to the land of Benjamin.
- Deut 6:5And you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.
- 1 Sam 22:18So the king ordered Doeg, “You turn and strike down the priests!” And Doeg the Edomite turned and struck down the priests himself. On that day he killed eighty-five men who wore the linen ephod.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
God's covenant with David — a son whose throne and kingdom would last forever (7:12–16) — finds its yes in Jesus, the Son of David who reigns without end.
How 2 Samuel 6:14 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
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