And David danced before the LORD with all his might; and David was girded with a linen ephod.
Parallel translations
- WEB David danced before Yahweh with all his might; and David was clothed in a linen ephod.
- BSB And David, wearing a linen ephod, danced with all his might before the LORD,
- 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 2:18But Samuel ministered before the LORD, being a child, girded with a linen ephod.
- Exod 15:20And Miriam the prophetess, the sister of Aaron, took a timbrel in her hand; and all the women went out after her with timbrels and with dances.
- Ps 150:4Praise him with the timbrel and dance: praise him with stringed instruments and organs.
- Ps 149:3Let them praise his name in the dance: let them sing praises unto him with the timbrel and harp.
- Judg 11:34And Jephthah came to Mizpeh unto his house, and, behold, his daughter came out to meet him with timbrels and with dances: and she was his only child; beside her he had neither son nor daughter.
- 1 Sam 2:28And did I choose him out of all the tribes of Israel to be my priest, to offer upon mine altar, to burn incense, to wear an ephod before me? and did I give unto the house of thy father all the offerings made by fire of the children of Israel?
- Col 3:23And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men;
- Ps 30:11Thou hast turned for me my mourning into dancing: thou hast put off my sackcloth, and girded me with gladness;
- Luke 15:25Now his elder son was in the field: and as he came and drew nigh to the house, he heard musick and dancing.
- 1 Chr 15:27And David was clothed with a robe of fine linen, and all the Levites that bare the ark, and the singers, and Chenaniah the master of the song with the singers: David also had upon him an ephod of linen.
- Exod 19:6And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation. These are the words which thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel.
- Eccl 9:10Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest.
- Judg 21:21And see, and, behold, if the daughters of Shiloh come out to dance in dances, then come ye out of the vineyards, and catch you every man his wife of the daughters of Shiloh, and go to the land of Benjamin.
- Deut 6:5And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.
- 1 Sam 22:18And the king said to Doeg, Turn thou, and fall upon the priests. And Doeg the Edomite turned, and he fell upon the priests, and slew on that day fourscore and five persons that did wear a 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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