Then David danced before the Lord with all his might; and David was wearing a linen ephod.
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.
- BSB And David, wearing a linen ephod, danced with all his might before the LORD,
- 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 Yahweh, being a child, clothed with a linen ephod.
- Exod 15:20Miriam the prophetess, the sister of Aaron, took a tambourine in her hand; and all the women went out after her with tambourines and with dances.
- Ps 150:4Praise him with tambourine and dancing! Praise him with stringed instruments and flute!
- Ps 149:3Let them praise his name in the dance! Let them sing praises to him with tambourine and harp!
- Judg 11:34Jephthah came to Mizpah to his house; and behold, his daughter came out to meet him with tambourines and with dances. She was his only child. Besides her he had neither son nor daughter.
- 1 Sam 2:28Didn’t I choose him out of all the tribes of Israel to be my priest, to go up to my altar, to burn incense, to wear an ephod before me? Didn’t I give to the house of your father all the offerings of the children of Israel made by fire?
- Col 3:23And whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord, and not for men,
- Ps 30:11You have turned my mourning into dancing for me. You have removed my sackcloth, and clothed me with gladness,
- Luke 15:25“Now his elder son was in the field. As he came near to the house, he heard music and dancing.
- 1 Chr 15:27David was clothed with a robe of fine linen, as were all the Levites who bore the ark, the singers, and Chenaniah the choir master with the singers; and David had an ephod of linen on him.
- Exod 19:6and you shall be to me a kingdom of priests, and a holy nation.’ These are the words which you shall speak to the children of Israel.”
- Eccl 9:10Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in Sheol, where you are going.
- Judg 21:21and see, and behold, if the daughters of Shiloh come out to dance in the dances, then come out of the vineyards, and each man catch his wife of the daughters of Shiloh, and go to the land of Benjamin.
- Deut 6:5You shall love Yahweh your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your might.
- 1 Sam 22:18The king said to Doeg, “Turn and attack the priests!” Doeg the Edomite turned, and he attacked the priests, and he killed on that day eighty-five people who wore 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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