2 Samuel 6:20

Then David returned to bless his household. And Michal the daughter of Saul came out to meet David, and said, How glorious was the king of Israel to day, who uncovered himself to day in the eyes of the handmaids of his servants, as one of the vain fellows shamelessly uncovereth himself!

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(20) Returned.—Michal had seen David from the window as he passed by his house on his way with the ark to its tent. Now, having dismissed and blessed the people, he returns to bless those members of his household whom eastern custom had not allowed to take part in the ceremonies, and is met by Michal with her cutting irony. The account of this is omitted from the narrative in Chronicles.

Benson Commentary

2 Samuel 6:20. David returned to bless his household — As he had done his people. Ministers must not think that their public performances will excuse them from family worship; but when they have blessed the public assembly they are to return and bless their own household. And none is too great to do this. It is the work of angels to worship God; and therefore certainly can be no disparagement to the greatest of men. How glorious was the king of Israel! — This she spoke ironically, by way of derision and contempt. Who uncovered himself to-day — Stripped himself of his royal robe, and put on a linen ephod. “The original word, נגלה, niglah, which we render uncovering himself, doth not mean exposing any part of the body to view, and is never used in that sense, without some other word to determine it to that meaning. And as in the parallel place (1 Chronicles 15:29) this circumstance is not at all taken notice of, but only that when she saw David dancing and leaping, (or, as the word should be rendered, playing on some musical instrument, as it is used, 2 Samuel 6:5,) she despised him; the meaning can be nothing more than that by dancing before the ark without his royal habit, (exchanged for the linen ephods) and playing on his harp, or some musical instrument, like the rest of the people, he appeared (that is, exposed himself in her eyes) as one of the vain fellows.” — Dodd. In the eyes of the handmaids of his servants — The women probably bore a part in this procession and solemnity, as they did Exodus 15., or, at least, were spectators of it; from which, indeed, none were excluded, though ever so mean. As one of the vain fellows shamelessly uncovereth himself — Throws off his clothes, and cares not who sees him. The word shamelessly is not in the original, but injudiciously inserted by our translators, who have themselves put a better word, namely, openly, in the margin. The Hebrew words כנגלות נגלות, chenichaloth nigloth, literally translated, are, as in uncovering he uncovereth. Michal doubtless spoke this by way of reproach, of his putting off his proper royal apparel, and mixing with the multitude. If she meant to intimate that he had exposed himself immodestly, she aggravated his action in a fit of passion; for it is not at all credible that he should do any thing of the kind. There can be no doubt but he kept himself within the bounds of modesty and decency, especially as he was employed in sacred work. He was acting according to the command of God, who required the Israelites to rejoice in their feasts, Deuteronomy 12:7; and Deuteronomy 16:14; but certainly not with a trifling, lascivious, and petulant mirth, but with a pious, holy, and moderate joy, becoming the presence of God. But as Michal judged of David, so do carnal and worldly-minded men judge of true piety, and of those who make a profession of it. It is all weakness and meanness of spirit, or it is enthusiasm and extravagance in their eyes. But David’s reply to Michal may teach us not to be ashamed of religion, or of any part of it, whatever reproach may be cast upon us for it. The erroneous judgment and sneers of ungodly men should be despised and disregarded when the honour of God is in question.

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

6:20-23 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 do it as before the Lord, we need not heed reproach. Piety will have its praise: let us not be indifferent in it, nor afraid or ashamed to own it. David was contented to justify himself, and he did not further reprove or blame Michal's insolence; but God punished her. Those that honour God, he will honour; but those that despise him, and his servants and service, shall be lightly esteemed.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Then David returned ... - He had passed his house to accompany the ark to the tabernacle he had pitched for it, when Michal saw him dancing. He now returns to bless his household. He had blessed the people 2 Samuel 6:18, but there were the inmates of his own house whom the customs of the age did not allow to be present, and so, with his usual considerate kindness and affection, David came to bless them also on this solemn occasion.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

2Sa 6:20-23. Michal's Barrenness.

20-22. 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.

Matthew Poole's Commentary

Who uncovered himself; either, first, by stripping himself of his royal robes, that he might put on a Levitical ephod; or by discovering some part of his thighs or legs, as might possibly happen whilst he

danced with all his might, as is said above, 2 Samuel 6:14, considering that the men did then wear loose garments; or she speaks thus, not that he did so, but only by way of aggravation of his fault, and to vilify him the more, as is usual with persons in such cases.

The handmaids of his servants; who either bore a part in the solemnity, as women sometimes did, Exodus 15:20; or at least were spectators of it, and of David’s carriage in it.

As one of the vain fellows; as idle and light persons use to do.

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

Then David returned to bless his household,.... His wife, children, and servants, to wish all happiness to them on this occasion, and pray to God for blessings on them temporal and spiritual. This was done when he came from the place where the ark was set, and was come to his own palace:

and Michal the daughter of Saul came out to meet David; before he had gotten quite to his own house:

and said, how glorious was the king of Israel today; which she spoke in an ironical jeering way, meaning the reverse, how inglorious, mean, and despicable he had made himself to be, by his airs and gestures:

who uncovered himself today in the eyes of the handmaids of his servants, as one of the vain fellows shamelessly uncovereth himself! because he had put off his royal robes, and put on a linen ephod; for that he had stripped himself naked cannot be supposed, nor do her words import so much though a passionate exaggeration of the case.

Geneva Study Bible

Then David returned to {i} bless his household. And Michal the daughter of Saul came out to meet David, and said, How glorious was the king of Israel to day, who uncovered himself to day in the eyes of the handmaids of his servants, as one of the vain fellows shamelessly uncovereth himself!

(i) That is, to pray for his house, as he had done for the people.

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

20–23. Michal’s contemptuous pride rebuked by David

20. And Michal, &c.] The account of David’s meeting with Michal is omitted in 1 Chr.

How glorious, &c.] Better, How honourable did the king of Israel make himself to-day. The E. V. weakens the point of David’s answer in 2 Samuel 6:22 by translating the same Hebrew word differently in the two verses.

who uncovered himself, &c.] Stripped off his royal robe, and appeared in a plain ephod, as a worthless buffoon strips off his outer garment to play immodest antics.

vain] = ‘empty,’ ‘worthless.’

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 20. - To bless his household. David, in the midst of his public duties, was not forgetful of the nearer claims of his own family. Doubtless there also a joyful feast would be prepared, and all be gathered together to praise God and rejoice with one con sent. Who uncovered himself ... as one of the vain fellows shamelessly uncovereth himself! David's offence in the eyes of Michal was, not his dancing, but his divesting himself of his royal robes, and appearing before his subjects clad in the dress of an inferior class. The Levites were to occupy a humble social position (see Deuteronomy 14:29; Deuteronomy 26:12), and Michal's words are a proof that such was in David's time the case. The language of Michal is that of a woman vexed and irritated. After reminding David of his high office as "King of Israel," she reproaches him for appearing on a grand public occasion without the upper and becoming robe in which an Oriental enwraps himself. And this he had done before the female slaves of his own servants, with no more self-respect than that shown by the "vain fellows." "Vain" is the "raca" of Matthew 5:22, and means "empty," void of virtue, void of reputation, and void of worldly means. The Hebrews, when expressing the greatest possible contempt for a man, called him an "empty," and no word could be found better conveying the meaning of thorough worthlessness. 2 Samuel 6:20

Keil and Delitzsch Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament

When David returned home to bless his house, as he had previously blessed the people, Michal came to meet him with scornful words, saying, "How has the king of Israel glorified himself to-day, when he stripped himself before the eyes of the maids of his servants, as only one of the loose people strips himself!" The unusual combination נגלות כּהגּלות is explained by Ewald (240, e., p. 607) in this manner, that whilst, so far as the sense of the clause is concerned, the second verb ought to be in the infinitive absolute, they were both written with a very slight change of form in the infinitive construct; whereas others regard נגלות as an unusual form of the infinitive absolute (Ges. Lehrgeb. p. 430), or a copyist's error for נגלה (Thenius, Olsh. Gr. p. 600). The proud daughter of Saul was offended at the fact, that the king had let himself down on this occasion to the level of the people. She availed herself of the shortness of the priests' shoulder-dress, to make a contemptuous remark concerning David's dancing, as an impropriety that was unbecoming in a king. "Who knows whether the proud woman did not intend to sneer at the rank of the Levites, as one that was contemptible in her eyes, since their humble service may have looked very trivial to her?" (Berleb. Bible.)