2 Samuel

2 Samuel 6:20–23

20When David returned home to bless his own household, Saul’s daughter Michal came out to meet him. “How the king of Israel has distinguished himself today!” she said. “He has uncovered himself today in the sight of the maidservants of his subjects, like a vulgar person would do.”

21But David said to Michal, “I was dancing before the LORD, who chose me over your father and all his house when He appointed me ruler over the LORD’s people Israel. I will celebrate before the LORD, 22and I will humiliate and humble myself even more than this. Yet I will be honored by the maidservants of whom you have spoken.”

23And Michal the daughter of Saul had no children to the day of her death.

Read all of 2 Samuel 6

Word by word

Each English word or phrase beside the Hebrew it translates, in the order of the English. Choose a number to open that word’s study.

2 Samuel 6:20

EnglishHebrewSounds likeGrammarWord study
When Davidדָּוִ֖דdā·wiḏNoun - proper - masculine singularH1732 David
returnedוַיָּ֥שָׁבway·yā·šāḇConjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singularH7725 turn back, return
home to blessלְבָרֵ֣ךְlə·ḇā·rêḵPreposition-l; Verb - Piel - Infinitive constructH1288 kneel, bless
his own householdבֵּית֑וֹbê·ṯōwNoun - masculine singular construct; third person masculine singularH1004 house
Saul’sשָׁאוּל֙šā·’ūlNoun - proper - masculine singularH7586 Shaul
daughterבַּת־baṯ-Noun - feminine singular constructH1323 daughter
Michalמִיכַ֤לmî·ḵalNoun - proper - feminine singularH4324 Mikal
came outוַתֵּצֵ֞אwat·tê·ṣêConjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person feminine singularH3318 go or come out
to meet himדָּוִ֔דdā·wiḏNoun - proper - masculine singularH1732 David
Howמַה־mah-InterrogativeH4100 what? how? aught
the kingמֶ֣לֶךְme·leḵNoun - masculine singular constructH4428 king
of Israelיִשְׂרָאֵ֗לyiś·rā·’êlNoun - proper - masculine singularH3478 Israel
has distinguished himselfנִּכְבַּ֨דniḵ·baḏVerb - Nifal - Perfect - third person masculine singularH3513 be heavy, weighty, burdensome, honoured
todayהַיּ֜וֹםhay·yō·wmArticle; Noun - masculine singularH3117 day
she saidוַתֹּ֗אמֶרwat·tō·merConjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person feminine singularH559 utter, say
Heאֲשֶׁ֨ר’ă·šerPronoun - relativeH834 particle of relation
has uncovered himselfנִגְלָ֤הniḡ·lāhVerb - Nifal - Perfect - third person masculine singularH1540 uncover, remove
todayהַיּוֹם֙hay·yō·wmArticle; Noun - masculine singularH3117 day
in the sightלְעֵינֵ֨יlə·‘ê·nêPreposition-l; Noun - cdcH5869 eye
of the maidservantsאַמְה֣וֹת’am·hō·wṯNoun - feminine plural constructH519 maid, handmaid
of his subjectsעֲבָדָ֔יו‘ă·ḇā·ḏāwNoun - masculine plural construct; third person masculine singularH5650 slave, servant
like aאַחַ֥ד’a·ḥaḏNumber - masculine singular constructH259 one
vulgar personהָרֵקִֽים׃hā·rê·qîmArticle; Adjective - masculine pluralH7386 empty, vain
wouldכְּהִגָּל֥וֹתkə·hig·gā·lō·wṯPreposition-k; Verb - Nifal - Infinitive constructH1540 uncover, remove

2 Samuel 6:21

EnglishHebrewSounds likeGrammarWord study
But Davidדָּוִד֮dā·wiḏNoun - proper - masculine singularH1732 David
saidוַיֹּ֣אמֶרway·yō·merConjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singularH559 utter, say
toאֶל־’el-PrepositionH413 motion to
Michalמִיכַל֒mî·ḵalNoun - proper - feminine singularH4324 Mikal
I was dancing beforeלִפְנֵ֣יlip̄·nêPreposition-l; Noun - common plural constructH6440 face, before
the LORDיְהוָ֗הYah·wehNoun - proper - masculine singularH3068 Yahweh
whoאֲשֶׁ֨ר’ă·šerPronoun - relativeH834 particle of relation
choseבָּֽחַר־bā·ḥar-Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singularH977 choose
meבִּ֤יbîPreposition; first person common singular
over your fatherמֵֽאָבִיךְ֙mê·’ā·ḇîḵPreposition-m; Noun - masculine singular construct; second person feminine singularH1 father
and allוּמִכָּל־ū·mik·kāl-Conjunctive waw, Preposition-m; Noun - masculine singular constructH3605 the whole, all
his houseבֵּית֔וֹbê·ṯōwNoun - masculine singular construct; third person masculine singularH1004 house
when He appointedלְצַוֺּ֨תlə·ṣaw·wōṯPreposition-l; Verb - Piel - Infinitive constructH6680 lay charge (upon), give charge (to), charge, command, order
meאֹתִ֥י’ō·ṯîDirect object marker; first person common singularH853 mark of the accusative
rulerנָגִ֛ידnā·ḡîḏNoun - masculine singularH5057 leader
overעַל־‘al-PrepositionH5921 height
the LORD’sיְהוָ֖הYah·wehNoun - proper - masculine singularH3068 Yahweh
peopleעַ֥ם‘amNoun - masculine singular constructH5971 people
Israelיִשְׂרָאֵ֑לyiś·rā·’êlNoun - proper - masculine singularH3478 Israel
I will celebrateוְשִׂחַקְתִּ֖יwə·śi·ḥaq·tîConjunctive waw; Verb - Piel - Conjunctive perfect - first person common singularH7832 laugh
beforeלִפְנֵ֥יlip̄·nêPreposition-l; Noun - common plural constructH6440 face, before
the LORDיְהוָֽה׃Yah·wehNoun - proper - masculine singularH3068 Yahweh

2 Samuel 6:22

EnglishHebrewSounds likeGrammarWord study
and I will humiliateוּנְקַלֹּ֤תִיū·nə·qal·lō·ṯîConjunctive waw; Verb - Nifal - Conjunctive perfect - first person common singularH7043 be slight, swift, trifling
and humbleשָׁפָ֖לšā·p̄ālAdjective - masculine singularH8217 low
myselfבְּעֵינָ֑יbə·‘ê·nāyPreposition-b; Noun - cdc; first person common singularH5869 eye
even moreעוֹד֙‘ō·wḏAdverbH5750 a going round, continuance
than thisמִזֹּ֔אתmiz·zōṯPreposition-m; Pronoun - feminine singularH2063 this
Yet I will be honoredאִכָּבֵֽדָה׃’ik·kā·ḇê·ḏāhVerb - Nifal - Imperfect Cohortative - first person common singularH3513 be heavy, weighty, burdensome, honoured
byוְעִם־wə·‘im-Conjunctive waw; PrepositionH5973 with
the maidservantsהָֽאֲמָהוֹת֙hā·’ă·mā·hō·wṯArticle; Noun - feminine pluralH519 maid, handmaid
of whomאֲשֶׁ֣ר’ă·šerPronoun - relativeH834 particle of relation
you have spokenאָמַ֔רְתְּ’ā·martVerb - Qal - Perfect - second person feminine singularH559 utter, say

2 Samuel 6:23

EnglishHebrewSounds likeGrammarWord study
And Michalוּלְמִיכַל֙ū·lə·mî·ḵalConjunctive waw, Preposition-l; Noun - proper - feminine singularH4324 Mikal
the daughterבַּת־baṯ-Noun - feminine singular constructH1323 daughter
of Saulשָׁא֔וּלšā·’ūlNoun - proper - masculine singularH7586 Shaul
hadהָ֥יָהhā·yāhVerb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singularH1961 fall out, come to pass, become, be
noלֹֽא־lō-Adverb - Negative particleH3808 not
childrenיָ֑לֶדyā·leḏNoun - masculine singularH3206 child, son, boy, youth
toעַ֖ד‘aḏPrepositionH5704 as far as, even to, up to, until, while
the dayי֥וֹםyō·wmNoun - masculine singular constructH3117 day
of her deathמוֹתָֽהּ׃פmō·w·ṯāhNoun - masculine singular construct; third person feminine singularH4194 death

Cross-references

Other passages that speak to the same thing. Point at one to read it.

2 Samuel 6:20 2 Samuel 6:16 · 2 Samuel 6:14 · Judges 9:4 · Philippians 2:7–8 · Mark 3:21

2 Samuel 6:21 Acts 13:22 · 2 Samuel 6:16 · Psalm 89:19–20 · 1 Samuel 13:14 · 1 Samuel 15:28 · Psalm 78:70–72 · 1 Samuel 16:1 · 2 Samuel 6:14 · 2 Samuel 6:5 · 1 Corinthians 10:31

2 Samuel 6:22 1 Peter 4:14 · Hebrews 12:2 · Isaiah 51:7

Cross-references from OpenBible.info, used under CC BY 4.0. The best-supported references for each verse are shown.

Scripture text: Berean Standard Bible.