“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!”
My Notes
What Does 2 Samuel 6:20 Mean?
"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!" The CLASH between David's worship and Michal's contempt: David dances before the ark with uninhibited joy (verse 14 — 'danced before the LORD with all his might'). Michal watches from the window and is DISGUSTED. She meets him with biting sarcasm: 'How GLORIOUS was the king today — stripping down like a commoner in front of servant girls.'
The phrase "Michal the daughter of Saul" (Mikhal bat Sha'ul — Michal, Saul's daughter) identifies her through her FATHER, not her husband — the narrator links her contempt to Saul's legacy. She sees worship through SAUL'S eyes: concerned with royal dignity, with appearances, with what the servants think. The daughter of the rejected king judges the dancing of the chosen king. The Saulide perspective evaluates the Davidic worship.
The SARCASM — 'How GLORIOUS was the king' — inverts the actual situation: David's dancing WAS glorious. The worship WAS honorable. The uninhibited praise WAS beautiful. But Michal sees it through the lens of ROYAL DECORUM — and from that lens, a king dancing in a linen ephod among servants is SHAMEFUL. The clash isn't about worship. It's about what you think DIGNITY looks like. Michal defines dignity as maintaining distance. David defines dignity as abandoned worship.
Reflection Questions
- 1.Whose approval are you dancing for — and who despises your worship because it's undignified?
- 2.What does Michal being identified as 'daughter of Saul' teach about inherited lenses of judgment?
- 3.How does David's 'I will yet be more vile than thus' describe unapologetic worship?
- 4.What does the same event being 'glorious worship' to one and 'shameful display' to another teach about perspective?
Devotional
David comes home to BLESS his household. Michal comes out to CURSE his worship. He brings blessing. She brings contempt. The contrast is total: the man overflowing with joy meets the woman overflowing with scorn. The worshiper encounters the critic.
Michal's sarcasm drips: 'How GLORIOUS' — she means the opposite. The king danced like a commoner. Stripped down to a linen ephod. Lost his royal composure in front of servant girls. From Michal's perspective, David EMBARRASSED himself. From David's perspective, he WORSHIPED God. Same event. Opposite interpretations. The clash isn't about whether David danced. It's about whether the KING should dance like THAT.
The narrator calls her 'Michal daughter of SAUL' — not 'David's wife.' The identification is deliberate: she sees through SAUL'S eyes. Saul cared about appearances, about what the people thought, about maintaining royal distance. Michal inherits that lens. The daughter of the king obsessed with his image despises the king who abandoned his image. She carries Saul's values into David's house.
David's response (verse 21-22) is unapologetic: 'It was before the LORD, who chose me before thy father... therefore will I play before the LORD. And I will yet be more vile than thus.' David doesn't apologize for his worship. He DOUBLES DOWN. The worship wasn't for Michal's approval. It wasn't for the servants' admiration. It was BEFORE THE LORD. The audience was God. And David is prepared to look even MORE undignified if that's what worship requires.
Who in your life despises your worship — and whose approval are you dancing for?
Commentary
Trusted original commentary from respected historical Bible scholars and theologians.
And David said unto Michal, it was before the Lord,.... Before the ark of the Lord, what was done was done there; she…
Then David returned ... - He had passed his house to accompany the ark to the tabernacle he had pitched for it, when…
To bless his household - This was according to the custom of the patriarchs, who were priests in their own families. It…
David, having dismissed the congregation with a blessing, returned to bless his household (Sa2 6:20), that is, to pray…
Michal's contemptuous pride rebuked by David
20. And Michal, &c. The account of David's meeting with Michal is omitted…
Cross References
Related passages throughout Scripture