2 Samuel 6:16

_AND AS THE ARK OF THE LORD CAME INTO THE CITY OF DAVID, MICHAL SAUL'S DAUGHTER LOOKED THROUGH A WINDOW, AND SAW KING DAVID LEAPING AND DANCING BEFORE THE LORD; AND SHE DESPISED HIM IN HER HEART._ Michal ... saw king David leaping and dancing ... and she despised him in her heart. The pride of her aristocratic rank was grievously offended by her husband's public exhibition of himself in a character so undignified, and resembling, as she thought, rather the conduct of mountebank or buffoon than the sovereign of Israel. But Michal's thought was different from the ludicrous ideas which our imaginations are apt to associate with a man of grave character and dignified rank indulging in wild gestures and grotesque attitudes. The dance consisted in serious and solemn measures, and was associated in the minds of Eastern people with sentiments of religious worship. But Michal, who had no proper...

12-19 It became evident, that happy was the man who had the ark near him. Christ is indeed a Stone of stumbling, and a Rock of offence, to those that are disobedient; but to those that believe, he is a Corner-stone, elect, precious, 1 Peter 2:6. Let us be religious. Is the ark a blessing to others' houses? We may have it, and the blessing of it, without fetching it away from our neighbours. David, at first setting out, offered sacrifices to God. We are likely to speed in our enterprises, when we begin with God, and give diligence to seek peace with him. And we are so unworthy, and our services are so defiled, that all our joy in God must be connected with repentance and faith in the Redeemer's atoning blood. David attended with high expressions of joy. We ought to serve God with our whole body and soul, and with every endowment and power we possess. On this occasion David laid aside his...

Verse 2 Samuel 6:16. _SHE DESPISED HIM IN HER HEART._] She did not blame him outwardly; she thought he had disgraced himself, but she kept her mind to herself....

SHE DESPISED HIM IN HER HEART - In the days of Saul the ark had been neglected 1 Chronicles 13:3, and Saul had in everything shown himself to be an irreligious king. Michal seems to have been of a like spirit. The whole section, 2Sa. 6:16-36, should be compared with 1 Chronicles 15:29; 1 Chronicles 16:43. The peace offerings were with a special view to feasting the people. (Compare 1 Kings 8:63.)...

EXPOSITION 2 SAMUEL 6:1 AND DAVID GATHERED TOGETHER. The long subjection to the Philistines was at an end, and David's first care is to bring the ark of Jehovah from Kirjath-jearim to Jerusalem. In this he had a twofold object. For, first, it was an act of piety, testifying David's gratitude to God, who had so quickly raised him from the condition of a despairing fugitive hiding away in the cave of Adullam to that of a victorious king reigning over an independent and free people. But David had also a political purpose. The weakness of Israel in the past was the result of its divisions, he would heal this by giving it a capital, whither the tribes would come up for worship, and where they would feel that they formed one nation. David had seen the evils of a divided sovereignty, when he and Ishbosheth were wasting the strength of Israel in

AND AS THE ARK OF THE LORD CAME INTO THE CITY OF DAVID,.... Being brought thither on the shoulders of the Levites: MICHAL, SAUL'S DAUGHTER, LOOKED THROUGH A WINDOW; in the king's palace, to see the procession, which was very grand, and in great pomp, attended by a vast number of people, and with music of all sorts. She is said to be Saul's daughter, though David's wife, as having a good deal of her father's haughty temper and disposition, as appears by what follows: AND SAW KING DAVID LEAPING AND DANCING BEFORE THE LORD; the ark of the Lord, by these outward gestures expressing the inward joy of his heart on this occasion; AND SHE DESPISED HIM IN HER HEART; as acting a mean part, quite beneath himself, and unbecoming his royal dignity....

3. THE ARK BROUGHT TO ZION CHAPTER 6 _ 1. The ark fetched by David (2 Samuel 6:1)_ 2. Uzzah: his error and death (2 Samuel 6:6) 3. The ark in the house of Obed-edom (2 Samuel 6:10) 4. The ark brought into David's city (2 Samuel 6:12) 5. Michal's mockery of David (2 Samuel 6:20) It is of importance to read 1 Chronicles 13 for a better understanding of how the ark was brought from Kirjathjearim to David's c

2 SAMUEL 6. DAVID BRINGS THE ARK TO JERUSALEM. MICHAL'S SCORN. HER PUNISHMENT (J). (_Cf._ p. 286.) Nothing has been heard of the Ark since 1 Samuel 7:2, before the accession of Saul. The introduction of the Ark in I S 2 Samuel 14:18, is due to corruption of the text. This silence is sometimes accounted for by supposing that the Ark was under the control of the Philistines and inaccessible to the Israelites (_cf._ Cent.B, and EBi, Ark). David's action gave added importance to the new capital; and the building of Solomon's Temple probably provided Jerusalem with the chief sanctuary in Israel. 2 SAMUEL 6:1. David and the people go to Baal, or Baalah, Judah (not Baale), to fetch the Ark. This place is

LEAPING AND DANCING. See note on 2 Samuel 6:14....

Removal of the Ark from the house of Obed-edom to Jerusalem 12. _So David went_ Some Latin and a few Greek MSS. soften the abruptness of the text by inserting before this sentence the words, "And David said, I will go and bring back the Ark with blessing unto my house;" but they are in all probability only a gloss. _with gladness_ i.e. festal rejoicings; jubilant shouts and songs....