The Meaning of 2 Samuel 6:21 Explained

2 Samuel 6:21

KJV: And David said unto Michal, It was before the LORD, which chose me before thy father, and before all his house, to appoint me ruler over the people of the LORD, over Israel: therefore will I play before the LORD.

YLT: And David saith unto Michal, ' -- Before Jehovah, who fixed on me above thy father, and above all his house, to appoint me leader over the people of Jehovah, and over Israel, -- yea, I played before Jehovah;

Darby: And David said to Michal, It was before Jehovah, who chose me rather than thy father, and than all his house, to appoint me ruler over the people of Jehovah, over Israel; and I played before Jehovah.

ASV: And David said unto Michal, It was before Jehovah, who chose me above thy father, and above all his house, to appoint me prince over the people of Jehovah, over Israel: therefore will I play before Jehovah.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And David  said  unto Michal,  [It was] before  the LORD,  which chose  me before thy father,  and before all his house,  to appoint  me ruler  over the people  of the LORD,  over Israel:  therefore will I play  before  the LORD. 

What does 2 Samuel 6:21 Mean?

Context Summary

2 Samuel 6:12-23 - The Ark Tabernacled In The City Of David
Josephus tells us that from the moment the Ark rested beneath Obed-edom's roof, a tide of golden prosperity set in, and he passed from poverty to wealth. But 1 Chronicles 26:4-10 sheds a new light on the subject, for there we learn that the whole family became attached to the service of the Lord's house, and even the grandchildren became mighty. If only we would open our homes to God's Ark-that is, if we maintained the observances of religion for our children and dependents-for us also there would be similar blessing. One likes to imagine the reverence and joy with which those boys and girls lay down to sleep at night, feeling that the symbol of God's presence was in the house.
This time the prescribed ritual was minutely observed. The warning given by Uzzah's death had aroused the entire nation to a realization of their indifference and neglect. The stroke had been terrible, but the effect was eminently salutary. It seemed as if the flood-gates of David's joy had been thrown wide open, and he could not contain his ecstasy. Then from an overflowing heart, he turned to bless his people. The one event that marred the day was poor Michal's bitter speech. There is no perfect joy in this world; every rose has its thorn. [source]

Chapter Summary: 2 Samuel 6

1  David fetches the ark from Kirjath Jearim on a new cart,
6  Uzzah is smitten at Perez Uzzah
9  God blesses Obed-Edom for the ark
12  David brings the ark into Zion with sacrifices, and dances before it;
16  for which Michal despises him
17  He places it in a tabernacle with great joy and feasting
20  Michal, reproving David for his joy, is childless to her death

What do the individual words in 2 Samuel 6:21 mean?

So said David to Michal [it was] before Yahweh who chose me instead of your father and all his house to appoint me ruler over the people of Yahweh Israel therefore I will play [music] before Yahweh
וַיֹּ֣אמֶר דָּוִד֮ אֶל־ מִיכַל֒ לִפְנֵ֣י יְהוָ֗ה אֲשֶׁ֨ר בָּֽחַר־ בִּ֤י מֵֽאָבִיךְ֙ וּמִכָּל־ בֵּית֔וֹ לְצַוֺּ֨ת אֹתִ֥י נָגִ֛יד עַל־ עַ֥ם יְהוָ֖ה יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל וְשִׂחַקְתִּ֖י לִפְנֵ֥י יְהוָֽה

וַיֹּ֣אמֶר  So  said 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
דָּוִד֮  David 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: דָּוִד  
Sense: youngest son of Jesse and second king of Israel.
מִיכַל֒  Michal 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: מִיכַל  
Sense: daughter of king Saul, sister of Jonathan, wife of king David, and mother of five; given to David as wife for the bride price of 00 Philistine foreskins; while still married to David, her father gave her in marriage to another, Phaltiel; at the death of Saul, David forced her to return.
לִפְנֵ֣י  [it  was]  before 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, common plural construct
Root: לִפְנֵי 
Sense: face.
יְהוָ֗ה  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
בָּֽחַר־  chose 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: בָּחוּר 
Sense: to choose, elect, decide for.
בִּ֤י  me 
Parse: Preposition, first person common singular
מֵֽאָבִיךְ֙  instead  of  your  father 
Parse: Preposition-m, Noun, masculine singular construct, second person feminine singular
Root: אָב  
Sense: father of an individual.
וּמִכָּל־  and  all 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-m, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: כֹּל  
Sense: all, the whole.
בֵּית֔וֹ  his  house 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: בַּיִת 
Sense: house.
לְצַוֺּ֨ת  to  appoint 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Piel, Infinitive construct
Root: צָוָה  
Sense: to command, charge, give orders, lay charge, give charge to, order.
אֹתִ֥י  me 
Parse: Direct object marker, first person common singular
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
נָגִ֛יד  ruler 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: נָגִיד  
Sense: leader, ruler, captain, prince.
עַל־  over 
Parse: Preposition
Root: עַל 
Sense: upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against.
עַ֥ם  the  people 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: עַם 
Sense: nation, people.
יְהוָ֖ה  of  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל  Israel 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יִשְׂרָאֵל  
Sense: the second name for Jacob given to him by God after his wrestling with the angel at Peniel.
וְשִׂחַקְתִּ֖י  therefore  I  will  play  [music] 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Piel, Conjunctive perfect, first person common singular
Root: שָׂחַק  
Sense: to laugh, play, mock.
לִפְנֵ֥י  before 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, common plural construct
Root: לִפְנֵי 
Sense: face.
יְהוָֽה  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.