The Meaning of 2 Samuel 6:22 Explained

2 Samuel 6:22

KJV: And I will yet be more vile than thus, and will be base in mine own sight: and of the maidservants which thou hast spoken of, of them shall I be had in honour.

YLT: and I have been more vile than this, and have been low in mine eyes, and with the handmaids whom thou hast spoken of, with them I am honoured.'

Darby: And I will make myself yet more vile than thus, and will be base in mine own sight; and of the handmaids that thou hast spoken of, of them shall I be had in honour.

ASV: And I will be yet more vile than this, and will be base in mine own sight: but of the handmaids of whom thou hast spoken, of them shall I be had in honor.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And I will yet be more vile  than thus,  and will be base  in mine own sight:  and of the maidservants  which thou hast spoken  of, of them shall I be had in honour. 

What does 2 Samuel 6:22 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 6:22 mean?

And I will be more undignified even than this and will be humble in my own sight but as for the maidservants of whom you have spoken by them I will be held in honor
וּנְקַלֹּ֤תִי עוֹד֙ מִזֹּ֔את וְהָיִ֥יתִי שָׁפָ֖ל בְּעֵינָ֑י וְעִם־ הָֽאֲמָהוֹת֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר אָמַ֔רְתְּ עִמָּ֖ם אִכָּבֵֽדָה

וּנְקַלֹּ֤תִי  And  I  will  be  more  undignified 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Nifal, Conjunctive perfect, first person common singular
Root: קָלַל  
Sense: to be slight, be swift, be trifling, be of little account, be light.
עוֹד֙  even 
Parse: Adverb
Root: עֹוד  
Sense: a going round, continuance adv.
מִזֹּ֔את  than  this 
Parse: Preposition-m, Pronoun, feminine singular
Root: זׄאת  
Sense: this, this one, here, which, this … that, the one … the other, such.
וְהָיִ֥יתִי  and  will  be 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, first person common singular
Root: אֶהְיֶה 
Sense: to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out.
שָׁפָ֖ל  humble 
Parse: Adjective, masculine singular
Root: שָׁפָל  
Sense: low, humble.
בְּעֵינָ֑י  in  my  own  sight 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, cdc, first person common singular
Root: עֹונָה 
Sense: eye.
וְעִם־  but  as  for 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition
Root: עִם  
Sense: with.
הָֽאֲמָהוֹת֙  the  maidservants 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine plural
Root: אָמָה  
Sense: maid-servant, female slave, maid, handmaid, concubine.
אֲשֶׁ֣ר  of  whom 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
אָמַ֔רְתְּ  you  have  spoken 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, second person feminine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
עִמָּ֖ם  by  them 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine plural
Root: עִם  
Sense: with.
אִכָּבֵֽדָה  I  will  be  held  in  honor 
Parse: Verb, Nifal, Imperfect Cohortative, first person common singular
Root: כָּבֵד  
Sense: to be heavy, be weighty, be grievous, be hard, be rich, be honourable, be glorious, be burdensome, be honoured.