The Meaning of 2 Samuel 6:20 Explained

2 Samuel 6:20

KJV: 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!

YLT: And David turneth back to bless his house, and Michal daughter of Saul goeth out to meet David, and saith, 'How honourable to-day was the king of Israel, who was uncovered to-day before the eyes of the handmaids of his servants, as one of the vain ones is openly uncovered!'

Darby: And David returned to bless his household. And Michal the daughter of Saul came out to meet David, and said, How honourable did the king of Israel make himself to-day, who uncovered himself to-day in the eyes of the handmaids of his servants, as one of the lewd fellows shamelessly uncovers himself!

ASV: 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!

KJV Reverse Interlinear

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! 

What does 2 Samuel 6:20 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 6:20 mean?

And returned David to bless - his household And came out Michal the daughter of Saul to meet David and said how glorious was today the king of Israel who uncovering himself today in the eyes of the maids of his servants as uncovers himself shamelessly one of the base fellows
וַיָּ֥שָׁב דָּוִ֖ד לְבָרֵ֣ךְ אֶת־ בֵּית֑וֹ וַתֵּצֵ֞א מִיכַ֤ל בַּת־ שָׁאוּל֙ לִקְרַ֣את דָּוִ֔ד וַתֹּ֗אמֶר מַה־ נִּכְבַּ֨ד הַיּ֜וֹם מֶ֣לֶךְ יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל אֲשֶׁ֨ר נִגְלָ֤ה הַיּוֹם֙ לְעֵינֵ֨י אַמְה֣וֹת עֲבָדָ֔יו כְּהִגָּל֥וֹת נִגְל֖וֹת אַחַ֥ד הָרֵקִֽים

וַיָּ֥שָׁב  And  returned 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: שׁוּב  
Sense: to return, turn back.
דָּוִ֖ד  David 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: דָּוִד  
Sense: youngest son of Jesse and second king of Israel.
לְבָרֵ֣ךְ  to  bless 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Piel, Infinitive construct
Root: בָּרַךְ 
Sense: to bless, kneel.
אֶת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
בֵּית֑וֹ  his  household 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: בַּיִת 
Sense: house.
וַתֵּצֵ֞א  And  came  out 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person feminine singular
Root: יׄוצֵאת 
Sense: to go out, come out, exit, go forth.
מִיכַ֤ל  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.
בַּת־  the  daughter 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: בַּת  
Sense: daughter.
שָׁאוּל֙  of  Saul 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: שָׁאוּל  
Sense: a Benjamite, son of Kish, and the st king of Israel.
לִקְרַ֣את  to  meet 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: קָרָא  
Sense: to encounter, befall, meet.
דָּוִ֔ד  David 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: דָּוִד  
Sense: youngest son of Jesse and second king of Israel.
וַתֹּ֗אמֶר  and  said 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person feminine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
מַה־  how 
Parse: Interrogative
Root: לָמָּה 
Sense: what, how, of what kind.
נִּכְבַּ֨ד  glorious  was 
Parse: Verb, Nifal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: כָּבֵד  
Sense: to be heavy, be weighty, be grievous, be hard, be rich, be honourable, be glorious, be burdensome, be honoured.
הַיּ֜וֹם  today 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: יׄום 
Sense: day, time, year.
מֶ֣לֶךְ  the  king 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: מֶלֶךְ 
Sense: king.
יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל  of  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.
נִגְלָ֤ה  uncovering  himself 
Parse: Verb, Nifal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: גָּלָה  
Sense: to uncover, remove.
הַיּוֹם֙  today 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: יׄום 
Sense: day, time, year.
לְעֵינֵ֨י  in  the  eyes 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, cdc
Root: עֹונָה 
Sense: eye.
אַמְה֣וֹת  of  the  maids 
Parse: Noun, feminine plural construct
Root: אָמָה  
Sense: maid-servant, female slave, maid, handmaid, concubine.
עֲבָדָ֔יו  of  his  servants 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, third person masculine singular
Root: עֶבֶד  
Sense: slave, servant.
כְּהִגָּל֥וֹת  as  uncovers  himself 
Parse: Preposition-k, Verb, Nifal, Infinitive construct
Root: גָּלָה  
Sense: to uncover, remove.
נִגְל֖וֹת  shamelessly 
Parse: Verb, Nifal, Infinitive absolute
Root: גָּלָה  
Sense: to uncover, remove.
אַחַ֥ד  one 
Parse: Number, masculine singular construct
Root: אֶחָד  
Sense: one (number).
הָרֵקִֽים  of  the  base  fellows 
Parse: Article, Adjective, masculine plural
Root: רֵיק  
Sense: empty, vain.