The "DAVID DANCED WHILE NAKED" error

[mfblume]

Anyone hear David was alleged to have danced naked, or in his underwear, before God? It's untrue!

This is the passage:

2 Samuel 6:14 KJV And David danced before the LORD with all his might; and David was girded with a linen ephod.

An EPHOD is a priestly garment. Some thought it was his underwear! lol. It is a priest's garment, and David acted like a priest in ministering in dance before God.

EASTON BIBLE DICTIONARY

Ephod
Something girt, a sacred vestment worn originally by the high priest (Exo_28:4), afterwards by the ordinary priest (1Sa_22:18), and characteristic of his office (1Sa_2:18, 1Sa_2:28; 1Sa_14:3). It was worn by Samuel, and also by David (2Sa_6:14). It was made of fine linen, and consisted of two pieces, which hung from the neck, and covered both the back and front, above the tunic and outer garment (Exo_28:31). That of the high priest was embroidered with divers colours. The two pieces were joined together over the shoulders (hence in Latin called superhumerale) by clasps or buckles of gold or precious stones, and fastened round the waist by a “curious girdle of gold, blue, purple, and fine twined linen” (Exo_28:6-12).

Like Melchisedek, David was a Priest/King in this instance, a foreshadow of Jesus Christ.

[mfblume]

John Gill commented:

and David was girded with a linen ephod; which others, besides priests, sometimes wore, as Samuel did, and which David might choose to appear in, rather than in his royal robes, as being more agreeable to the service of God, and lighter for him both to walk and dance in on this occasion.

[Aquila]

Here is the passage in it's entirety as it relates to the thread...

2 Samuel 6:13-20
13And it was so, that when they that bare the ark of the LORD had gone six paces, he sacrificed oxen and fatlings.
14And David danced before the LORD with all his might; and David was girded with a linen ephod.
15So David and all the house of Israel brought up the ark of the LORD with shouting, and with the sound of the trumpet.
16And 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.
17And they brought in the ark of the LORD, and set it in his place, in the midst of the tabernacle that David had pitched for it: and David offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before the LORD.
18And as soon as David had made an end of offering burnt offerings and peace offerings, he blessed the people in the name of the LORD of hosts.
19And he dealt among all the people, even among the whole multitude of Israel, as well to the women as men, to every one a cake of bread, and a good piece of flesh, and a flagon of wine. So all the people departed every one to his house.
20Then 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!

David danced until he was "uncovered", this was not hard to do seeing that a linen ephod was a very simple garment.



While most of Israel celebrated with David's exuberance and worshiped the Lord, giving him glory... Michal despised him for being so "undignified" and for being "uncovered" while dancing. Perhaps she was despising David's dismissal of the royal robes and his wearing of the humble ephod, perhaps he truly danced with such exuberance his nakedness showed between leaps and dancing. Commentators will comment from both positions... but we can't miss the point. David, the king, wasn't too "dignified" to worship the Lord in all his might with the common people of Israel.

[Sam]

Originally Posted by Aquila

...
David danced until he was "uncovered", this was not hard to do seeing that a linen ephod was a very simple garment.
...
.

He danced till his clothes fell off?
or
He danced so vigorously that he exposed himself?
or
He lay aside his royal robe (uncovered himself) and put on the simple priestly ephod in its place?

[Aquila]

Originally Posted by Sam

He danced till his clothes fell off?
or
He danced so vigorously that he exposed himself?
or
He lay aside his royal robe (uncovered himself) and put on the simple priestly ephod in its place?

Hey Sam, I was adding to my post when you wrote this. lol

I don't think David was naked. I do know he chose to wear a humble ephod before the people, and if there was any "nakedness" it had to be glimpses between David's leaping exuberance.

[mfblume]

Originally Posted by Aquila

Hey Sam, I was adding to my post when you wrote this. lol

I don't think David was naked. I do know he chose to wear a humble ephod before the people, and if there was any "nakedness" it had to be glimpses between David's leaping exuberance.

I highly doubt any nakedness occurred at all. It's just that he uncovered himself of royalty and his proud wife was disgusted.

[Pressing-On]

Originally Posted by mfblume

I highly doubt any nakedness occurred at all. It's just that he uncovered himself of royalty and his proud wife was disgusted.

I would have that view as well. Mainly because the Bible says, "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," and when she said, "as one of the vain fellows.."

It appears that he humbled himself like every other man and she was too proud to bear it. She wanted him to be a lofty king. At least that's the way I have always viewed it.

"unclothed" has the meaning and idea of being "nude", but it also means "reveal", so with what Michal says, it just seems he revealed himself as a vain (worthless) fellow in her eyes.

[MissBrattified]

Originally Posted by mfblume

I highly doubt any nakedness occurred at all. It's just that he uncovered himself of royalty and his proud wife was disgusted.

I totally agree with this context. Also, I think if he had been naked, the Bible would have simply said so. It was pretty clear about Peter:

Joh 21:7 Therefore that disciple whom Jesus loved saith unto Peter, It is the Lord. Now when Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he girt his fisher's coat unto him, (for he was naked,) and did cast himself into the sea.

[Aquila]

Originally Posted by mfblume

I highly doubt any nakedness occurred at all. It's just that he uncovered himself of royalty and his proud wife was disgusted.

I see your conclusion as a strong possibility. But I think it's jumping the gun to rule out the traditional interpretation that David may have shown a degree of nakedness while dancing before the Lord, after all, even the thigh (ranging from knee to knee) was considered nakedness in biblical times. I'm reminded of a verse of Scripture directed to the priests (who wore ephods),

Exodus 20:25-26
25And if thou wilt make me an altar of stone, thou shalt not build it of hewn stone: for if thou lift up thy tool upon it, thou hast polluted it.
26Neither shalt thou go up by steps unto mine altar, that thy nakedness be not discovered thereon.

The concern was that the priests (wearing ephods) might show their nakedness while walking up high stairs to the altar of God. Evidently the linen ephods were not the most conservative of attire and nakedness was a concern. With this in mind we consider that King David was wearing a linen ephod while dancing and leaping with all his might. It's entirely possible that he revealed himself in his exuberance. Of course, the interesting thing is that the people saw no issue because they weren't looking to criticize David, they were worshiping too. If Michal was worshiping, odds are David's nakedness (regardless of one's take) wouldn't have been at issue.

Also, consider the character of David as the narrative depicts him. David is a man who is often against the grain, unconventional, even at odds with God on occasion. He wasn't the dignified religioso we often picture him as being. For example, David married 7 women before marrying Bathsheba. A careful study of David's life will reveal that he was seeking something at that point in his life each time.

Michal - the feminine of, "who is like God" (Michael), root word meaning brook, stream, or waters, i.e. "waters of God". However, she was given to him by Saul to be a thorn in his side. She appears to be very legalistic and religious. Though David may have loved her, they obviously had communication issues because it is emphasized that she mocked David's worship. She truly didn't understand him and he never had the deep relationship he desired with her. Her prudish legalism and mocking of David's worship brought the hand of God on her and she bore no children, religion is barren.

Ahinoam - "my brother is delight", root "beautiful" or "pleasant", often with reference to a woman's breasts and prowess in providing conjugal love. This girl was lovely and a lover's lover. When David fled for his life from the house of Saul he abandoned Michal and it was win Ahinoam that it appears he found solace while he searched for what he was looking for in love. His first son with her David named Amnon "faithful" demonstrating David's opinion regarding this union and what it was producing. David wanted a faithfulness to be the product of this relationship. However, the implication of her sexual prowess and passion indicates that perhaps she wasn't the most spiritual of women. This left a void in this relationship which leads into the drama of Amnon... but that's a different story.

Abigail - "my father is joy", David was going to kill her husband (Nabal) who apparently wronged David by not paying for services rendered. However she greets David, paying honor to his authority (implying that she believed the prophecies concerning David's kingship) and begged him not to kill her husband on the grounds that it could jeopardize his future calling. After her husband died David married her. His son with her is named, "Chileab" meaning "like his father", but the root of the word is "to withhold", "forbid", or "restrain". Obviously elements of his relationship with Abigail were strained. The relationship produced "restraint" or "withholding". Perhaps due to her religious nature she was not intimate enough for David.

Maaca - "pressure (literally she has pressed)", the roots are "to squeeze" or "fondle", to "press", "kneed", or "crush". Apparently this woman was more "touchy feely" and provided the intimacy lacking with Abigail (who truly was perhaps one of David's greatest wives and female friends). However, with Abigail's withholding, in Maaca David found a woman who he could hold and who would hold him.

Haggith - "festive" with roots in "chagag" meaning "to reel", "dance", or "sway". She was a dancer, and a very entertaining dancer at that. She may have been a belly dancer (common in David's culture). While Maaca was the romantic, Haggith was the life of the party. The girl with whom David could dance the night away until both fell into the arms of passion. David no doubt adored her, he named their child "my lord is Jehovah", for he saw their relationship as a gift from God. However, her love of the party may have made her a bit high maintenance and eventually such a relationship becomes tiresome.

Abital - "my father is (the) dew", or "night mist", the connotations are highly erotic in the Hebrew. Where Haggith was high maintenance and took a lot to provoke to intimacy, Abital was ready for David at a moment's notice. However, he named their son, "Shephatiah", ("Jehovah has judged"). Issues here... another long story.

Eglah - "a heifer", indicating that she may have been a large woman. The terminology leads one to believe that she was motherly. Up until this point David's relationships had experienced: religion, pious beauty, spiritual restraint, romantic touch and intimacy, festive passion, spontaneous intimacy. But none of it made him whole. Now he possesses a woman who will mother him and care for him. He's becoming needy. He names his son with her Ithream or "profit of the people". The roots indicate a meaning more in line with "residue of the people" or "excess of the people". Apparently in mothering David she directed his affairs and made him rather busy with Government. Now board, tired, weary, and feeling in need he looks out over his balcony and sees a woman bathing on her rooftop. A woman named... Bathsheba.

Bathsheba - "daughter of the oath" or "woman of promise". David's adultery through the seduction of Bathsheba, her subsequent pregnancy, the murder of her husband, and God's exposing David's sin is legendary. However, this "other woman" rises to prominence among all the wives of David and even is recorded as aiding in the affairs of the King to the point of seeking the Kingdom's survival her in son Solomon. Perhaps if David would have waited David would have met her later without having to "look for love in all the wrong places". It appears that David's relational happiness was achieved with Bathsheba, no doubt much to the chagrin of his other wives and concubines who are relegated to obscurity after Bathsheba enters the picture.

My point... David was all over the map seeking happiness. David was a sinner who fell into adultery and murder. David violated the Law by eating the shew bread which was only lawful for the priests to eat. The Psalms are up and down indicating to a critical reader that David may have struggled with deep emotional pain and issues. Today they might think of him as easily depressed one moment and on top of the mountains the next. Yet in his lowest of lows David demonstrates the depth of heartfelt cries for help and forgiveness. David was a king, a priest, a sinner, a rebel, a man's man, a radical who broke nearly all the rules... and won. A perfect picture of the Grace of God.

I think in light of Scripture's depiction of David, it's quite possible that David got so excited he exposed himself while dancing in the thin and revealing ephod. Let's not try to cast him in some puritanical mold wherein he acts like a dignified priest in ballet slippers. David is a man and represents manhood in all it's unchained passion and fury. While Michal and others are somehow ashamed of his dancing and being uncovered, I'm not. Because in him I see a heart that is all too human... and yet consumed with a passion for life and God that can't be tamed.

Long live King David!

(That's right King David... this Bud's for you. )

[LUKE2447]

Originally Posted by mfblume

I highly doubt any nakedness occurred at all. It's just that he uncovered himself of royalty and his proud wife was disgusted.

I would agree...