I don’t know where the idea arrived that David danced naked before the Lord. But that is one of the very common statements thrown at believers to excuse all kinds of behavior, especially Rick Pino type of services.
The only place I found even a mention that might could refer to undress was in Thomas Nelson’s Bible Dictionary, but that is a very poor resource. It implies that all David wore was the equivalent of a loin cloth. But just a simple reading of Scripture will show that the ephod was much more than a loin cloth.
“Then David danced before the Lord with all his might; and David was wearing [only] a linen ephod [loincloth, kilt, or apron]” (2 Samuel 6:14). Whatever garment David was wearing, it apparently scandalized Michal, who accused him of lewd, base behavior-of “uncovering himself in the eyes of the maids” (2 Samuel 6:20).
(from Nelson’s Illustrated Bible Dictionary, Copyright © 1986, Thomas Nelson Publishers)
Just because a jealous individual says that someone is doing wrong does not make it so. From the punishment Michal received, it is obvious that she was the one in the wrong.
It is obvious from the Bible just exactly what David wore.
2 Samuel 6:14 (ESV) And David danced before the Lord with all his might. And David was wearing a linen ephod.
1 Chronicles 15:27 (ESV) David was clothed with a robe of fine linen, as also were all the Levites who were carrying the ark, and the singers and Chenaniah the leader of the music of the singers. And David wore a linen ephod.
An ephod was a priestly garment worn over a simple robe; there was nothing immodest about it. David just had simple (humble) clothing, not his kingly garb that would have designated him as above the others, he was dressed as the rest of Levites bearing the ark. David was humbled before his Lord and the ark.
David danced humbly before the Lord. Not in underwear, but in the simple ephod that everyone serving the Lord would wear. This was a humble person’s attire, not sinful or shameful. Michal accused David of dancing like a common man and beneath his station in life, no robe or crown to set him off as more important than others. An ephod was worn by the most simple servants of the Lord:
1 Samuel 2:18 Samuel was ministering before the Lord, a boy clothed with a linen ephod. ESV
Wearing a linen ephod was symbolic of serving before the Lord, it was the attire of the priests. David was serving just as if he was a priest.
1 Sam 2:18 But Samuel ministered before the Lord, being a child, girded with a linen ephod. KJV
1 Chron 15:27 David was clothed with a robe of fine linen, as also were all the Levites who were carrying the ark, and the singers and Chenaniah the leader of the music of the singers. And David wore a linen ephod. ESV
1 Samuel 22:18 Then the king said to Doeg, “You turn and strike the priests.” And Doeg the Edomite turned and struck down the priests, and he killed on that day eighty-five persons who wore the linen ephod. ESV
The word dance that is referred to is:
raqad (raw-kad’); a primitive root; properly, to stamp, i.e. to spring about (wildly or for joy):
KJV – dance, jump, leap, skip.
Which very well could have meant that David was skipping and leaping. He was also playing an instrument. That word for dance is not the same word translated as dance in Exodus 32:19 when the Israelites were dancing wildly in front of the Golden Calf.
~ Dance
The ancient dance was very different from that common among Western nations. It was usually the part of the women only (Exodus 15:20; Judges 11:34; comp. 5:1). Hence the peculiarity of David’s conduct in dancing before the ark of the Lord (2 Samuel 6:14). The women took part in it with their timbrels. Michal should, in accordance with the example of Miriam and others, have herself led the female choir, instead of keeping aloof on the occasion and “looking through the window.” David led the choir “uncovered”, i.e., wearing only the ephod or linen tunic. He thought only of the honour of God, and forgot himself.
(from Easton’s Bible Dictionary, PC Study Bible formatted electronic database Copyright © 2003, 2006 Biblesoft, Inc. All rights reserved.)
~ DAVID
… David brought it up [the ark], stripping off his royal robe in the presence of the symbol of Jehovah’s throne, the true King, and in a linen ephod, to mark his assuming the priestly along with the kingly function, “dancing before the Lord with all his might,” …
(from Fausset’s Bible Dictionary, Electronic Database Copyright © 1998, 2003, 2006 by Biblesoft, Inc. All rights reserved.)
~ 2 Sam 6:12-19
On this occasion David laid aside his imperial purple, and put on a plain linen ephod, which was light and convenient for dancing, and was used in religious exercises by those who were no priests, for Samuel wore one, 1 Samuel 2:18. That great prince thought it no disparagement to him to appear in the habit of a minister to the ark.
(from Matthew Henry’s Commentary on the Whole Bible, PC Study Bible Formatted Electronic Database Copyright © 2006 by Biblesoft, Inc. All Rights reserved.)
We should all humble ourselves before the Lord and serve Him with the sincerity of David.
Possibly Related Posts:
Tags: Bible, Bible Study, Danced, David, David Danced Naked ?, Ephod, Worship
Thank you for this discussion about David’s dance. It has cleared up MUCH for us.
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Berean Wife Reply:
January 12th, 2012 at 12:30 pm
Maxine,
I’m glad you found it helpful. It amazes me how many things we have been taught that are just plain contrary to what the Bible actually says.
Berean Wife
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Yes David did dance “naked” because he “uncovered” himself. But was he physically naked or scantily clothed? Absolutely not! The thought of it is absurd. What David shamelessly uncovered to the eyes of his servants was his heart (or love) for the LORD.
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Unlike Saul who acted foolishly in fear of the Philistines, and did not wait for Samuel to come to Gilgal as Jehovah had spoken (1 Sam 10:8-12, 1 Sam 13:8-13) – David instead obeyed the LORD (2 Sam 5:22-25) which eventually led to David being able to bring the Ark to Jerusalem.
David uncovered his nakedness (his heart) before the LORD but in truth the LORD already knew David’s heart. But now your [Saul's] kingdom shall not continue: the LORD has sought him a man after his own heart[David], and the LORD has commanded him to be ruler over his people, because you have not kept that which the LORD commanded you. 1 Sam 13:14
The LORD knew Saul’s heart, he knew David’s heart, and he knew Michal’s heart. And he knows the heart of every living being. For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.
(Heb 4:12)
Like Adam and Eve we are all naked before the LORD. (That’s why we need Jesus to cover us.) David was not honoring himself as Michal suggested. David did it before the LORD.
Because David did what was right in the sight of the LORD, and had not turned aside from anything that He commanded him all the days of his life, except in the case of Uriah the Hittite. 1 Kings 15:5
When we are on the LORD’s side, we don’t have to worry about being uncovered.
Thoughts???
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Berean Wife Reply:
February 28th, 2012 at 4:09 pm
Clifton,
I can’t disagree with anything you wrote.
The issue was humility and not the clothes themselves. We all should be so humble and seek to serve the Lord not as a king serving but as a lowly servant. As Matthew Henry said, “That great prince thought it no disparagement to him to appear in the habit of a minister to the ark.” David knew there would be a real and true King of whom he was unworthy to stand before and demand honor and respect. David just desired to serve as a lowly servant his King.
Thanks for adding to the discussion.
Strange how Satan wants to distract some into a discussion of clothing, or lack thereof, while he attempts to hide the real issue of humility before the Lord.
Berean Wife
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Berean Wife Reply:
February 28th, 2012 at 4:12 pm
Clifton,
That would preach.
Berean Wife
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Thanks for the straightforward explanation.
My 87-yr-old mom just got into this discussion with her server at an assisted living home yesterday. My mom was pretty sure David was not “nekid”.
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Berean Wife Reply:
March 5th, 2012 at 11:57 am
Debbie,
I’m glad I could help clear up this issue. Strange how that false idea is so common today, but during your mom’s day everyone knew of course David wasn’t “nekid”.
Berean Wife
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I simply cannot explain how God used this rightly dividing the word of God to teach me the truth about David’s dancing before the Lord. Thank you so much for sharing the truth and I thank my Lord for sending me here to this cite.
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Berean Wife Reply:
March 8th, 2012 at 11:17 am
Laura,
I’m glad this was helpful. I also hope that it helps kindle a desire to search into God’s Word and really see what is there. You can always go deeper and deeper in study and find the answers to all of life’s questions with the aid of the Holy Spirit.
Berean Wife
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Laura Reply:
March 8th, 2012 at 12:48 pm
Yes it does. The fire has been Ignited. Thank you. I am called of God to preach and I am currently enrolled at Liberty University. But I learn so much more when it is just me and the Lord. He is the best teacher of the truth and I love HIM!!!
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Berean Wife Reply:
March 8th, 2012 at 3:16 pm
Laura,
I’m glad you desire to delve down deep in the truth of God’s Word.
Have you ever seriously studied what the Lord says about preaching in the church and the role of women based purely on Scripture? Any lady heading to college, even a Bible college, needs to research the matter of our role and what God desires for women. Many times others will lead us astray unless we are well grounded in the Word ourselves. Sometimes even our own hearts will lead us astray.
Berean Wife
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I’m just curious how you’d respond when reading further in 2 Samuel 6:20. He certainly WAS naked in front of the servants (females) and was controversial enough that Michal used that to try and disparage David.
The bible doesn’t mention whether David was (or wasn’t) dancing (read “worshipping”) while disrobing and putting on the ephod. For all we know, he WAS dancing before the Lord naked. Frankly, I don’t care if he was. The condition of his heart is what should concern readers of the Word…not semantics.
I certainly have been moved in ways that might seem odd to our current society’s views. But even if it’s hitting my knees when I’m on the brink of suicide, just in awe of the reminder of His grace and provision for me…society views that as “odd” and “charismatic”. I call it “thankful”.
So I ask, “Who cares if he danced before the Lord naked?” I’m just glad there was God present for him to dance too!
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Berean Wife Reply:
March 22nd, 2012 at 9:59 am
Sinner Saved By Grace,
I would respond by pointing out that the Bible is very clear what David wore (2 Samuel 6:14, 1 Chronicles 15:27) – a linen ephod. The Bible does not mince words if David had been naked the Bible would have said so. In 1 Samuel 19:24 the Bible is very clear that Saul stripped off his clothes and lay naked and in Genesis 9:20-25 the Bible states that Ham saw his father’s nakedness and was cursed for it.
2 Samuel 6:20 is a wife who despised her husband according to 2 Samuel 6:16. What person who despises another would not exaggerate and make unfounded claims? David trampled on Michal’s pride by being no different from those who served before the Lord in linen ephods. She wanted him to remember he was the king and should be honored as such. She was too prideful to be seen celebrating the return of the ark along with her husband. Just because Michal says David was uncovered does not make it mean he was naked. Vulgar meant common, not crude and naked, its meaning has changed recently to mean offensive. The Bible itself was written in Koine Greek, vulgar Greek not the Greek of the elite. God also judged Michal by not giving her any children.
Did you not actually read the post though?
The flawed idea of David dancing naked is a new concept only propagated in modern days, if I had my guess with the pentecostal movement, if you read older church fathers you will not find David dancing naked. David dancing naked is a concept held by those who do not bother to read the Scripture. They latch onto one or two phrases and thus develop their own theology.
Berean Wife
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ron Reply:
February 24th, 2013 at 9:38 am
Dear SSBG,
If all that mattered was the condition of his heart, I might think that his heart was in the wrong place had he been dancing like a stripper. Can a stripper’s heart be right with God while stripping? Remember this is the same king that, when he saw a woman bathing, he committed adultery. I doubt he was naked.
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Jewel Reply:
March 29th, 2013 at 1:33 pm
Pagan religions danced naked and were lacivious. I think this lady protests to much to believe she doesn’t care if he danced naked. Why try to defend dancing naked when it is obvious from scripture that he was not? Would you strip in church and dance? God forbid it!
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I disagree with you. Why is it so important for christians to make up things to apologize for someone’s behavior? Their were TWO kinds of Ephods אפוד (pronounced AyFOWD). This particular type was an outer garment, which was a VERY LONG strip of cloth. It was approximately the width of the wearer’s shoulders. When folded it in half it would measure from one’s shoulders to one’s mid thigh. It had a hole cut in the center for the wearer’s head. Half of the cloth draped the chest and anterior and the other half draped the posterior. It was NOT sewn together on the sides, but was held in place by a belt. If David had leaped and skipped while wearing this linen ephod…he may have exposed himself unintentionally a few times. It is NOT necessary to apologize for his behavior or for the LORD’S seeming excusing of it any more than it was necessary for Michal to make her haughty, self-righteous comment to him.
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Berean Wife Reply:
September 4th, 2012 at 12:32 pm
Friend,
You are welcome to disagree with me all you want but what does the Bible say about the matter?
I’m not apologizing for David’s behavior. I really don’t care whether David danced naked or not. The nakedness is not the issue. Twisting Scripture is the issue.
These state very clearly what David wore – a linen ephod and a robe of fine linen, just like all the other Levites and singers. Can we not agree with that?
Those who wore the linen ephod also wore linen undergarments.
Remember this is the second time that David attempted to bring the Ark back into the city. He did everything by the book because of what had happened with Uzzah (2 Samuel 6:1-10). He would not have dishonored the Lord by omitting the linen undergarments.
Thus David did not dance naked!!!! Period. So how have I made up things?
Nakedness
The Lord has no qualms saying if someone is naked.
Does the Lord say that David danced naked? No, He does not. So who are we to add to God’s Word by saying David danced naked?
Does Michal’s complaint hold more value than God’s Word? I should hope not. Did Michal say David danced naked? No. Michal said David was uncovered, exposed and like a vulgar fellow.
Can Michal’s charge even be trusted?
Michal is know to have problems such that Saul said she would be a snare to David and Michal lied to say that David threatened her.
We must take the full entirety of God’s Word without adding to it or taking away from it.
If God wanted us to think that David danced naked, God would have told us “David danced naked.” Otherwise we are twisting God’s Word to say what it does not say.
Berean Wife
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Hi, This was very helpful as I am preparing a message on worship. However, just so you know, raqad does actually mean to dance in Hebrew. I live in Israel and in modern Hebrew we use the word לרקוד. Secondly, if David, a king, was willing to humble himself and rejoice before the Lord with such freedom, why don’t we see this type of excitement for the Lord in most churches today? Thanks again for your research…
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Berean Wife Reply:
February 24th, 2013 at 4:14 pm
Ron,
I’m glad you found the information helpful. Real Bible study is so much better than just accepting things we’ve been told without checking them out.
Thank you for sharing about raqad. Do you happen to know what would be the difference between kārar in 2 Samuel 6:14, rāqad in 1 Chronicles 15:29 and meḥōlāh Exodus 32:19?
We have a lack of enthusiasm for anything concerning the Bible, worship or the Holiness of God.
Berean Wife
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Thank you for what you have written on this subject. I was shocked to hear this belief today from a believer who was using it as an excuse to describe herself dancing naked in a Christian chat room! I remember reading about David dancing but nothing about him being naked. I shared your article with the chat room to correct this error. Thank you!
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Berean Wife Reply:
March 30th, 2013 at 7:46 pm
Jewel,
It still amazes me how many times everyday this article is looked at. This is several years old but I don’t think a day goes by in which several people are found searching for “Did David dance naked?” There has been quite a bit of false teaching or inacurate assumptions going on for decades. I hope more and more people will seek the truth in Scripture and clear up their errors in belief.
Thank you for helping clear up errors.
Berean Wife
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Thank you for this. I tried to refute this with someone I was an assistant to once and was unsuccessful. This article does what I was unable to do. There seems to be so much emphasis these days in trying to see more than is there in scripture. It is read it with western eyes unable to correctly interpret because the desire is to see more baseness than is there!
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Berean Wife Reply:
April 17th, 2013 at 12:12 pm
Gumblefur,
You are welcome.
This one article written in 2009 is looked at more than 10 times a day. People are starving for the real truth and not just the Biblical fiction they have often been taught in churches. As I told someone just recently we must take the pure written Word of God and fit our ideology into that frame work. We cannot take our personal ideology and then look for Biblical verses to support it. The Bible is clear that David wore a linen ephod, which by no means was a loin cloth. The Lord was so concerned about nakedness and the priests being exposed that He commanded the foloowing:
Linen undergarments, not the ephod, to cover from hip to thighs the priests to cover their nakedness. The Lord did not even want steps to go up to the altar so that the nakedness of the priests would not be seen.
Abstaining from nakedness is important to the Lord and it is important to those who seek to glorify Him.
Berean Wife
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[...] is obvious that other people are doing the same at times. Back in 2009 I posted Did David Dance Before the Lord Naked? That was three years ago! However, it is consistently being visited on the website. It averages [...]
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