King James Version

2 Samuel 6:16

And 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.

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Hebrew

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וְהָיָה֙vehayahand beהָיָהconjunction, verb, qal, perfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “and be”, a completed actionH1961to exist, i.e. be or become, come to pass (always emphatic, and not a mere copula or auxiliary)beacon, [idiom] altogether, be(-come), accomplished, committed, like), break, cause, come (to pass), do, faint, fall, [phrase] follow, happen, [idiom] have, last, pertain, quit (one-) self, require, [idiom] use.אֲר֣וֹןaronchestאָרוֹןnoun, common, both genders, singular, construct — “chest”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH727a boxark, chest, coffin.יְהוָ֔הyehvahJehovahיְהֹוָהnoun, proper name — “Jehovah”H3068Jehovah, Jewish national name of GodJehovah, the Lord. Compare H3050 (יָהּ), H3069 (יְהֹוִה).בָּ֖אbato comeבּוֹאverb, qal, perfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “to come”, a completed actionH935to go or come (in a wide variety of applications)abide, apply, attain, [idiom] be, befall, [phrase] besiege, bring (forth, in, into, to pass), call, carry, [idiom] certainly, (cause, let, thing for) to come (against, in, out, upon, to pass), depart, [idiom] doubtless again, [phrase] eat,…עִ֣ירircityעִירnoun, common, feminine, singular, construct — “city”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH5892a city (a place guarded by waking or a watch) in the widest sense (even of a mere encampment or post)Ai (from margin), city, court (from margin), town.דָּוִ֑דdavidDavidדָּוִדnoun, proper name — “David”H1732David, the youngest son of JesseDavid.וּמִיכַ֨לumikhaland Michalמִיכָלconjunction, noun, proper name — “and Michal”H4324Mikal, Saul's daughterMichal.בַּתbatdaughterבַּתnoun, common, feminine, singular, construct — “daughter”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH1323a daughter (used in the same wide sense as other terms of relationship, literally and figuratively)apple (of the eye), branch, company, daughter, [idiom] first, [idiom] old, [phrase] owl, town, village.שָׁא֜וּלshaulShaulשָׁאוּלnoun, proper name — “Shaul”H7586Shaul, the name of an Edomite and two IsraelitesSaul, Shaul.נִשְׁקְפָ֣הnishqefahappearשָׁקַףverb, niphal, perfect, 3rd person, feminine, singular — “appear”, a completed actionH8259properly, to lean out (of a window), i.e. (by implication) peep or gaze (passively, be a spectacle)appear, look (down, forth, out).בְּעַ֣דbeadat byבְּעַדpreposition — “at by”H1157in up to or over against; generally at, beside, among, behind, for, etc.about, at by (means of), for, over, through, up (-on), within.הַחַלּ֗וֹןhachalonthe windowחַלּוֹןdefinite article, noun, common, both genders, singular, absolute — “the window”, the ordinary formH2474a window (as perforated)window.וַתֵּ֨רֶאvatereand seeרָאָהconjunction, verb, qal, sequential imperfect, 3rd person, feminine, singular — “and see”, the next action in the storyH7200to see, literally or figuratively (in numerous applications, direct and implied, transitive, intransitive and causative)advise self, appear, approve, behold, [idiom] certainly, consider, discern, (make to) enjoy, have experience, gaze, take heed, [idiom] indeed, [idiom] joyfully, lo, look (on, one another, one on another, one upon another, out, up, upon), m…אֶתetobject markerאֵתparticle, direct object marker — “object marker”H853properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely)(as such unrepresented in English).הַמֶּ֤לֶךְhamelekhthe kingמֶלֶךְdefinite article, noun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “the king”, the ordinary formH4428a kingking, royal.דָּוִד֙davidDavidדָּוִדnoun, proper name — “David”H1732David, the youngest son of JesseDavid.מְפַזֵּ֤זmefazezleapפָּזַזverb, piel, participle, absolute — “leap”, a verb used as a describing wordH6339to solidify (as if by refining); also to spring (as if separating the limbs)leap, be made strong.וּמְכַרְכֵּר֙umekharkerand danceכָּרַרconjunction, verb, pilpel, participle, absolute — “and dance”, a verb used as a describing wordH3769to dance (i.e. whirl)dance(-ing).לִפְנֵ֣יlifneto a- foreפָּנִיםpreposition, noun, common, both genders, plural, construct — “to a- fore”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH6440the face (as the part that turns); used in a great variety of applications (literally and figuratively); also (with prepositional prefix) as a preposition (before, etc.)[phrase] accept, a-(be-) fore(-time), against, anger, [idiom] as (long as), at, [phrase] battle, [phrase] because (of), [phrase] beseech, countenance, edge, [phrase] employ, endure, [phrase] enquire, face, favour, fear of, for, forefront(-…יְהוָ֔הyehvahJehovahיְהֹוָהnoun, proper name — “Jehovah”H3068Jehovah, Jewish national name of GodJehovah, the Lord. Compare H3050 (יָהּ), H3069 (יְהֹוִה).וַתִּ֥בֶזvativezand despiseבָּזָהconjunction, verb, qal, sequential imperfect, 3rd person, feminine, singular — “and despise”, the next action in the storyH959to disesteemdespise, disdain, contemn(-ptible), [phrase] think to scorn, vile person.ל֖וֹlvotoל֖וֹpreposition, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “to”toבְּלִבָּֽהּbelibahin comfortablyלֵבpreposition, noun, common, masculine, singular, construct, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, feminine, singular — “in comfortably”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH3820the heart; also used (figuratively) very widely for the feelings, the will and even the intellect; likewise for the centre of anything[phrase] care for, comfortably, consent, [idiom] considered, courag(-eous), friend(-ly), ((broken-), (hard-), (merry-), (stiff-), (stout-), double) heart(-ed), [idiom] heed, [idiom] I, kindly, midst, mind(-ed), [idiom] regard(-ed), [idiom]…

Jewish translation (JPS 1917)

And it was so, as the ark of the LORD came into the city of David, that Michal the daughter of Saul looked out at the window, and saw king David leaping and dancing before the LORD; and she despised him in her heart.

Compare Public-Domain Translations

The King James Version remains the text of this page and the canonical URL.

American Standard Version (1901)

And it was so, as the ark of Jehovah came into the city of David, that Michal the daughter of Saul looked out at the window, and saw king David leaping and dancing before Jehovah; and she despised him in her heart.

Young’s Literal Translation

and it hath come to pass, the ark of Jehovah hath come in to the city of David, and Michal daughter of Saul, hath looked through the window, and seeth king David moving and dancing before Jehovah, and despiseth him in her heart.

World English Bible

As Yahweh’s ark came into David’s city, Michal the daughter of Saul looked out through the window and saw King David leaping and dancing before Yahweh; and she despised him in her heart.

Darby Translation

And as the ark of Jehovah came into the city of David, Michal the daughter of Saul looked through a window, and saw king David leaping and dancing before Jehovah; and she despised him in her heart.

Douay-Rheims

And when the ark of the Lord was come into the city of David, Michol the daughter of Saul, looking out through a window, saw king David leaping and dancing before the Lord: and she despised him in her heart.

Jewish Publication Society (1917)

Brenton’s Septuagint (1851), English

And it came to pass as the ark arrived at the city of David, that Melchol the daughter of Saul looked through the window, and saw king David dancing and playing before the Lord; and she despised him in her heart.

Septuagint (Brenton’s Greek, 1851)

Καὶ ἐγένετο τῆς κιβωτοῦ παραγινομένης ἕως πόλεως Δαυίδ, καὶ Μελχὸλ ἡ θυγάτηρ Σαοὺλ διέκυπτε διὰ τῆς θυρίδος, καὶ εἶδε τὸν βασιλέα Δαυὶδ ὀρχούμενον, καὶ ἀνακρουόμενον ἐνώπιον Κυρίου, καὶ ἐξουδένωσεν αὐτὸν ἐν τῇ καρδίᾳ αὐτῆς.