2 Samuel Chapter 6    

“Baale of Judah.” That is another name for Kiriath-jearim (1 Chron. 13:6).

“called by the Name.” The ark of God was never “called” “the Name” or called Yahweh. The phase here means called in a way associated to the Name.

“that was on the hill.” The Hebrew “on the hill” is close to the word “Gibeah,” and the King James Version translates this as “in Gibeah,” but that is incorrect. Gibeah was miles to the northeast.

“many branches of fir trees​.” There is no Hebrew word for “instruments” here, and the idea that there were musical instruments made from fir wood is an interpretation. When kings entered a city it was common to wave branches, just like the crowd did for Jesus (John 12:13; cp. Rev. 7:9), and here God Himself is going to enter Jerusalem, so it was appropriate to wave branches in celebration.

“the Gittite.” The inhabitants of the Philistine city of Gath were referred to as “Gittites” (see commentary on Josh. 13:3).

“danced.” The Hebrew word is unique and only occurs in 2 Samuel 6:14 and 6:16 in the Old Testament. It is connected to whirling around or spinning around.

“before Yahweh.” The lack of clarity in the Hebrew vocabulary leaves us without knowing if David was ahead of the ark, or just “in the presence of the ark.”

“shofar.” The ram’s horn trumpet, not the metal trumpet.

“the tent that David had pitched for it.” Why David did not take the ark and put it back inside Moses’ Tent of Meeting is not explained. See commentary on 1 Chronicles 16:1.

“who uncovered himself today.” The text makes it clear that David was not naked, he was wearing a linen ephod (2 Sam. 6:14), but that was not what a king would ordinarily wear in public. Michal accused him of “uncovering” himself, which in her eyes meant not wearing the clothes that were appropriate for a king.

“one of the rabble.” A more literal translation might be “empty ones,” meaning the unlearned and undisciplined rabble.^a