2 Samuel 6

August 18, Year 1

[13-14] And when those who bore the ark of the LORD had gone six steps, he sacrificed an ox and a fattened animal. And David danced before the LORD with all his might. And David was wearing a linen ephod.

• Most commentators see six steps as just a “practical” measure to see what might happen, without any symbolic significance.

  • Well, yes. But that practicality IS the symbolism!

  • Because why six, precisely, rather than “a few” or whatever?

• Consider the context:

And David arose and went with all the people who were with him from Baale-judah to bring up from there the ark of God, which is called by the name of the LORD of hosts who sits enthroned on the cherubim. [2]

• The six-sided ark is (“square”) earth, the LORD enthroned above on the mercy seat is in (“round”) heaven, with the cloven-hooved-and-winged cherubim between the two.

… six steps… danced… [13-14]

• Linear and circular, straight and swirling.

And Michal the daughter of Saul had no child to the day of her death. [23]

• The “seventh” wife; the fruitless, sterile wife, because she “despised” David for this holy, “undignified” dancing.

• As ever, the meaning of the symbolism is a function of where you stand in relation to the Author of the symbolism.