The ark comes up from the house of Abinadab with dancing and shofar; Uzzah puts forth his hand at Nachon's threshing-floor and dies; after three months' blessing at Obed-edom's, David dances girded with a linen ephod — and Michal despises him in her heart.
Tap any Hebrew word to reveal its root, value, and meanings.
And David again gathered together all the chosen men of Israel, thirty thousand.
verse value 2251
Insights
Verse structure: 7 words, 32 letters. The shortest word is "again" (ע֥וֹד, 3 letters) and the longest is "all·youth" (אֶת־כׇּל־בָּח֥וּר, 8 letters). 1 word in this verse appears nowhere else in II Samuel. Unique to this verse in II Samuel (hapax): "all·youth" (אֶת־כׇּל־בָּח֥וּר). 6 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "David" (root דוד, 250x in II Samuel); "in·Israel" (root ישראל, 77x in II Samuel); "again" (root עוד, 29x in II Samuel). First appearance of the root אסף ("and·he·did·again") in II Samuel. First appearance of the root בחור ("all·youth") in II Samuel. Full calculation: וַיֹּ֨סֶף [and·he·did·again] (156) + ע֥וֹד [again] (80) + דָּוִ֛ד [David] (14) + אֶת־כׇּל־בָּח֥וּר [all·youth] (667) + בְּיִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל [in·Israel] (543) + שְׁלֹשִׁ֥ים [thirty] (680) + אָֽלֶף [thousand] (111) = 2251.
Rashi
And David added still. To gather.
All the chosen men of Israel, thirty thousand. Because they had already gathered around him when they anointed him king in Hebron, and this was a second gathering, therefore it says 'and he added still.'
Radak
"And David again assembled" (Vayosef od David). Just as "he gathered" (vaya'asof) has its root in "gather" (asaf), and likewise "and he had some left over from the appointed [time]" (ve-yoter min ha-mo'ed) has a different root [not asaf], and likewise "You gather in their spirit and they expire" (tosef ruḥam yigva'un) is like "you shall gather" (ta'asof). And one may also interpret it according to its plain sense: the matter of "adding" (tosef), whose root is "add" (yasaf), meaning that he added to gather more. And according to [a variant reading]: "And I will add further." And the meaning of "further" is that there were many from Israel with him when they made him king, and also in this war, for in that section was the war with the Philistines, and it was then that they brought up the Ark. And so it is proven in Chronicles.
Metzudat David
And added still. Since many were gathering to him from the time of his coronation, therefore he said that he added still to gather to him the chosen of Israel, to bring up the ark:
Malbim
And David again [gathered] "all the chosen men" — in Chronicles (I 13:2) it is explained that he sent to gather to him the elders of Israel to bring up the Ark. And it appears that not all of them went; rather, each city sent its elders and judges. These were the "chosen" and "selected" ones referred to in the phrase "all the chosen men in Israel." There were thirty thousand of them. Our Sages of blessed memory, in the Midrash (Bamidbar Rabbah 4:20) and in the Jerusalem Talmud (Sanhedrin 10:2), stated that he ordained ninety thousand elders on that day. (They derived this from the phrase "every chosen man.") Their understanding is that each community sent a court of three judges. Thus, from the thirty thousand select men of the cities, there were ninety thousand elders.
And David arose, and went with all the people that were with him, from Baale-judah, to bring up from thence the ark of God, whereupon is called the Name, even the name of Hashem of hosts that sits upon the cherubim.
verse value 5929
Insights
Verse structure: 21 words, 87 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָ֧ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. Verse gematria: 5929 = 77². The shortest word is "name" (שֵׁ֗ם, 2 letters) and the longest is "which·is·called" (אֲשֶׁר־נִקְרָ֣א, 7 letters). Words sharing gematria 340: name, name·of. 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in II Samuel. Unique to this verse in II Samuel (hapax): "from·Baale·of" (מִֽבַּעֲלֵ֖י), "to·bring·up" (לְהַעֲל֣וֹת), "which·is·called" (אֲשֶׁר־נִקְרָ֣א). The root שם appears 3 times in this verse. 17 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "David" (root דוד, 250x in II Samuel); "that" (root אשר, 188x in II Samuel); "Hashem" (root יהוה, 151x in II Samuel). First appearance of the root ארון ("chest") in II Samuel. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'Judah', dividing the verse into phrases of 8 and 13 words.
Rashi
From Ba'al of Yehudah. It is Kiryat Yearim; as is said in Joshua (15:9): 'And the border goes up to Ba'alah, which is Kiryat Yearim'; and so in Chronicles (I 13:6): 'And David and all Israel went up to Ba'alah, which is Kiryat Yearim.' And 'Ba'al' is 'plain.'
And David arose and went, etc., from Baalei Yehudah. That they gathered there to bring up from there the ark, etc.
Upon whom the name is called. Upon whom the name is called upon the ark; and what is the name? That the Name of the Lord of Hosts was upon it.
Radak
“From Baalei Judah.” It is also called Kiryat Yearim, as it is mentioned in Chronicles as “Baalah,” and it is one and the same place, also called Kiryat Yearim, as stated in the Book of Joshua: “Baalah, which is Kiryat Yearim.” And the Ark was in Kiryat Yearim, for there they had brought it up from Beth Shemesh. And when it says “from Baalei Judah” with a mem, whereas it should have said “to Baalei Judah,” since that is where they went to bring up the Ark from there, and similarly it says in Chronicles: “And David went up, and all Israel, to Baalah, which is Kiryat Yearim.” If we were to say that the mem is in place of a lamed, this would not be possible, for these two are opposites, for the mem indicates distance, whereas the lamed indicates proximity. Rather, the meaning of “And David arose and went” is not regarding the journey to Baalei Judah, but rather regarding the departure from there, as it says “to bring up from there,” and it is a concise verse. And so is the interpretation of the verse: “And David went, and all the people who were with him, from Baalei Judah,” meaning that they came there in order to bring up from there the Ark of God.
“Whose name is called.” And afterward he explained: “The name of the Lord of Hosts, Who sits upon the cherubim” is the name by which the Ark is called. And the reason that the Ark is mentioned by this name in this place, whereas it is not mentioned thus in any other place, is because the Name of the Holy One, blessed be He, was sanctified upon it while it was in the field of the Philistines.
Metzudat David
"From Baalei Yehuda, to bring up, etc." This is an elliptical verse, and it means: that they went from Baalei Yehuda, to which they had come, to bring up [the ark] from there, etc.
“Whose name is called.” “Whose name is called upon him,” and he returns to explain what is the name, and says: “The name of the Lord of Hosts, who sits upon the cherubim,” is the one called upon him.
Metzudat Zion
From Baalei. It is Kiryat-yearim, and as is written (Joshua 15:9): Baalah is Kiryat-yearim.
Malbim
"And David went, and all the people with him, from Baalei Judah" — this is Kiriath Jearim, which is called Baalah; and from there they did not send a few chosen elders — rather, all of them went. And this is what is written: "and all the people, from Baalei Judah," which is called by this name, as a foreshadowing of the sin they committed, for which the LORD burst a breach upon Uzzah. For since the Ark was called by [His] Name — the Name, the LORD of Hosts, who dwells upon it, upon the cherubim — such that the cherubim are a chariot for the Name of the LORD who dwells upon them in holiness, it was fitting that those bearing the Ark should resemble the bearers of the supernal chariot, whose faces have the likeness of a man's face, and that it not be borne upon an ox or a donkey. And likewise, for this reason, it was necessary that it have designated bearers, namely the tribe of Levi, whom the LORD chose — and they erred in this, as will be explained.
Cross-references: Joshua 15:9; I Samuel 4:4; I Samuel 6:21; I Chronicles 13:6
And they set the ark of God upon a new cart, and brought it out of the house of Abinadab that was in the hill; and Uzzah and Ahio, the sons of Abinadab, drove the new cart.
verse value 4066
Insights
Verse structure: 17 words, 86 letters. The shortest word is "that" (אֲשֶׁ֣ר, 3 letters) and the longest is "the·cart" (אֶת־הָעֲגָלָ֥ה, 7 letters). Words sharing gematria 317: new, new. 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in II Samuel. Unique to this verse in II Samuel (hapax): "to·heifer" (אֶל־עֲגָלָ֣ה), "and·Uzza" (וְעֻזָּ֣א), "driving" (נֹהֲגִ֖ים). The root עגלה appears 2 times in this verse. 14 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "that" (root אשר, 188x in II Samuel); "from·the·house·of" (root בית, 97x in II Samuel); "son" (root בן, 76x in II Samuel). First appearance of the root אבינדב ("Abinadab") in II Samuel. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'in·the·hill', dividing the verse into phrases of 10 and 7 words.
Rashi
Upon a new cart. He erred in a matter that even the youngest children of the house of Rabban know, for the service of the sanctuary must be carried upon the shoulder (Numbers 7:9). And because he said (Psalms 119:54): 'Your statutes were my songs in the house of my sojourn,' he was punished to come to this, and Uzza died because of him. Therefore, when they brought it from the house of Oved [Edom], they brought it upon the shoulder, as is said (I Chronicles 15:12-13): 'And he said to them, you the heads of the fathers of the Levites, sanctify yourselves, you and your brethren, and bring up the ark, etc.' For at first the Lord our God broke out upon us because we did not inquire of Him according to the statute.
Radak
"Onto a new cart." Just as the word "upon" ('al) is used in "and he struck the Philistine upon his forehead," and likewise "he did not eat upon the mountains" [Ezekiel 18:6]. And the reason for "a new cart" is that a commoner had not used it. They did this for the sanctity of the Ark.
"They would drive the new cart." Explanation: They were driving the oxen that were pulling the cart.
Metzudat David
And they lifted it up. By means of the oxen that drew the cart.
"The cart." This means: they drove the oxen that were pulling the cart:
Metzudat Zion
To a cart. Upon a cart.
Malbim
"And they placed the Ark of God upon a new cart..." — behold, there were two things in which they marred the sanctity of the Ark: 1. That they placed it upon a new cart and carried it, whereas the Torah commanded that it be carried on the shoulder; and the phrase "from the house of Abinadab" refers to the cart — that the cart was from the house of Abinadab, meaning it was his own property, acquired with his money (and thus this is not redundant with what is stated in verse 4, "and they carried it from the house of Abinadab"); 2. And Uzza and his brother drove the cart, whereas they should have learned from the Philistines, who did not drive the cart, but rather the cows directed the path by themselves.
And they brought it out of the house of Abinadab, which was in the hill, with the ark of God, and Ahio went before the ark.
verse value 2408
Insights
Verse structure: 12 words, 53 letters. Verse gematria: 2408 is divisible by 86, the value of Elohim. The shortest word is "with" (עִ֖ם, 2 letters) and the longest is "and·they·bore·it" (וַיִּשָּׂאֻ֗הוּ, 6 letters). The root ארון appears 2 times in this verse. 11 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "that" (root אשר, 188x in II Samuel); "from·the·house·of" (root בית, 97x in II Samuel); "going" (root הלך, 96x in II Samuel). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'God', dividing the verse into phrases of 8 and 4 words. Full calculation: וַיִּשָּׂאֻ֗הוּ [and·they·bore·it] (328) + מִבֵּ֤ית [from·the·house·of] (452) + אֲבִֽינָדָב֙ [Abinadab] (69) + אֲשֶׁ֣ר [that] (501) + בַּגִּבְעָ֔ה [in·the·hill] (82) + עִ֖ם [with] (110) + אֲר֣וֹן [chest] (257) + הָאֱלֹהִ֑ים [God] (91) + וְאַחְי֕וֹ [and·Ahio] (31) + הֹלֵ֖ךְ [going] (55) + לִפְנֵ֥י [to·face·of] (170) + הָאָרֽוֹן [chest] (262) = 2408.
Rashi
With the ark of God. This is a truncated verse, and they are coming with the ark of God.
Radak
"With the Ark of God." It is connected to "a new cart," as if it said, "They were driving the new cart with the Ark of God." And in that it says a second time "and they carried it," since it stated that Uzzah and his brother were driving it, [this] explains how they were driving it when they carried it from the house of Abinadab: for his brother was walking before the Ark, and Uzzah was with the Ark. And some explain "with the Ark of God" likewise, that it was said of Uzzah that he was walking with the Ark of God, and his brother before him; therefore Uzzah reached out and took hold of it, because he was with the Ark. And so it says, "And he died there with the Ark of God." And some explain: "and they carried it" [the second time] refers to the chest that the Philistines had sent back, saying that they carried it together with the Ark of God. And this is why it says a second time "and they carried it"—for the first refers to the Ark, and the latter refers to the chest.
Metzudat David
And they lifted it up, etc., with the ark. This means that the oxen lifted the cart together with the ark that was upon it.
"Before the ark." [This teaches that they were] to guide the oxen, but Uzzah walked beside the ark. Therefore, Scripture repeats the phrase, to indicate that only his brother [Ahio] walked before the ark, and not Uzzah. And therefore, he [Uzzah] was the one who noticed when the oxen stumbled toward the ark, whereas his brother did not notice.
Malbim
3. "And they lifted it from the house of Abinadab" — Oza and his brother carried it from the house onto the cart on their shoulders. It was fitting that it be carried, in any case, by Levites according to its law, not by non-Levites. 4. "With the ark of God" — meaning that they did not carry it with the poles as prescribed by law; rather, they carried it together with the ark itself, holding onto the ark directly, and they carried it by means of the ark, not by means of the poles placed between it and their hands. Thus they touched the ark, which is forbidden, as stated in Divrei HaYamim (1 Chronicles 15:15): "And they lifted it on their shoulders with poles upon them." 5. "And Ahio" — walked before the ark, with his back turned toward the ark. This was an act of contempt and anger. Even the commanders of the Philistines guarded against this and walked behind it, not before it.
And David and all the house of Israel played before Hashem with all manner of instruments made of cypress-wood, and with harps, and with psalteries, and with timbrels, and with sistra, and with cymbals.
verse value 4501
Insights
Verse structure: 14 words, 78 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָ֔ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "in·them·of" (בְּכֹ֖ל, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·with·rattles" (וּבִמְנַעַנְעִ֖ים, 9 letters). Words sharing gematria 170: to·face·of, tree. 8 words in this verse appear nowhere else in II Samuel. Unique to this verse in II Samuel (hapax): "playing" (מְשַֽׂחֲקִים֙), "tree" (עֲצֵ֣י), "cypress" (בְרוֹשִׁ֑ים). 13 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·David" (root דוד, 250x in II Samuel); "Hashem" (root יהוה, 151x in II Samuel); "and·all·house·of" (root בית, 97x in II Samuel). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'cypress', dividing the verse into phrases of 9 and 5 words. Full calculation: וְדָוִ֣ד [and·David] (20) + וְכׇל־בֵּ֣ית [and·all·house·of] (468) + יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל [Israel] (541) + מְשַֽׂחֲקִים֙ [playing] (498) + לִפְנֵ֣י [to·face·of] (170) + יְהֹוָ֔ה [Hashem] (26) + בְּכֹ֖ל [in·them·of] (52) + עֲצֵ֣י [tree] (170) + בְרוֹשִׁ֑ים [cypress] (558) + וּבְכִנֹּר֤וֹת [and·in·harps] (684) + וּבִנְבָלִים֙ [and·in·psalteries] (140) + וּבְתֻפִּ֔ים [and·in·timbrels] (538) + וּבִמְנַעַנְעִ֖ים [and·with·rattles] (338) + וּֽבְצֶלְצֱלִֽים [and·with·cymbals] (298) = 4501.
Rashi
With all cypress trees. Of which they make musical instruments.
Radak
"On all trees of fir." It says "trees of fir" because people make the vessels of song from fir; it first generalizes with "on all trees of fir" and then specifies with "and on lyres and on harps." The vav in "and on lyres" is an added vav, and there are many like it. Alternatively, "on all trees of fir" is a generalization that includes other instruments besides those mentioned.
And regarding “those who shake” (ha-menana’im): This is a musical instrument; a person would move his body while playing it, or the pegs within it would move during the playing. And the Targum [renders it] “and with the rebia’im,” which are thin boards; they would play upon them. And in the words of our Sages of blessed memory, “the rebia’it of the aliyah” means the boards of the mourners, for upon those boards they would play and lament.
"And with cymbals." Like "cymbals of clanging sound" [Psalms 150:5], which are two copper instruments that are struck against each other and produce a sound.
Metzudat David
"Before the Lord." Before the Ark of the Lord.
"In all the trees of fir": In musical instruments made from fir trees:
Metzudat Zion
Making merry. Rejoicing.
And with lyres and with harps and with timbrels. Names of musical instruments.
And with sistrums. It is from the instruments of melody, it moves man to move his body and dance.
And with cymbals. They are two copper instruments, and they strike one against the other and produce a great sound, and in the Mishnah (Tamid chapter 7, mishnah 3): Ben Arza struck the cymbal, and so (Psalms 150:5): sounding cymbals.
Malbim
6. And David, etc. And even in this matter they did not act as they ought in two respects: 1) They played in a manner of frivolous jesting, rather than with joy accompanied by trembling; 2) It was not done by means of musical instruments designated for [divine] service, nor by the Levites appointed for this purpose, but rather by all the House of Israel in their entirety, and with all sorts of cypress-wood instruments, meaning with various kinds of musical instruments.
And when they came to the threshing-floor of Nacon, Uzzah put forth his hand to the ark of God, and took hold of it; for the oxen stumbled.
verse value 2025
Insights
Verse structure: 12 words, 51 letters. Verse gematria: 2025 = 45². The shortest word is "in·him" (בּ֔וֹ, 2 letters) and the longest is "to·chest" (אֶל־אֲר֤וֹן, 6 letters). 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in II Samuel. Unique to this verse in II Samuel (hapax): "until·threshing-floor" (עַד־גֹּ֣רֶן), "to·chest" (אֶל־אֲר֤וֹן), "and·grasped" (וַיֹּ֣אחֶז). 12 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·they·came" (root בוא, 131x in II Samuel); "for" (root כי, 110x in II Samuel); "and·he·sent" (root שלח, 65x in II Samuel). First appearance of the root גרן ("until·threshing-floor") in II Samuel. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'Nacon', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 9 words. Full calculation: וַיָּבֹ֖אוּ [and·they·came] (25) + עַד־גֹּ֣רֶן [until·threshing-floor] (327) + נָכ֑וֹן [Nacon] (126) + וַיִּשְׁלַ֨ח [and·he·sent] (354) + עֻזָּ֜ה [strong] (82) + אֶל־אֲר֤וֹן [to·chest] (288) + הָֽאֱלֹהִים֙ [God] (91) + וַיֹּ֣אחֶז [and·grasped] (32) + בּ֔וֹ [in·him] (8) + כִּ֥י [for] (30) + שָֽׁמְט֖וּ [stumbled] (355) + הַבָּקָֽר [the·cattle] (307) = 2025.
Rashi
Because the oxen stumbled. Because they stumbled it and shook it; and so Yonatan translated: 'Because the oxen shook it'; as he translates (Deuteronomy 19:5): 'His hand slipped with his axe'—his hand slipped from the iron.
Radak
"Goren ha-Nakhon" [the threshing floor of Nakhon]. And in Chronicles it is called "Goren Kidon," and it had two names. It is possible that its [original] name was Goren ha-Nakhon, and they called it Goren Kidon because of Uzzah's death there—[a name derived] from "[as swiftly as] the eye can see a spear" [i.e., in an instant]. And our Sages of blessed memory said: at first it was called Kidon, and finally Nakhon—that is to say, now, when they carried the Ark on a cart and the LORD burst forth against Uzzah, it was called Kidon; and finally, when David brought it up from the house of Oved-Edom, it was called Nakhon, because the Levites carried it on their shoulders, as it says in Chronicles: "And it came to pass, when God helped the Levites"—in contrast to what happened now, when He burst forth against its bearers; there He helped its bearers, because they did it properly, that the Levites carried it on their shoulders and with poles.
“And Uzah stretched out.” Explanation: “And he stretched out his hand.”
"For the oxen stumbled." "Stumbled" is an intransitive verb, as if it said, "the oxen slipped," meaning their limbs were dislocated, because of the sanctity of the Ark: it was not fitting for it to be carried on a cart drawn by oxen, but rather it was fitting for it to be carried on the shoulders of the Levites. And according to the view of Jonathan, "stumbled" is a transitive verb, which he translated as "ari margohei toria," meaning: they let it [the Ark] slip and lowered it. And [elsewhere] the Targum renders [the words concerning Uzzah's hand]: "and his hand was thrust away," [or in another version] "and his hand was struck numb." And even though the Ark came from the field of the Philistines in this manner [on a cart], and the oxen [of the Philistines] did not stumble — [it was because] the Philistines did not know the custom of carrying the Ark, and they aimed to carry it in the best way they could, for they took a new cart and cows upon which no yoke had come. But Israel, who knew the manner of carrying the Ark, as it is written in the Torah, "But to the sons of Kohath he gave none, for the service of the holy things belonged to them; they were to carry them on the shoulder," sinned in this matter. Therefore the Holy One, blessed be He, showed them the sanctity of the Ark in two ways: in the stumbling of the oxen and in the death of Uzzah. And the matter in which David erred in this thing [relates to] an explicit verse: he thought there would be no sin in this if they carried it on a cart, even though it is written, "they shall bear it on the shoulder," for he reasoned that at that time in the wilderness God commanded this because the Tabernacle was carried on carts — [so] He commanded that the Ark be carried on the shoulder, to show that the sanctity of the Ark is greater than the sanctity of the Tabernacle. But at a time when there was no Tabernacle, he thought there was no sin in carrying it on a cart. Moreover, it had come on a cart from the field of the Philistines — and in this he erred.
Metzudat David
And Uzah reached out. He stretched out his hand:
"For the oxen had stumbled." They shook it [the ark] from its place, and Uzzah thought it would fall from the cart.
Metzudat Zion
Nachon. A place name, and in Chronicles (13:9) it says: Chidon, and it is the same, and it was called by both names (see Sotah 35b).
They stumbled. A matter of moving from the place, as (II Kings 9:33): and he said, throw her down.
Malbim
And they came — after they had erred in all these matters, Uzzah added to his transgression by reaching out his hand to grasp the Ark, thinking that it needed support lest it topple. He should have known that the LORD who dwells within it carries, and is not carried; and our Sages of blessed memory said (Sotah 35a): "It carried its bearers" — all the more so [does it carry itself]. The cause of this was that the oxen slipped out from under the cart, and he should have understood that this was due to their burden and their fright.
And the anger of Hashem was kindled against Uzzah; and God smote him there for his error; and there he died by the ark of God.
verse value 2582
Insights
Verse structure: 12 words, 50 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָה֙) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "there" (שָׁ֛ם, 2 letters) and the longest is "and·burned·anger·of" (וַיִּֽחַר־אַ֤ף, 6 letters). Words sharing gematria 340: there, there. 1 word in this verse appears nowhere else in II Samuel. Unique to this verse in II Samuel (hapax): "upon·the·error" (עַל־הַשַּׁ֑ל). The root שם appears 2 times in this verse. 10 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 151x in II Samuel); "upon·the·error" (root על, 121x in II Samuel); "with" (root עם, 90x in II Samuel). First appearance of the root עזה ("against·Uzzah") in II Samuel. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'upon·the·error', dividing the verse into phrases of 7 and 5 words. Full calculation: וַיִּֽחַר־אַ֤ף [and·burned·anger·of] (305) + יְהֹוָה֙ [Hashem] (26) + בְּעֻזָּ֔ה [against·Uzzah] (84) + וַיַּכֵּ֥הוּ [and·he·smote·him] (47) + שָׁ֛ם [there] (340) + הָאֱלֹהִ֖ים [God] (91) + עַל־הַשַּׁ֑ל [upon·the·error] (435) + וַיָּ֣מׇת [and·he·died] (456) + שָׁ֔ם [there] (340) + עִ֖ם [with] (110) + אֲר֥וֹן [chest] (257) + הָאֱלֹהִֽים [God] (91) = 2582.
Rashi
For the error. For the mistake—he should have inferred a fortiori: it bore its bearers at the Jordan; itself, how much more so!
Radak
"On 'the shal.'" [Meaning] concerning the error; the Targum renders it "his error," and a manuscript [reads]: "because he was negligent." And Uzzah erred when he grasped it, because [permission] was given only to the sons of Levi, who are sanctified above the rest of the children of Israel. And what was stated above, "for Eleazar his brother, they consecrated him to guard the Ark," means: to guard the house in which the Ark was, that it be kept pure — to sweep and sprinkle [the floor] before the Ark — not that he was to extend his hand to the Ark and move it from place to place, for that was permitted only to the sons of Levi. And so David too confessed this sin, as is written in Chronicles: "for because you [Levites] were not [with us] the first time, the LORD our God burst forth against us, because we did not seek Him according to the ordinance." And our Sages of blessed memory expounded that Uzzah sinned by grasping [the Ark] because he thought the Ark would fall to the ground, since the oxen had stumbled. And behold, in his own mind he diminished the sanctity of the Ark, thinking that it could not stand by itself without a bearer. And they said that Uzzah was punished for this, and the Holy One, blessed be He, said: "Its bearers it carries — how much more does it carry itself!" And [the phrase] "it carries its bearers" we explained in the Book of Joshua.
Metzudat David
"And He was angry" — because of his [Uzzah's] lack of faith in God, for thinking that His ark would fall to the ground.
"For his indiscretion." Regarding the act that he performed unwittingly, as if he had forgotten that it was the Ark of the Lord.
With the ark. Adjacent to the ark:
Metzudat Zion
In a slip. A matter of forgetting and error, and so (above 3:27): to speak with him in a slip.
Malbim
"And He struck him for [his] indiscretion, and he died there, with the Ark of God." Its proper construal is: "He struck him, and he died there" — [meaning] on account of the indiscretion [committed] with the Ark of God — because he erred and forgot the sanctity of the Ark and the fear of the LORD while he was in the presence of the Ark of God. And this is a sin too great to bear: one who forgets the fear of the King while standing before Him.
And David was displeased, because Hashem had broken forth upon Uzzah; and that place was called Perez-uzzah, to this day
verse value 2873
Insights
Verse structure: 16 words, 56 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָ֛ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. Verse gematria: 2873 is divisible by 13, the value of echad ('one') and ahavah ('love'). The shortest word is "upon" (עַל֩, 2 letters) and the longest is "and·called" (וַיִּקְרָ֞א, 5 letters). Words sharing gematria 370: breached, breach, Perez. The root פרץ appears 3 times in this verse. 13 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "of·David" (root דוד, 250x in II Samuel); "that" (root אשר, 188x in II Samuel); "Hashem" (root יהוה, 151x in II Samuel). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'upon·Uzzah', dividing the verse into phrases of 8 and 8 words.
Metzudat David
“And it displeased David.” It displeased him regarding himself, as in the case of “he was straitened and terrified,” and similarly (1 Samuel 15:11): “And it displeased Samuel.”
"Concerning that which He broke through." On account of the distress caused by the breach.
Metzudat Zion
Broke. A matter of break.
Malbim
"And David was displeased" — from this, David understood that they had not been careful to honor the Ark as it ought to be honored, and he was displeased with himself. For this is the distinction: "vayichar" indicates that the displeasure is directed toward another, whereas "charah lo" indicates that it returns to himself, as in (Genesis 4:5) "And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell." And our Sages of blessed memory said (Sotah, ibid.) that his face changed [color], like a ḥararah [a scorched cake].
Cross-references: II Samuel 5:20; I Chronicles 13:11
And David was afraid of Hashem that day; and he said: ‘How shall the ark of Hashem come to me?’
verse value 1364
Insights
Verse structure: 11 words, 44 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָֽה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "David" (דָוִ֛ד, 3 letters) and the longest is "Hashem" (אֶת־יְהֹוָ֖ה, 6 letters). Words sharing gematria 257: and·said, chest. The root יהוה appears 2 times in this verse. 10 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·said" (root אמר, 334x in II Samuel); "David" (root דוד, 250x in II Samuel); "Hashem" (root יהוה, 151x in II Samuel). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'that', dividing the verse into phrases of 5 and 6 words. Full calculation: וַיִּרָ֥א [and·he·feared] (217) + דָוִ֛ד [David] (14) + אֶת־יְהֹוָ֖ה [Hashem] (427) + בַּיּ֣וֹם [in·the·day] (58) + הַה֑וּא [that] (17) + וַיֹּ֕אמֶר [and·said] (257) + אֵ֛יךְ [how?] (31) + יָב֥וֹא [will·go·in] (19) + אֵלַ֖י [to·me] (41) + אֲר֥וֹן [chest] (257) + יְהֹוָֽה [Hashem] (26) = 1364.
Metzudat David
The Lord. The ark of the Lord, for he thought it was impossible to be careful with its holiness:
Malbim
"And David feared the Lord on that day" – the explanation is that David always served out of love and joy, and such a service draws down upon its owner the abundance of kindness and compassion, goodness and joy. Now, on that day, when he trembled with the fear of the punishment that had befallen Uzzah, he fell from the level of love to the level of fear of punishment, which is a lower level. Therefore, he said, "How can the ark of the Lord come to me?" – either because he perceived that he had fallen from his level, or because he saw that He deals with those who approach the ark of His strength with strict justice and fear, and that everyone who approaches His holiness will die. Therefore,
So David would not remove the ark of Hashem to him into the city of David; but David carried it aside into the house of Obed-edom the Gittite.
verse value 2490
Insights
Verse structure: 13 words, 57 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָ֖ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "David" (דָוִ֗ד, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·not·he·was·willing" (וְלֹא־אָבָ֣ה, 6 letters). Words sharing gematria 14: David, David, David. 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in II Samuel. Unique to this verse in II Samuel (hapax): "to·remove" (לְהָסִ֥יר), "upon·excitement" (עַל־עִ֣יר), "Obed-edom" (עֹבֵֽד־אֱדֹ֖ם). The root דוד appears 3 times in this verse. 11 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "David" (root דוד, 250x in II Samuel); "Hashem" (root יהוה, 151x in II Samuel); "Obed-edom" (root עבד, 109x in II Samuel). First appearance of the root גתי ("Gittite") in II Samuel. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'David', dividing the verse into phrases of 8 and 5 words. Full calculation: וְלֹא־אָבָ֣ה [and·not·he·was·willing] (45) + דָוִ֗ד [David] (14) + לְהָסִ֥יר [to·remove] (305) + אֵלָ֛יו [to·him] (47) + אֶת־אֲר֥וֹן [chest] (658) + יְהֹוָ֖ה [Hashem] (26) + עַל־עִ֣יר [upon·excitement] (380) + דָּוִ֑ד [David] (14) + וַיַּטֵּ֣הוּ [and·he·turned·it·aside] (36) + דָוִ֔ד [David] (14) + בֵּ֥ית [house·of] (412) + עֹבֵֽד־אֱדֹ֖ם [Obed-edom] (121) + הַגִּתִּֽי [Gittite] (418) = 2490.
Rashi
Oved-edom. He was a Levite, as is written in Chronicles (I 15:18), and he was one of the gatekeepers (ibid.).
Radak
"Upon the City of David." Just as it says "to the City," so too "and she prayed to the Lord." And the City of David is Zion.
Metzudat David
And he turned it aside. He turned it aside from the way of the city of David, to the house of Obed-edom [the Gittite]:
Metzudat Zion
Upon the city of David. To the city of David.
The Gittite. He dwelt in Gath, but he was a Levite and from the gatekeepers, as is said in Chronicles (15:24).
Malbim
And David did not consent, etc., and he diverted it to the house of Obed-Edom, for he was a Levite and it was fitting that he should stand before the Ark.
And the ark of Hashem remained in the house of Obed-edom the Gittite three months; and Hashem blessed Obed-edom, and all his house.
verse value 4210
Insights
Verse structure: 14 words, 60 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָ֜ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "house·of" (בֵּ֣ית, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·all·his·house" (וְאֶת־כׇּל־בֵּיתֽוֹ, 9 letters). Words sharing gematria 45: edom, edom. 1 word in this verse appears nowhere else in II Samuel. Unique to this verse in II Samuel (hapax): "and·all·his·house" (וְאֶת־כׇּל־בֵּיתֽוֹ). The root יהוה appears 2 times in this verse. 10 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 151x in II Samuel); "Obed" (root עבד, 109x in II Samuel); "house·of" (root בית, 97x in II Samuel). First appearance of the root אדם ("edom") in II Samuel. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'months', dividing the verse into phrases of 9 and 5 words. Full calculation: וַיֵּ֩שֶׁב֩ [and·dwelt] (318) + אֲר֨וֹן [chest] (257) + יְהֹוָ֜ה [Hashem] (26) + בֵּ֣ית [house·of] (412) + עֹבֵ֥ד [Obed] (76) + אֱדֹ֛ם [edom] (45) + הַגִּתִּ֖י [Gittite] (418) + שְׁלֹשָׁ֣ה [three] (635) + חֳדָשִׁ֑ים [months] (362) + וַיְבָ֧רֶךְ [and·blessed] (238) + יְהֹוָ֛ה [Hashem] (26) + אֶת־עֹבֵ֥ד [Obed] (477) + אֱדֹ֖ם [edom] (45) + וְאֶת־כׇּל־בֵּיתֽוֹ [and·all·his·house] (875) = 4210.
Rashi
And the Lord blessed, etc. His wife and his eight daughters-in-law bore six sons in one womb [each], as is said (I Chronicles 26:6-8): 'and Peullethai the eighth'; sixty-two [descendants] to Oved-Edom.
Radak
"Obed-edom the Gittite." He was a Levite, and he was among the gatekeepers, as it is written in Chronicles: "And Obed-edom and Jeiel, of the gatekeepers." And he was also among the singers, as it is written in Chronicles: "And Obed-edom and Uzziah, with harps." And they called him "Gittite" because he dwelt in Gath.
"And all his household." His sons and daughters, and all that belonged to him, had blessing in children and wealth, and an increase of good in every matter, from the time that the Ark was in his house. And our Sages of blessed memory expounded: "And all his household" refers to his wife and his eight daughters-in-law, who each bore six children in a single womb. And they based this on what is written in Chronicles: "Peullethai the eighth, for God blessed him," and it is written, "sixty-two, belonging to Obed-edom" — she and her eight daughters-in-law, who each bore six in a single womb, total sixty-two, together with the eight sons.
Metzudat Zion
It remained. A matter of delay.
Malbim
And it remained. From then on, the Ark became a source of waters of kindness and goodness for all who drew near it. This is evident in two respects: 1. "And the Ark of the LORD remained [at] the house of Obed-edom the Gittite" — it dwelt beside him together with all the members of his household, and not one of them was harmed. And in Divrei HaYamim (1 Chronicles 13:14) it is explained, "And the Ark of God remained with the house of Obed-edom, in his house," meaning together with all the members of his household; and here [the verse] hints at this by stating "the house of Obed" without the prepositional bet. 2. For it dispersed waters of blessing from its buckets. The LORD first blessed Obed-edom himself, in his property and possessions, and his wife, and afterward He also blessed all his household, as our Sages of blessed memory said (Berakhot 63) that all his daughters-in-law bore six children in a single womb.
And it was told king David, saying: ‘Hashem has blessed the house of Obed-edom, and all that pertains to him, because of the ark of God.’ And David went and brought up the ark of God from the house of Obed-edom into the city of David with joy.
verse value 5399
Insights
Verse structure: 24 words, 102 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָ֗ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "David" (דָּוִד֮, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·all·that·to·him" (וְאֶת־כׇּל־אֲשֶׁר־ל֔וֹ, 10 letters). Words sharing gematria 280: for·the·sake·of, city·of. 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in II Samuel. Unique to this verse in II Samuel (hapax): "blessed" (בֵּרַ֣ךְ), "and·all·that·to·him" (וְאֶת־כׇּל־אֲשֶׁר־ל֔וֹ), "in·joy" (בְּשִׂמְחָֽה). The root דוד appears 3 times in this verse. 17 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "saying" (root אמר, 334x in II Samuel); "David" (root דוד, 250x in II Samuel); "to·the·king" (root מלך, 242x in II Samuel). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'God', dividing the verse into phrases of 13 and 11 words.
Metzudat David
"Because of the Ark of God." [The ark] which dwelt in his [Obed-edom's] house, for prior to this, his house had not attained this blessing.
The City of David. "To the City of David," and this is Zion:
Malbim
"And it was told to King David, saying, 'The LORD has blessed...' etc." They reported to him what was the primary proof that He had blessed all the members of his household because of the Ark of God. Our Sages of blessed memory explained in the Mekhilta that since people were saying that the Ark kills, the LORD showed them that there is blessing in it. They derived this from the word "be'avur" ["because of"], for there is a difference between "be'avur" and "biglal": the word "biglal" denotes a preceding cause, and the word "be'avur" denotes a subsequent cause. According to the rules of language he should have said "biglal Aron HaElohim" [on account of the Ark of God], as in (Genesis 30:27) "The LORD has blessed me biglalekha [for your sake]," meaning because of you. Therefore he explains that in truth the blessing was not "biglal" the Ark, i.e., due to it as a [preceding] cause — for then the blessing would have applied only to the master of the house himself, who dealt with it and served before it, not to his household. From this he saw that the blessing was "be'avur" [because of] the Ark and its benefit — to remove from it the slander of the people that it kills with the rod of its wrath, and to show that only goodness and kindness pursue all who draw near to it, and even those who dwell within its vicinity. And David took this as proof to bring it up to the City of David; therefore "he brought it up... with joy" — not with fear and dread, but with love and joy, for he saw that kindness prevailed in it. (And moreover, he did not bring it up with frivolous sport as the first time, but with the joy of a mitzvah.)
Cross-references: I Chronicles 15:25; I Chronicles 15:28; I Chronicles 16:43
And it was so, that when they that bore the ark of Hashem had gone six paces, he sacrificed an ox and a fatling.
verse value 2490
Insights
Verse structure: 10 words, 43 letters. The shortest word is "for" (כִּ֧י, 2 letters) and the longest is "the·ark·of·Hashem" (אֲרוֹן־יְהֹוָ֖ה, 8 letters). 7 words in this verse appear nowhere else in II Samuel. Unique to this verse in II Samuel (hapax): "they·stepped" (צָעֲד֛וּ), "the·ark·of·Hashem" (אֲרוֹן־יְהֹוָ֖ה), "six" (שִׁשָּׁ֣ה). The root צעד appears 2 times in this verse. 9 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·it·was" (root היה, 153x in II Samuel); "for" (root כי, 110x in II Samuel); "bearers·of" (root נשא, 24x in II Samuel). First appearance of the root זבח ("and·he·sacrificed") in II Samuel. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'steps', dividing the verse into phrases of 7 and 3 words. Full calculation: וַיְהִ֗י [and·it·was] (31) + כִּ֧י [for] (30) + צָעֲד֛וּ [they·stepped] (170) + נֹשְׂאֵ֥י [bearers·of] (361) + אֲרוֹן־יְהֹוָ֖ה [the·ark·of·Hashem] (283) + שִׁשָּׁ֣ה [six] (605) + צְעָדִ֑ים [steps] (214) + וַיִּזְבַּ֥ח [and·he·sacrificed] (33) + שׁ֖וֹר [ox] (506) + וּמְרִֽיא [and·well-fed] (257) = 2490.
Radak
The bearers of the Ark of the Lord. They were the Levites, as it is written in Chronicles: "And the sons of the Levites bore the Ark of God, as Moses had commanded, upon their shoulders with the poles on them."
Six steps, and he sacrificed an ox and a fatling. And in Chronicles it is written, "And it came to pass, when God helped the Levites who bore the ark of the covenant of the Lord, that they sacrificed seven bulls and seven rams." When those bearing the ark went six steps, they recognized that God had helped them in bearing the ark and was pleased with them, for they did not stumble as Uzzah had stumbled. The meaning of "six steps" appears to be that this was the measure of distance Uzzah had walked when he grasped the ark and God struck him down. Since those bearing the ark saw that they had walked six steps and no evil mishap befell them [such as death], they lowered the ark and sacrificed offerings. Our Sages of blessed memory expounded on the phrase "when God helped," from which we learn that the ark carried itself. That is to say, since they bore it on their shoulders by means of the poles and did not feel its weight, as if there were no burden on their shoulders, they knew that God had helped them in bearing the weight of the ark on their shoulders. As for the fact that here it says, "an ox and a fatling," and there it says, "seven bulls and seven rams," and here it says, "and he sacrificed," meaning that David sacrificed the ox and the fatling, whereas there it says, "and they sacrificed," meaning that the Levites sacrificed the seven bulls and seven rams, corresponding to seven steps: they lowered the ark at the seventh step and sacrificed. And the Targum renders "steps" as "stages." Our Sages of blessed memory said: for each step, an ox and a fatling; for every six steps, seven rams. And some of them said: for every six steps, an ox and a fatling; for every six sets of their six steps, seven bulls and seven rams. And the meaning of "u-meri" ["and a fatling"] is as in its Targum, "u-fatim" ["and fatlings"].
Metzudat David
And he sacrificed. After every six steps:
Metzudat Zion
They stepped. Strided and went.
And a fatling. A fat ox, and so (I Kings 1:9): sheep and oxen and a fatling.
Malbim
"And it came to pass when they had gone..." And in Divrei HaYamim (1 Chronicles 15:26) it is written: "And it came to pass, when God helped the Levites who bore the Ark of the Covenant of the LORD, that they offered seven bulls and seven rams." And our Sages of blessed memory explained (Sotah 35) that for every six steps they offered one ox and one fatling, and for every series in which they completed six sets of six [steps], they offered seven bulls and seven rams. According to this, their movements were precisely aligned, ascending in correspondence to the Name of forty-two [letters] that was placed within the Ark, whose place is in Tiferet Yisrael, which bears the Ark of the Covenant, as is known. For every six steps one series was completed, and they offered an ox and a fatling to complete the seventh in holiness; and in every six series the circuit was completed, and they offered seven and seven to complete the circuit, as is known.
And David danced before Hashem with all his might; and David was girded with a linen ephod.
verse value 1159
Insights
Verse structure: 9 words, 36 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָ֑ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "linen" (בָּֽד, 2 letters) and the longest is "dancing" (מְכַרְכֵּ֥ר, 5 letters). Words sharing gematria 20: and·David, and·David. 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in II Samuel. Unique to this verse in II Samuel (hapax): "dancing" (מְכַרְכֵּ֥ר), "with·all·might" (בְּכׇל־עֹ֖ז), "ephod" (אֵפ֥וֹד). The root דוד appears 2 times in this verse. 8 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·David" (root דוד, 250x in II Samuel); "Hashem" (root יהוה, 151x in II Samuel); "with·all·might" (root כל, 95x in II Samuel). First appearance of the root בד ("linen") in II Samuel. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'Hashem', dividing the verse into phrases of 5 and 4 words. Full calculation: וְדָוִ֛ד [and·David] (20) + מְכַרְכֵּ֥ר [dancing] (480) + בְּכׇל־עֹ֖ז [with·all·might] (129) + לִפְנֵ֣י [to·face·of] (170) + יְהֹוָ֑ה [Hashem] (26) + וְדָוִ֕ד [and·David] (20) + חָג֖וּר [girded] (217) + אֵפ֥וֹד [ephod] (91) + בָּֽד [linen] (6) = 1159.
Rashi
Whirling. Dancing.
A linen ephod. A linen cloak—'pourpoint' in French; and Yonatan translated [it]: 'kardut'; and so Yonatan translated 'cloaks' of Tamar, Absalom's sister (below 13:18): 'kardotin.'
Radak
“mecharker bechol oz.” He dances with all his strength and intent; and the Targum [renders it]: “praising.”
"An ephod of linen." "Girded with an ephod of linen": It appears that this was a garment worn for honor; they would wear it. And so the verse states: "eighty-five men bearing a linen ephod" [1 Samuel 22:18]. It was not among the priestly garments; therefore, it was permitted for any person to wear it, even if he was not a priest. And in Chronicles [it says]: "wrapped in a robe of fine linen" [1 Chronicles 15:27] — and that robe is the ephod. And so Jonathan translated it, using another term elsewhere: he rendered "ephod bad" as "kardut de-vutz" [a linen wrap], and he translated "thus were the king's virgin daughters clothed, in robes" [2 Samuel 13:18], rendering "robes" as "kardutin" [wraps]. However, the ephod and the robe mentioned in the Torah are each a separate garment; this one is not like that one, as is explained in the Torah.
Metzudat David
A linen ephod. A garment made in the form of the high priest's ephod, and it was specific to those who secluded themselves in the service of the Lord, and similarly of Samuel it is said (I Samuel 2:18): And Samuel etc. was girded with a linen ephod. And David wore it at the time of bringing up the ark:
Metzudat Zion
Dancing. A matter of joyful dancing, and its likeness (Isaiah 66:20): upon mules and upon swift beasts.
With all his might. With all his strength.
Malbim
And David, etc., set aside his honor for the sake of the honor of the Lord in three matters: 1. In his body, for he leaped and ran with all his might before the Ark of the Lord. 2. In his garments, for he was girded with a linen ephod, like the vestment of the priests and the servants of the Lord, and not in royal attire, so as not to display arrogance before the Lord. And in these two matters, David distinguished himself from the people, for according to his greatness, he was required to demonstrate humility before the Creator, as it is stated (Berakhot 34b): "A king, once he has bowed, does not rise again." And regarding this, it says, "And David." 3. That which he shared with the entire congregation of Israel, regarding which it says,
So David and all the house of Israel brought up the ark of Hashem with shouting, and with the sound of the horn.
verse value 3316
Insights
Verse structure: 9 words, 45 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָ֑ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "and·David" (וְדָוִד֙, 4 letters) and the longest is "and·all·house·of" (וְכׇל־בֵּ֣ית, 6 letters). 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in II Samuel. Unique to this verse in II Samuel (hapax): "offering" (מַעֲלִ֖ים), "in·shouting" (בִּתְרוּעָ֖ה), "voice" (וּבְק֥וֹל). 9 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·David" (root דוד, 250x in II Samuel); "Hashem" (root יהוה, 151x in II Samuel); "and·all·house·of" (root בית, 97x in II Samuel). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'Hashem', dividing the verse into phrases of 6 and 3 words. Full calculation: וְדָוִד֙ [and·David] (20) + וְכׇל־בֵּ֣ית [and·all·house·of] (468) + יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל [Israel] (541) + מַעֲלִ֖ים [offering] (190) + אֶת־אֲר֣וֹן [chest] (658) + יְהֹוָ֑ה [Hashem] (26) + בִּתְרוּעָ֖ה [in·shouting] (683) + וּבְק֥וֹל [voice] (144) + שׁוֹפָֽר [horn] (586) = 3316.
Malbim
And David and all the house of Israel brought up the Ark of the Lord with shouting and the sound of the shofar, to arouse joy and gladness.
And it was so, as the ark of Hashem 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 Hashem; and she despised him in her heart.
verse value 4584
Insights
Verse structure: 21 words, 85 letters. Notable word values: "and·it·shall·be" (וְהָיָה֙) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "went·in" (בָּ֖א, 2 letters) and the longest is "daughter·of·Saul" (בַּת־שָׁא֜וּל, 6 letters). Words sharing gematria 26: and·it·shall·be, Hashem, Hashem. 8 words in this verse appear nowhere else in II Samuel. Unique to this verse in II Samuel (hapax): "and·Michal" (וּמִיכַ֨ל), "looked·out" (נִשְׁקְפָ֣ה), "the·window" (הַחַלּ֗וֹן). The root יהוה appears 2 times in this verse. 18 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "David" (root דוד, 250x in II Samuel); "the·king" (root מלך, 242x in II Samuel); "and·it·shall·be" (root היה, 153x in II Samuel). First appearance of the root בעד ("behind") in II Samuel. First appearance of the root בזה ("and·she·despised") in II Samuel. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'David', dividing the verse into phrases of 6 and 15 words.
Radak
"Dancing and prancing." "Dancing" is also like "prancing," only that they differ from one another in their contexts; or perhaps they all refer to a single matter, and the repetition serves to emphasize the abundance of the dancing. And Targum Yonatan [renders it]: "Dancing and praising," and in its place in Chronicles [it reads]: "Dancing and playing."
"And she despised him in her heart." When she saw him from the window, she despised him in her heart, for she thought that it was not fitting for the honor of the king to conduct himself according to the custom of a common person, even before the Ark. And afterward, when he went to his house, she said it with her mouth: "How honored was the king today, etc."
Ralbag
And behold from the abundance of joy, David was dancing and skipping before God as though he were not king, and for this Michal daughter of Saul despised him in her heart. And behold, to give thanks to God, David offered many sacrifices then while the Levites were bringing the ark of the covenant of the Lord. And at the end of the matter, when the ark of the Lord came to its place which David had prepared for it, he offered burnt offerings and peace offerings for the honor of God according to what was possible. And afterward David blessed the people in the name of the Lord of hosts and gave to each one a good portion to eat and drink. And behold, one of the intentions in 'a good portion,' according to what our Sages explained, is 'one-sixth of a bull.' And according to the simple meaning it seems that a 'good portion' was customary to give to one person at great feasts, and its meaning is from the matter of 'It was pleasant upon me,' and the aleph is added, that is to say, that portion was at the utmost of beauty according to the portions customary to be given, like those great portions customary to be given to guests who come to them.
Metzudat David
And she despised him in her heart. She despised him in her heart, for she thought this was not the way of a king, and even before the ark:
Metzudat Zion
She looked out. A matter of gazing, as (Genesis 26:8): and Abimelech looked out.
Through the window. Through the window, and so (II Kings 1:2): through the lattice.
Dancing swiftly. It too is a matter of dancing, and it differs somewhat from the former, and perhaps it is a matter of the swiftness of the dance, and its likeness (Shabbat 88a): a swift people.
Malbim
"And it was, as the Ark of the LORD came [into the city]..." — for Michal, daughter of Saul, from having been accustomed in her father's house, where their own honor was considered by them more important than the honor of the Omnipresent, did not perceive the matter of the Ark's coming and the honor of the LORD before whom a king rejoices; rather, the arrow of her own honor pierced her over the honor of her husband, which was diminished in worth in her eyes, according to her understanding. And this was the difference between the house of Saul and the house of David.
And they brought in the ark of Hashem, and set it in its place, in the midst of the tent that David had pitched for it; and David offered burnt-offerings and peace-offerings before Hashem.
verse value 3767
Insights
Verse structure: 17 words, 73 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָ֗ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "him" (אֹתוֹ֙, 3 letters) and the longest is "chest" (אֶת־אֲר֣וֹן, 6 letters). Words sharing gematria 26: Hashem, Hashem. 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in II Samuel. Unique to this verse in II Samuel (hapax): "and·they·set" (וַיַּצִּ֤גוּ), "in·his·place" (בִּמְקוֹמ֔וֹ), "pitched·for·it" (נָטָה־ל֖וֹ). The root יהוה appears 2 times in this verse. 14 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "David" (root דוד, 250x in II Samuel); "that" (root אשר, 188x in II Samuel); "Hashem" (root יהוה, 151x in II Samuel). First appearance of the root אהל ("tent") in II Samuel. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'David', dividing the verse into phrases of 11 and 6 words.
Radak
"Which David had pitched for it." A tent was pitched for it from above. Even though it had been in the house of Abinadab and in the house of Obed-Edom in a roofed house, as it is stated regarding them "house" and it is not stated there "tent," because its standing there was only temporary, but now that David brought it up to Jerusalem and they knew that there it would dwell forever, for they had received by tradition that Jerusalem is the holy city and there the Temple would be built, even though they did not know in which place of the city until David built an altar on the instruction of Gad the prophet in the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite, and fire descended upon it from heaven, then David knew that there the Temple would be built. But until that time, David did not wish to bring it into a roofed house, but rather under a tent, as it had been previously. And even now, when the Tabernacle was at Gibeon, and the Ark and the two tablets and all the sacred vessels were under the tent, should he have brought this Ark, in which were the broken tablets, also under the tent? Or this Ark, in which were the complete tablets, and this is the correct view, as we explained above in the war with the Philistines that the Ark was taken—that Ark is the one that was brought into the House of Eternity, into the Holy of Holies. If so, this is the one that contained the complete tablets, or the complete and the broken, according to the opinion that says the tablets and the broken tablets are placed in the Ark. And why did David not bring the Ark to Gibeon, where the Tabernacle was? Because he knew that the Tabernacle was destined to come to Jerusalem, and he thought that in his days this would happen, and he would build the Temple. Therefore, after he brought the Ark to Jerusalem, he asked Nathan the prophet whether he should build a house for the Lord, and Nathan said to him, "Do all that is in your heart." And from his own heart, Nathan said to him, this was not by prophecy, for he reasoned in his heart as David reasoned, that he would build the house.
Metzudat David
In its place. In the place that was prepared for it, which is within the tent etc.:
Metzudat Zion
They set. They placed, as (Genesis 30:38): and he set the rods.
Which was spread. Which was extended.
Malbim
And David, arising from the joy of the mitzvah, was stirred to perform the service himself, and to offer burnt offerings and peace offerings, in order to draw down the abundance of favor; and so they bestowed blessing upon him, until his blessing became a blessing for the people—whether it be a spiritual blessing in the Name of the Lord of Hosts, or a material abundance, for
And when David had made an end of offering the burnt-offering and the peace-offerings, he blessed the people in the name of Hashem of hosts.
verse value 2799
Insights
Verse structure: 10 words, 47 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָ֥ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "David" (דָּוִ֔ד, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·the·well-being" (וְהַשְּׁלָמִ֑ים, 7 letters). 5 words in this verse appear nowhere else in II Samuel. Unique to this verse in II Samuel (hapax): "and·he·finished" (וַיְכַ֣ל), "from·offering·up" (מֵהַעֲל֥וֹת), "the·burnt-offering" (הָעוֹלָ֖ה). The root עלה appears 2 times in this verse. 9 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "David" (root דוד, 250x in II Samuel); "Hashem" (root יהוה, 151x in II Samuel); "in·name·of" (root שם, 63x in II Samuel). First appearance of the root כלה ("and·he·finished") in II Samuel. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'and·the·well-being', dividing the verse into phrases of 5 and 5 words. Full calculation: וַיְכַ֣ל [and·he·finished] (66) + דָּוִ֔ד [David] (14) + מֵהַעֲל֥וֹת [from·offering·up] (551) + הָעוֹלָ֖ה [the·burnt-offering] (116) + וְהַשְּׁלָמִ֑ים [and·the·well-being] (431) + וַיְבָ֣רֶךְ [and·blessed] (238) + אֶת־הָעָ֔ם [the·people] (516) + בְּשֵׁ֖ם [in·name·of] (342) + יְהֹוָ֥ה [Hashem] (26) + צְבָאֽוֹת [hosts] (499) = 2799.
And he dealt among all the people, even among the whole multitude of Israel, both to men and women, to every one a cake of bread, and a cake made in a pan, and a sweet cake. So all the people departed every one to his house.
verse value 5725
Insights
Verse structure: 18 words, 81 letters. Notable word values: "one" (אֶחָ֔ד) = 13, the value of echad ('one') and ahavah ('love'). The shortest word is "cake" (חַלַּ֥ת, 3 letters) and the longest is "to·all·multitude·of" (לְכׇל־הֲמ֣וֹן, 7 letters). Words sharing gematria 409: one, one. 8 words in this verse appear nowhere else in II Samuel. Unique to this verse in II Samuel (hapax): "and·he·dealt" (וַיְחַלֵּ֨ק), "to·all·multitude·of" (לְכׇל־הֲמ֣וֹן), "to·man" (לְמֵאִ֣ישׁ). The root איש appears 3 times in this verse. 12 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "to·man" (root איש, 140x in II Samuel); "to·his·house" (root בית, 97x in II Samuel); "and·went" (root הלך, 96x in II Samuel). First appearance of the root חלק ("and·he·dealt") in II Samuel. First appearance of the root חלה ("cake") in II Samuel. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'one', dividing the verse into phrases of 14 and 4 words.
Rashi
And an eshpar. One-sixth of a bull (Pesachim 36b).
One ashishah. A jug of wine (ibid.).
Radak
“Challah of bread.” And in Chronicles it says “a loaf of bread.” The loaf is larger than the challah, for they were loaves, but they were made according to the form of challahs.
“and one portion.” One portion of meat, as is the custom to divide the ox or the sheep into known portions, and he gave to each one a loaf of bread, a portion of meat, and one full cup of wine. And so our Sages of blessed memory explained: “Ashishah” is a “garba de-chamra,” i.e., a cup of wine. But “eshpar” is explained as a compound word from three names. And they said: “One out of six” regarding the ox, meaning that they made six portions from the ox, and to each one he gave the sixth part. And the Targum says: “Half one,” i.e., one portion. And it translated “ashishah” as “mana,” i.e., a portion.
Metzudat David
To all the people. Those who came with the Ark:
"To a man." This teaches that it applies to each individual, whether a man or a woman.
Metzudat Zion
The multitude. Many people.
A cake. The whole bread is called chalah.
And an eshpar. Meaning: a good portion of meat, and it is from (Genesis 49:21): he gives goodly words.
And ashishah. The name of a vessel in which they put the wine, as (Song of Songs 2:5): "support me with ashishot," and it means the vessel with the wine.
Malbim
"And He divided to all the people" refers to those who were assembled to go with the Ark; and it also includes all the multitude of Israel who happened to be there; and it further adds "from a man to a woman," etc.
Then David returned to bless his household. And Michal the daughter of Saul came out to meet David, and said: ‘How did the king of Israel get him honour to-day, who uncovered himself to-day in the eyes of the handmaids of his servants, as one of the vain fellows shamelessly uncovers himself! ’
verse value 7629
Insights
Verse structure: 23 words, 107 letters. Notable word values: "one" (אַחַ֥ד) = 13, the value of echad ('one') and ahavah ('love'). The shortest word is "David" (דָּוִ֖ד, 3 letters) and the longest is "his·house·and·she·went·out" (אֶת־בֵּית֑וֹוַתֵּצֵ֞א, 10 letters). Words sharing gematria 61: day, day. 8 words in this verse appear nowhere else in II Samuel. Unique to this verse in II Samuel (hapax): "to·bless" (לְבָרֵ֣ךְ), "his·house·and·she·went·out" (אֶת־בֵּית֑וֹוַתֵּצֵ֞א), "how·was·honored" (מַה־נִּכְבַּ֨ד). The root גלה appears 3 times in this verse. 19 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·she·said" (root אמר, 334x in II Samuel); "David" (root דוד, 250x in II Samuel); "king" (root מלך, 242x in II Samuel). First appearance of the root כבד ("how·was·honored") in II Samuel. First appearance of the root גלה ("was·revealed") in II Samuel. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'his·house·and·she·went·out', dividing the verse into phrases of 4 and 19 words.
Rashi
One of the empty/worthless ones. (Targum:) One of the shameless (language of Targum Yonatan).
Radak
To bless his household. To greet with peace, since he has come from the road; and likewise, "If you meet a man, do not greet him."
"What is honored?" [The verb] is in the nifal past tense, for its vowel is patach. It is a statement of mockery, saying to him: "What is honored?"—that is to say, "For today is not an honored day, on which you reveal yourself playing like one of the empty-headed and the commoners."
"Before the eyes of the maidservants of his servants." There was no need to say "before the wives of your servants," but rather even before the eyes of the maidservants of your servants you were humiliated today.
"As one who reveals himself, exposed." Both [forms] are from the infinitive of the Nifal binyan: one is complete, like the complete forms, such as "nish'ol," "nishal David"; and the other lacks the nun of the Nifal, as is customary. And the doubling of the infinitive indicates the abundance of his self-exposure in play. And in the midrashic exposition, she [Michal] said to him [David]: "The kingship of my father's house was more comely than yours. Heaven forbid that a hand's-breadth or a foot's-breadth of any one of them be seen exposed — [yet] all of them were more honored than you." What did David say to her? "Before the Lord, who chose me over your father." He said to her: "Those of your father's house would set aside the honor of Heaven and occupy themselves with their own honor, but I set aside my own honor and occupy myself with the honor of my Maker. And as for the maidservants you mentioned — heaven forbid! Are you called [one] of the maidservants? No — you are not called [one] of the maidservants." And Targum Yonatan: "kemah dechalitz u-mitgali" [as one who loosens (his sandal) and is revealed] — it seems that he went barefoot, walking and playing, in accordance with the words of the midrashic exposition.
Ralbag
And behold Michal daughter of Saul spoke not properly to the king, and it was made clear from David's words that what he did he did properly for the honor of God. And he continued in his words what wounded her heart, for this recompense was fitting for her for what she hurled words against David, that is to say, what he said that God chose him above her father and above all her father's house. And it was from the fruit of her words that David said to her 'and with the maidservants,' and for this he said, 'And with the maidservants of whom you said they shall honor me.' And it was said and admitted that he already hinted in this speech to Michal what he said afterward, 'And Michal daughter of Saul had no child until the day of her death,' as though he said that this speech was the cause of her being denied fruit of the womb, for David did not love her in the way he loved her before.
Metzudat David
"And David returned." After he had distributed to all the people, etc., and after the blessing with which he blessed them in the name of the Lord, he returned to bless also the members of his household.
"How honored! How greatly have you become esteemed in the eyes of all!" And she said this in a manner of mockery, as if she had said, "How greatly have you become despised in the eyes of all!"
"Which was revealed today." Regarding that which, in his whirling, was revealed of the flesh of his body, with the maidservants of his subjects watching, and in the manner of the worthless ones [riffraff] who are not concerned with covering the flesh of their bodies lest it be seen.
Metzudat Zion
Maidservants. Female slaves.
The empty. Men empty of all distinction.
Malbim
"And David returned" — this too reveals his righteousness, for after he had bestowed favor upon all the people, he turned to his household. And she said, "How great is the honor of this day!" — meaning that honor is manifested through the signs by which honor is distinguished, and this is true whether from the perspective of those who honor or from the perspective of the one who is honored. She complained against him because he had diminished the honor of his kingship in these two respects: from the perspective of those who honor, only his officers and great men would approach the king, not the lowly among the people; they would hide themselves from him and stand at a distance. And regarding this she said, "How great is the honor of this day, that the king of Israel has revealed himself to the eyes of his handmaidens!" From the perspective of the one who is honored, the king would not appear like a commoner, but rather clothed in royal garments, with his crown shining upon him, and exalted upon his throne; he would not be clothed in an ephod, dancing and skipping. And regarding this she said, "As one of the empty ones reveals himself." And she was precise in saying, "How great is the honor of this day, that he revealed himself on this day," for there are kings whose custom is to be constantly found among the people, and this is their honor. Not so are you, who are not accustomed to this constantly, but only on this day did you do this. And this is what is written, "How great is the honor of this day." And also, sometimes a king needs to go out and come in among the people for a temporary necessity, such as at the time of Abner's death, when he went among the people to appease their minds, and likewise at the time of war, he would appear before all the warriors to inflame their hearts for battle and the like. Not so was today, when the matter was not necessary. And this is what is written, "that he revealed himself on this day."
And David said to Michal: ‘Before Hashem, who chose me above your father, and above all his house, to appoint me prince over the people of Hashem, over Israel, before Hashem will I make merry.
verse value 4809
Insights
Verse structure: 18 words, 83 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָ֗ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "David" (דָּוִד֮, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·from·all·his·house" (וּמִכׇּל־בֵּית֔וֹ, 8 letters). Words sharing gematria 170: to·face·of, to·face·of. 6 words in this verse appear nowhere else in II Samuel. Unique to this verse in II Samuel (hapax): "to·Michal" (אֶל־מִיכַל֒), "chose·me" (בָּחַר־בִּ֤י), "from·your·father" (מֵֽאָבִיךְ֙). The root יהוה appears 3 times in this verse. 14 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·said" (root אמר, 334x in II Samuel); "David" (root דוד, 250x in II Samuel); "that" (root אשר, 188x in II Samuel). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'upon·Israel', dividing the verse into phrases of 15 and 3 words.
Radak
"Before the Lord." That which I danced and whirled about before the Lord, I did so because He honored me and chose me over your father, and it is fitting that I humble myself for His honor.
“And I will dance before the Lord.” It is accented on the final syllable, indicating that it refers to the future, namely, that I will do even more than what I have done: I will dance before Him. And this is what it says, “And I will humble myself yet further than this”—more than this joy and dancing that I performed, I will do even more to humble myself and to make light of myself.
Metzudat David
"Before the Lord." That is to say: Was not my whirling before the Lord, etc., and the honor of kings is as nothing before Him?
"And I will dance [make merry]." And because of this, I will dance before Him.
Metzudat Zion
Prince. Ruler and lord.
And I will rejoice.
Malbim
"And David said" [to Michal] — he answered her with wisdom and knowledge:
1. The signs of honor peculiar to a king—such that no one sits on his throne and no one approaches him, and the like—are necessary only for a king who rules by the choice of the people, whose entire honor is merely conventional and not inherent in himself. If these signs denoting the honor of his kingship were not prepared before him, he would be like any other member of the people. Not so am I, for my kingship is not by the choice of the people, but from God. For if the matter had been left to the choice of the people, it would have been fitting for them to choose the descendants of Saul's lineage, since [Saul] was anointed by the people. This is what is written: "Before the Lord, who has chosen me from above your father and from all his house, to appoint me as ruler over the people of the Lord." And therefore, my honor does not depend upon the people or upon the signs of honor accepted among them, but rather from myself and from the Lord, who appointed me as ruler.
2. It is known that a military commander should not display pomp before a king, nor should a servant be honored in the presence of his master. How, then, should a mortal king be honored when he stands before the King of Kings, the Lord? This is what is written: "Before the Lord," and "I will play before the Lord."
And I will be yet more vile than thus, and will be base in mine own sight; and with the handmaids whom you have spoken of, with them will I get me honour.’
verse value 4014
Insights
Verse structure: 11 words, 51 letters. Verse gematria: 4014 is divisible by 18, the value of chai ('life'). The shortest word is "yet" (עוֹד֙, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·with·the·handmaids" (וְעִם־הָֽאֲמָהוֹת֙, 9 letters). 6 words in this verse appear nowhere else in II Samuel. Unique to this verse in II Samuel (hapax): "and·I·will·be·vile" (וּנְקַלֹּ֤תִי), "than·this" (מִזֹּ֔את), "and·I·will·be" (וְהָיִ֥יתִי). 11 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "you·said" (root אמר, 334x in II Samuel); "that" (root אשר, 188x in II Samuel); "and·I·will·be" (root היה, 153x in II Samuel). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'in·the·eyes·of', dividing the verse into phrases of 6 and 5 words. Full calculation: וּנְקַלֹּ֤תִי [and·I·will·be·vile] (596) + עוֹד֙ [yet] (80) + מִזֹּ֔את [than·this] (448) + וְהָיִ֥יתִי [and·I·will·be] (441) + שָׁפָ֖ל [low] (410) + בְּעֵינָ֑י [in·the·eyes·of] (142) + וְעִם־הָֽאֲמָהוֹת֙ [and·with·the·handmaids] (573) + אֲשֶׁ֣ר [that] (501) + אָמַ֔רְתְּ [you·said] (641) + עִמָּ֖ם [with] (150) + אִכָּבֵֽדָה [I·will·be·honored] (32) = 4014.
Rashi
And I will yet abase myself still more. Before Him—more than I have abased myself by myself now.
And I will be honored with them. They are not demeaning me; rather, I am esteemed in their eyes for this.
Radak
"And I was lowly in my own eyes." Before Him, in every matter; and this is not a disgrace but rather an honor.
"With them I shall be honored." In their eyes I am honored by what I have done; for if I humble myself for the honor of God, I will be honored in the eyes of all — not as in your eyes.
Metzudat David
"And I will demean myself even more than this." And if I were to do an act of dishonor even greater than what I have done:
"And I was/shall be." And if I had been lowly in my own eyes, to the point of greatly diminishing my honor, even before the maidservants of whom you spoke:
"With them I will be honored." With such actions, I would still be honored and not despised, since they were done for the honor of the Ark.
Metzudat Zion
And I will demean myself. From the word lightness [dishonor].
Malbim
And my humiliation: After He responded to her according to her manner, so that His honor was not diminished thereby, the opposite is true: this is for Him a glory and greatness. Either because He showed that His honor is intrinsic to Him, not dependent upon the people, as per the first explanation; or because He played before the Lord, which is for Him a glory, since those who honor Him will be honored; or, if He was not honored by the external signs of honor, He is honored by the internal, intellectual signs of honor. He added to say: But truly, how good it would have been if I had not desired honor at all and had fled from it. And I would have been humiliated even more than this, because according to my knowledge of the greatness of the Creator and His honor, and the lowliness of man, for he is but flesh, I would have been humiliated in my own eyes until I would have been truly lowly in my own eyes. Then I would have been honored, for one who desires honor is not truly honored, only in the eyes of the beholders, not in the eyes of the intellect. Only if I had rejected honor, then even with the handmaids, etc., with them I would have been honored, for this is the true, spiritual honor, whose signs are equal before princes and the lowly of the people.
And Michal the daughter of Saul had no child to the day of her death.
verse value 1586
Insights
Verse structure: 8 words, 31 letters. Verse gematria: 1586 is divisible by 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "to·her" (לָ֖הּ, 2 letters) and the longest is "and·to·Michal" (וּלְמִיכַל֙, 6 letters). 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in II Samuel. Unique to this verse in II Samuel (hapax): "and·to·Michal" (וּלְמִיכַל֙), "her·death" (מוֹתָֽהּ). 8 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "not·there·was" (root היה, 153x in II Samuel); "day" (root יום, 78x in II Samuel); "her·death" (root מות, 78x in II Samuel). First appearance of the root לה ("to·her") in II Samuel. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'child', dividing the verse into phrases of 5 and 3 words. Full calculation: וּלְמִיכַל֙ [and·to·Michal] (136) + בַּת־שָׁא֔וּל [daughter·of·Saul] (739) + לֹא־הָ֥יָה [not·there·was] (51) + לָ֖הּ [to·her] (35) + יָ֑לֶד [child] (44) + עַ֖ד [until] (74) + י֥וֹם [day] (56) + מוֹתָֽהּ [her·death] (451) = 1586.
Rashi
She had no child. From that day onward.
Radak
"She had no child." For the Easterners it is written 'valad' with a vav and read 'yeled' with a yod; and for the Westerners it is written 'yeled' with a yod and read 'valad' with a vav. And our Sages of blessed memory explained: from that day onward she had none, as a punishment for what she had said; but before that day she did have one, as it says, "Yitream, [son] of Eglah, David's wife" [2 Sam. 3:5]. And they said: this "Eglah" is Michal.
“Until the day of her death.” [The word “day”] with a cholam, and “[the word] her death” with a shureq. The meaning of “until” is like “until such time as,” as in “If I have done what I spoke to you.” But according to the homiletical interpretation, on the day of her death she had [a child]. And they said that three women died while still alive: Rachel, the daughter-in-law of Eli, and Michal, daughter of Saul.
Metzudat David
There was no child to her. On account of the sin of despising David for having abased his honor before the ark of God:
Malbim
And regarding Michal, the Maharia [Abarbanel] wrote that besides this being a punishment for her words, it was a cause from God that the seed of Saul should not increase, and the matter of the Gibeonites was revealed to Him, to destroy all the seed of Saul. And what could David do? Should he execute his [Saul's] sons, or should he show mercy to them, and people would say that there is partiality in the matter? Therefore, He devised a wondrous scheme that Michal should not conceive from David.
Rashi
Radak
Metzudat David
Malbim