5 David and all Israel were celebrating with all their might before the Lord, with castanets,[1] harps, lyres, timbrels, sistrums and cymbals.

Other Translations of 2 Samuel 6:5

King James Version

5 And David and all the house of Israel played before the Lord on all manner of instruments made of fir wood, even on harps, and on psalteries, and on timbrels, and on cornets, and on cymbals.

English Standard Version

5 And David and all the house of Israel were making merry before the Lord, with songsSeptuagint, 1 Chronicles 13:8; Hebrew fir trees and lyres and harps and tambourines and castanets and cymbals.

The Message

5 David and the whole company of Israel were in the parade, singing at the top of their lungs and playing mandolins, harps, tambourines, castanets, and cymbals.

New King James Version

5 Then David and all the house of Israel played music before the Lord on all kinds of instruments of fir wood, on harps, on stringed instruments, on tambourines, on sistrums, and on cymbals.

New Living Translation

5 David and all the people of Israel were celebrating before the Lord, singing songs and playing all kinds of musical instruments-lyres, harps, tambourines, castanets, and cymbals.

Matthew Henry's Commentary on 2 Samuel 6:5

Commentary on 2 Samuel 6:1-5

(Read 2 Samuel 6:1-5)

God is present with the souls of his people, when they want the outward tokens of his presence; but now David is settled in the throne, the honour of the ark begins to revive. Let us learn hence, to think and to speak highly of God; and to think and speak honourably of holy ordinances, which are to us as the ark was unto Israel, the tokens of God's presence, Matthew 28:20. Christ is our Ark; in and by him God manifests his favour, and accepts our prayers and praises. The ark especially typified Christ and his mediation, in which the name of Jehovah and all his glories are displayed. The priests should have carried the ark upon their shoulders. Philistines may carry the ark in a cart without suffering for it; but if Israelites do so, it is at their peril, because this was not what God appointed.