Bible Dictionary: Dance

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Smith's Bible Dictionary

Dance

The dance is spoken of in Holy Scripture universally as symbolical of some rejoicing, and is often coupled for the sake of contrast with mourning, as in (Ecclesiastes 3:4) comp. Psal 30:11; Matt 11:17 In the earlier period it is found combined with some song or refrain, (Exodus 15:20; 32:18,19; 1 Samuel 21:11) and with the tambourine (Authorized Version "timbrel"), more especially in those impulsive outbursts of popular feeling which cannot find sufficient vent in voice or in gesture singly. Dancing formed a part of the religious ceremonies of the Egyptians, and was also common in private entertainments. For the most part dancing was carried on by the women, the two sexes seldom and not customarily intermingling. The one who happened to be near of kin to the champion of the hour led the dance. In the earlier period of the Judges the dances of the virgins of Shiloh. (Judges 21:19-23) were certainly part of a religious festivity. Dancing also had its place among merely festive amusements, apart from any religious character. (Jeremiah 31:4,13; Mark 6:22)

Easton's Bible Dictionary

Found in Judges 21:21, 23; Psalm 30:11; 149:3; 150:4; Jeremiah 31:4, 13, etc., as the translation of hul, which points to the whirling motion of Oriental sacred dances. It is the rendering of a word (rakad') which means to skip or leap for joy, in Ecclesiastes 3:4; Job 21:11; Isaiah 13:21, etc.

In the New Testament it is in like manner the translation of different Greek words, circular motion (Luke 15:25); leaping up and down in concert (Matthew 11:17), and by a single person (Matthew 14:6).

It is spoken of as symbolical of rejoicing (Ecclesiastes 3:4. Comp. Psalm 30:11; Matthew 11:17). The Hebrews had their sacred dances expressive of joy and thanksgiving, when the performers were usually females (Exodus 15:20; 1 Samuel 18:6).

The ancient dance was very different from that common among Western nations. It was usually the part of the women only (Exodus 15:20; Judges 11:34; Comp. 5:1). Hence the peculiarity of David's conduct in dancing before the ark of the Lord (2 Samuel 6:14). The women took part in it with their timbrels. Michal should, in accordance with the example of Miriam and others, have herself led the female choir, instead of keeping aloof on the occasion and "looking through the window." David led the choir "uncovered", i.e., wearing only the ephod or linen tunic. He thought only of the honour of God, and forgot himself.

From being reserved for occasions of religious worship and festivity, it came gradually to be practised in common life on occasions of rejoicing (Jeremiah 31:4). The sexes among the Jews always danced separately. The daughter of Herodias danced alone (Matthew 14:6).

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary

1. (v. i.) To move with measured steps, or to a musical accompaniment; to go through, either alone or in company with others, with a regulated succession of movements, (commonly) to the sound of music; to trip or leap rhythmically.

2. (v. i.) To move nimbly or merrily; to express pleasure by motion; to caper; to frisk; to skip about.

3. (v. t.) To cause to dance, or move nimbly or merrily about, or up and down; to dandle.

4. (n.) The leaping, tripping, or measured stepping of one who dances; an amusement, in which the movements of the persons are regulated by art, in figures and in accord with music.

5. (n.) A tune by which dancing is regulated, as the minuet, the waltz, the cotillon, etc.

Greek

3738. orcheomai -- to dance
... orcheomai. 3739 . to dance. Part of Speech: Verb Transliteration: orcheomai Phonetic
Spelling: (or-kheh'-om-ahee) Short Definition: I dance Definition: I dance ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/3738.htm - 6k

5525. choros -- a dance, chorus
... a dance, chorus. Part of Speech: Noun, Masculine Transliteration: choros Phonetic
Spelling: (khor-os') Short Definition: a dance, dancing Definition: a dance ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/5525.htm - 6k

4402. Prochoros -- Prochorus, a Christian at Jer.
... NASB Word Usage Prochorus (1). Prochorus. From pro and choros; before the dance;
Prochorus, a Christian -- Prochorus. see GREEK pro. see GREEK choros. ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/4402.htm - 6k

5524. choregeo -- to lead a chorus (ie a group of performers), to ...
... give, minister. From a compound of choros and ago; to be a dance-leader, ie (generally)
to furnish -- give, minister. see GREEK choros. see GREEK ago. ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/5524.htm - 7k

Topical Bible Verses

Psalm 149:3
Let them praise his name in the dance: let them sing praises to him with the tambourine and harp.
Topicalbible.org

Psalm 150:4
Praise him with the tambourine and dance: praise him with stringed instruments and organs.
Topicalbible.org

2 Samuel 6:14
And David danced before the LORD with all his might; and David was girded with a linen ephod.
Topicalbible.org

Psalm 30:11
You have turned for me my mourning into dancing: you have put off my sackcloth, and girded me with gladness;
Topicalbible.org

Jeremiah 31:4
Again I will build you, and you shall be built, O virgin of Israel: you shall again be adorned with your tabrets, and shall go forth in the dances of them that make merry.
Topicalbible.org

Judges 11:34
And Jephthah came to Mizpeh to his house, and, behold, his daughter came out to meet him with tambourines and with dances: and she was his only child; beside her he had neither son nor daughter.
Topicalbible.org

Matthew 14:6-8
But when Herod's birthday was kept, the daughter of Herodias danced before them, and pleased Herod.
Topicalbible.org

Strong's Hebrew

4234. machol -- a dance
... machol. 4235 . a dance. Transliteration: machol Phonetic Spelling: (maw-khole')
Short Definition: dancing. ... dancing. From chuwl; a (round) dance -- dance(-cing) ...
/hebrew/4234.htm - 6k

4246. mecholah -- a dance
... mecholah or mecholah. 4247 . a dance. Transliteration: mecholah or mecholah Phonetic
Spelling: (mek-o-law') Short Definition: dancing. Word Origin fem. ...
/hebrew/4246.htm - 6k

2342. chuwl -- to whirl, dance, writhe
... 2341, 2342. chuwl. 2342a . to whirl, dance, writhe. Transliteration: chuwl
Phonetic Spelling: (khool) Short Definition: bear. bear ...
/hebrew/2342.htm - 6k

3769. karar -- to dance
... karar. 3770 . to dance. Transliteration: karar Phonetic Spelling: (kaw-rar') Short
Definition: dancing. ... root Definition to dance NASB Word Usage dancing (2). ...
/hebrew/3769.htm - 5k

2342a. chul -- to whirl, dance, writhe
chul or chil. 2342, 2342a. chul or chil. 2342b . to whirl, dance, writhe.
Transliteration: chul or chil Short Definition: anguish. Word Origin a prim. ...
/hebrew/2342a.htm - 6k

1750. duts -- to spring, leap, dance
... 1749, 1750. duts. 1751 . to spring, leap, dance. Transliteration: duts Phonetic
Spelling: (doots) Short Definition: leaps. Word Origin a prim. ...
/hebrew/1750.htm - 5k

7540. raqad -- to skip about
... root Definition to skip about NASB Word Usage bounding (1), dance (1), frolic (1),
leap (1), leaping (1), skip (2), skip about (1), skipped (1). ...
/hebrew/7540.htm - 6k

2287. chagag -- to make a pilgrimage, keep a pilgrim feast
... 1), observe (1), reeled (1). celebrate, dance, keep, hold a solemn feast
holiday, reel to and fro. A primitive root (compare chagra ...
/hebrew/2287.htm - 6k

6452. pacach -- to pass or spring over
... A primitive root; to hop, ie (figuratively) skip over (or spare); by implication,
to hesitate; also (literally) to limp, to dance -- halt, become lame, leap ...
/hebrew/6452.htm - 5k

Library

The Dance
... The Dance. Heinrich Suso Psalm 149:3. To praise Him in the dance! O glorious day!
The pilgrim journey done". No more press forward on the weary way,. ...
/.../christianbookshelf.org/bevan/hymns of ter steegen suso and others/the dance.htm

The Surprise Party.
... A very strange feeling came over Bessie when some one asked her to dance. She
shook ... rather not.". She was the only one that did not dance. ...
/.../byrum/the value of a praying mother/chapter xiv the surprise party.htm

The Red Shoes
... "Fit so tightly when you dance!". ... And Karen could not resist: she was obliged to
dance a few steps; and when she once began, her legs went on dancing. ...
/.../wells/bible stories and religious classics/the red shoes.htm

Dancing.
... passions. For example, the dance of the Furies, so represented, would create
complete terror among those who witnessed them. The ...
/.../judy/questionable amusements and worthy substitutes/iv dancing.htm

Stichera
... away,". Almighty, in our life give peace, we pray; Praise Him with cymbals in
the dance. III. ... now;". Praise Him with cymbals in the dance. V. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/brownlie/hymns of the holy eastern church/stichera.htm

While Vergilius, Going Slowly, was Thinking of These Things...
... "When the sunlight falls on the floor yonder, I will get up and dance in it.". ...
"Think"think of more," said she, "and I will dance the tourina.". ...
/...//christianbookshelf.org/bacheller/vergilius/chapter 7 while vergilius going.htm

The Races --A Letter
... To the music of tom-tom and chac-chac, the coloured folk would dance perpetually
till ten o'clock, after which time the rites of Mylitta are silenced by the ...
//christianbookshelf.org/kingsley/at last/chapter xv the racesa letter.htm

The True Manner of Keeping Holy the Lord's Day.
... divines, both old and new, have in their times most bitterly inveighed: insomuch,
that Augustine affirms, "that it was better to plough than to dance on the ...
/.../bayly/the practice of piety/the true manner of keeping.htm

Song of Songs
... carpets and pillows; and upon this throne, the "king and queen," ie the bride and
bridegroom, are seated, while the guests honour them with song, game and dance ...
/.../mcfadyen/introduction to the old testament/song of songs.htm

Fruits of Recognized Union
... The eager look of the daughters of Jerusalem surprised the bride, and she says,
You might be looking "upon the dance of Mahanaim""the dance of two companies ...
/.../taylor/union and communion/section v fruits of recognized.htm

Thesaurus

Dance (18 Occurrences)
... 6). The ancient dance was very different from that common among Western nations. ...
Multi-Version Concordance Dance (18 Occurrences). Matthew ...
/d/dance.htm - 15k

Sword-dance (1 Occurrence)
Sword-dance. Sword, Sword-dance. Swords . Multi-Version Concordance
Sword-dance (1 Occurrence). Song of Songs 6:13 Come ...
/s/sword-dance.htm - 6k

Games (2 Occurrences)
... The New Testament has one reference to children's play, namely, the half-parable
about the children in the market-place who would neither dance to the flute as ...
/g/games.htm - 40k

Dancing (21 Occurrences)
... Noah Webster's Dictionary 1. (p. pr. & vb. n.) of Dance. 2. (pa & vb. n.) from Dance.
Int. Standard Bible Encyclopedia. DANCING. dan'-sing. See GAMES. ...
/d/dancing.htm - 13k

Mahol (1 Occurrence)
... Easton's Bible Dictionary Dance, the father of four sons (1 Kings 4:31) who were
inferior in wisdom only to Solomon. Int. Standard Bible Encyclopedia. MAHOL. ...
/m/mahol.htm - 7k

Company (287 Occurrences)
... are a great host"). In the East it is the women who celebrate victories with song
and dance (see 1 Samuel 18:6, 7). (10) A chorus, dance (mecholah). ...
/c/company.htm - 40k

Wailed (11 Occurrences)
... Wailed (11 Occurrences). Matthew 11:17 and say, We piped unto you, and ye did
not dance; we wailed, and ye did not mourn. (ASV DBY RSV). ...
/w/wailed.htm - 9k

Timbrel (7 Occurrences)
... (KJV JPS ASV WBS YLT NAS RSV). Psalms 149:3 Let them praise his name in the dance:
let them sing praises unto him with the timbrel and harp. ...
/t/timbrel.htm - 9k

Reel (6 Occurrences)
... Noah Webster's Dictionary 1. (n.) A lively dance of the Highlanders of Scotland;
also, the music to the dance; -- often called Scotch reel. ...
/r/reel.htm - 9k

Danced (7 Occurrences)
... Noah Webster's Dictionary (imp. & pp) of Dance. Multi-Version Concordance
Danced (7 Occurrences). Matthew 11:17 And saying, We have ...
/d/danced.htm - 8k

Bible Concordance

Dance (18 Occurrences)

Matthew 11:17 and say,'We played the flute for you, and you didn't dance. We mourned for you, and you didn't lament.'
(WEB KJV WEY ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Mark 6:22 When the daughter of Herodias herself came in and danced, she pleased Herod and those sitting with him. The king said to the young lady, "Ask me whatever you want, and I will give it to you."
(Root in WEB KJV WEY ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Luke 6:23 "Be glad at such a time, and dance for joy; for your reward is great in Heaven; for that is just the way their forefathers behaved to the Prophets!
(WEY)

Luke 7:32 They are like children who sit in the marketplace, and call one to another, saying,'We piped to you, and you didn't dance. We mourned, and you didn't weep.'
(WEB KJV WEY ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Judges 21:21 and see, and behold, if the daughters of Shiloh come out to dance in the dances, then come out of the vineyards, and each man catch his wife of the daughters of Shiloh, and go to the land of Benjamin.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV)

Judges 21:23 The children of Benjamin did so, and took them wives, according to their number, of those who danced, whom they carried off. They went and returned to their inheritance, built the cities, and lived in them.
(Root in WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV)

1 Samuel 29:5 Is not this David, of whom they sang one to another in dances, saying,'Saul has slain his thousands, David his ten thousands?'"
(Root in WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS NAS RSV NIV)

Job 21:11 They send forth their little ones like a flock. Their children dance.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS RSV NIV)

Psalms 87:7 Those who sing as well as those who dance say, "All my springs are in you."
(WEB JPS ASV BBE DBY RSV)

Psalms 118:27 The Lord is God, and he has given us light; let the holy dance be ordered with branches, even up to the horns of the altar.
(BBE)

Psalms 149:3 Let them praise his name in the dance! Let them sing praises to him with tambourine and harp!
(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT)

Psalms 150:4 Praise him with the timbrel and dance: praise him with stringed instruments and organs.
(KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT RSV)

Ecclesiastes 3:4 a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
(WEB KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS NAS RSV NIV)

Song of Songs 6:13 Return, return, Shulammite! Return, return, that we may gaze at you. Why do you desire to gaze at the Shulammite, as at the dance of Mahanaim?
(WEB JPS ASV BBE DBY NAS RSV NIV)

Isaiah 13:21 But wild beasts of the desert shall lie there; and their houses shall be full of doleful creatures; and owls shall dwell there, and satyrs shall dance there.
(KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS RSV)

Jeremiah 31:4 Again will I build you, and you shall be built, O virgin of Israel: again you shall be adorned with your tambourines, and shall go forth in the dances of those who make merry.
(Root in WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS NAS RSV NIV)

Jeremiah 31:13 Then shall the virgin rejoice in the dance, and the young men and the old together; for I will turn their mourning into joy, and will comfort them, and make them rejoice from their sorrow.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS NAS RSV NIV)

Lamentations 5:15 The joy of our heart is ceased; Our dance is turned into mourning.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS)

Subtopics

Dance

Related Terms

Sword-dance (1 Occurrence)

Games (2 Occurrences)

Dancing (21 Occurrences)

Mahol (1 Occurrence)

Company (287 Occurrences)

Wailed (11 Occurrences)

Timbrel (7 Occurrences)

Reel (6 Occurrences)