What Does 2 Samuel 6:19 Mean in the King James?

And he dealt among all the people, even among the whole multitude of Israel, as well to the women as men, to every one a cake of bread, and a good piece of flesh, and a flagon of wine. So all the people departed every one to his house.

2 Samuel 6:19 · KJV

The analysis reads the King James wording.

King James Version The King James Version, first published in 1611. Selah Verse shows the standard text.

This verse in the Selah Decoded Version

THE KEY

The feast makes the sacred moment public by portioning its food until every person has a share.

THE MEANING

Here, celebration reaches every person as something tangible: bread, meat, and wine are given to women and men alike. The gathering’s abundance is shared across the whole people, and then everyone returns home.

WHAT THIS UNDOES

This verse undoes the belief that a sacred gathering’s abundance belongs only to a select few: every person receives a portion.

THE ROOT

וַיְחַלֵּק

wayeḥalleq

GROWS FROM

חלק

ḥ-l-q

To divide, apportion, or share out.

The root makes the action more visible than “dealt”: David portions provisions, and “every one” makes each person a recipient. The shared abundance reaches the whole people before they return to their homes.

ALSO GROWS

ḥēleq: A portion or share.

חֵלֶק

This noun from the same root names what the verb distributes: each person receives a share.

maḥălōqet: A division, section, or group.

מַחֲלֹקֶת

This branch shows the root’s sense of dividing into portions or parts, clarifying the act of distributing food across the people.

THE PATTERN

Shared joy takes material form when food is apportioned across a people and its provision reaches beyond the gathering.

And thou shalt rejoice in thy feast, thou, and thy son, and thy daughter, and thy manservant, and thy maidservant, and the Levite, the stranger, and the fatherless, and the widow, that are within thy gates.

Deuteronomy 16:14 · KJVThe feast’s joy includes a wide circle of people gathered within the community.

Then he said unto them, Go your way, eat the fat, and drink the sweet, and send portions unto them for whom nothing is prepared: for this day is holy unto our Lord: neither be ye sorry; for the joy of the LORD is your strength.

Nehemiah 8:10 · KJVThe holy day’s food is shared with those who have none prepared, extending the feast beyond those already supplied.

And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart,

Acts 2:46 · KJVShared food carries gladness from the temple into people’s homes.

THE THREAD

And he dealt to every one of Israel, both man and woman, to every one a loaf of bread, and a good piece of flesh, and a flagon of wine.

1 Chronicles 16:3 · KJV

Both passages use ⁨וַיְחַלֵּק⁩ (wayeḥalleq, “he distributed”), from ⁨חָלַק⁩ (ḥalaq, “to apportion or share out”). Chronicles repeats the same distribution and makes its reach unmistakable: every Israelite, woman and man, receives a portion.

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