Psalms 149:3 - Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

Let them praise his name in the dance— In order to vindicate the Scriptures of the Old Testament from the charge of encouraging or even tolerating the dances which are practised in modern times, and which are in perfect contrariety to communion with God, and of course to the spirit of true religion, I think it necessary to make the following remarks on the sacred dances of the Hebrews. The different customs of different nations, always varying from each other, and even from themselves at different times, make it utterly impracticable, especially at this distance of time, to give any satisfactory account of the mode in which the sacred dances of the Hebrews were conducted: and it is the more so, because the modern usage has appropriated and confined this practice only to entertainments of levity and gaiety, so as to make the ideas of solemnity and gravity wholly contrary to, and inconsistent with, that of dancing. It is certain, however, that the ancient Hebrews, upon the greatest occasions of joy and triumph, did use the solemn dance. Different companies of them, as they excelled in different ways, did jointly contribute, according to their respective abilities, to express the general joy: and while some afflicted at the national ceremony with vocal and some with instrumental music, others performed the solemn dance. The first mention which we find made of this in scripture, is as early as the days of Moses, upon the deliverance from Pharaoh; when Miriam, Moses's sister, sang the ode which her brother had composed upon that occasion; and she took a timbrel in her hand, and all the women went out after her with timbrels and dances, Exodus 15:20-21. Thus Jephtha's daughter came to welcome her father upon his successful return from battle, with timbrels and dances, Judges 11:34.; and that this custom continued to the time of David, appears not only from this verse, and Psalms 149:4 of the following psalm, but from what is said of his own conduct in this way, when he brought up the ark of God from the house of Obed-edom, to mount Zion. Upon that most solemn occasion, we find that he divested himself of his royal robes, and being clothed in a robe of fine linen, and with a shorter garment, a linen ephod, girt about him over that, he danced before the ark. Compare 2 Samuel 6 with 1 Chronicles 15:25; 1 Chronicles 15:29. From these observations it is evident, that the solemn dances of the ancient Hebrews, which are mentioned in scripture, have no similarity with the dances of modern times, which are almost necessarily accompanied with extreme levity and carnal gaiety.