According to Blue Letter Bible, the word “dance”, along with its derivatives (dances, danced, and dancing), is mentioned 27 times in the Scriptures. The 27 texts that mention dancing are listed under eight definitions in the Strong’s Concordance. Of the 27, 24 refer to dancing that is acceptable to the Lord.
Q: So what do the Bible texts and definitions teach us about dance?
Answer: The 27 Bible texts and 8 definitions teach us at least four things about dance:
- There are different forms of dancing. Simply leaping about for joy, for example, was (and is) an acceptable form of dancing. The most well-known example of this was the time when David danced with all his might when he brought the ark of the covenant to the tabernacle (1 Chronicles 15:25-29).
- Dancing was (and is) a way to worship God. In the days of the judges, for example, a yearly feast to the Lord was held at Shiloh where the women danced as a way to praise the Lord (Judges 21:19-23).
- Dancing is a form of praise. The Israelites often danced after the Lord delivered them or gave them victories in battle (Exodus 15:20-21; 1 Samuel 18:5-7).
- Jesus taught that there are times when it is okay to dance (Matthew 11:17; Luke 7:31-32, 15:21-25).
Q: What are the biblical principles of acceptable dancing?
Answer: There are several principles to keep in mind when people dance.
- How we dance should be done to the glory of God (1 Corinthians 10:31). As such, we should not do so halfheartedly. We should do it with all our might as David did.
- Dancing, while it is a way to praise and worship God, should not be used in a regular worship service. (See our next question for more on this.)
- Dancing shouldn’t be used to dishonor God or gratify the flesh. (Exodus 32:4-6, 19; Matthew 14:6,7)
Q: Should we dance in worship services?
Answer: We saw in the first question there is a time to dance (Ecclesiastes 3:4) and the Lord provided the Israelites many times to do so. But throughout the Scriptures, Old Testament and New, you will find no instance where He provided them this time in their regular worship services.
Q: But didn’t King David dance before the Lord in worship services?
“So David went and brought up the ark of God from the house of Obededom into the city of David with gladness. And it was so, that when they that bare the ark of the Lord had gone six paces, he sacrificed oxen and fatlings. And David danced before the Lord with all his might; and David was girded with a linen ephod. So David and all the house of Israel brought up the ark of the Lord with shouting, and with the sound of the trumpet.” (2 Samuel 6:12-15)
Answer: King David, along with all Israel, worshiped the Lord when he carried the ark to the tabernacle. But this instance was a one-time event. It didn’t happen at every worship service.
Moreover, David danced on the way to the city. He didn’t dance in the designated place of worship because the people did not dance in there. Even when Jesus made His triumphal entry and went into the temple with His followers hundreds of years later, they did not dance there. (Matthew 21:1-16; Mark 11:1-10; Luke 19:28-40).
Lastly, God appointed the Levites to facilitate the worship of the nation of Israel. From the days of King David to the days of Nehemiah, they facilitated worship and praise in the temple with musical instruments and singing, not dancing. (Numbers 1:48-54, 8:15; 1 Chronicles 23:1-6; Nehemiah 10:39, 11:22)
Overall, dancing is not a sin. It is a wonderful way to worship and praise the Lord. The Bible gives us principles to abide by when we dance and while there is a time to do so (Ecclesiastes 3:4), that time is not during worship services.
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