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45 Bible Verses About Dancing

by Ella

Dancing is an expression of joy, celebration, and worship that is deeply embedded in both the Old and New Testaments of the Bible. It is a physical act that reflects the joy of the Lord, His faithfulness, and the beauty of His creation. Throughout the Bible, dance is used as a form of worship, as a celebration of God‘s goodness, and as a symbolic expression of victory over life’s battles. Below are 45 Bible verses that highlight the significance of dancing, showing how this art form has been used to honor God, celebrate His blessings, and express joy.

45 Bible Verses About Dancing

1. Exodus 15:20

“Then Miriam the prophetess, Aaron’s sister, took a tambourine in her hand, and all the women followed her, with tambourines and dancing.”

Miriam led the women of Israel in dance after they crossed the Red Sea, celebrating God’s miraculous deliverance. This was a spontaneous expression of joy and gratitude.

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2. 2 Samuel 6:14

David, wearing a linen ephod, danced before the Lord with all his might.”

King David’s dance before the Lord was a display of worship and reverence. His undignified dancing was an act of wholehearted praise.

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3. Psalm 149:3

“Let them praise His name with dancing and make music to Him with timbrel and harp.”

The psalmist encourages praising God with dance, showing that this form of worship is not only acceptable but joyful and powerful.

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4. Psalm 150:4

“Praise Him with timbrel and dancing, praise Him with strings and pipe.”

This verse is a call to use all forms of music and dance to praise God, showcasing the beauty and joy found in worship.

5. Jeremiah 31:4

“I will rebuild you, and you will be rebuilt, O Virgin Israel. Again you will take up your tambourines and go out to dance with the joyful.”

God promises restoration for Israel, and dancing will once again be part of their celebration of His faithfulness.

6. Ecclesiastes 3:4

“A time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance.”

This verse reminds us that dancing is part of the natural rhythms of life, a time for joy and celebration amid the sorrows of life.

7. Psalm 30:11

“You turned my wailing into dancing; you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy.”

In times of despair, God can transform mourning into dancing, showing how He brings joy and restoration to our lives.

8. Luke 15:25

“Meanwhile, the older son was in the field. When he came near the house, he heard music and dancing.”

The parable of the prodigal son reveals the joy of the father when his lost son returns home. Dancing is a symbol of joy and celebration in this context.

9. Isaiah 55:12

“You will go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and hills will burst into song before you, and all the trees of the field will clap their hands.”

God’s restoration of His people will be met with joy and celebration, including symbolic forms like dancing.

10. Psalm 149:1-3

“Praise the Lord. Sing to the Lord a new song, His praise in the assembly of His faithful people. Let Israel rejoice in their Maker; let the people of Zion be glad in their King. Let them praise His name with dancing and make music to Him with timbrel and harp.”

This passage emphasizes how Israel is called to express joy and worship through dance as part of their celebration of God’s goodness.

11. Psalm 98:8

“Let the rivers clap their hands, let the mountains sing together for joy.”

Creation itself responds in joyous celebration, pointing to the role of dance and song in expressing delight in God’s glory.

12. Exodus 32:19

“When Moses approached the camp and saw the calf and the dancing, his anger burned and he threw the tablets out of his hands, breaking them to pieces at the foot of the mountain.”

In this moment, the people of Israel were dancing around a golden calf in idolatry, showing that not all dancing is a form of worship; it depends on the object of reverence.

13. Psalm 126:2

“Our mouths were filled with laughter, our tongues with songs of joy. Then it was said among the nations, ‘The Lord has done great things for them.'”

The joy of Israel is shown here, where even the nations recognize that God’s actions bring true joy, reflected through expressions like laughter and dancing.

14. Jeremiah 31:13

“Then young women will dance and be glad, young men and old as well. I will turn their mourning into gladness; I will give them comfort and joy instead of sorrow.”

This verse speaks of the restoration and joy that God will bring to His people, where dance is part of the celebration.

15. Psalm 51:8

“Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones you have crushed rejoice.”

Though not directly about dancing, this verse expresses the longing for joy and rejoicing, elements that often lead to dance in celebration.

16. 1 Chronicles 15:29

“As the ark of the Lord was entering the City of David, Michal daughter of Saul watched from a window. And when she saw King David leaping and dancing before the Lord, she despised him in her heart.”

David’s dance before the Lord was so expressive that it led to his wife’s criticism, showing how passionate worship through dance can sometimes be misunderstood.

17. Psalm 118:24

“The Lord has done it this very day; let us rejoice today and be glad.”

A verse celebrating the joy that leads to dancing, recognizing that every good thing comes from the Lord and is worth celebrating.

18. Judges 21:21

“Watch, and when the girls of Shiloh come out to join in the dancing, then come out of the vineyards and each man catch one of them to be his wife.”

This verse involves a celebratory moment where dancing is part of a cultural tradition in Israel, representing joy and community.

19. Matthew 11:17

“We played the pipe for you, and you did not dance; we sang a dirge, and you did not mourn.”

In this passage, Jesus references the human inability to respond to God’s call for joy or sorrow, contrasting dance with other emotional responses.

20. Mark 6:22

“When the daughter of the Herodias came in and danced, she pleased Herod and his dinner guests.”

This dance was part of a corrupt and selfish celebration, showing that not all dancing reflects a pure or holy celebration.

21. Psalm 150:6

“Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord.”

A call to all of creation to praise God, including through dance as a part of a living expression of worship.

22. 1 Samuel 18:6

“When the men were returning home after David had killed the Philistine, the women came out from all the towns of Israel to meet King Saul with singing and dancing, with joyful songs and timbrels and lyres.”

Dance is a central part of celebration and victory, as seen when the women of Israel danced to honor King Saul and David after their victory over the Philistines.

23. Luke 7:32

“They are like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling out to each other: ‘We played the pipe for you, and you did not dance; we sang a dirge, and you did not cry.'”

Here, Jesus critiques the lack of response to His message, comparing it to a failure to engage in dance or sorrow, both of which are natural responses to life’s moments.

24. Hosea 2:15

“There I will give her back her vineyards, and will make the Valley of Achor a door of hope. There she will respond as in the days of her youth, as in the day she came up out of Egypt.”

A promise of restoration that is accompanied by joy, symbolized through dancing as a natural response to God’s deliverance.

25. Amos 5:23-24

“Away with the noise of your songs! I will not listen to the music of your harps. But let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream!”

Although God values joy, He desires that it come with righteousness and justice. Dancing in true worship must be accompanied by a heart of obedience.

26. Psalm 46:10

“Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.”

While this verse doesn’t directly mention dancing, it points to the stillness of heart and spirit required before God. Often, moments of stillness and reflection in worship lead to spontaneous expressions of joy, including dance, as we recognize God’s sovereignty.

27. Psalm 84:4

“Blessed are those who dwell in Your house; they are ever praising You.”

A blessed state of worship, often symbolized in scripture by dancing, reminds us that those who dwell in God’s presence respond with joy and celebration.

28. Zephaniah 3:17

“The Lord your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you; in His love He will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing.”

The Lord’s rejoicing over His people can be compared to the joy and exuberance of dancing, as He celebrates our restoration and His unchanging love.

29. Isaiah 30:29

“You will sing as you do in the night when you celebrate a holy festival; your hearts will rejoice as when people playing pipes go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the Rock of Israel.”

This verse expresses the joy and excitement of worship that can lead to dancing, as God’s people celebrate His greatness and holiness.

30. Luke 15:7

“I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.”

This heavenly celebration of a soul’s salvation can be likened to the joy and dancing that occurs in the presence of God, where even the angels rejoice.

31. Psalm 37:4

“Take delight in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart.”

Delighting in the Lord brings joy, and that joy is often expressed through physical acts like dancing, reflecting the overflow of God’s goodness in our lives.

32. 1 Kings 1:40

“And all the people went up after him, playing flutes and rejoicing greatly, so that the ground shook with the sound.”

This was a moment of public celebration and honor, where music and dancing were used to acknowledge a great event, showing the power of joyful expression in times of importance.

33. Psalm 21:6

“Surely You have granted him unending blessings and made him glad with the joy of Your presence.”

This verse speaks to the joy and gladness found in God’s presence, a joy that is often expressed through worship, including dancing.

34. Isaiah 61:10

“I delight greatly in the Lord; my soul rejoices in my God. For He has clothed me with garments of salvation and arrayed me in a robe of His righteousness, as a bridegroom adorns his head like a priest, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.”

Isaiah expresses a deep, overwhelming joy and celebration at the salvation God has provided, a joy that would naturally lead to dancing as a form of worship.

35. Matthew 28:9

“Suddenly Jesus met them. ‘Greetings,’ He said. They came to Him, clasped His feet and worshiped Him.”

In response to the resurrection of Christ, the women joyfully worshipped Jesus, demonstrating the joy that leads to acts of worship, such as dancing.

36. Isaiah 60:5

“Then you will look and be radiant, your heart will throb and swell with joy; the wealth on the seas will be brought to you, to you the riches of the nations will come.”

This verse reflects a future time of great joy and celebration when God’s promises are fulfilled, a celebration that would surely involve music and dance.

37. Psalm 106:47

“Save us, Lord our God, and gather us from the nations, that we may give thanks to Your holy name and glory in Your praise.”

A prayer for God’s deliverance, which would naturally be accompanied by dancing as a public expression of joy and gratitude.

38. Isaiah 35:10

“And the ransomed of the Lord will return. They will enter Zion with singing; everlasting joy will crown their heads. Gladness and joy will overtake them, and sorrow and sighing will flee away.”

The joy of God’s restoration will result in a celebration of His goodness, symbolized by singing and dancing.

39. Psalm 63:5

“I will be fully satisfied as with the richest of foods; with singing lips my mouth will praise You.”

This verse shows how deeply satisfying God’s love is, a satisfaction that leads to the joyful expression of praise through singing and dancing.

40. Zechariah 9:9

“Rejoice greatly, Daughter Zion! Shout, Daughter Jerusalem! See, your king comes to you, righteous and victorious, lowly and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.”

This prophecy of the coming Messiah invites rejoicing and celebration, which is often expressed through singing, shouting, and dancing.

41. Psalm 100:2

“Worship the Lord with gladness; come before Him with joyful songs.”

Gladness in worship is not just internal; it often manifests physically through song and dance, reflecting the depth of joy that comes from knowing God.

42. Proverbs 23:16

“My inmost being will rejoice when your lips speak what is right.”

This verse speaks to the joy that comes from righteousness, a joy that is so deep it can be expressed physically in worship.

43. Luke 10:21

“At that time Jesus, full of joy through the Holy Spirit, said, ‘I praise You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth.'”

Even Jesus, in His earthly ministry, expressed joy in the Holy Spirit, showing that dance and celebration are integral parts of spiritual joy.

44. 1 Chronicles 15:28

“So all Israel brought up the ark of the covenant of the Lord with shouts, with the sounding of rams’ horns and trumpets, and the playing of cymbals and lyres.”

This was a grand celebration involving music and dance, as the people of Israel celebrated the presence of the Lord symbolized by the Ark of the Covenant.

45. Romans 12:15

“Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn.”

This verse highlights the communal aspect of joy and sorrow, where dancing can serve as a collective expression of joy in God’s work in the world.

Conclusion

Dancing in the Bible represents joy, celebration, worship, and sometimes sorrow. It is used in various ways—from worshiping God and celebrating victories, to expressing sorrow or disapproval. Throughout both the Old and New Testaments, dancing is a physical expression of the emotions that are stirred by God’s works and His presence. As seen in these 45 Bible verses, dance plays a key role in the believer’s life as an expression of gratitude, victory, and deep worship. Whether in times of joy or sorrow, dance can be a profound way to engage with God’s goodness, giving Him glory through every movement and every beat.

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