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1 Chronicles 13
New English Translation

Uzzah Meets Disaster

13 David consulted with his military officers, including those who led groups of a thousand and those who led groups of a hundred.[a] 2 David said to the whole Israelite assembly, “If you so desire and the Lord our God approves,[b] let’s spread the word[c] to our brothers who remain in all the regions of Israel, and to the priests and Levites in their cities,[d] so they may join us. 3 Let’s move the ark of our God back here,[e] for we did not seek his will[f] throughout Saul’s reign.”[g] 4 The whole assembly agreed to do this,[h] for the proposal seemed right to all the people.[i] 5 So David assembled all Israel from the Shihor River[j] in Egypt to Lebo Hamath,[k] to bring the ark of God from Kiriath Jearim. 6 David and all Israel went up to Baalah (that is, Kiriath Jearim) in Judah to bring up from there the ark of God the Lord, who sits enthroned between the cherubim—the ark that is called by his Name.[l]

7 They transported the ark of God on a new cart from the house of Abinadab; Uzzah and Ahio were guiding the cart, 8 while David and all Israel were energetically[m] celebrating before God, singing and playing various stringed instruments,[n] tambourines, cymbals, and trumpets. 9 When they arrived at the threshing floor of Kidon, Uzzah reached out his hand to take hold of[o] the ark, because the oxen stumbled. 10 The Lord was so furious with Uzzah,[p] he killed him, because he reached out his hand and touched the ark.[q] He died right there before God.[r]

11 David was angry because the Lord attacked Uzzah;[s] so he called that place Perez Uzzah,[t] which remains its name to this very day. 12 David was afraid of God that day and said, “How will I ever be able to bring the ark of God up here?” 13 So David did not move the ark to the City of David;[u] he left it in the house of Obed-Edom the Gittite. 14 The ark of God remained in Obed-Edom’s house for three months; the Lord blessed Obed-Edom’s family and everything that belonged to him.

Footnotes

  1. 1 Chronicles 13:1 tn Heb “and David consulted with the officers of thousands and hundreds, to every ruler.”
  2. 1 Chronicles 13:2 tn Heb “If to you [it is] good and from the Lord our God.”
  3. 1 Chronicles 13:2 tn Heb “let us spread and let us send.” The words “the word” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
  4. 1 Chronicles 13:2 tn Heb “in the cities of their pasturelands.”
  5. 1 Chronicles 13:3 tn Heb “to us.”
  6. 1 Chronicles 13:3 tn Heb “him.” In this case, seeking God’s will is what is implied.
  7. 1 Chronicles 13:3 tn Heb “in the days of Saul.”
  8. 1 Chronicles 13:4 tn Heb “all the assembly said to do so.”
  9. 1 Chronicles 13:4 tn Heb “for right was the word in the eyes of all the people.”
  10. 1 Chronicles 13:5 tn The word “River” is not in the Hebrew text, but has been supplied for clarity.sn The Shihor River was a river on the border of Egypt, probably the eastern branch of the Nile.
  11. 1 Chronicles 13:5 tn Or “the entrance to Hamath.”
  12. 1 Chronicles 13:6 tn Heb “the ark of God the Lord who sits [between] the cherubim which is called [by his] name.”
  13. 1 Chronicles 13:8 tn Heb “with all strength.”
  14. 1 Chronicles 13:8 tn Heb “with songs and with zithers [meaning uncertain] and with harps.” Due to the collocation with “harps,” some type of stringed instrument is probably in view.
  15. 1 Chronicles 13:9 tn Or “to steady.”
  16. 1 Chronicles 13:10 tn Heb “and the anger of the Lord burned against Uzzah.”
  17. 1 Chronicles 13:10 tn Heb “because he stretched out his hand over the ark.”
  18. 1 Chronicles 13:10 sn The modern reader might think God seemed to overreact here, but Israel needed a vivid object lesson of God’s holiness. By loading the ark on a cart, David had violated the instructions in God’s law (Exod 25:12-14; Num 4:5-6, 15). Uzzah’s action, however innocent it may seem, betrayed a certain lack of reverence for God’s presence. God had to remind his people that his holiness could not under any circumstances be violated.
  19. 1 Chronicles 13:11 tn Heb “because the Lord broke out [with] breaking out [i.e., an outburst] against Uzzah.”
  20. 1 Chronicles 13:11 sn The name Perez Uzzah means in Hebrew “the outburst [against] Uzzah.”
  21. 1 Chronicles 13:13 sn The phrase the City of David refers here to the fortress of Zion in Jerusalem, not to Bethlehem. See 2 Sam 5:7.
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1 Chronicles 15-16
New English Translation

David Brings the Ark to Jerusalem

15 David constructed buildings in the City of David; he then prepared a place for the ark of God and pitched a tent for it. 2 Then David said, “Only the Levites may carry the ark of God, for the Lord chose them to carry the ark of the Lord and to serve before him perpetually.” 3 David assembled all Israel at Jerusalem to bring the ark of the Lord up to the place he had prepared for it. 4 David gathered together the descendants of Aaron and the Levites:

5 From the descendants of Kohath: Uriel the leader and 120 of his relatives.

6 From the descendants of Merari: Asaiah the leader and 220 of his relatives.

7 From the descendants of Gershom:[a] Joel the leader and 130 of his relatives.

8 From the descendants of Elizaphan: Shemaiah the leader and 200 of his relatives.

9 From the descendants of Hebron: Eliel the leader and 80 of his relatives.

10 From the descendants of Uzziel: Amminadab the leader and 112 of his relatives.

11 David summoned the priests Zadok and Abiathar, along with the Levites Uriel, Asaiah, Joel, Shemaiah, Eliel, and Amminadab. 12 He told them: “You are the leaders of the Levites’ families. You and your relatives must consecrate yourselves and bring the ark of the Lord God of Israel up to the place I have prepared for it. 13 The first time you did not carry it; that is why the Lord God attacked us, because we did not ask him about the proper way to carry it.”[b] 14 The priests and Levites consecrated themselves so they could bring up the ark of the Lord God of Israel. 15 The descendants of Levi carried the ark of God on their shoulders with poles, just as Moses had commanded in keeping with the Lord’s instruction.[c]

16 David told the leaders of the Levites to appoint some of their relatives as musicians; they were to play various instruments, including stringed instruments and cymbals, and to sing loudly and joyfully.[d] 17 So the Levites appointed Heman son of Joel; one of his relatives, Asaph son of Berechiah; one of the descendants of Merari,[e] Ethan son of Kushaiah; 18 along with some of their relatives who were second in rank, including Zechariah,[f] Jaaziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattithiah, Eliphelehu, Mikneiah, Obed-Edom, and Jeiel, the gatekeepers.

19 The musicians Heman, Asaph, and Ethan were to sound the bronze cymbals; 20 Zechariah, Aziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Maaseiah, and Benaiah were to play the harps according to the alamoth style;[g] 21 Mattithiah, Eliphelehu, Mikneiah, Obed-Edom, Jeiel, and Azaziah were to play the lyres according to the sheminith style,[h] as led by[i] the director; 22 Kenaniah, the leader of the Levites, was in charge of transport,[j] for he was well-informed[k] on this matter; 23 Berechiah and Elkanah were guardians[l] of the ark; 24 Shebaniah, Joshaphat, Nethanel, Amasai, Zechariah, Benaiah, and Eliezer the priests were to blow the trumpets before the ark of God; Obed-Edom and Jehiel were also guardians[m] of the ark.

25 So David, the leaders of Israel, and the commanders of units of a thousand went to bring up the ark of the Lord’s covenant from the house of Obed-Edom with celebration. 26 When God helped the Levites who were carrying the ark of the Lord’s covenant, they sacrificed seven bulls and seven rams. 27 David was wrapped in a linen robe, as were all the Levites carrying the ark, the musicians, and Kenaniah the supervisor of transport and the musicians;[n] David also wore a linen ephod.[o] 28 All Israel brought up the ark of the Lord’s covenant; they were shouting, blowing trumpets, sounding cymbals, and playing stringed instruments. 29 As the ark of the Lord’s covenant entered the City of David, Michal, Saul’s daughter, looked out the window. When she saw King David jumping and celebrating, she despised him.[p]

David Leads in Worship

16 They brought the ark of God and put it in the middle of the tent David had pitched for it. Then they offered burnt sacrifices and peace offerings[q] before God. 2 When David finished offering burnt sacrifices and peace offerings, he pronounced a blessing over the people in the Lord’s name. 3 He then handed out to each Israelite man and woman a loaf of bread, a date cake, and a raisin cake. 4 He appointed some of the Levites to serve before the ark of the Lord, to offer prayers, songs of thanks, and hymns to the Lord God of Israel. 5 Asaph was the leader and Zechariah second-in-command, followed by Jeiel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Mattithiah, Eliab, Benaiah, Obed-Edom, and Jeiel. They were to play stringed instruments, Asaph was to sound the cymbals, 6 and the priests Benaiah and Jahaziel were to blow trumpets regularly before the ark of God’s covenant.

David Thanks God

7 That day David first gave to Asaph and his colleagues this song of thanks to the Lord.

8 Give thanks to the Lord!
Call on his name!
Make known his accomplishments among the nations.
9 Sing to him! Make music to him!
Tell about all his miraculous deeds.
10 Boast about his holy name.
Let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice.
11 Seek the Lord and the strength he gives.
Seek his presence[r] continually!
12 Recall the miraculous deeds he performed,
his mighty acts and the judgments he decreed,[s]
13 O children[t] of Israel, God’s[u] servant,
you descendants of Jacob, God’s[v] chosen ones!
14 He is the Lord our God;
he carries out judgment throughout the earth.[w]
15 Remember[x] continually his covenantal decree,
the promise he made[y] to a thousand generations—
16 the promise[z] he made to Abraham,
the promise he made by oath to Isaac![aa]
17 He gave it to Jacob as a decree,
to Israel as a lasting promise,[ab]
18 saying, “To you I will give the land of Canaan
as the portion of your inheritance.”
19 When they were few in number,
just a very few, and foreign residents within it,
20 they wandered from nation to nation,
and from one kingdom to another.[ac]
21 He let no one oppress them;
he disciplined kings for their sake,
22 saying,[ad] “Don’t touch my anointed ones!
Don’t harm my prophets!”
23 Sing to the Lord, all the earth!
Announce every day[ae] how he delivers.
24 Tell the nations about his splendor,
tell[af] all the nations about his miraculous deeds.
25 For the Lord is great and certainly worthy of praise,
he is more awesome than[ag] all gods.
26 For all the gods of the nations are worthless,[ah]
but the Lord made the heavens.[ai]
27 Majestic splendor emanates from him,[aj]
he is the source of strength and joy.[ak]
28 Ascribe to the Lord, O families of the nations,
ascribe to the Lord splendor and strength!
29 Ascribe to the Lord the splendor he deserves![al]
Bring an offering and enter his presence!
Worship the Lord in holy attire![am]
30 Tremble before him, all the earth!
The world is established, it cannot be moved.
31 Let the heavens rejoice, and the earth be happy!
Let the nations say,[an] “The Lord reigns!”
32 Let the sea and everything in it shout!
Let the fields and everything in them celebrate!
33 Then let the trees of the forest shout with joy before the Lord,
for he comes to judge the earth!
34 Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good
and his loyal love endures.[ao]
35 Say this prayer:[ap] “Deliver us, O God who delivers us!
Gather us! Rescue us from the nations!
Then we will give thanks[aq] to your holy name,
and boast about your praiseworthy deeds.”[ar]
36 May the Lord God of Israel be praised,
in the future and forevermore.[as]
Then all the people said, “We agree![at] Praise the Lord.”

David Appoints Worship Leaders

37 David[au] left Asaph and his colleagues there before the ark of the Lord’s covenant to serve before the ark regularly and fulfill each day’s requirements,[av] 38 including Obed-Edom and sixty-eight colleagues. Obed-Edom son of Jeduthun and Hosah were gatekeepers. 39 Zadok the priest and his fellow priests served[aw] before the Lord’s tabernacle at the worship center[ax] in Gibeon, 40 regularly offering burnt sacrifices to the Lord on the altar for burnt sacrifice, morning and evening, according to what is prescribed in the law of the Lord which he charged Israel to observe.[ay] 41 Joining them were Heman, Jeduthun, and the rest of those chosen and designated by name to give thanks to the Lord. (For his loyal love endures!)[az] 42 Heman and Jeduthun were in charge of the music, including the trumpets, cymbals, and the other musical instruments used in praising God. The sons of Jeduthun guarded the entrance.[ba]

43 Then all the people returned to their homes, and David went to pronounce a blessing on his family.[bb]

Footnotes

  1. 1 Chronicles 15:7 sn Gershom is a variant spelling of the name Gershon.
  2. 1 Chronicles 15:13 tn Heb “because for what was at first [i.e., formerly] you [were] not, the Lord our God broke out against us, because we did not seek him concerning the procedure.”
  3. 1 Chronicles 15:15 tn Heb “word, message.”
  4. 1 Chronicles 15:16 tn Heb “causing to be heard to lift up with a voice of joy.”
  5. 1 Chronicles 15:17 tn The Hebrew text adds, “their brothers.”
  6. 1 Chronicles 15:18 tc The Hebrew text adds בֶּן (ben, “son”) here; the word is omitted in three Hebrew mss and most LXX mss. If the word is original, perhaps the name of Zechariah’s father was accidentally omitted. Some English versions treat the word as an additional name in the list (“Ben”; e.g., KJV, ASV, NASB).
  7. 1 Chronicles 15:20 tn The meaning of the Hebrew word עֲלָמוֹת (ʿalamot) is uncertain; perhaps it refers to a particular style of music. See HALOT 835-36 s.v. עַלְמָה.
  8. 1 Chronicles 15:21 tn The meaning of the Hebrew word שְׁמִינִית (sheminit) is uncertain; perhaps it refers to a particular style of music. See HALOT 1562 s.v. שְׁמִינֹי.
  9. 1 Chronicles 15:21 tn Heb “for” or “according to.”
  10. 1 Chronicles 15:22 tc The MT reads בְּמַשָּׂא יָסֹר בַּמַּשָּׂא (bemassa’ yasor bammassa’), leader of the Levites “in [the] lifting up, an instructor in lifting up.” The LXX reads ἄρχων τῶν ᾠδῶν (archōn tōn ōdōn) “ruler/leader of the songs,” apparently omitting the first Hebrew בְּמַשָּׂא (bemassa’) and then reading the similar sounding יָשֹׂר (yasor) “one who rules” for יָסֹר (yasor) “instructor.” The Vulgate associates the first Hebrew בְּמַשָּׂא (bemassa’) with prophesy (see note below) and the second with song. Luther renders “the master in song to teach them to sing” (see Keil and Delitzsch, The First Book of Chronicles, 204).tn Or “in charge of the singing,” i.e., was the director or conductor of music. The difficulties are: 1) the meaning of “lifting up,” 2) where to supply the verb “to be,” 3) choosing which elements of context to rely on. 1) The verb נָשָׂא (nasaʾ; “to lift, carry”) can mean to carry a load, but is also used in many idiomatic expressions, including to “raise” the voice. The noun מַשָּׂא (massaʾ) most often means a load or a prophetic announcement. DCH, a recent major dictionary, includes “perhaps music” under מַשָּׂא I, while noting that מַשָּׂא II is used at Qumran specifically as an “utterance or praise.” So מַשָּׂא likely refers either to carrying [the ark of the covenant] or to raising the voice/sound (קוֹל; qol) [of music]. A third possibility is that the expression is a technical term, a shorthand for the raising of hands in the conducting of music. 2) As a noun clause, the verb “to be” must be understood at some point, either “Kenaniah was leader of the Levites in [the] lifting up, an instructor in lifting up” or “Kenaniah, leader of the Levites in [the] lifting up, was an instructor in lifting up. 3) There are a four primary contextual considerations. A) Chapter 15 is about transporting the ark; verse 2 (but not 12-13) uses the root נָשָׂא (nasaʾ). B) Identifying what transporting activity Kenaniah would be trained/wise in and instructor of. They were no longer moving the tabernacle from place to place. C) Verse 16 appears to set the agenda for vss 19-22; it identifies musical instruments that Levites are appointed to in 19-21. Verse 16 last lists “causing the voice/sound (קוֹל; qol) to rise with joy.” The Hebrew root is רוּם (rum; “to be/make high”) not נָשָׂא, but this may only be due to the Hiphil stem. נָשָׂא is a very common verb but only occurs twice in the Hiphil, possibly due to a preference to switch verbs for the causative concept. D) A Kenaniah mentioned in 1 Chr 26:29 is in charge of external responsibilities, officers and judges. If this is the same Kenaniah, that would represent a significant change in responsibilities for an instructor of musical conducting, but may embrace oversight of transportation.
  11. 1 Chronicles 15:22 tn This is a Hiphil participle of בִּין (bin; “to understand”). In the Hiphil it means to act with skill or understanding, or to give understanding, i.e., to explain or teach.
  12. 1 Chronicles 15:23 tn Heb “gatekeepers.”
  13. 1 Chronicles 15:24 tn Heb “gatekeepers.”
  14. 1 Chronicles 15:27 tn Heb “the leader, the lifting up, the musicians.” See also the note on the word “matter” in v. 22.
  15. 1 Chronicles 15:27 sn An ephod was a priestly garment worn over the robe.
  16. 1 Chronicles 15:29 tn The Hebrew text adds “in her heart.”
  17. 1 Chronicles 16:1 tn Or “tokens of peace”; NIV “fellowship offerings.”
  18. 1 Chronicles 16:11 tn Heb “face.”
  19. 1 Chronicles 16:12 tn Heb “and the judgments of his mouth.”
  20. 1 Chronicles 16:13 tn Heb “seed.”
  21. 1 Chronicles 16:13 tn Heb “his”; the referent (God) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  22. 1 Chronicles 16:13 tn Heb “his”; the referent (God) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  23. 1 Chronicles 16:14 tn Heb “in all the earth [are] his judgments.”
  24. 1 Chronicles 16:15 tn The Hebrew text has a masculine plural imperative, addressed to the people. Some LXX mss harmonize the wording here to Ps 105:8, which has זָכַר (zakhar), the perfect third masculine singular form of the verb, “He (the Lord) remembers” (so NIV; NEB reads “He called to mind his covenant”).
  25. 1 Chronicles 16:15 tn Heb “[the] word he commanded.” The text refers here to God’s unconditional covenantal promise to Abraham and the patriarchs, as vv. 16-18 make clear.
  26. 1 Chronicles 16:16 tn Heb “which.”
  27. 1 Chronicles 16:16 tn Heb “his oath to Isaac.”
  28. 1 Chronicles 16:17 tn Or “eternal covenant.”
  29. 1 Chronicles 16:20 tn Heb “and from a kingdom to another people.”
  30. 1 Chronicles 16:22 tn The word “saying” is supplied in the translation for clarification and for stylistic reasons.
  31. 1 Chronicles 16:23 tn Heb “from day to day.”
  32. 1 Chronicles 16:24 tn The verb “tell” is understood by ellipsis (note the preceding line).
  33. 1 Chronicles 16:25 tn Or “feared above.”
  34. 1 Chronicles 16:26 tn The Hebrew word אֱלִילִים (ʾelilim, “worthless”) sounds like אֱלֹהִים (ʾelohim, “gods”). The sound play draws attention to the statement. Many modern English translations render this term as “idols” here.
  35. 1 Chronicles 16:26 tn Or “the sky” (also in v. 31). The Hebrew term שָׁמַיִם (shamayim) may be translated “heaven(s)” or “sky” depending on the context.
  36. 1 Chronicles 16:27 tn Heb “majesty and splendor [are] before him.”
  37. 1 Chronicles 16:27 tn Heb “strength and joy [are] in his place.”
  38. 1 Chronicles 16:29 tn Heb “the splendor of [i.e., due] his name.”
  39. 1 Chronicles 16:29 tn Or “in holy splendor.”
  40. 1 Chronicles 16:31 tn Heb “let them say among the nations.”
  41. 1 Chronicles 16:34 tn Or “is eternal.”
  42. 1 Chronicles 16:35 tn The words “this prayer” are supplied in the translation for clarity and for stylistic reasons.
  43. 1 Chronicles 16:35 tn Heb “to give thanks.” The infinitive construct indicates result after the imperative.
  44. 1 Chronicles 16:35 tn Heb “to boast in your praise.”
  45. 1 Chronicles 16:36 tn Heb “from everlasting to everlasting.”
  46. 1 Chronicles 16:36 tn This is the Hebrew term אָמֵן (ʾamen, “surely”), traditionally transliterated “amen.”
  47. 1 Chronicles 16:37 tn Heb “he”; the referent (David) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  48. 1 Chronicles 16:37 tn Heb “according to the matter of the day in its day.”
  49. 1 Chronicles 16:39 tn The word “served” is supplied in the translation for clarity and for stylistic reasons.
  50. 1 Chronicles 16:39 tn Or “high place.”
  51. 1 Chronicles 16:40 tn Heb “which he laid as a charge upon Israel.”
  52. 1 Chronicles 16:41 tn Perhaps this refers to the refrain of their songs of praise (see Ps 136). In this case one could translate, “to give thanks to the Lord with songs using the refrain, ‘For his loyal love endures.’”
  53. 1 Chronicles 16:42 tn Heb “and with them, Heman and Jeduthun, trumpets and cymbals for sounding, and the instrument of song of God, and the sons of Jeduthun [were] at the gate.”
  54. 1 Chronicles 16:43 tn Heb “to bless his house.” Elsewhere when “house” is the object of “bless,” it refers to a household or family. See, for example, 1 Chr 13:14; 17:27. However, since בֵּית (bet, “house”) refers to a literal house or home earlier in the verse and to David’s palace in 17:1, one might translate here, “David went to pronounce a blessing on [i.e., dedicate] his house [i.e., palace].”
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2 Samuel 6
New English Translation

David Brings the Ark to Jerusalem

6 David again assembled[a] all the best[b] men in Israel, 30,000 in number. 2 David and all the men who were with him traveled[c] to[d] Baalah[e] in Judah to bring up from there the ark of God which is called by the name[f] of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, who sits enthroned between the cherubim that are on it. 3 They loaded the ark of God on a new cart and carried it from the house of Abinadab, which was on the hill. Uzzah and Ahio, the sons of Abinadab, were guiding the new cart. 4 They brought[g] it with the ark of God from the house of Abinadab on the hill. Ahio was walking in front of the ark, 5 while David and all Israel[h] were energetically celebrating before the Lord, singing[i] and playing various stringed instruments,[j] tambourines, rattles,[k] and cymbals.

6 When they arrived at the threshing floor of Nacon,[l] Uzzah reached out and grabbed hold of[m] the ark of God,[n] because the oxen stumbled. 7 The Lord was so furious with Uzzah,[o] he[p] killed him on the spot[q] for his negligence.[r] He died right there beside the ark of God.

8 David was angry because the Lord attacked[s] Uzzah; so he called that place Perez Uzzah,[t] which remains its name to this very day. 9 David was afraid of the Lord that day and said, “How will the ark of the Lord ever come to me?” 10 So David was no longer willing to bring the ark of the Lord to be with him in the City of David. David left it in the house of Obed-Edom the Gittite. 11 The ark of the Lord remained in the house of Obed-Edom the Gittite for three months. The Lord blessed Obed-Edom and all his family.[u] 12 King David was told,[v] “The Lord has blessed the family of Obed-Edom and everything he owns because of the ark of God.” So David went and joyfully brought the ark of God from the house of Obed-Edom to the City of David. 13 Those who carried the ark of the Lord took six steps and then David[w] sacrificed an ox and a fatling calf. 14 Now David, wearing a linen ephod, was dancing with all his strength before the Lord.[x] 15 David and all Israel[y] were bringing up the ark of the Lord, shouting and blowing trumpets.[z]

16 As the ark of the Lord entered the City of David, Saul’s daughter Michal looked out the window. When she saw King David leaping and dancing before the Lord, she despised him.[aa] 17 They brought the ark of the Lord and put it in its place[ab] in the middle of the tent that David had pitched for it. Then David offered burnt sacrifices and peace offerings before the Lord. 18 When David finished offering the burnt sacrifices and peace offerings, he pronounced a blessing over the people in the name of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. 19 He then handed out to each member of the entire assembly of Israel,[ac] both men and women, a portion of bread, a date cake,[ad] and a raisin cake. Then all the people went home.[ae] 20 When David went home to pronounce a blessing on his own house,[af] Michal, Saul’s daughter, came out to meet him.[ag] She said, “How the king of Israel has distinguished[ah] himself this day! He has exposed himself today before his servants’ slave girls the way a vulgar fool[ai] might do!”

21 David replied to Michal, “It was before the Lord! I was celebrating before the Lord, who chose me over your father and his entire family[aj] and appointed me as leader over the Lord’s people Israel. 22 I am willing to shame and humiliate myself even more than this.[ak] But with the slave girls whom you mentioned, let me be distinguished.” 23 Now Michal, Saul’s daughter, had no children to the day of her death.

Footnotes

  1. 2 Samuel 6:1 tn The translation understands the verb to be a defective spelling of וַיֶּאֱסֹף (vayyeʾesof) due to quiescence of the letter א (alef). The root therefore is אָסַף (ʾasaf, “to gather”). The Masoretes, however, pointed the verb as וַיֹּסֶף (vayyosef), understanding it to be a form of יָסַף (yasaf, “to add”). This does not fit the context, which calls for a verb of gathering.
  2. 2 Samuel 6:1 tn Or “chosen.”
  3. 2 Samuel 6:2 tn Heb “arose and went.”
  4. 2 Samuel 6:2 tn Heb “from,” but the following context indicates they traveled to this location.
  5. 2 Samuel 6:2 tn This is another name for Kiriath Jearim (see 1 Chr 13:6).
  6. 2 Samuel 6:2 tc The MT has here a double reference to the name (שֵׁם שֵׁם, shem shem). Many medieval Hebrew mss in the first occurrence point the word differently and read the adverb שָׁם (sham, “there”). This is also the understanding of the Syriac Peshitta (Syr., taman). While this yields an acceptable understanding to the text, it is more likely that the MT reading results from dittography. If the word did occur twice, one might have expected the first occurrence to have the article. The present translation therefore reads שֵׁם only once.
  7. 2 Samuel 6:4 tn Heb “lifted.”
  8. 2 Samuel 6:5 tn Heb “all the house of Israel.”
  9. 2 Samuel 6:5 tc Heb “were celebrating before the Lord with all woods of fir” (cf. KJV, ASV, NASB). If the text is retained, the last expression must be elliptical, referring to musical instruments made from fir wood. But it is preferable to emend the text in light of 1 Chr 13:8, which reads “were celebrating before the Lord with all strength and with songs.”
  10. 2 Samuel 6:5 tn Heb “with zithers [?] and with harps.”
  11. 2 Samuel 6:5 tn That is, “sistrums” (so NAB, NIV); ASV, NASB, NRSV, CEV, NLT “castanets.”
  12. 2 Samuel 6:6 tn 1 Chr 13:9 has “Kidon.”
  13. 2 Samuel 6:6 tn Or “steadied.”
  14. 2 Samuel 6:6 tn Heb “and Uzzah reached out toward the ark of God and grabbed it.”
  15. 2 Samuel 6:7 tn Heb “and the anger of the Lord burned against Uzzah.”
  16. 2 Samuel 6:7 tn Heb “God.”
  17. 2 Samuel 6:7 tc Heb “there.” Since this same term occurs later in the verse it is translated “on the spot” here for stylistic reasons.
  18. 2 Samuel 6:7 tc The phrase “his negligence” is absent from the LXX.
  19. 2 Samuel 6:8 tn Heb “because the Lord broke out [with] a breaking out [i.e., an outburst] against Uzzah.”
  20. 2 Samuel 6:8 sn The name Perez Uzzah means in Hebrew “the outburst [against] Uzzah.”
  21. 2 Samuel 6:11 tn Heb “house,” both here and in v. 12.
  22. 2 Samuel 6:12 tn Heb “and it was told to King David, saying.”
  23. 2 Samuel 6:13 tn Heb “he”; the referent (David) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  24. 2 Samuel 6:14 tn Heb “and David was dancing with all his strength before the Lord, and David was girded with a linen ephod.”
  25. 2 Samuel 6:15 tc Heb “all the house of Israel.” A few medieval Hebrew mss and the Syriac Peshitta lack the words “the house.”
  26. 2 Samuel 6:15 tn Heb “the shofar” (the ram’s horn trumpet).
  27. 2 Samuel 6:16 tn The Hebrew text adds “in her heart.” Cf. CEV “she was disgusted (+ with him TEV)”; NLT “was filled with contempt for him”; NCV “she hated him.”
  28. 2 Samuel 6:17 tc The Syriac Peshitta lacks “in its place.”
  29. 2 Samuel 6:19 tn Heb “to all the people, to all the throng of Israel.”
  30. 2 Samuel 6:19 tn The Hebrew word used here אֶשְׁפָּר (ʾespar) is found in the OT only here and in the parallel passage found in 1 Chr 16:3. Its exact meaning is uncertain, although the context indicates that it was a food of some sort (cf. KJV “a good piece of flesh”; NRSV “a portion of meat”). The translation adopted here (“date cake”) follows the lead of the Greek translations of the LXX, Aquila, and Symmachus (cf. NASB, NIV, NLT).
  31. 2 Samuel 6:19 tn Heb “and all the people went, each to his house.”
  32. 2 Samuel 6:20 tn Heb “and David returned to bless his house.”
  33. 2 Samuel 6:20 tn Heb “David.” The name has been replaced by the pronoun (“him”) in the translation for stylistic reasons.
  34. 2 Samuel 6:20 tn Heb “honored.”
  35. 2 Samuel 6:20 tn Heb “one of the foolish ones.”
  36. 2 Samuel 6:21 tn Heb “all his house”; CEV “anyone else in your family.”
  37. 2 Samuel 6:22 tn Heb “and I will shame myself still more than this and I will be lowly in my eyes.”
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