Passage Resources Hebrew/Greek Your Content
Previous Next
Add parallel Print Page Options
Close NRSVUE

2 Samuel 6:1-11
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition

David Brings the Ark to Jerusalem

6 David again gathered all the chosen men of Israel, thirty thousand. 2 David and all the people with him set out and went from Baale-judah to bring up from there the ark of God, which is called by the name of the Lord of hosts who is enthroned on the cherubim.(A) 3 They carried the ark of God on a new cart and brought it out of the house of Abinadab, which was on the hill. Uzzah and Ahio,[a] the sons of Abinadab, were driving the new cart(B) 4 with the ark of God,[b] and Ahio[c] went in front of the ark.(C) 5 David and all the house of Israel were dancing before the Lord with all their might, with songs[d] and lyres and harps and tambourines and castanets and cymbals.(D)

6 When they came to the threshing floor of Nacon, Uzzah reached out his hand to the ark of God and took hold of it, for the oxen lurched.(E) 7 The anger of the Lord was kindled against Uzzah, and God struck him there,[e] and he died there beside the ark of God.(F) 8 David was angry because the Lord had burst forth with an outburst upon Uzzah, so that place is called Perez-uzzah[f] to this day. 9 David was afraid of the Lord that day; he said, “How can the ark of the Lord come into my care?” 10 So David was unwilling to take the ark of the Lord into his care in the city of David; instead, David took it to the house of Obed-edom the Gittite.(G) 11 The ark of the Lord remained in the house of Obed-edom the Gittite three months, and the Lord blessed Obed-edom and all his household.(H)

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. 6.3 Or and his brother
  2. 6.4 Compare Gk: Heb which was on the hill with the ark of God
  3. 6.4 Or and his brother
  4. 6.5 Q ms Gk: MT fir trees
  5. 6.7 Meaning of Heb uncertain
  6. 6.8 That is, bursting out against Uzzah
Close NET

2 Samuel 6:1-11
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]

Read full chapter

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.
Next
2 Samuel 5
2 Samuel 7
Next
dropdown
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition (NRSVUE)

New Revised Standard Version, Updated Edition. Copyright © 2021 National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

New English Translation (NET)

NET Bible® copyright ©1996-2017 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. http://netbible.com All rights reserved.