Peril in Moving the Ark

(A)Now David again gathered all the chosen men of Israel, thirty thousand. And David [a]departed from [b](B)Baale-judah, with all the people who were with him, to bring up from there the ark of God which is called by the (C)Name, the very name of the Lord of armies who (D)is [c]enthroned above the cherubim. They had mounted the ark of God on (E)a new cart and moved it from the house of Abinadab, which was on the hill; and Uzzah and Ahio, the sons of Abinadab, were leading the new cart. So (F)they brought it with the ark of God from the house of Abinadab, which was on the hill; and Ahio was walking ahead of the ark. Meanwhile, David and all the house of Israel (G)were celebrating before the Lord (H)with all kinds of instruments made of juniper wood, and with [d]lyres, harps, tambourines, castanets, and cymbals.

But when they came to the (I)threshing floor of Nacon, Uzzah (J)reached out toward the ark of God and took hold of it, because the oxen nearly overturned it. And the anger of the Lord burned against Uzzah, and (K)God struck him down there for [e]his irreverence; and he died there by the ark of God. Then David became angry because [f]of the Lords outburst against Uzzah; and that place has been called [g]Perez-uzzah to this day. So (L)David was afraid of the Lord that day; and he said, “How can the ark of the Lord come to me?” 10 And David was unwilling to move the ark of the Lord into the city of David with him; but David took it aside to the house of (M)Obed-edom, the Gittite. 11 The ark of the Lord remained in the house of Obed-edom the Gittite for three months, and the Lord (N)blessed Obed-edom and all his household.

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Footnotes

  1. 2 Samuel 6:2 Lit arose and went
  2. 2 Samuel 6:2 I.e., Kiriath-jearim
  3. 2 Samuel 6:2 Lit sitting
  4. 2 Samuel 6:5 Or zithers
  5. 2 Samuel 6:7 Lit the
  6. 2 Samuel 6:8 Lit the Lord broke through a breakthrough
  7. 2 Samuel 6:8 I.e., outburst against Uzzah

God’s chest is brought to Jerusalem

Once again David assembled the select warriors of Israel, thirty thousand strong. David and all the troops who were with him set out for Baalah, which is Kiriath-jearim of Judah,[a] to bring God’s chest up from there—the chest that is called by the name[b] of the Lord of heavenly forces, who sits enthroned on the winged creatures. They loaded God’s chest on a new cart and carried it from Abinadab’s house, which was on the hill. Uzzah and Ahio, Abinadab’s sons, were driving the new cart. [c] Uzzah was beside God’s chest while Ahio was walking in front of it. Meanwhile, David and the entire house of Israel celebrated in the Lord’s presence with all their strength, with songs,[d] zithers, harps, tambourines, rattles, and cymbals.

When they approached Nacon’s threshing floor, Uzzah reached out to God’s chest and grabbed it because the oxen had stumbled.[e] The Lord became angry at Uzzah, and God struck him there because of his mistake,[f] and he died there next to God’s chest. Then David got angry because the Lord’s anger lashed out against Uzzah, and so that place is called Perez-uzzah today.[g]

David was frightened by the Lord that day. “How will I ever bring the Lord’s chest to me?” he asked. 10 So David didn’t take the chest away with him to David’s City. Instead, he had it put in the house of Obed-edom, who was from Gath. 11 The Lord’s chest stayed with Obed-edom’s household in Gath for three months, and the Lord blessed Obed-edom’s household and all that he had.

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Footnotes

  1. 2 Samuel 6:2 DSS (4QSama), 1 Chron 13:6; MT from Baale-judah
  2. 2 Samuel 6:2 MT repeats name, but 1 Chron 13:6 omits one of these and LXX reads the first as there.
  3. 2 Samuel 6:4 LXX, DSS (4QSama), 1 Chron 13:7; MT repeats they carried it from the house of Abinadab on the hill; Uzzah has dropped out and must be restored.
  4. 2 Samuel 6:5 LXX, DSS (4QSama), 1 Chron 13:8; MT with all sorts of pine instruments
  5. 2 Samuel 6:6 Heb uncertain
  6. 2 Samuel 6:7 Heb uncertain; LXX lacks this phrase; cf Targ, Syr, 1 Chron 13:10 because he had placed his hand on the chest.
  7. 2 Samuel 6:8 Perez-uzzah means Uzzah-outbreak; cf 2 Sam 5:20.