2 Samuel 6 King James Version (KJV)

6 Again, David gathered together all the chosen men of Israel, thirty thousand.

² And David arose, and went with all the people that were with him from Baale of Judah, to bring up from thence the ark of God, whose name is called by the name of the Lord of hosts that dwelleth between the cherubims.

³ And they set the ark of God upon a new cart, and brought it out of the house of Abinadab that was in Gibeah: and Uzzah and Ahio, the sons of Abinadab, drave the new cart.

⁴ And they brought it out of the house of Abinadab which was at Gibeah, accompanying the ark of God: and Ahio went before the ark.

⁵ And David and all the house of Israel played before the Lord on all manner of instruments made of fir wood, even on harps, and on psalteries, and on timbrels, and on cornets, and on cymbals.

⁶ And when they came to Nachon’s threshingfloor, Uzzah put forth his hand to the ark of God, and took hold of it; for the oxen shook it.

⁷ And the anger of the Lord was kindled against Uzzah; and God smote him there for his error; and there he died by the ark of God.

⁸ And David was displeased, because the Lord had made a breach upon Uzzah: and he called the name of the place Perezuzzah to this day.

⁹ And David was afraid of the Lord that day, and said, How shall the ark of the Lord come to me?

¹⁰ So David would not remove the ark of the Lord unto him into the city of David: but David carried it aside into the house of Obededom the Gittite.

¹¹ And the ark of the Lord continued in the house of Obededom the Gittite three months: and the Lord blessed Obededom, and all his household.

¹² And it was told king David, saying, The Lord hath blessed the house of Obededom, and all that pertaineth unto him, because of the ark of God. So David went and brought up the ark of God from the house of Obededom into the city of David with gladness.

¹³ And it was so, that when they that bare the ark of the Lord had gone six paces, he sacrificed oxen and fatlings.

¹⁴ And David danced before the Lord with all his might; and David was girded with a linen ephod.

¹⁵ So David and all the house of Israel brought up the ark of the Lordwith shouting, and with the sound of the trumpet.

¹⁶ And as the ark of the Lord came into the city of David, Michal Saul’s daughter looked through a window, and saw king David leaping and dancing before the Lord; and she despised him in her heart.

¹⁷ And they brought in the ark of the Lord, and set it in his place, in the midst of the tabernacle that David had pitched for it: and David offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before the Lord.

¹⁸ And as soon as David had made an end of offering burnt offerings and peace offerings, he blessed the people in the name of the Lord of hosts.

¹⁹ And he dealt among all the people, even among the whole multitude of Israel, as well to the women as men, to every one a cake of bread, and a good piece of flesh, and a flagon of wine. So all the people departed every one to his house.

²⁰ Then David returned to bless his household. And Michal the daughter of Saul came out to meet David, and said, How glorious was the king of Israel to day, who uncovered himself to day in the eyes of the handmaids of his servants, as one of the vain fellows shamelessly uncovereth himself!

²¹ And David said unto Michal, It was before the Lord, which chose me before thy father, and before all his house, to appoint me ruler over the people of the Lord, over Israel: therefore will I play before the Lord.

²² And I will yet be more vile than thus, and will be base in mine own sight: and of the maidservants which thou hast spoken of, of them shall I be had in honour.

²³ Therefore Michal the daughter of Saul had no child unto the day of her death.

Commentary

The ark brought to Jerusalem (6:1-23)

Part of the reason for Israel’s weakness during Saul’s reign was the king’s lack of interest in the nation’s religious life. David was determined to correct this state of affairs. He began by restoring the ark, symbol of God’s presence, to its rightful position as the centre of Israel’s religious life. (During Saul’s reign the ark had remained in a country house in Kiriath-jearim, also known as Baal-judah or Baalah; 1 Sam 7:1-2; 1 Chron 13:5-6.) In bringing the ark to Jerusalem, David was aiming to make Jerusalem the religious centre of Israel as well as the royal city and administrative capital (6:1-5).

David’s plans suffered an early setback when a person who touched the ark was killed. Apparently thinking that God was angry with him for moving the ark, David feared to take it any further. He left it in the nearby house of a man named Obed-edom (6-11).

God’s blessing on the house of Obed-edom during the next three months made David realize that God’s anger was not because of the removal of the ark. Rather it was because of the lack of respect for

God that had characterized the operation. For example, the Israelites had copied the Philistines (who knew no better) by transporting the ark on a cart, instead of carrying it on the shoulders of the Levites (see

1. 3; cf. Num 4:15; 7:9; 1 Sam 6:7). Therefore, when David decided to move the ark again, he was careful to do things properly (1 Chron 15:2,13-15). He was so relieved when no one was struck dead, that he stopped the procession after it had gone only six paces and offered sacrifices of thanksgiving (12-15).

At this time the tabernacle was in Gibeon (1 Chron 16:39). David made no attempt to shift it to Jerusalem, possibly because it was too old to move without causing major damage, or possibly because David was thinking of building a new and more lasting structure. When he brought the ark to Jerusalem, he placed it, to begin with, in a special tent that he had prepared for it. He and the people celebrated the great event with a sacred ritual of music, dancing, sacrifice and feasting (16-19; see 1 Chron 15:16-28). The psalm sung on this occasion praised God for giving the people of Israel their homeland, and contrasted the power of this glorious God with the weakness of heathen idols (1 Chron 16:8-36).

Michal did not share David’s enthusiasm, and rebuked him for his unashamed display of joy during the procession. She thought his behaviour unfitting for a king (20-23). But David was determined to lift the spiritual life of the people. He appointed suitable men to be with the ark and guide the worship at Jerusalem, apparently under the direction of the senior priest, Abiathar. The other chief priest, Zadok, was in charge of the tabernacle at Gibeon (1 Chron 16:4-6,37-42).