David tries to bring back the ark, Uzzah’s death
13
📚And David consulted with the captains of thousands and hundreds, and with each leader. 2 📚And David said to all the congregation of Israel, “If it seems good to you, and if it is from the LORD our God, let us send word out to our brethren everywhere, those remaining in the whole land of Israel, and along with them to the priests and Levites who are in their cities and pasture lands, so that they may gather here with us. 3 📚And let us bring back the ark of our God to us; for we did not consult God by it in the days of Saul”.13:3 The ark had been captured by the Philistines (1 Sam 4:10-11). The story of what they did with it is found in 1 Samuel chapter 6. The ark was the place where God met with Moses and gave him commands for Israel (Ex 25:22). Perhaps previous to this, at some periods in their history Israel’s leaders sought God’s will in the presence of the ark, but there is no record of this.⚜
4 📚And all the congregation said that they would do so, for in the eyes of all the people it was the right thing to do. 5 📚So David gathered all Israel together, from Shihor of Egypt to the entrance of Hemath 📖, to bring the ark of God from Kirjath-Jearim. 6 📚And David went up, and all Israel, to Baalah, that is, to Kirjath-Jearim, which belonged to Judah, to bring up from there the ark of God the LORD, who dwells between the cherubim, which is called by his name. 7 📚And they carried the ark of God in a new cart from the house of Abinadab; and Uzza and Ahio were driving the cart. 8 📚And David and all Israel were celebrating before God with all their might, and with singing and with harps and with lyres and with tambourines and with cymbals and with trumpets.
9 📚And when they came to the threshing floor of Kidon, Uzza put out his hand to take hold of the ark, for the oxen stumbled. 10 📚And the anger of the LORD burned against Uzza and he struck him down, because he put his hand on the ark; and there he died before God. 11 📚And David was displeased, because the LORD’s anger had broken out against Uzza. Therefore that place is called Perez-Uzza to this day. 12 📚And David was afraid of God that day, saying, “How shall I bring the ark of God to me?” 13 📚So David did not bring the ark to himself to the city of David, but carried it aside into the house of Obed-Edom the Gittite. 14 📚And the ark of God remained with the family of Obed-Edom in his house three months. And the LORD blessed the house of Obed-Edom, and all that he had.
13:5-14 2 Sam 6:1-11. See notes there.⚜