The Second Book of Samuel

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- Chapter 6 -

(1 Chronicles 13:1–7)

Then David chose thirty thousand Israelite men and gathered them together.

He led them to the place in Judah formerly called Baalah, now called Kiriath Jearim. They went in order to bring the sacred chest to Jerusalem, the chest that had the name of Yahweh, Commander of the angel armies, written on it, and that had the figures of the winged creatures on top of it. Between those statues was where Yahweh himself was present, though he remained unseen.

The sacred chest was in the house of Abinadab, on top of a hill. They went there, and put the chest on a new cart. Uzzah and Ahio, Abinadab’s two sons, were guiding the oxen that were pulling the cart.

Uzzah walked alongside the cart, and Ahio walked in front of it.

Uzzah Touches the Ark

(1 Chronicles 13:8–14)

David and all the Israelite men were celebrating in God’s presence, singing with all their strength and playing wooden lyres and harps, and beating tambourines, and clashing castanets and cymbals.

But when they came to the place where Nakon threshed grain, the oxen stumbled. So Uzzah put his hand on the sacred chest to steady it.

Yahweh immediately became very angry with Uzzah, and killed him right there alongside the sacred chest, because he had touched the chest.

But David was angry because Yahweh had punished Uzzah. So ever since that time, that place has been called Perez Uzzah.

Then David was afraid of what else Yahweh would do to punish them, so he said, “How can I take the sacred chest with me to Jerusalem?”

So he decided not to take the sacred chest to Jerusalem. Instead, they took it to another place, the house of Obed Edom the Gittite.

They left the sacred chest in the house of Obed Edom for three months, and during that time Yahweh blessed him and his family.

The Ark Brought to Jerusalem

(1 Chronicles 15:1–28)

Some time later, people told David, “Yahweh has blessed Obed Edom and his family because he is taking care of the sacred chest!” When David heard that, he and some other men went to Obed Edom’s house, and very joyfully brought the sacred chest from there to Jerusalem.

When the men who were carrying the sacred chest had walked six steps, they stopped, and there David killed a bull and a fat calf, and offered them to Yahweh as a sacrifice.

David was wearing only a linen cloth wrapped around his waist, and was dancing very energetically to honor Yahweh.

David and the Israelite men took the sacred chest up to Jerusalem, shouting loudly and blowing trumpets.

Michal’s Contempt for David

(1 Chronicles 15:29–16:3)

While they were carrying the sacred chest into the city, his wife Michal, Saul’s daughter, looked out the window of her house. She saw King David leaping and dancing to honor Yahweh. But she was disgusted with him.

They brought the sacred chest into the tent that David had erected for it. Then David gave to Yahweh offerings to be completely burned on an altar, and other offerings to promise friendship with Yahweh.

When David had finished offering those sacrifices, he asked Yahweh, Commander of the angel armies, to bless the people.

He also distributed food to all the people. To each man and woman he gave a loaf of bread, some meat, and a raisin cake. Then they all returned to their homes.

When David went home to ask Yahweh to bless his family, his wife Michal came out to meet him. She said to him, “Maybe you, the king of Israel, think that you were acting in an honorable way today, but really, you acted like a fool. You were nearly naked in front of the female servants of your officials!”

David replied to Michal, “I was doing that to honor Yahweh, who chose me instead of your father and other members of his family, to be the king of the Israelite people, the people who belong to Yahweh. And I will continue to dance to honor Yahweh!

Even though you think that what I did was disgraceful, I will continue to act in this way because I am willing to be made a fool in my own eyes. But the female servants whom you were talking about, they will give me honor!”

As a result, Saul’s daughter never gave birth to any children.

(1 Chronicles 13:1–7)

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

David arose and went with all the people who were with him from Baale Judah, to bring up from there God’s ark, which is called by the Name, even the name of the LORD of Armies who sits above the cherubim.

They set God’s ark on a new cart, and brought it out of Abinadab’s house that was on the hill; and Uzzah and Ahio, the sons of Abinadab, drove the new cart.

They brought it out of Abinadab’s house which was in the hill, with God’s ark; and Ahio went before the ark.

Uzzah Touches the Ark

(1 Chronicles 13:8–14)

David and all the house of Israel played before the LORD with all kinds of instruments made of cypress wood, with harps, with stringed instruments, with tambourines, with castanets, and with cymbals.

When they came to the threshing floor of Nacon, Uzzah reached for God’s ark and took hold of it, for the cattle stumbled.

The LORD’s anger burned against Uzzah, and God struck him there for his error; and he died there by God’s ark.

David was displeased because the LORD had broken out against Uzzah; and he called that place Perez Uzzah

(a)

to this day.

David was afraid of the LORD that day; and he said, “How could the LORD’s ark come to me?”

So David would not move the LORD’s ark to be with him in David’s city; but David carried it aside into Obed-Edom the Gittite’s house.

The LORD’s ark remained in Obed-Edom the Gittite’s house three months; and the LORD blessed Obed-Edom and all his house.

The Ark Brought to Jerusalem

(1 Chronicles 15:1–28)

King David was told, “The LORD has blessed the house of Obed-Edom, and all that belongs to him, because of God’s ark.” So David went and brought up God’s ark from the house of Obed-Edom into David’s city with joy.

When those who bore the LORD’s ark had gone six paces, he sacrificed an ox and a fattened calf.

David danced before the LORD with all his might; and David was clothed in a linen ephod.

So David and all the house of Israel brought up the LORD’s ark with shouting and with the sound of the trumpet.

Michal’s Contempt for David

(1 Chronicles 15:29–16:3)

As the LORD’s ark came into David’s city, Michal the daughter of Saul looked out through the window and saw King David leaping and dancing before the LORD; and she despised him in her heart.

They brought in the LORD’s ark, and set it in its place in the middle of the tent that David had pitched for it; and David offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before the LORD.

When David had finished offering the burnt offering and the peace offerings, he blessed the people in the name of the LORD of Armies.

He gave to all the people, even among the whole multitude of Israel, both to men and women, to everyone a portion of bread, dates, and raisins. So all the people departed, each to his own house.

Then David returned to bless his household. Michal the daughter of Saul came out to meet David, and said, “How glorious the king of Israel was today, who uncovered himself today in the eyes of his servants’ maids, as one of the vain fellows shamelessly uncovers himself!”

David said to Michal, “It was before the LORD, who chose me above your father, and above all his house, to appoint me prince over the people of the LORD, over Israel. Therefore I will celebrate before the LORD.

I will be yet more undignified than this, and will be worthless in my own sight. But the maids of whom you have spoken will honor me.”

Michal the daughter of Saul had no child to the day of her death.

Footnotes

(a)6:8 “Perez Uzzah” means “outbreak against Uzzah”.