Uzzah

1David gathered the best soldiers of Israel again. There were thirty thousand of them.

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

NoteIsrael was the name of God's people and their land. Their king was David. Thirty thousand men is a very large crowd.

2David and all his men set out from Baale of Judah. They went to bring back the ark of God. The ark was called by God's own name. He is the Lord of armies. He sits like a king above the golden angel figures on the ark's lid.

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.

NoteThe ark was a wooden box covered with gold. It had two gold angel figures on its lid. People believed God met with them there. "The LORD of hosts" means the Lord who leads armies. Baale of Judah was a town where the ark had been kept.

3They put the ark of God on a new cart. They brought it out of Abinadab's house on the hill. Uzzah and Ahio, Abinadab's sons, guided the new cart.

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.

NoteA cart is a wagon pulled by animals. God had told the people to carry the ark on long poles instead. Only certain men were allowed to lift it.

4They brought the cart out of Abinadab's house and walked beside the ark of God. Ahio walked in front of the ark.

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.

5David and all the people of Israel celebrated in front of the Lord. They played wooden instruments, harps, other stringed instruments, tambourines, rattles, and cymbals.

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.

NoteA psaltery and a timbrel are old words. A psaltery had strings, like a small harp. A timbrel was a tambourine you shake and hit. This was happy parade music.

6They came to Nachon's threshing floor, a flat place where grain was beaten. The oxen stumbled there. So Uzzah reached out and grabbed the ark of God.

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.

NoteA threshing floor was a hard, flat, open place. Farmers beat the grain there to knock the seeds loose. Oxen are big strong cattle that pull carts.

7The Lord grew angry with Uzzah. God struck him down right there for what he had done. Uzzah died beside the ark of God.

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.

NoteThe ark belonged to God alone, and no one was to touch it. "Smote" is an old word that means struck. "His error" means the wrong thing he did.

8David was upset that the Lord had burst out against Uzzah. He named that place Perez-uzzah. It still has that name today.

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.

NoteNames in the Bible often meant something. Perez-uzzah means "bursting out against Uzzah." People still called the spot by that name long after.

9That day David was afraid of the Lord. He asked, "How can the ark of the Lord ever come to me?"

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

10So David would not move the ark into his own city. Instead he took it aside to the house of Obed-edom, a man from the town of Gath.

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.

NoteThe City of David is another name for Jerusalem. It was the town where David lived. Gath was a town nearby, so Obed-edom came from somewhere else.

11The ark of the Lord stayed at Obed-edom's house for three months. The Lord blessed Obed-edom and everyone who lived with him.

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.

NoteTo bless someone means to give them good things. Obed-edom's family did well while the ark was there.

5So David gathered all Israel together. They came from the Shihor River in Egypt all the way north to Lebo-hamath. They came to bring the ark of God from the town of Kirjath-jearim.

So David gathered all Israel together, from Shihor of Egypt even unto the entering of Hemath, to bring the ark of God from Kirjathjearim.

NoteThese two places were the far ends of the land. Shihor was way down south by Egypt. Lebo-hamath was far up north. So the writer means people came from everywhere.

6David and all Israel went up to Baalah, which is the town of Kirjath-jearim in Judah. They went to bring back the ark of God the LORD. He sits like a king above the winged figures. The ark is called by his own name.

And David went up, and all Israel, to Baalah, that is, to Kirjathjearim, which belonged to Judah, to bring up thence the ark of God the LORD, that dwelleth between the cherubims, whose name is called on it.

NoteThe lid of the ark had two gold figures with wings. They were called cherubim. People pictured God sitting above them like a king on his throne. Saying the ark carried God's name means the ark belonged to him.

7They brought the ark of God out of Abinadab's house. They put it on a new cart. Uzza and Ahio led the cart along the road.

And they carried the ark of God in a new cart out of the house of Abinadab: and Uzza and Ahio drave the cart.

NoteA cart is a wagon with wheels, pulled by animals. God's rules said the ark should not ride on a cart. It was meant to be carried on long poles, on men's shoulders.

8David and all Israel celebrated in front of God with all their strength. They sang songs. They played harps and lyres, and shook tambourines. They clashed cymbals and blew trumpets.

And David and all Israel played before God with all their might, and with singing, and with harps, and with psalteries, and with timbrels, and with cymbals, and with trumpets.

NoteA lyre is a small harp with strings you pluck. A tambourine is a little drum with metal jingles. Cymbals are round metal plates you crash together.

9They came to the threshing floor of Chidon. The oxen pulling the cart stumbled. So Uzza reached out his hand to hold the ark steady.

And when they came unto the threshingfloor of Chidon, Uzza put forth his hand to hold the ark; for the oxen stumbled.

NoteA threshing floor was a flat, hard patch of ground. Farmers beat piles of grain there. That knocked the seeds loose from the dry stalks. Oxen are big strong cattle used to pull heavy loads.

10The LORD became angry at Uzza. God struck him down because he had put his hand on the ark. Uzza died there in front of God.

And the anger of the LORD was kindled against Uzza, and he smote him, because he put his hand to the ark: and there he died before God.

NoteGod's rules said no one was allowed to touch the ark. Not even good men like Uzza. That is why the poles were there for carrying it.

11David was upset because the LORD had burst out against Uzza. So David named that place Perez-uzza. People still call it that today.

And David was displeased, because the LORD had made a breach upon Uzza: wherefore that place is called Perezuzza to this day.

NoteThe name Perez-uzza means "bursting out against Uzza." People in those days often named a place after what happened there.

12That day David was afraid of God. He asked, "How can I ever bring the ark of God home to me?"

And David was afraid of God that day, saying, How shall I bring the ark of God home to me?

13So David did not take the ark home to his own city. He turned aside and left it at the house of Obed-edom, a man from the town of Gath.

So David brought not the ark home to himself to the city of David, but carried it aside into the house of Obededom the Gittite.

NoteThe city of David is another name for Jerusalem. Gath was a town of the Philistines, a people who lived near Israel.

14The ark of God stayed with Obed-edom and his family for three months. The LORD blessed Obed-edom's household and everything he owned.

And the ark of God remained with the family of Obededom in his house three months. And the LORD blessed the house of Obededom, and all that he had.

NoteTo bless someone means to be very good to them. While the ark was there, good things happened to Obed-edom and his family.