2 Samuel 6 (NET)

David Brings the Ark to Jerusalem

1 David again assembled1 all the best2 men in Israel, thirty thousand in number. 2 David and all the men who were with him traveled3 to4 Baalah5 in Judah to bring up from there the ark of God which is called by the name6 of the Lord of hosts, who sits enthroned between the cherubim that are on it. 3 They loaded the ark of God on a new cart and carried it from the house of Abinadab, which was on the hill. Uzzah and Ahio, the sons of Abinadab, were guiding the new cart. 4 They brought7 it with the ark of God up from the house of Abinadab on the hill. Ahio was walking in front of the ark, 5 while David and all Israel8 were energetically celebrating before the Lord, singing9 and playing various stringed instruments,10 tambourines, rattles,11 and cymbals.

6 When they arrived at the threshing floor of Nacon,12 Uzzah reached out and grabbed hold of13 the ark of God,14 because the oxen stumbled. 7 The Lord was so furious with Uzzah,15 he16 killed him on the spot17 for his negligence.18 He died right there beside the ark of God.

8 David was angry because the Lord attacked19 Uzzah; so he called that place Perez Uzzah,20 which remains its name to this very day. 9 David was afraid of the Lord that day and said, “How will the ark of the Lord ever come to me?” 10 So David was no longer willing to bring the ark of the Lord to be with him in the City of David. David left it in the house of Obed-Edom the Gittite. 11 The ark of the Lord remained in the house of Obed-Edom the Gittite for three months. The Lord blessed Obed-Edom and all his family.21 12 David was told,22 “The Lord has blessed the family of Obed-Edom and everything he owns because of the ark of God.” So David went and joyfully brought the ark of God from the house of Obed-Edom to the City of David. 13 Those who carried the ark of the Lord took six steps and then David23 sacrificed an ox and a fatling calf. 14 Now David, wearing a linen ephod, was dancing with all his strength before the Lord.24 15 David and all Israel25 were bringing up the ark of the Lord, shouting and blowing trumpets.26

16 As the ark of the Lord entered the City of David, Saul’s daughter Michal looked out the window. When she saw King David leaping and dancing before the Lord, she despised him.27 17 They brought the ark of the Lord and put it in its place28 in the middle of the tent that David had pitched for it. Then David offered burnt sacrifices and peace offerings before the Lord. 18 When David finished offering the burnt sacrifices and peace offerings, he pronounced a blessing over the people in the name of the Lord of hosts. 19 He then handed out to each member of the entire assembly of Israel,29 both men and women, a portion of bread, a date cake,30 and a raisin cake. Then all the people went home.31 20 When David went home to pronounce a blessing on his own house,32 Michal, Saul’s daughter, came out to meet him.33 She said, “How the king of Israel has distinguished34 himself this day! He has exposed himself today before his servants’ slave girls the way a vulgar fool35 might do!”

21 David replied to Michal, “It was before the Lord! I was celebrating before the Lord, who chose me over your father and his entire family36 and appointed me as leader over the Lord’s people Israel. 22 I am willing to shame and humiliate myself even more than this!37 But with the slave girls whom you mentioned let me be distinguished!” 23 Now Michal, Saul’s daughter, had no children to the day of her death.

1tn The translation understands the verb to be a defective spelling of וַיְּאֱסֹף (vayyÿ’esof) due to quiescence of the letter א (alef). The root therefore is אסף (’sf, “to gather”). The Masoretes, however, pointed the verb as וַיֹּסֶף (vayyosef), understanding it to be a form of יָסַף (yasaf, “to add”). This does not fit the context, which calls for a verb of gathering. 2tn Or “chosen.” 3tn Heb “arose and went.” 4tn Heb “from,” but the following context indicates they traveled to this location. 5tn This is another name for Kiriath-jearim (see 1 Chr 13:6). 6tc The MT has here a double reference to the name (שֵׁם שֵׁם, shem shem). Many medieval Hebrew mss in the first occurrence point the word differently and read the adverb שָׁם (sham, “there”). This is also the understanding of the Syriac Peshitta (Syr., taman). While this yields an acceptable understanding to the text, it is more likely that the MT dittographic here. The present translation therefore reads שֵׁם only once. 7tn Heb “lifted.” 8tn Heb “all the house of Israel.” 9tc Heb “were celebrating before the Lord with all woods of fir” (cf. KJV, ASV, NASB). If the text is retained, the last expression must be elliptical, referring to musical instruments made from fir wood. But it is preferable to emend the text in light of 1 Chr 13:8, which reads “were celebrating before the Lord with all strength and with songs.” 10tn Heb “with zithers [?] and with harps.” 11tn That is, “sistrums” (so NAB, NIV); ASV, NASB, NRSV, CEV, NLT “castanets.” 12tn 1 Chr 13:9 has “Kidon.” 13tn Or “steadied.” 14tn Heb “and Uzzah reached out toward the ark of God and grabbed it.” 15tn Heb “and the anger of the Lord burned against Uzzah.” 16tn Heb “God.” 17tc Heb “there.” Since this same term occurs later in the verse it is translated “on the spot” here for stylistic reasons. 18tc The phrase “his negligence” is absent from the LXX. 19tn Heb “because the Lord broke out [with] a breaking out [i.e., an outburst] against Uzzah.” 20sn The name Perez Uzzah means in Hebrew “the outburst [against] Uzzah.” 21tn Heb “house,” both here and in v. 12. 22tn Heb “and it was told to David, saying.” 23tn Heb “he”; the referent (David) has been specified in the translation for clarity. 24tn Heb “and David was dancing with all his strength before the Lord, and David was girded with a linen ephod.” 25tc Heb “all the house of Israel.” A few medieval Hebrew mss and the Syriac Peshitta lack the words “the house.” 26tn Heb “the shophar” (the ram’s horn trumpet). 27tn The Hebrew text adds “in her heart.” Cf. CEV “she was disgusted (+ with him TEV)”; NLT “was filled with contempt for him”; NCV “she hated him.” 28tc The Syriac Peshitta lacks “in its place.” 29tn Heb “to all the people, to all the throng of Israel.” 30tn The Hebrew word used here אֶשְׁפָּר (’espar) is found in the OT only here and in the parallel passage found in 1 Chr 16:3. Its exact meaning is uncertain, although the context indicates that it was a food of some sort (cf. KJV “a good piece of flesh”; NRSV “a portion of meat”). The translation adopted here (“date cake”) follows the lead of the Greek translations of the LXX, Aquila, and Symmachus (cf. NASB, NIV, NLT). 31tn Heb “and all the people went, each to his house.” 32tn Heb “and David returned to bless his house.” 33tn Heb “David.” The name has been replaced by the pronoun (“him”) in the translation for stylistic reasons. 34tn Heb “honored.” 35tn Heb “one of the foolish ones.” 36tn Heb “all his house”; CEV “anyone else in your family.” 37tn Heb “and I will shame myself still more than this and I will be lowly in my eyes.”