2 Samuel 15:29
ESV
So Zadok and Abiathar carried the ark of God back to Jerusalem, and they remained there.
NIV
So Zadok and Abiathar took the ark of God back to Jerusalem and stayed there.
NASB
So Zadok and Abiathar returned the ark of God to Jerusalem and remained there.
CSB
So Zadok and Abiathar returned the ark of God to Jerusalem and stayed there.
NLT
So Zadok and Abiathar took the Ark of God back to the city and stayed there.
KJV
Zadok therefore and Abiathar carried the ark of God again to Jerusalem: and they tarried there.
NKJV
Therefore Zadok and Abiathar carried the ark of God back to Jerusalem. And they remained there.
What does 2 Samuel 15:29 mean?
Absalom and his group of co-conspirators approach Jerusalem. David stopped at the gate of Jerusalem to ensure his servants safely leave the city. As he watches them pass, he considers who should come with him and who should stay. He takes the Philistine warriors: two groups of personal guards and one newly commissioned band of mercenaries. But then he sees the priests, Abiathar and Zadok. They're with the Levites, and they've brought the ark of the covenant (2 Samuel 15:13–24).Since at least the time of Eli, the army of Israel has carried the ark into battle. King Saul continued the tradition (1 Samuel 14:18). The Bible never says David did. The Bible is also silent about what God thought about the practice, which He did not command Israel to do. However, when the Philistines took the ark and placed it in their idols' temple, Dagon did meet an untimely demise (1 Samuel 4:5–11; 5:1–5).
Still, it's not clear why Abiathar and Zadok want to take the ark with David. Maybe they believe he's the rightful king and the ark should stay with him wherever he is. Maybe they're afraid for their own safety from Absalom, but they won't desert the ark. Whatever the reason, David doesn't agree that the relic must come with him. The ark is God's, not his. So long as God allows Absalom to be king, the ark will stay with him. David submits to God's plan, no matter what it means to him (2 Samuel 15:25–26).
Meanwhile, Zadok and Abiathar are much more useful to David in proximity to Absalom. Zadok is a seer; he can ask God for insight into Absalom's plans. Both priests have sons. David will go as far as the ford on the near side of the Jordan River. The priests can tell their sons if Absalom plans to follow David and his exiles, and David can plan accordingly (2 Samuel 15:27–28).
The priests agree, but they soon find they're not alone. As David summits the Mount of Olives, his old friend Hushai meets him. The wise man also plans on following David into the wilderness. But, like the priests, David knows Hushai can do much good in Jerusalem (2 Samuel 15:32–37). Between the priests, their sons, and the old counselor, David has enough time to save his people from Absalom (2 Samuel 17).
