2 Samuel 6:1
ESV
David again gathered all the chosen men of Israel, thirty thousand.
NIV
David again brought together all the able young men of Israel—thirty thousand.
NASB
Now David again gathered all the chosen men of Israel, thirty thousand.
CSB
David again assembled all the fit young men in Israel: thirty thousand.
NLT
Then David again gathered all the elite troops in Israel, 30,000 in all.
KJV
Again, David gathered together all the chosen men of Israel, thirty thousand.
NKJV
Again David gathered all the choice men of Israel, thirty thousand.
What does 2 Samuel 6:1 mean?
After becoming king over a united Israel (2 Samuel 5:1–3), David defeated the occupants of Jerusalem and made it the seat of his government (2 Samuel 5:6–9). He's also driven the Philistines back into their own territory (2 Samuel 5:17–25). In a rare moment of peace and security, David decides to retrieve the ark of God and give it a permanent place in the city of David.Before David acts, he consults with his commanders, the assembly of Israel, and God. The people agree to invite all the Israelites to gather and bring the ark to David's political capital (1 Chronicles 13:1–4). They give a compelling reason: "Then let us bring again the ark of our God to us, for we did not seek it in the days of Saul" (1 Chronicles 13:3). It seems Saul had carried the ark into battle, using it more like a military good-luck charm than the sacred symbol of God's presence (1 Samuel 14:18). David's people recognize the ark as central to Israel's identity and as a visible sign of their covenant with God.
David assembles "all Israel from the Nile of Egypt to Lebo-hamath, to bring the ark of God from Kiriath-jearim" (1 Chronicles 13:5). Included are thirty divisions of warriors; the Hebrew word for "thousand" used here ('eleph) can also refer to a military division.
