2 Samuel 6:12
ESV
And it was told King David, "The Lord has blessed the household of Obed-edom and all that belongs to him, because of the ark of God." So David went and brought up the ark of God from the house of Obed-edom to the city of David with rejoicing.
NIV
Now King David was told, "The Lord has blessed the household of Obed-Edom and everything he has, because of the ark of God." So David went to bring up the ark of God from the house of Obed-Edom to the City of David with rejoicing.
NASB
Now it was reported to King David, saying, 'The Lord has blessed the house of Obed-edom and all that belongs to him, on account of the ark of God.' So David went and brought the ark of God up from the house of Obed-edom to the city of David with joy.
CSB
It was reported to King David: "The Lord has blessed Obed-edom’s family and all that belongs to him because of the ark of God." So David went and had the ark of God brought up from Obed-edom’s house to the city of David with rejoicing.
NLT
Then King David was told, 'The Lord has blessed Obed-edom’s household and everything he has because of the Ark of God.' So David went there and brought the Ark of God from the house of Obed-edom to the City of David with a great celebration.
KJV
And it was told king David, saying, The Lord hath blessed the house of Obededom, and all that pertaineth unto him, because of the ark of God. So David went and brought up the ark of God from the house of Obededom into the city of David with gladness.
NKJV
Now it was told King David, saying, “The Lord has blessed the house of Obed-Edom and all that belongs to him, because of the ark of God.” So David went and brought up the ark of God from the house of Obed-Edom to the City of David with gladness.
What does 2 Samuel 6:12 mean?
David, the second king of Israel, follows God with all his heart. He has claimed Jerusalem as his political capital and now wants the ark of the covenant to join him there. The Israelites believe God's presence rests most powerfully near the ark. In the past, they even carried it into battle, convinced it would give them power over their enemies (1 Samuel 4:1–4). David wants that same nearness to God as he rules His people.The first attempt to bring the ark to Jerusalem ended in disaster. The Mosaic law's instructions were left unread or unheeded. Instead, David's men loaded the ark onto a cart. When the cart bounced and the ark shifted, a man tried to steady it, and God killed him for touching the sacred object. Angry and afraid, David left it at the home of Obed-edom. God responded by pouring blessings on Obed-edom and his household (2 Samuel 6:5–11).
David hears and seems to remember that God blesses obedience. He decides to try again. This time, the rejoicing is greater, the sacrifices are plentiful, and the Levites carry the ark as they should. They bring it to Jerusalem and place it in the tabernacle David has built (2 Samuel 6:13–15). It will stay there until David's son Solomon builds the first temple (1 Kings 6—7).
Scripture doesn't tell us how God blesses Obed-edom, but in this time in Israel, God's blessings usually included greater fertility of people, livestock, and crops, as well as protection from enemies (Deuteronomy 28:3–7). Ironically, Obed-edom is a Gittite which probably means he's a Philistine from Gath (2 Samuel 6:10). God judged Uzzah, a faithful Israelite who had cared for the ark for years because he disobeyed God's law (2 Samuel 6:6–7). Yet God blesses a Philistine. God cares more about our hearts for Him than where we come from.
