2 Samuel 6:17
ESV
And they brought in the ark of the Lord and set it in its place, inside the tent that David had pitched for it. And David offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before the Lord.
NIV
They brought the ark of the Lord and set it in its place inside the tent that David had pitched for it, and David sacrificed burnt offerings and fellowship offerings before the Lord.
NASB
Now they brought in the ark of the Lord and set it in its place inside the tent which David had pitched for it; and David offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before the Lord.
CSB
They brought the ark of the Lord and set it in its place inside the tent David had pitched for it. Then David offered burnt offerings and fellowship offerings in the Lord’s presence.
NLT
They brought the Ark of the Lord and set it in its place inside the special tent David had prepared for it. And David sacrificed burnt offerings and peace offerings to the Lord.
KJV
And they brought in the ark of the Lord, and set it in his place, in the midst of the tabernacle that David had pitched for it: and David offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before the Lord.
NKJV
So they brought the ark of the Lord, and set it in its place in the midst of the tabernacle that David had erected for it. Then David offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before the Lord.
What does 2 Samuel 6:17 mean?
For the first time, the ark of the covenant has entered the Israelites' political capital, Jerusalem. Its centuries of traveling—from Shiloh to the Philistines to Beth-shemesh to Kiriath Jearim to Saul's battles—is over. It will not leave again until it disappears sometime during the divided kingdom. David has built a tent specifically for the ark. It may be in the City of David, the small, eight-acre section southwest of what will become the temple mount, or it may be on the mount, itself.But the tent isn't the tabernacle of Moses where the priests perform the sacrifices. The Levites carried the tabernacle across the Jordan River and assembled it in Shiloh (Joshua 18:1; 1 Samuel 1:3). Archaeologists believe the Philistines destroyed Shiloh after the ark was taken. The tabernacle was rebuilt in Nob until Saul killed the priests there (1 Samuel 21:1–6; 22:6–19). At the time of the events recorded here, it's in Gibeon (1 Chronicles 16:39–40). When Solomon builds the temple, the ark and the altar will be together again (2 Chronicles 5:5).
David doesn't physically perform the sacrifices. He may provide the animals, but the priests and Levites do the work. Burnt offerings are an ancient and common tradition. The entire animal, except for the hide, is completely burned up, usually while the person offering the animal asks God for absolution for sin (Leviticus 1:3–4). Fellowship or peace offerings are meant to restore relationships or to give thanks. In a peace offering, part of the animals is burned up and part is eaten. It's a way to invite God to a meal (1 Samuel 1:3–4).
