2 Samuel 6:12 - Printer Friendly

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.

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.

Second Samuel 6:12–15 records the day when the ark of the covenant (Exodus 25:10–22) finally reaches Jerusalem. For decades, it's either been in Baale-judah or carried with the army. At first, David had the ark transported contrary to the instructions in the Mosaic law, and a man died (2 Samuel 6:5–11). Now, the ark is properly hand-carried. The people celebrate with singers, musicians, and dancers. As David joins the celebration, his wife Michal watches with disgust at what she thinks is undignified behavior (2 Samuel 6:16). 1 Chronicles 15:1–28 gives greater detail to the procession.

In 2 Samuel 6, David decides to bring the ark of God (Exodus 25:10–22) to Jerusalem. This includes an enormous crowd and a great procession. Unfortunately, he doesn't follow the Mosaic law, and a man dies for inappropriately touching the ark. David leaves the ark at a house for three months before trying again. Moving the symbol of God's presence into the nation's capital delights everyone except David's first wife, Michal. She is disgusted by David's undignified enthusiasm. The same events are noted in 1 Chronicles 13 and 15.

David has established himself as king over all Israel (2 Samuel 5). In 2 Samuel 6, the ark of the covenant reaches Jerusalem. Since its first home in Shiloh, it's been captured by Philistines, sent back home, housed in Kiriath-jearim, carried with the army, and returned to Kiriath-jearim (Joshua 18:1; 1 Samuel 4, 6; 7:1–2; 14:18). David first puts the ark on a cart, but the cart wobbles and God strikes dead the man who tries to save it. Eventually, Levites carry the ark to Jerusalem properly. Soon, David decides that God deserves a proper temple and asks if he can build one (2 Samuel 7).