2 Samuel 6:4 - Printer Friendly

ESV: with the ark of God, and Ahio went before the ark.

NIV: with the ark of God on it, and Ahio was walking in front of it.

NASB: So they brought it with the ark of God from the house of Abinadab, which was on the hill; and Ahio was walking ahead of the ark.

CSB: and brought it with the ark of God from Abinadab’s house on the hill. Ahio walked in front of the ark.

NLT: that carried the Ark of God. Ahio walked in front of the Ark.

KJV: And they brought it out of the house of Abinadab which was at Gibeah, accompanying the ark of God: and Ahio went before the ark.

NKJV: And they brought it out of the house of Abinadab, which was on the hill, accompanying the ark of God; and Ahio went before the ark.

When the Israelites came to the Promised Land, God commanded them to set up the tabernacle in Shiloh. The tabernacle housed the ark of the covenant and the altar (Joshua 18:1). At that time, judges ruled the land, and the nation remained a loose group of divided tribes.

When Samuel was young, Eli's sons took the ark into battle, and the Philistines captured it (1 Samuel 4:11). Archaeological evidence suggests the Philistines destroyed Shiloh during this period. God struck the Philistines with tumors and infestations of rats, so they sent the ark back on a cart pulled by cows (1 Samuel 6:1–18). It arrived at Beth-shemesh, where some men improperly handled it, and God killed them (1 Samuel 6:18–20). The people of Beth-shemesh then brought the ark to Kiriath-jearim, also called Baale-judah, where it stayed for twenty years in the home of Abinadab (1 Samuel 7:1–2; 1 Chronicles 13:6).

During his reign, Saul may have kept the ark near him to take into battle (1 Samuel 14:18). Eventually, it returned to Abinadab's house, where his sons Uzzah and Ahio cared for it (2 Samuel 6:3). Meanwhile, the tabernacle moved from Shiloh to Nob, and later to Gibeon (1 Samuel 21:1–6; 1 Chronicles 16:39–40).

After establishing Jerusalem as his capital, David decides to bring the ark there. He places it on a new cart pulled by oxen, with Ahio guiding the cart and Uzzah walking beside it. They have completely ignored God's command that the ark I to be carried only using poles, and only by Levites (Exodus 25:12–14; Deuteronomy 10:8). When the oxen stumble and Uzzah reaches out to steady the ark, God strikes him dead for disobedience (2 Samuel 6:1–7).

Second Samuel 6:1–4 describes the initial leg of the ark of the covenant's move to Jerusalem. David first received approval and guidance from God and the people (1 Chronicles 13:1–4). But they apparently didn't check the Mosaic law. A cart pulled by oxen carries the ark, not the Levites. When the oxen stumble, Uzzah puts his hand toward the ark, and God strikes him dead. It will be another three months before they continue the trip (2 Samuel 6:5–15). First Chronicles 13:5–8 also records Uzzah's death.

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).

Second Samuel continues the story of David, who will become king over Judah. The other tribes of Israel are resistant, eventually sparking a civil war. David wins and makes Jerusalem his capital. Early success is followed by moral failure and controversy in David's house. The book of 1 Kings will begin by detailing David's decline and death.