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1 Chronicles 13

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David Plans to Retrieve the Ark 1–4

1
And David consulted with the captains of thousands and of hundreds, even with every leader. ​
2
And David said unto all the assembly of Israel, If it seem good unto you, and if it be of Jehovah our God, let us send abroad every where unto our brethren that are left in all the land of Israel, with whom the priests and Levites are in their cities that have suburbs, that they may gather themselves unto us; ​
3
and let us bring again the ark of our God to us: for we sought not unto it in the days of Saul. ​
4
And all the assembly said that they would do so; for the thing was right in the eyes of all the people.

The Procession Begins 5–8

5
So David assembled all Israel together, from the Shihor the brook of Egypt even unto the entrance of Hamath, to bring the ark of God from Kiriath-jearim. ​
6
And David went up, and all Israel, to Baalah, that is, to Kiriath-jearim, which belonged to Judah, to bring up from thence the ark of God Jehovah that sitteth above the cherubim, that is called by the Name. ​
7
And they carried the ark of God upon a new cart, and brought it out of the house of Abinadab: and Uzza and Ahio drove the cart. ​
8
And David and all Israel played before God with all their might, even with songs, and with harps, and with psalteries, and with timbrels, and with cymbals, and with trumpets.

Uzza is Struck Down 9–11

9
And when they came unto the threshing-floor of Chidon, Uzza put forth his hand to hold the ark; for the oxen stumbled. ​
10
And the anger of Jehovah was kindled against Uzza, and he smote him, because he put forth his hand to the ark; and there he died before God. ​
11
And David was displeased, because Jehovah had broken forth upon Uzza: and he called that place Perez-uzza, unto this day. ​

The Ark Rests with Obed-Edom 12–14

12
And David was afraid of God that day, saying, How shall I bring the ark of God home to me? ​
13
So David removed not the ark unto him into the city of David, but carried it aside into the house of Obed-edom the Gittite. ​
14
And the ark of God remained with the family of Obed-edom in his house three months: and Jehovah blessed the house of Obed-edom, and all that he had. ​

Bible text: American Standard Version (1901) · Public domain

Study Notes for 1 Chronicles 13

Verse 1

captains of thousands and hundreds — These ranks go back to the wilderness: 'captains over thousands, and captains over hundreds' (Num 31:14). Yaats is to take counsel. 'Leader' is nagid, as in 11:2. The same captains go with David when the ark is finally brought up (15:25).

Verse 2

send abroad — Parats is to break out, so the message is to spread through the land. The same verb is used in v.11, where the LORD 'made a breach upon Uzza'. The priests and Levites were in 'cities and suburbs', as the law provided (Num 35:2). David asks for both agreement and the LORD's approval: 'if it seem good unto you, and that it be of the LORD'.

Verse 3

we enquired not at it — Darash, the verb of 10:13–14, where Saul 'enquired not of the LORD'. The ark had been left at Kirjath-jearim, where, as 1 Sam 7:2 says, 'the time was long; for it was twenty years'. 'Bring again' is sabab, to turn round, the verb used of the kingdom in 10:14.

Verse 5

from Shihor of Egypt even unto the entering of Hemath — The two limits of the land: Sihor 'before Egypt' (Josh 13:3) in the south, and Hamath in the north. Solomon's feast was gathered from the entering in of Hamath to 'the river of Egypt' (1 Kgs 8:65). Kirjath-jearim is the 'Kirjathbaal, which is Kirjathjearim' of Josh 15:60.

Verse 6

between the cherubims — Baalah is another name for Kirjath-jearim (Josh 15:9), which 'belonged to Judah'. The LORD had said, 'I will meet with thee, and I will commune with thee from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubims' (Ex 25:22). 2 Sam 6:2 has the same description, 'whose name is called by the name of the LORD of hosts'.

Verse 7

a new cart — The law gave the ark to the sons of Kohath, 'that they should bear upon their shoulders' (Num 7:9), and 'they shall not touch any holy thing, lest they die' (Num 4:15). The cart is the Philistines' method (1 Sam 6:7). Uzza and Ahio are sons of Abinadab (2 Sam 6:3), whose house had kept the ark.

Verse 9

Uzza put forth his hand — 2 Sam 6:6 names the place Nachon's threshingfloor. Achaz means to seize or grasp; 'stumbled' is shamat, to fling down or let go. David later says the Levites alone may carry the ark (15:2), the ordinance of Num 4:15 which this hand broke.

Verse 10

the anger of the LORD was kindled — Charah is to burn. 'He put his hand to the ark' is the touch that Num 4:15 forbade, 'lest they die'. 'There he died before God.' David names the cause later: 'because ye did it not at the first, the LORD our God made a breach upon us, for that we sought him not after the due order' (15:13).

Verse 11

Perezuzza — Perets Uzza, the 'breach of Uzza'. Perets comes from parats, the verb of 'send abroad' in v.2 and of 'made a breach' here. 'Displeased' is charah, the very word for the LORD's anger in v.10; David's anger burned. 'To this day' marks the place as still bearing the name when the book was written.

Verse 12

David was afraid of God — Yare, to fear, the verb of 'I am afraid of thy judgments' (Ps 119:120). 'Home to me' is the city of David, as v.13 says. The question is answered in chapter 15, where the ark is carried 'upon their shoulders with the staves thereon, as Moses commanded' (15:15).

Verse 13

the house of Obededom the Gittite — David 'brought not' (sur, turned aside) the ark, and 'carried it aside' (natah, to stretch out or incline) to Obed-edom. A Gittite is a man of Gath. In 15:18 Obed-edom is among the porters named with the Levites, and 26:4–8 lists his sons.

Verse 14

the LORD blessed the house of Obededom — The ark stayed three months, as in 2 Sam 6:11. 26:4–5 spells the blessing out: eight sons, Shemaiah the firstborn to Peulthai the eighth, 'for God blessed him', and sixty-two of his house 'able men for strength for the service' (26:8).