David consulted with the captains of the thousands and the hundreds, even with every leader. 2 David said to all the assembly of Israel, “If it seems good to you, and if it is from the LORD our God, let us send word everywhere to our fellow countrymen who remain in all the land of Israel, and to the priests and Levites who are with them in their cities with pasture lands, so that they may meet with us; 3 and let us bring back the ark of our God to us, 1afor we did not seek it during the days of Saul.”At one time Saul did consider pursuing the return of the ark (1 Sam 14:18). The account of the loss of the ark and its journey to Kiriath-jearim is recorded in 1 Sam 4-7:2.1 Sam 7:1, 2 4 Then all the assembly agreed to do so, for the thing was right in the eyes of all the people.
5 aSo David gathered all Israel together, from the Shihor watercourse of Egypt, to the entrance of Hamath in the north, bto bring the ark of God from Kiriath-jearim.2 Sam 6:1; 1 Kin 8:65; 1 Chr 15:31 Sam 6:21; 7:1 6 aDavid and all Israel went up to bBaalah, that is, to Kiriath-jearim, which belongs to Judah, to bring up from there the ark of God the LORD cwho sits enthroned above the cherubim, the ark which is called by His name.2 Sam 6:2-11Josh 15:9Ex 25:22; 2 Kin 19:15 7 They 1carried the ark of God on a new cart and brought it out of athe house of Abinadab, and Uzza and Ahio his brother drove the cart.David’s failure to review and follow God’s instructions (Ex 25:12-15) regarding the transportation of the ark resulted in tragedy (v 10).1 Sam 7:1 8 David and all Israel celebrated joyfully before God with all their might, awith songs, lyres, harps, tambourines, cymbals, and trumpets.1 Chr 15:16
9 When they came to athe threshing floor of Chidon, Uzza put out his hand to hold and steady the ark, for the oxen that were drawing the cart 1nearly overturned it.Exactly what happened is unclear. However, the oxen might have begun to run toward the threshing floor, lured by the smell of grain left over from threshing. The fact that oxen threshing grain (trampling the stalks to separate the kernels) would naturally eat some of the grain accounts for the prohibition against muzzling the ox during threshing (Deut 25:4; cf 1 Tim 5:18). But in any case, Uzza violated the great sanctity of the ark by touching it. God could have intervened and prevented the ark from being dislodged, if He so desired.2 Sam 6:6 10 The anger of the LORD burned against Uzza, and He struck him down abecause he touched the ark; band there he died before God. Num 4:151 Chr 15:13, 15Lev 10:2 11 David became angry because of the LORD’S outburst against Uzza; so that place is called 1Perez-uzza to this day.I.e. the outburst against Uzza. 12 David was afraid of God that day, and he said, “How can I bring the ark of God home with me?” 13 So David did not bring the ark with him to the City of David, but took it aside ato the house of 1Obed-edom the Gittite. Josh 21:20, 24; 1+@Chr 15:24It was appropriate to leave the ark with Oded-edom because he was a Levite, but David’s decision may not have been in Obed-edom’s best interest. David probably wanted to see what would happen to him before he risked transporting the ark to the temple.1 Chr 15:25 14 So the ark of God remained with the 1family of Obed-edom in his house three months; and athe LORD 2blessed the house of Obed-edom and all that he had.Lit house.The ancient rabbis said that the blessing was children born into his family, and that it was a reward for the hospitality that Obed-edom showed to the ark. They also noted that this happy outcome was important to show that it was not the ark itself that caused the death of Uzza (v 10), but only the sin that he committed in touching it.1 Chr 26:4, 5