2 Samuel 6:9

9 Then David was afraid of the Lord and said, "How can I take the Covenant Box with me now?"

2 Samuel 6:9 Meaning and Commentary

2 Samuel 6:9

And David was afraid of the Lord that day
Lest he should be smitten for his error also, and especially as he had discovered some resentment at the Lord's dealing with Uzzah; when he ought to have been still and quiet, and submitted to the will of God, and owned his justice in it, confessed his own error, and been thankful for his sparing mercy vouchsafed to him:

and said, how shall the ark of the Lord come to me?
the meaning of which is not, how it should be brought to the place provided by him in Jerusalem, now Uzzah was dead, for there were Levites enough to carry it, as they afterwards did; but as signifying that it would be either boldness and presumption in him to do it, since God had shown such a mark of his displeasure at their proceeding, that he might be in doubt whether it was the will of God it should come to him; or as fearing it would be dangerous to him to have it with him, since he might be guilty of such an error, of the same, or like it, that had been committed.

2 Samuel 6:9 In-Context

7 At once the Lord God became angry with Uzzah and killed him because of his irreverence. Uzzah died there beside the Covenant Box,

8 and so that place has been called Perez Uzzah ever since. David was furious because the Lord had punished Uzzah in anger.

9 Then David was afraid of the Lord and said, "How can I take the Covenant Box with me now?"

10 So he decided not to take it with him to Jerusalem; instead, he turned off the road and took it to the house of Obed Edom, a native of the city of Gath.

11 It stayed there three months, and the Lord blessed Obed Edom and his family.