2 Samuel 6:2

2 He led them to Baalah of Judah to bring back the Ark of God, which bears the name of the LORD of Heaven’s Armies, who is enthroned between the cherubim.

2 Samuel 6:2 Meaning and Commentary

2 Samuel 6:2

And David arose, and went with all the people that [were] with
him
The thirty thousand chosen men gathered together, and as many else as chose to go:

from Baale of Judah, to bring up from thence the ark of God;
that is, they first went to this place, as in ( 1 Chronicles 13:6 ) ; in order to fetch the ark from thence, as here expressed, and then they came from thence with it; this place is the same that is called Baalah and Kirjathbaal, a city in the tribe of Judah; hence Judah is added to it, and the same with Kirjathjearim, ( Joshua 15:9 Joshua 15:60 ) ; the place where it was brought to when fetched from Bethshemesh, ( 1 Samuel 7:1 ) ; and had been here now near fifty years; nor was it any where else during this time, only once at Gibeah of Saul with him, ( 1 Samuel 14:18 ) ;

whose name he called by the name of the Lord of hosts, that dwelleth
[between] the cherubim;
not the ark, but the Lord, whose is the ark; his name is called by the name of Jehovah, the infinite, incomprehensible, eternal, and immutable Being, the Lord of armies above and below; whose habitation was between the cherubim that overshadowed the mercy seat, which was above the ark; all this is said, not only to express the greatness and majesty of God, but for the honour of the ark, which belonged to him.

2 Samuel 6:2 In-Context

1 Then David again gathered all the elite troops in Israel, 30,000 in all.
2 He led them to Baalah of Judah to bring back the Ark of God, which bears the name of the LORD of Heaven’s Armies, who is enthroned between the cherubim.
3 They placed the Ark of God on a new cart and brought it from Abinadab’s house, which was on a hill. Uzzah and Ahio, Abinadab’s sons, were guiding the cart
4 that carried the Ark of God. Ahio walked in front of the Ark.
5 David and all the people of Israel were celebrating before the LORD, singing songs and playing all kinds of musical instruments—lyres, harps, tambourines, castanets, and cymbals.

Footnotes 2

  • [a]. Hebrew Baale of Judah, another name for Kiriath-jearim; compare 1 Chr 13:6 .
  • [b]. Or the Ark of God where the Name is proclaimed—the name of the of Heaven’s Armies.
Holy Bible. New Living Translation copyright© 1996, 2004, 2007, 2013 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.