2 Samuel 6:3

3 And they putted the ark of God on a new wain, and they took it from the house of Abinadab, that was in Gibeah (And they put the Ark of God on a new wagon, and they took it from Abinadab's house, which was on the hill). And Uzzah and Ahio, the sons of Abinadab, drove the new wain.

2 Samuel 6:3 Meaning and Commentary

2 Samuel 6:3

And they set the ark of God upon a new cart
Which was a great mistake, since it ought not to have been put upon a cart, old or new; it was to be borne upon men's shoulders, and carried by Levites only, and those of the family of Kohath, to whom no wagons were given, when others had them, for the above reason, ( Numbers 7:9 ) ; it is strange that so many priests and Levites, and of the people of Israel gathered together on that account, and David also, so well versed in the law of God, should not refer to it; perhaps they were led by the example of the Philistines, who put it in a new cart, and set it forward towards Bethshemesh, and were not punished for it; but it should have been considered they were an ignorant Heathen people, and who had no proper persons among them to bear it, and so might be dispensed with. This mistake was afterwards seen by David, and rectified, ( 1 Chronicles 15:2 ) ; wherefore there is no reason to charge the text with an error or escape, and that the word "Kirjathjearim" is wanting, and to be supplied, as Spinosa ^F4 suggests:

and brought it out,
or "after they had brought it out" ^F5,

of the house of Abinadab that [was] in Gibeah; or which was on the hill
in Kirjathjearim,
( 1 Samuel 7:1 ) ;

and Uzzah and Ahio the sons of Abinadab drew the new cart;
perhaps not only Abinadab himself was dead, but Eleazar also, his eldest son, who was sanctified to keep the ark, as in ( 1 Samuel 7:1 ) ; and these might be his younger sons who at this time had the care of it, and it may be especially Uzzah.

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FOOTNOTES:

F4 Tractat. Theol. Politic. c. 9. p. 176.
F5 (whavyw) "quum extulissent", Piscator.

2 Samuel 6:3 In-Context

1 Forsooth David gathered again all the chosen men of Israel, thirty thousand. (Then David gathered together all the chosen, or all the best, out of Israel, yea, thirty thousand men.)

2 And David rose, and went, and all the people that was with him of the men of Judah, to bring the ark of God, on which the name of the Lord of hosts, sitting in cherubim on that ark, was called. (And David rose up, and then he, and all the people who were with him, went to Baalath in Judah, to bring back from there the Ark of God, which beareth the name of the Lord of hosts, who is enthroned upon, or above, the cherubim.)

3 And they putted the ark of God on a new wain, and they took it from the house of Abinadab, that was in Gibeah (And they put the Ark of God on a new wagon, and they took it from Abinadab's house, which was on the hill). And Uzzah and Ahio, the sons of Abinadab, drove the new wain.

4 And when they had taken it from the house of Abinadab, that was in Gibeah, and kept the ark of God, Ahio went before the ark. (And so they took it from Abinadab's house, which was on the hill, who had kept the Ark of God safe; and Ahio went before the Ark.)

5 And David and all Israel played before the Lord, in all treen instruments of melody, and in harps, and citoles, and tympans, and trumps, and cymbals. (And David and all Israel played music before the Lord, on all the wooden instruments, and on harps, and lutes, and drums, or tambourines, and trumpets, and cymbals.)