2 Samuel 6:3

3 They set the ark of God on a new cart and brought it from the house of Abinadab, which was on the hill. Uzzah and Ahio, sons of Abinadab, were guiding the new cart

2 Samuel 6:3 in Other Translations

King James Version (KJV)
3 And they set the ark of God upon a new cart, and brought it out of the house of Abinadab that was in Gibeah: and Uzzah and Ahio, the sons of Abinadab, drave the new cart.
English Standard Version (ESV)
3 And they carried the ark of God on a new cart and brought it out of the house of Abinadab, which was on the hill. And Uzzah and Ahio, the sons of Abinadab, were driving the new cart,
New Living Translation (NLT)
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
The Message Bible (MSG)
3 They placed the Chest of God on a brand-new oxcart and removed it from Abinadab's house on the hill. Uzzah and Ahio, Abinadab's sons, were driving the new cart
American Standard Version (ASV)
3 And they set the ark of God upon a new cart, and brought it out of the house of Abinadab that was in the hill: and Uzzah and Ahio, the sons of Abinadab, drove the new cart.
GOD'S WORD Translation (GW)
3 David and his men put God's ark on a new cart and brought it from Abinadab's home on the hill. Uzzah and Ahio, Abinadab's sons, were guiding the new cart.
Holman Christian Standard Bible (CSB)
3 They set the ark of God on a new cart and transported it from Abinadab's house, which was on the hill. Uzzah and Ahio, sons of Abinadab, were guiding the cart
New International Reader's Version (NIRV)
3 The ark of God was placed on a new cart. Then it was brought from Abinadab's house, which was on a hill. Uzzah and Ahio were guiding the cart. They were the sons of Abinadab.

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.


FOOTNOTES:

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

2 Samuel 6:3 In-Context

1 David again brought together all the able young men of Israel—thirty thousand.
2 He and all his men went to Baalah in Judah to bring up from there the ark of God, which is called by the Name, the name of the LORD Almighty, who is enthroned between the cherubim on the ark.
3 They set the ark of God on a new cart and brought it from the house of Abinadab, which was on the hill. Uzzah and Ahio, sons of Abinadab, were guiding the new cart
4 with the ark of God on it, and Ahio was walking in front of it.
5 David and all Israel were celebrating with all their might before the LORD, with castanets, harps, lyres, timbrels, sistrums and cymbals.

Cross References 2

  • 1. ver 7; Numbers 7:4-9; S 1 Samuel 6:7
  • 2. 2 Samuel 7:1
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