2 Samuel 6:2

2 He and all his troops set out to bring the ark of God from Baale-judah.^[a][b]The ark is called by the Name, the name of the Lord of Hosts who dwells [between] the cherubim.^[c]

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 David again assembled all the choice men in Israel, 30,000.

2 He and all his troops set out to bring the ark of God from Baale-judah.The ark is called by the Name, the name of the Lord of Hosts who dwells [between] the cherubim.

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

4 and brought it with the ark of God from Abinadab's house on the hill. Ahio walked in front of the ark.

5 David and the whole house of Israel were celebrating before the Lord with all [kinds of] fir wood [instruments], lyres, harps, tambourines, sistrums, and cymbals.

Footnotes

• [a] Alt name for Kiriath-jearim
• [b] 1 Sm 7:1; 1 Ch 13:6
• [c] Ex 25:22