2 Samuel 6:1 - Printer Friendly

ESV: David again gathered all the chosen men of Israel, thirty thousand.

NIV: David again brought together all the able young men of Israel—thirty thousand.

NASB: Now David again gathered all the chosen men of Israel, thirty thousand.

CSB: David again assembled all the fit young men in Israel: thirty thousand.

NLT: Then David again gathered all the elite troops in Israel, 30,000 in all.

KJV: Again, David gathered together all the chosen men of Israel, thirty thousand.

NKJV: Again David gathered all the choice men of Israel, thirty thousand.

After becoming king over a united Israel (2 Samuel 5:1–3), David defeated the occupants of Jerusalem and made it the seat of his government (2 Samuel 5:6–9). He's also driven the Philistines back into their own territory (2 Samuel 5:17–25). In a rare moment of peace and security, David decides to retrieve the ark of God and give it a permanent place in the city of David.

Before David acts, he consults with his commanders, the assembly of Israel, and God. The people agree to invite all the Israelites to gather and bring the ark to David's political capital (1 Chronicles 13:1–4). They give a compelling reason: "Then let us bring again the ark of our God to us, for we did not seek it in the days of Saul" (1 Chronicles 13:3). It seems Saul had carried the ark into battle, using it more like a military good-luck charm than the sacred symbol of God's presence (1 Samuel 14:18). David's people recognize the ark as central to Israel's identity and as a visible sign of their covenant with God.

David assembles "all Israel from the Nile of Egypt to Lebo-hamath, to bring the ark of God from Kiriath-jearim" (1 Chronicles 13:5). Included are thirty divisions of warriors; the Hebrew word for "thousand" used here ('eleph) can also refer to a military division.

Second Samuel 6:1–4 describes the initial leg of the ark of the covenant's move to Jerusalem. David first received approval and guidance from God and the people (1 Chronicles 13:1–4). But they apparently didn't check the Mosaic law. A cart pulled by oxen carries the ark, not the Levites. When the oxen stumble, Uzzah puts his hand toward the ark, and God strikes him dead. It will be another three months before they continue the trip (2 Samuel 6:5–15). First Chronicles 13:5–8 also records Uzzah's death.

In 2 Samuel 6, David decides to bring the ark of God (Exodus 25:10–22) to Jerusalem. This includes an enormous crowd and a great procession. Unfortunately, he doesn't follow the Mosaic law, and a man dies for inappropriately touching the ark. David leaves the ark at a house for three months before trying again. Moving the symbol of God's presence into the nation's capital delights everyone except David's first wife, Michal. She is disgusted by David's undignified enthusiasm. The same events are noted in 1 Chronicles 13 and 15.

David has established himself as king over all Israel (2 Samuel 5). In 2 Samuel 6, the ark of the covenant reaches Jerusalem. Since its first home in Shiloh, it's been captured by Philistines, sent back home, housed in Kiriath-jearim, carried with the army, and returned to Kiriath-jearim (Joshua 18:1; 1 Samuel 4, 6; 7:1–2; 14:18). David first puts the ark on a cart, but the cart wobbles and God strikes dead the man who tries to save it. Eventually, Levites carry the ark to Jerusalem properly. Soon, David decides that God deserves a proper temple and asks if he can build one (2 Samuel 7).

Second Samuel continues the story of David, who will become king over Judah. The other tribes of Israel are resistant, eventually sparking a civil war. David wins and makes Jerusalem his capital. Early success is followed by moral failure and controversy in David's house. The book of 1 Kings will begin by detailing David's decline and death.