Why does David first divert the ark to Obededom’s house and later bring it into his city?

Atlas of Saints · Chapter summary

After Oza is struck dead, David is afraid to bring the ark to himself and sends it to Obededom. Later, hearing that the Lord has blessed Obededom because of the ark, David brings it into his city with joy.

Chapter breakdown

David again gathers all the chosen men of Israel, thirty thousand. He sets out with the people accompanying him from the men of Juda to fetch the ark of God. The Lord of hosts, whose name is invoked upon it, sits over it upon the cherubims. They place the ark on a new cart and take it from Abinadab’s house in Gabaa. Abinadab’s sons Oza and Ahio drive the new cart.

Challoner’s separate note identifies Gabaa as the hill of Cariathiarim. It says the ark had been in Abinadab’s house there since the Philistines restored it.

As the ark is taken from Abinadab’s house in Gabaa, Ahio goes before it, having care of it. David and all Israel play before the Lord on all kinds of wooden instruments: harps, lutes, timbrels, cornets and cymbals. At the floor of Nachon, Oza reaches out and takes hold of the ark because the oxen kick and make it lean aside. The Lord’s indignation is kindled against Oza, and he strikes him for his rashness. Oza dies there before the ark of God. David is grieved because the Lord has struck Oza. The place is called the striking of Oza, a name that remains to the time of the account.

David is afraid of the Lord that day and asks how the ark of the Lord can come to him. He refuses to bring it to himself in the city of David and has it carried to the house of Obededom the Gethite. The ark stays there three months, and the Lord blesses Obededom and all his household. David is told that the Lord has blessed Obededom and everything he has because of the ark. David then brings it from that house into his city with joy. Seven choirs and calves for sacrificial victims are with him.

Challoner’s separate note explains choirs as companies of musicians.

When the carriers of the ark have gone six paces, David sacrifices an ox and a ram. He dances with all his might before the Lord, wearing a linen ephod. David and all the house of Israel bring the ark of the Lord’s covenant with joyful shouting and the sound of a trumpet. As it enters the city, Saul’s daughter Michol looks through a window and sees David leaping and dancing before the Lord. She despises him in her heart. They set the ark in its place in the middle of the tabernacle David has pitched for it. David offers holocausts—whole burnt offerings—and peace offerings before the Lord.

After finishing the holocausts and peace offerings, David blesses the people in the name of the Lord of hosts. To every person in Israel’s multitude, men and women alike, he gives a cake of bread, a piece of roasted beef and fine flour fried with oil. Each person then goes home.

David returns to bless his own household. Michol, Saul’s daughter, comes out to meet him. She asks how glorious Israel’s king was that day, saying he uncovered himself before his servants’ handmaids and was naked as a buffoon might be. David answers that he did it before the Lord, who chose him rather than her father and all her father’s house and commanded him to rule the Lord’s people in Israel. He says he will play and make himself lower still, and be little in his own eyes; among the handmaids she mentions, he will appear more glorious. The passage ends by saying that therefore Michol, Saul’s daughter, had no child to the day of her death.

The story inside

Oza’s death changes the ark’s immediate destination. David is grieved and afraid, asks how it can come to him and has it carried to Obededom’s house instead of his own city. The ark remains there three months. The next change follows a report: David hears that the Lord has blessed Obededom and all he has because of the ark. He then brings it into the city with joy, musicians and sacrifices. The account goes on to distinguish the responses to David’s dancing. Israel accompanies the ark with shouting and a trumpet; Michol sees David from a window and despises him. When she later reproaches him, David explains his action as before the Lord and says he will make himself lower still. These are the recorded reasons and responses. They do not establish an unstated ritual lesson learned by David or a future end to Saul’s family.

Lessons worth keeping

1
Keep the stated reasons for each move. David’s fear after Oza’s death leads to Obededom’s house; the report of blessing leads to the joyful journey into the city. The three-month stay and the reason given for the blessing connect the two movements.
2
Details of the procession must follow the verse. The ark first rides on a new cart; later its carriers go six paces before an ox and ram are sacrificed. Turning that event into a sacrifice every six paces would create a repeated practice that the passage does not state.
3
The ending preserves two speakers and a consequence. Michol accuses David of uncovering himself; he answers by naming the Lord’s choice and his willingness to be little in his own eyes. The text says she has no child until death, without supplying a medical cause or a dynastic outcome.

Test your recall

How do Oza’s death and the report about Obededom each change David’s decision about where the ark should go?

Source edition and notes

Douay–Rheims, revised by Richard Challoner (1749–1752). Project Gutenberg no. 1581. Locators refer to lines in the admitted pg1581.txt edition. Source notes may include Challoner commentary.

Lines 32226–32241
2 Kings Chapter 6 David fetcheth the ark from Cariathiarim. Oza is struck dead for touching it. It is deposited in the house of Obededom: and from thence carried to David’s house. 6:1. And David again gathered together all the chosen men of Israel, thirty thousand. 6:2. And David arose and went, with all the people that were with him of the men of Juda to fetch the ark of God, upon which the name of the Lord of Hosts is invoked, who sitteth over it upon the cherubims. 6:3. And they laid the ark of God upon a new cart: and took it out of the house of Abinadab, who was in Gabaa, and Oza and Ahio, the sons of Abinadab, drove the new cart.
Lines 32243–32245
Gabaa.... The hill of Cariathiarim, where the ark had been in the house of Abinadab, from the time of its being restored back by the Philistines.
Lines 32247–32262
6:4. And when they had taken it out of the house of Abinadab, who was in Gabaa, Ahio having care of the ark of God went before the ark. 6:5. But David and all Israel played before the Lord on all manner of instruments made of wood, on harps and lutes and timbrels and cornets and cymbals. 6:6. And when they came to the floor of Nachon, Oza put forth his hand to the ark of God, and took hold of it: because the oxen kicked and made it lean aside. 6:7. And the indignation of the Lord was enkindled against Oza, and he struck him for his rashness: and he died there before the ark of God. 6:8. And David was grieved because the Lord had struck Oza, and the name of that place was called: The striking of Oza, to this day.
Lines 32264–32279
6:9. And David was afraid of the Lord that day, saying: How shall the ark of the Lord come to me? 6:10. And he would not have the ark of the Lord brought in to himself into the city of David: but he caused it to be carried into the house of Obededom the Gethite. 6:11. And the ark of the Lord abode in the house of Obededom the Gethite three months: and the Lord blessed Obededom, and all his household. 6:12. And it was told king David, that the Lord had blessed Obededom, and all that he had, because of the ark of God. So David went, and brought away the ark of God out of the house of Obededom into the city of David with joy. And there were with David seven choirs, and calves for victims.
Lines 32281–32281
Choirs.... Or companies of musicians.
Lines 32283–32299
6:13. And when they that carried the ark of the Lord had gone six paces, he sacrificed an ox and a ram: 6:14. And David danced with all his might before the Lord: and David was girded with a linen ephod. 6:15. And David and all the house of Israel brought the ark of the covenant of the Lord with joyful shouting, and with sound of trumpet. 6:16. And when the ark of the Lord was come into the city of David, Michol the daughter of Saul, looking out through a window, saw king David leaping and dancing before the Lord: and she despised him in her heart. 6:17. And they brought the ark of the Lord, and set it in its place in the midst of the tabernacle, which David had pitched for it: and David offered holocausts, and peace offerings before the Lord.
Lines 32301–32307
6:18. And when he had made an end of offering holocausts and peace offerings, he blessed the people in the name of the Lord of hosts. 6:19. And he distributed to all the multitude of Israel, both men and women, to every one, a cake of bread, and a piece of roasted beef, and fine flour fried with oil: and all the people departed every one to his own house.
Lines 32309–32325
6:20. And David returned to bless his own house: and Michol the daughter of Saul coming out to meet David, said: How glorious was the king of Israel to day, uncovering himself before the handmaids of his servants, and was naked, as if one of the buffoons should be naked. 6:21. And David said to Michol: Before the Lord, who chose me rather than thy father, and than all his house, and commanded me to be ruler over the people of the Lord in Israel, 6:22. I will both play and make myself meaner than I have done: and I will be little in my own eyes: and with the handmaids of whom thou speakest, I shall appear more glorious. 6:23. Therefore Michol the daughter of Saul had no child to the day of her death.