Table of Contents
1 Chronicles 13
1 Chronicles 13
1 And David consulted with the captains of thousands and hundreds, and with every leader.
2 And David said unto all the congregation of Israel, If it seem good unto you, and that it be of the Lord our God, let us send abroad unto our brethren every where, that are left in all the land of Israel, and with them also to the priests and Levites which are in their cities and suburbs, that they may gather themselves unto us:
3 And let us bring again the ark of our God to us: for we enquired not at it in the days of Saul.
4 And all the congregation said that they would do so: for the thing was right in the eyes of all the people.
5 So David gathered all Israel together, from Shihor of Egypt even unto the entering of Hemath, to bring the ark of God from Kirjathjearim.
6 And David went up, and all Israel, to Baalah, that is, to Kirjathjearim, which belonged to Judah, to bring up thence the ark of God the Lord, that dwelleth between the cherubims, whose name is called on it.
7 And they carried the ark of God in a new cart out of the house of Abinadab: and Uzza and Ahio drave the cart.
8 And David and all Israel played before God with all their might, and with singing, and with harps, and with psalteries, and with timbrels, and with cymbals, and with trumpets.
9 And when they came unto the threshingfloor of Chidon, Uzza put forth his hand to hold the ark; for the oxen stumbled.
10 And the anger of the Lord was kindled against Uzza, and he smote him, because he put his hand to the ark: and there he died before God.
11 And David was displeased, because the Lord had made a breach upon Uzza: wherefore that place is called Perezuzza to this day.
12 And David was afraid of God that day, saying, How shall I bring the ark of God home to me?
13 So David brought not the ark home to himself to the city of David, but carried it aside into the house of Obededom the Gittite.
14 And the ark of God remained with the family of Obededom in his house three months. And the Lord blessed the house of Obededom, and all that he had.
Notes
Cross Reference
Concordance
Commentary
Rashi
Verse 1
<html><b>And David conferred with the officers of the thousands</b> He said to them, “You have already engaged in matters that are for your benefit, for you have a king to save you; now you should engage in the honor of God.”</html>
Verse 2
<html><b>it has been opened</b> The fence that was closed until now has been opened, for no one has yet inquired of God. <b>let us send to our brethren remaining</b> because of the honor of the Ark.</html>
Verse 5
<html><b>from Shihor of Egypt and until the approach to Hamath</b> This parallels (I Kings 8:65): “from the approach to Hamath to the brook of Egypt”</html>
Verse 6
<html><b>to Baalah, to Kirjath</b> The meaning is: to Baalah, which is Kirjath-Jearim. <b>to bring up from there, etc.</b> As it is written (II Sam. 6:2): “… which is called a name, the name of the Lord of Hosts, Who dwells upon the cherubim;” i.e., the name of the Holy One, blessed be He, was called upon the Ark. Although the Ark had been exiled to [the land of] the Philistines, this name did not leave it, because it was hallowed.</html>
Verse 7
<html><b>And they set the Ark of God on a new cart</b> Why did David see fit to set it on a new cart rather than to have it borne by the Levites, as he did when he finally brought it from there to Zion? Because David said, “Corresponding to the way it came to me when the Philistines returned it on a new cart, as it is written (I Sam. 6:11): And they placed the Ark of the Lord on the cart, etc.” Therefore, he was punished. <b>and Uzza and Ahio</b> They were the sons of Abinadab, as is written in II Samuel (6:3). <b>drove the cart</b> as is the custom of cart drivers, one walks in front of the cart and directs it in a straight way, and one is alongside the cart, so that it does not turn over and fall. And so it is written (II Sam. 6: 4): “… and Ahio went before the Ark,” and Uzza was alongside the cart; therefore, Uzza stretched forth his hand to take hold of the Ark when the oxen swayed it, and therefore, he was punished.</html>
Verse 8
<html><b>with all [their] might</b> Here it is written: בְּכָל עֹז, with all strength, and in II Samuel (6:5): “בְּכָל עֲצֵי, with all wood.” The meaning is: with all manner of wooden musical instruments, and here the meaning is: with all powerful musical instruments. <b>and with songs and with harps and with psalteries and with timbrels</b> All of these are musical instruments, but cymbals (מְצִלְתַּיִם) were not a musical instrument, and their function was only to make sounds, like the instrument called the kettle drum, <i>Pauken</i> in German, which is struck with sticks to make sounds. This is implied further (15: 25): “and with resounding cymbals,” and it is written (ibid. verse 19): “And the singers: Heman, Asaph, and Ethan, with copper cymbals to resound.” And it is written further below (25:6): “with song in the House of the Lord, with cymbals, etc.,” and because of this, they are called מְצִלְתַּיִם. Similarly (Deut. 28:42): “… the locusts (הַצְּלָצַל) will inherit.” This is a species of locust that makes a sound, as it is written in the prophecy of Joel (2:5) about the locusts: “Like the sound of chariots on the mountaintops, they will leap, etc.”</html>
Verse 9
<html><b>to Goren Kiddon</b> the name of a place.</html>
Verse 10
<html><b>and He struck him down because he stretched forth his hand upon the Ark</b> This is what is written in II Samuel (6:7): “… and God struck him down there” עַל הַשַּׁל meaning עַל הַשֶּׁלַח, because he stretched forth to hold the Ark. Another example of this is (I Kings 21:23): “The dogs will devour Jezebel” בְּחֵל יִזְרְעֶאל. In another verse it is written: (II Kings 9:10): “בְּחֵלֶק יִזְרְעֶאל,” in the territory of Jezreel. So will we explain עַל הַשַּׁל here as הַשֶּׁלַח <b>and he died there before God</b> before the Ark of God, and in (II Samuel 6:7): “…and there he died by the Ark of God.”</html>
Verse 12
<html><b>And David feared God, etc. saying</b> What did he fear? Saying - that he said, “How will I bring the Ark of God to me?”</html>
Verse 13
<html><b>the Gittite</b> He was from Gath originally and he previously sojourned in Gath. He was a Levite, as it is written (below 15:16): “And David said to the officers of the Levites to station their brethren, the singers,” and it says shortly after (verse 24): “… and Obed-Edom and Jehiah were gate sentries for the Ark.”</html>