1 Chronicles 13

1 David consulted with the captains of thousands and of hundreds, even with every leader.

2 David said to all the assembly of Israel, “If it seems good to you, and if it is of the LORD our God, let’s send word everywhere to our brothers who are left in all the land of Israel, with whom the priests and Levites are in their cities that have pasture lands, that they may gather themselves to us.

3 Also, let’s bring the ark of our God back to us again, for we didn’t seek it in the days of Saul.”

4 All the assembly said that they would do so, for the thing was right in the eyes of all the people.

5 So David assembled all Israel together, from the Shihor River of Egypt even to the entrance of Hamath, to bring God’s ark from Kiriath Jearim.

6 David went up with all Israel to Baalah, that is, to Kiriath Jearim, which belonged to Judah, to bring up from there God the LORD’s ark that sits above the cherubim, that is called by the Name.

7 They carried God’s ark on a new cart, and brought it out of Abinadab’s house; and Uzza and Ahio drove the cart.

8 David and all Israel played before God with all their might, even with songs, with harps, with stringed instruments, with tambourines, with cymbals, and with trumpets.

9 When they came to Chidon’s threshing floor, Uzza put out his hand to hold the ark, for the oxen stumbled.

10 The LORD’s anger burned against Uzza, and he struck him because he put his hand on the ark; and he died there before God.

11 David was displeased, because the LORD had broken out against Uzza. He called that place Perez Uzza, to this day.

12 David was afraid of God that day, saying, “How can I bring God’s ark home to me?”

13 So David didn’t move the ark with him into David’s city, but carried it aside into Obed-Edom the Gittite’s house.

14 God’s ark remained with the family of Obed-Edom in his house three months; and the LORD blessed Obed-Edom’s house and all that he had.

Around 1 Chronicles 13

Context

Context for this book is being written. A note appears here only once it names its sources.

AI explanation

1 Chronicles 13 · Written by an AI model · Not reviewed by a theological reader

This explanation was written by an AI model to help you get started. It names no sources and can contain mistakes. Scripture comes first, and context with sources is shown separately on this page.

What this chapter says

David has a king's city now, and the first thing he wants is the ark of God. He asks the leaders for their view, says that Israel did not seek the ark in Saul's days, and the whole assembly agrees. They go to Kiriath Jearim and bring it out of Abinadab's house on a new cart. There is music of every kind, with songs, harps, tambourines, cymbals and trumpets. Then, at a threshing floor, the oxen stumble. Uzza puts out his hand to steady the ark, and he dies on the spot. The text says the LORD's anger burned against him. David is displeased and then afraid, and he asks how he can bring the ark home. He leaves it at the house of Obed-Edom the Gittite. For three months it stays there, and the LORD blesses that house.

Background

The same episode is told in 2 Samuel 6, and chapter 15 here explains what went wrong: the ark was meant to be carried by the Levites, as the law of Moses commanded (see Numbers 4 and 7). This is one of the hard passages of the Bible. The text itself offers the reason, and readers have long asked what it says about the holiness of God and the cost of doing sacred things carelessly, even with good intentions.

About this explanation

Written by Claude Sonnet 5.5, an AI model, on 1 November 2026. It draws on the WEB text and general knowledge and was not checked against sources by a person. Every quotation from Scripture is checked automatically against the WEB text.

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World English Bible. Public-domain source and edition notes