Year of the Bible
2 Samuel 6
Access your family's weekly resource for the Year of the Bible HERE
Commentary on the Second Book of Samuel, Chapter 6:
David has claimed Jerusalem for the new capital of Israel (chapter 5), and he now plans to bring God’s throne, the Ark of the Covenant, to the city. The first attempt ends in disaster when someone, despite good intentions, disregards God’s laws about the Ark. The second time is a joyous celebration including sacrifices, music, dancing, and food for all. David removes his regal robes for simple clothing and personally dances before the Lord as the Ark processes into town. These actions horrify his wife Michal, who accuses him of shamefully honoring himself. David sees his actions as a natural response to God’s choice of him as King over Michal’s father, Saul. While David’s marriage to Saul’s daughter had the potential to heal the rift between the families and unite the tribes through an heir, we learn that a child will never be born to them.
The Second Book of Samuel, Chapter 6:
David Brings the Ark to Jerusalem
1 David again gathered all the chosen men of Israel, thirty thousand. 2 And David arose and went with all the people who were with him from Baalejudah, to bring up from there the ark of God, which is called by the name of the Lord of hosts who sits enthroned on the cherubim. 3 And they carried the ark of God upon a new cart, and brought it out of the house of Abinadab which was on the hill; and Uzzah and Ahio, the sons of Abinadab, were driving the new cart 4 with the ark of God; and Ahioi went before the ark. 5 And David and all the house of Israel were making merry before the Lord with all their might, with songs and lyres and harps and tambourines and castanets and cymbals.
6 And when they came to the threshing floor of Nacon, Uzzah put out his hand to the ark of God and took hold of it, for the oxen stumbled. 7 And the anger of the Lord was kindled against Uzzah; and God struck him there because he put forth his hand to the ark; l and he died there beside the ark of God. 8 And David was angry because the Lord had broken forth upon Uzzah; and that place is called Perez-uzzah,m to this day. 9 And David was afraid of the Lord that day; and he said, “How can the ark of the Lord come to me?” 10 So David was not willing to take the ark of the Lord into the city of David; but David took it aside to the house of Obed-edom the Gittite. 11 And the ark of the Lord remained in the house of Obed-edom the Gittite three months; and the Lord blessed Obed-edom and all his household.
12 And it was told King David, “The Lord has blessed the household of Obed-edom and all that belongs to him, because of the ark of God.” So David went and brought up the ark of God from the house of Obed-edom to the city of David with rejoicing; 13 and when those who bore the ark of the Lord had gone six paces, he sacrificed an ox and a fatling. 14 And David danced be- fore the Lord with all his might; and David was belted with a linen ephod. 15 So David and all the house of Israel brought up the ark of the Lord with shouting, and with the sound of the horn.
16 As the ark of the Lord came into the city of David, Michal the daughter of Saul looked out of the window, and saw King David leaping and dancing before the Lord; and she despised him in her heart. 17 And they brought in the ark of the Lord, and set it in its place, inside the tent which David had pitched for it; and David offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before the Lord. 18 And when David had finished offering the burnt offerings and the peace offerings, he blessed the people in the name of the Lord of hosts, 19 and distributed among all the people, the whole multitude of Israel, both men and women, to each a cake of bread, a portion of meat, and a cake of raisins. Then all the people departed, each to his house.
20 And David returned to bless his household. But Michal the daughter of Saul came out to meet David, and said, “How the king of Israel honored himself today, uncovering himself today before the eyes of his servants’ maids, as one of the vulgar fellows shamelessly uncovers him- self!” 21 And David said to Michal, “It was before the Lord, who chose me above your father, and above all his house, to appoint me as prince over Israel, the people of the Lord—and I will make merry before the Lord. 22 I will make myself yet more contemptible than this, and I will be abased in your eyes; but by the maids of whom you have spoken, by them I shall be held in honor.” 23 And Michal the daughter of Saul had no child to the day of her death.
*Daily Lectio Divina Question:
The Ark of the Covenant was a created thing. Yet, God singled it out as His footstool (1 Chr 28:2), the place where he would be present. The Ark foreshadowed Mary, where Jesus would dwell for 9 months (cf. Luke 1:39-45.). Lord, how are you drawing me deeper into the mystery of faith through this foreshadowing of Mary as the New Ark of the Covenant?
Biblical Commentary provided by the Catholic Biblical School of Michigan. Join a Catholic Biblical School of Michigan class this September at Holy Family in Grand Blanc, or online.
Revised Standard Version; Second Catholic Edition. (San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 2006).
Permission to use the RSV-2CE given for Bishop's Year of the Bible by Ignatius Press. Many thanks to Ignatius for this.
If you're looking for a good Catholic edition of the Bible, look no further.
1 David reunió de nuevo a lo más selecto
de Israel, treinta mil hombres.
2 Se levantó y se dirigió con todo su ejército
hacia Baalá de Judá para traer desde
allí el arca de Dios, que llevaba sobre sí
el nombre del Señor de los ejércitos que
se sienta sobre los querubines. 3 Cargaron
el arca de Dios sobre una carreta
nueva y la sacaron de la casa de Abinadab
que está en la colina. Uzá y Ajió,
hijos de Abinadab, conducían la carreta.
4 Uzá caminaba al lado del arca y Ajió
iba delante de ella. 5 David y todo Israel
iban bailando delante del Señor con
todo su entusiasmo, cantando con cítaras
y arpas, con panderos, sistros y címbalos.
6 Al llegar a la era de Nacón, Uzá extendió
su mano hacia el arca de Dios
para sujetarla porque los bueyes parecían
volcarla. 7 Pero la ira del Señor se
encendió contra Uzá: Dios le hirió por
su atrevimiento y murió allí mismo junto
al arca. 8 David se entristeció porque
el Señor había herido de muerte a Uzá,
y así aquel lugar se llamó hasta hoy Peres-
Uzá. 9 Aquel día David temió al Señor
y se dijo: «¿Cómo va a entrar en mi
casa el arca del Señor?». 10 Y no quiso llevar
el arca del Señor a su casa, a la ciudad
de David, sino que la hizo llevar a
casa de Obededom de Gat. 11 El arca del
Señor permaneció en casa de Obededom
de Gat durante tres meses y bendijo
el Señor a Obededom y a toda su
casa. 12 Comunicaron al rey lo sucedido:
–El Señor ha bendecido a Obededom
y todo lo suyo por causa del arca
de Dios.
Fue entonces David y trasladó con
alegría el arca de Dios desde la casa de
Obededom hasta la ciudad de David.
13 Cuando los que llevaban el arca del Señor
avanzaban seis pasos, se ofrecía en
sacrificio un buey y un carnero cebado.
14 David iba ceñido con el efod de lino
y danzaba con todas sus fuerzas ante el
Señor. 15 David y toda la casa de Israel
trasladaban el arca del Señor entre gritos
de júbilo y sonar de trompetas.
16 Cuando el arca del Señor estaba
entrando en la ciudad de David, Mi
cal, hija de Saúl, que estaba mirando
por la ventana, vio al rey David saltando
y danzando ante el Señor y lo despreció
en su corazón. 17 Introdujeron el
arca del Señor y la colocaron en su sitio
en medio de la tienda que David había
mandado levantar. David ofreció ante el
Señor holocaustos y sacrificios de comunión.
18 Y cuando terminó la ofrenda
del holocausto y de los sacrificios de
comunión, bendijo al pueblo en nombre
del Señor de los ejércitos. 19 Después
repartió a todo el pueblo, a toda la muchedumbre
de Israel, hombres y mujeres,
una torta de pan, un trozo de carne
y un pan de pasas. Y se marcharon todos,
cada uno a su casa.
20 Cuando volvía David para bendecir
su casa, salió a su encuentro Mical, la
hija de Saúl, y le dijo:
–¡Qué honorable ha estado hoy el
rey de Israel, desnudándose a la vista de
las criadas de sus servidores, como se
desnuda un cualquiera!
21 Respondió David a Mical:
–He danzado delante del Señor que
me ha elegido y me ha preferido a tu padre
y a toda tu familia, constituyéndome
príncipe sobre el pueblo del Señor,
sobre Israel. Y delante del Señor seguiré
danzando. 22 Estoy dispuesto a rebajarme
más y a resultar más vil todavía ante
tus ojos, pero seré más honrado por las
criadas a las que te refieres.
23 Y Mical, hija de Saúl, no tuvo ya
hijos hasta el día de su muerte.
Pregunta de Lectio Divina del día de hoy
El Arca de la Alianza era una obra de creación humana. Sin embargo, Dios la señaló como el estrado de sus pies (1 Cr 28:2), el lugar donde estaría presente. El Arca prefiguraba a María, donde Jesús habría de habitar durante 9 meses (cf. Lucas 1:39-45.) ¿Qué predicciones del futuro mesías podemos identificar al contrastar 2Sam6 y la Visitación de Maria a Isabel?
La Biblia de Navarra
Permiso para usar esta versión de la primera edición de la Biblia de Navarra
para el Año de la Biblia del Obispo
dado por Ediciones Universidad de Navarra, S.A. (EUNSA).