Yahweh’s anger burned against Uzza, and he struck him, because he put his hand on the ark; and he died there before God.
Parallel translations
- KJV 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.
- BSB And the anger of the LORD burned against Uzzah, and He struck him down because he had put his hand on the ark. So he died there before God.
- NKJV Then the anger of the Lord was aroused against Uzza, and He struck him because he put his hand to the ark; and he died there before God.
- NASB But the anger of the Lord burned against Uzza, so He struck him because he had put out his hand toward the ark; and he died there before God.
- NLT Then the Lord’s anger was aroused against Uzzah, and he struck him dead because he had laid his hand on the Ark. So Uzzah died there in the presence of God.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
The LORD struck Uzza dead for touching the ark, and he died on the spot. The severity reveals the holiness of God and the seriousness of disobedience.
Overview
God's anger 'burned against Uzza' and he died instantly for laying his hand on the ark. Though Uzza's intent may seem good, the act violated God's explicit command and treated the holy as common. This sobering judgment teaches that God's holiness is not to be trifled with and that good intentions cannot replace obedience. It anticipates the gospel truth that sinful humanity can approach a holy God only on His terms, ultimately through Christ.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 9
- 1 Chr 15:15The children of the Levites bore God’s ark on their shoulders with its poles, as Moses commanded according to Yahweh’s word.
- 1 Chr 15:13For because you didn’t carry it at first, Yahweh our God broke out in anger against us, because we didn’t seek him according to the ordinance.”
- Num 4:15“When Aaron and his sons have finished covering the sanctuary, and all the furniture of the sanctuary, as the camp moves forward; after that, the sons of Kohath shall come to carry it: but they shall not touch the sanctuary, lest they die. These things are the burden of the sons of Kohath in the Tent of Meeting.
- 1 Sam 6:19He struck of the men of Beth Shemesh, because they had looked into Yahweh’s ark, he struck fifty thousand seventy of the men. Then the people mourned, because Yahweh had struck the people with a great slaughter.
- Lev 10:1–3Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, each took his censer, and put fire in it, and laid incense on it, and offered strange fire before Yahweh, which he had not commanded them.
- 2 Chr 26:16–20But when he was strong, his heart was lifted up, so that he did corruptly, and he trespassed against Yahweh his God; for he went into Yahweh’s temple to burn incense on the altar of incense.
- 1 Cor 11:30–32For this cause many among you are weak and sickly, and not a few sleep.
- Josh 6:6Joshua the son of Nun called the priests, and said to them, “Take up the ark of the covenant, and let seven priests bear seven trumpets of rams’ horns before Yahweh’s ark.”
- Num 16:35Fire came out from Yahweh, and devoured the two hundred fifty men who offered the incense.
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