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1 Chronicles 13:12

WEBKJVBSBESVNKJVNASBNLT
And David was afraid of God that day, saying, How shall I bring the ark of God home to me?
1 Chronicles 13:12 · King James Version
Parallel translations
  • WEB David was afraid of God that day, saying, “How can I bring God’s ark home to me?”
  • BSB That day David feared God and asked, “How can I ever bring the ark of God to me?”
  • NKJV David was afraid of God that day, saying, “How can I bring the ark of God to me?”
  • NASB David was afraid of God that day, saying, “How can I bring the ark of God home to me?”
  • NLT David was now afraid of God, and he asked, “How can I ever bring the Ark of God back into my care?”

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

David grew afraid of God and wondered how he could ever bring the ark home. The tragedy produced a holy fear and reluctance.

Overview

David's confidence turned to fear as he confronted God's holiness firsthand. His question, 'How can I bring God's ark home to me?', reveals genuine reverence and a sense of his own inadequacy. This holy fear was the beginning of wisdom; David would later learn the right way to carry the ark (chapter 15). Reverent awe, not casual familiarity, is the proper posture before a holy God.

Cross-references & the web

Cross-references · 9

  • Ps 119:120My flesh trembleth for fear of thee; and I am afraid of thy judgments.
  • Job 25:5–6Behold even to the moon, and it shineth not; yea, the stars are not pure in his sight.
  • 1 Sam 5:10–11Therefore they sent the ark of God to Ekron. And it came to pass, as the ark of God came to Ekron, that the Ekronites cried out, saying, They have brought about the ark of the God of Israel to us, to slay us and our people.
  • Num 17:12–13And the children of Israel spake unto Moses, saying, Behold, we die, we perish, we all perish.
  • 1 Sam 6:20And the men of Bethshemesh said, Who is able to stand before this holy LORD God? and to whom shall he go up from us?
  • 1 Kgs 8:27But will God indeed dwell on the earth? behold, the heaven and heaven of heavens cannot contain thee; how much less this house that I have builded?
  • Luke 5:8–9When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord.
  • Matt 25:24Then he which had received the one talent came and said, Lord, I knew thee that thou art an hard man, reaping where thou hast not sown, and gathering where thou hast not strawed:
  • Isa 6:5Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts.

Themes, concepts, people & topics

Topics (1)
ARK

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Commentaries & study tools

Christ at the center

The genealogies and the everlasting covenant with David trace the single thread of promise running through the generations straight to the Christ in whom the line reaches its goal.

How 1 Chronicles 13:12 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.

Original language

Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.

And Davidדָּוִדwas afraidיָרֵאof Godאֱלֹהִיםthat dayיוֹםsayingאָמַרHowהֵיךְshall I bringבּוֹאthe arkאָרוֹןof Godאֱלֹהִים
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