Zadok therefore and Abiathar carried God’s ark to Jerusalem again; and they stayed there.
Parallel translations
- KJV Zadok therefore and Abiathar carried the ark of God again to Jerusalem: and they tarried there.
- BSB So Zadok and Abiathar returned the ark of God to Jerusalem and stayed there.
- NKJV Therefore Zadok and Abiathar carried the ark of God back to Jerusalem. And they remained there.
- NASB So Zadok and Abiathar returned the ark of God to Jerusalem and remained there.
- NLT So Zadok and Abiathar took the Ark of God back to the city and stayed there.
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
Zadok and Abiathar obey, returning the ark to Jerusalem and remaining there. The faithful priests take up their post in David's service.
Overview
The priests carry the ark back to the city and stay, ready to aid David as he directed. Their obedience secures David a loyal presence in the capital. The scene confirms that the legitimate worship leadership of Israel still recognizes David as the true king.
Cross-references & the web
No cross-references recorded for this verse.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
Resources, by level
Commentaries & study tools
Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.
Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.
Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.
Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.
The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).
Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.
Christ at the center
God's covenant with David — a son whose throne and kingdom would last forever (7:12–16) — finds its yes in Jesus, the Son of David who reigns without end.
How 2 Samuel 15:29 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.