And the anger of the LORD burned against Uzzah, and God struck him down on the spot for his irreverence, and he died there beside the ark of God.
Parallel translations
- WEB Yahweh’s anger burned against Uzzah; and God struck him there for his error; and he died there by God’s ark.
- KJV And the anger of the LORD was kindled against Uzzah; and God smote him there for his error; and there he died by the ark of God.
- NKJV Then the anger of the Lord was aroused against Uzzah, and God struck him there for his error; and he died there by the ark of God.
- NASB And the anger of the Lord burned against Uzzah, and God struck him down there for his irreverence; and he died there by the ark of God.
- NLT Then the Lord’s anger was aroused against Uzzah, and God struck him dead because of this. So Uzzah died right there beside the Ark 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
God struck Uzzah dead for touching the ark, a severe judgment on irreverence toward the holy. It warns that even sincere people must approach God in the way He commands.
Overview
The ark represented God's enthroned presence, and the Law forbade touching it on pain of death (Numbers 4:15). Uzzah's act, however natural, treated the holy as if it needed human steadying, reflecting the same careless familiarity that had let the ark be carted like Philistine cargo. The episode underscores that God is holy and must be approached on His terms; it points ahead to Christ, through whom alone sinners may draw near to a holy God (Hebrews 10:19-22).
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 6
- 1 Sam 6:19But God struck down some of the people of Beth-shemesh because they looked inside the ark of the LORD. He struck down seventy men, and the people mourned because the LORD had struck them with a great slaughter.
- 1 Chr 15:13It was because you Levites were not with us the first time that the LORD our God burst forth in anger against us. For we did not consult Him about the proper order.”
- 1 Chr 15:2Then David said, “No one but the Levites may carry the ark of God, because the LORD has chosen them to carry the ark of the LORD and to minister before Him forever.”
- 1 Chr 13:10And 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.
- Lev 10:1–3Now Aaron’s sons Nadab and Abihu took their censers, put fire in them and added incense, and offered unauthorized fire before the LORD, contrary to His command.
- 1 Cor 11:30–32That is why many among you are weak and sick, and a number of you have fallen asleep.
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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 6:7 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
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