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.
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.
- BSB 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.
- 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 6:19And he smote the men of Bethshemesh, because they had looked into the ark of the LORD, even he smote of the people fifty thousand and threescore and ten men: and the people lamented, because the LORD had smitten many of the people with a great slaughter.
- 1 Chr 15:13For because ye did it not at the first, the LORD our God made a breach upon us, for that we sought him not after the due order.
- 1 Chr 15:2Then David said, None ought to carry the ark of God but the Levites: for them hath the LORD chosen to carry the ark of God, and to minister unto him for ever.
- 1 Chr 13:10And 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.
- Lev 10:1–3And Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, took either of them his censer, and put fire therein, and put incense thereon, and offered strange fire before the LORD, which he commanded them not.
- 1 Cor 11:30–32For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep.
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 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
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.