וַיִּוָּעֵץ דָּוִיד עִם־שָׂרֵי הָאֲלָפִים וְהַמֵּאוֹת לְכָל־נָגִיד

David consulted with the captains of thousands and of hundreds, with every high official.

וַיֹּאמֶר דָּוִיד לְכֹל קְהַל יִשְׂרָאֵל אִם־עֲלֵיכֶם טוֹב וּמִן־ה' אֱלֹהֵינוּ נִפְרְצָה נִשְׁלְחָה עַל אַחֵינוּ הַנִּשְׁאָרִים בְּכֹל אַרְצוֹת יִשְׂרָאֵל וְעִמָּהֶם הַכֹּהֲנִים וְהַלְוִיִּם בְּעָרֵי מִגְרְשֵׁיהֶם וְיִקָּבְצוּ אֵלֵינוּ

David said to the entire assembly of Israel: If it pleases you, and if it, this matter, is from the Lord our God, if it is in accordance with God’s will, let us go out and send to our brethren who remain in all the tribal territories of Israel, who have not come here, and with them the priests and Levites who are in the cities with their perimeter fields, and gather them to us, so that there will be a great assembly here;

וְנָסֵבָּה אֶת־אֲרוֹן אֱלֹהֵינוּ אֵלֵינוּ כִּי־לֹא דְרַשְׁנֻהוּ בִּימֵי שָׁאוּל

and let us transfer the ark of our God to us, to Jerusalem; for we had not sought it, we did not address the matter, in the days of Saul until now.

וַיֹּאמְרוּ כָל־הַקָּהָל לַעֲשׂוֹת כֵּן כִּי־יָשַׁר הַדָּבָר בְּעֵינֵי כָל־הָעָם

The entire assembly said they desired to do so, for the matter was right in the eyes of the entire people. The people agreed that the ark should be moved to a central site where they could renew the service of God.

וַיַּקְהֵל דָּוִיד אֶת־כָּל־יִשְׂרָאֵל מִן־שִׁיחוֹר מִצְרַיִם וְעַד־לְבוֹא חֲמָת לְהָבִיא אֶת־אֲרוֹן הָאֱלֹהִים מִקִּרְיַת יְעָרִים

David assembled all Israel, from Shihor, the river marking the eastern border of Egypt until Levo Hamat in the north, in order to bring the Ark of God from Kiryat Ye’arim.

וַיַּעַל דָּוִיד וְכָל־יִשְׂרָאֵל בַּעֲלָתָה אֶל־קִרְיַת יְעָרִים אֲשֶׁר לִיהוּדָה לְהַעֲלוֹת מִשָּׁם אֵת אֲרוֹן הָאֱלֹהִים ה' יוֹשֵׁב הַכְּרוּבִים אֲשֶׁר־נִקְרָא שֵׁם

David and all Israel went up to a place called Baala, to Kiryat Ye’arim which is of Judah, in order to bring up from there the Ark of God, the Lord who is seated amidst the cherubs, upon which the Name is called. The ark, over which the cherubs spread their arched wings, symbolizes the Divine Presence in Israel, and for this reason God is called the One who sits upon the cherubs. This is the focal point of the Sanctuary.

וַיַּרְכִּיבוּ אֶת־אֲרוֹן הָאֱלֹהִים עַל־עֲגָלָה חֲדָשָׁה מִבֵּית אֲבִינָדָב וְעֻזָּא וְאַחְיוֹ נֹהֲגִים בַּעֲגָלָה

The Torah explicitly states that the ark may not be transported in a cart; rather, it must be borne by the Levites on their shoulders. The Philistines had returned the ark in a cart, because they were afraid to touch it. They, the Israelites tasked with moving the ark, mounted the Ark of God on a new cart, as they too did not want to touch it, and they took it from the house of Avinadav; and Uza and Ahyo were directing the cart.

וְדָוִיד וְכָל־יִשְׂרָאֵל מְשַׂחֲקִים לִפְנֵי הָאֱלֹהִים בְּכָל־עֹז וּבְשִׁירִים וּבְכִנֹּרוֹת וּבִנְבָלִים וּבְתֻפִּים וּבִמְצִלְתַּיִם וּבַחֲצֹצְרוֹת

David and all Israel were reveling before God with all their might, dancing with enthusiasm and great fervor, and with songs, and with harps, and with lyres, and with drums, and with cymbals, and with trumpets.

וַיָּבֹאוּ עַד גֹּרֶן כִּידֹן וַיִּשְׁלַח עֻזָּא אֶת־יָדוֹ לֶאֱחֹז אֶת־הָאָרוֹן כִּי שָׁמְטוּ הַבָּקָר

They came to a place known as the threshing floor of Kidon, and Uza extended his hand to grasp the ark to prevent it from falling, as the oxen had stumbled. Apparently, it was a cart open on all sides and they feared that the ark would fall. Instinctively, Uza quickly extended his hand to grasp the ark and prevent it from falling.

וַיִּחַר־אַף ה' בְּעֻזָּא וַיַּכֵּהוּ עַל אֲשֶׁר־שָׁלַח יָדוֹ עַל־הָאָרוֹן וַיָּמָת שָׁם לִפְנֵי הָאֱלֹהִים

The wrath of the Lord was enflamed against Uza, and He smote him, because he extended his hand to the ark; and he died there before God.

וַיִּחַר לְדָוִיד כִּי־פָרַץ ה' פֶּרֶץ בְּעֻזָּא וַיִּקְרָא לַמָּקוֹם הַהוּא פֶּרֶץ עֻזָּא עַד הַיּוֹם הַזֶּה

David was distressed because the Lord had lashed out in a breach [peretz] against Uza, killing him; and he called that place, which was previously known as Kidon, Peretz Uza to this day. David was distraught as Uza’s intentions were certainly worthy, even if his actions were not.

וַיִּירָא דָוִיד אֶת־הָאֱלֹהִים בַּיּוֹם הַהוּא לֵאמֹר הֵיךְ אָבִיא אֵלַי אֵת אֲרוֹן הָאֱלֹהִים

David feared God on that day, saying: How can I bring the Ark of God to me? If one whose intentions were good was instantly killed when he touched the ark, what is liable to befall us?

וְלֹא־הֵסִיר דָּוִיד אֶת־הָאָרוֹן אֵלָיו אֶל־עִיר דָּוִיד וַיַּטֵּהוּ אֶל־בֵּית עֹבֵד־אֱדֹם הַגִּתִּי

David did not move the ark to him to the City of David, and instead he diverted it to the house of Oved Edom the Gitite, a Levite who lived outside the city.

וַיֵּשֶׁב אֲרוֹן הָאֱלֹהִים עִם־בֵּית עֹבֵד אֱדֹם בְּבֵיתוֹ שְׁלֹשָׁה חֳדָשִׁים וַיְבָרֶךְ ה' אֶת־בֵּית עֹבֵד־אֱדֹם וְאֶת־כָּל־אֲשֶׁר־לוֹ

The Ark of God remained with the household of Oved Edom, in his house three months, and the Lord blessed the house of Oved Edom, and everything that he had. David was worried that proximity to the ark might lead to calamity, but in fact the opposite occurred in the house of Oved Edom, as his home and family were privileged to receive special blessings. The Sages say that all the women in his house were blessed with children at that time. This teaches that one who treats the Ark of God with the proper deference suffers no harm; rather, he receives God’s blessing and salvation.