1 Chronicles 13

Chapter context

What is happening in 1 Chronicles 13?

memoryworshipgenealogyDavid

1 Chronicles 13 belongs to the middle movement of the book, especially the section often described as Saul’s death. First Chronicles surveys Israel through genealogies and then retells David’s reign with special attention to worship, Levites, and preparations for the temple. Read this chapter with the wider themes of memory, worship, and genealogy in view so the individual verses keep their proper weight.

¹ And David consulted with the captains of thousands and hundreds, and with every leader. ² And David said unto all the congregation of Israel, If it seem good unto you, and that it be of the LORD our God, let us send abroad unto our brethren every where, that are left in all the land of Israel, and with them also to the priests and Levites which are in their cities and suburbs, that they may gather themselves unto us: ³ And let us bring again the ark of our God to us: for we enquired not at it in the days of Saul. ⁴ And all the congregation said that they would do so: for the thing was right in the eyes of all the people. ⁵ So David gathered all Israel together, from Shihor of Egypt even unto the entering of Hemath, to bring the ark of God from Kirjathjearim. ⁶ And David went up, and all Israel, to Baalah, that is, to Kirjathjearim, which belonged to Judah, to bring up thence the ark of God the LORD, that dwelleth between the cherubims, whose name is called on it. ⁷ And they carried the ark of God in a new cart out of the house of Abinadab: and Uzza and Ahio drave the cart. ⁸ And David and all Israel played before God with all their might, and with singing, and with harps, and with psalteries, and with timbrels, and with cymbals, and with trumpets. ⁹ And when they came unto the threshingfloor of Chidon, Uzza put forth his hand to hold the ark; for the oxen stumbled. ¹⁰ And 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. ¹¹ And David was displeased, because the LORD had made a breach upon Uzza: wherefore that place is called Perezuzza to this day. ¹² And David was afraid of God that day, saying, How shall I bring the ark of God home to me? ¹³ So David brought not the ark home to himself to the city of David, but carried it aside into the house of Obededom the Gittite. ¹⁴ And the ark of God remained with the family of Obededom in his house three months. And the LORD blessed the house of Obededom, and all that he had.

Study helps

Glossary

David Person v. 1-2, 5-6, 8, 11-13: Beloved, the eighth and youngest son of Jesse, a citizen of Bethlehem. His father seems to have been a man in humble life. His mother’s name is not recorded. Some think she was the Nahash of 2 Sam. 17:25 .
Ark Object v. 3, 5-7, 9-10, 12-14: Noah’s ark, a building of gopher-wood, and covered with pitch, 300 cubits long, 50 cubits broad, and 30 cubits high.
Saul Person v. 3: Asked for. (1. ) A king of Edom ( Gen. 36:37 , 38); called Shaul in 1 Chr. 1:48 .
Egypt Place v. 5: The land of the Nile and the pyramids, the oldest kingdom of which we have any record, holds a place of great significance in Scripture. Modern identification: Ain Shams.
Kiriath-jearim Place v. 5-6: City, a city belonging to Benjamin ( Josh. 18:28 ), the modern Kuriet el-‘Enab, i. e., “city of grapes”, about 7 1/2 miles west-north-west of Jerusalem. Modern identification: Deir el Azar.
Lebo-hamath Place v. 5: Biblical settlement. Modern identification: Labweh.
Shihor Place v. 5: Biblical river. Modern identification: Pelusiac branch of the Nile.
Baalah Place v. 6: Biblical settlement. Modern identification: Deir el Azar.
Abinadab Person v. 7: Father of nobleness; i. e., “noble. ” (1. ) A Levite of Kirjath-jearim, in whose house the ark of the covenant was deposited after having been brought back from the land of the Philistines ( 1 Sam. 7:1 ).
Perez-uzzah Place v. 11: The breach of Uzzah, a place where God “burst forth upon Uzzah, so that he died,” when he rashly “took hold” of the ark ( 2 Sam. 6:6-8 ). It was not far from Kirjath-jearim (q. v. ). Modern identification: Jerusalem.
City People v. 13: The earliest mention of city-building is that of Enoch, which was built by Cain ( Gen. 4:17 ). After the confusion of tongues, the descendants of Nimrod founded several cities (10:10-12).
City of David Place v. 13: Biblical settlement. Modern identification: City of David.
Gath Place v. 13: Biblical settlement. Modern identification: Tell es Safi.