Poole on 2 Samuel 6:3-5: The Ark Brought forth with Joy

Verse 3:[1]  And they set (Heb. made to ride[2]) the ark of God (see Num. 7:9; 1 Sam. 6:7) upon a new cart, and brought it out of the house of Abinadab that was in Gibeah (or, the hill[3]):  and Uzzah and Ahio, the sons of Abinadab, drave the new cart.

[And they had placed the ark of God upon a new cart]  Undoubtedly after the example of the Philistines, 1 Samuel 6 (Piscator and Malvenda out of Junius, Menochius).  Erroneously.  It was to be carried on the shoulders, Numbers 4:15; 1 Samuel 6:13; 1 Chronicles 15:15 (Grotius, thus Junius, Piscator, Malvenda, Martyr, Menochius, Bochart’s A Sacred Catalogue of Animals); and for that very reason carts of oxen had not been bestowed upon the Kohathites, as upon the rest of the Levites[4] (Bochart’s A Sacred Catalogue of Animals 1:2:37:371).  They employed a new cart, not worn by any other use, for piety’s sake.  See what things are on 1 Samuel 6:7 (Sanchez).

They set the ark upon a new cart; being taught and encouraged to do so by the example of the Philistines, who did so without any token of God’s displeasure upon them for so doing.  But they did not sufficiently consider that God might wink at the Philistines, because they were ignorant of God’s laws; and yet be angry with them for the same thing, because they knew, or might and should have known, the law of God, which commanded the priests to bear it upon their shoulders, Numbers 4:14, 15; 7:9.  But their present transports of joy at the happy change of their affairs, and their greedy desire of having the ark removed, make them hasty and inconsiderate.

[And they brought it out of the house of Abinadab, who was in Gibeah]  See these words explained in the following verse (Sanchez).

In Gibeah; or, on the hill, as 1 Samuel 7:1.[5]

[The sons of Abinadab]  Abinadab himself seem now to have been dead; otherwise he would not have withdrawn from the ark, the faithful keeper of which he was for so long a time; nor, with the father omitted, would the sacred history have made mention only of the sons (Sanchez).

Uzzah and Ahio, the sons of Abinadab; for Abinadab himself seems now to have been dead, or at least detained at home through infirmity or indispensable occasions.

Verse 4:[6]  And they brought it out of (1 Sam. 7:1) the house of Abinadab which was at Gibeah, accompanying (Heb. with[7]) the ark of God:  and Ahio went before the ark.

[And when they had brought it out of the house of Abinadab, who was in Gibeah, keeping the ark of God, ‎וַיִּשָּׂאֻ֗הוּ מִבֵּ֤ית אֲבִֽינָדָב֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר בַּגִּבְעָ֔ה עִ֖ם אֲר֣וֹן הָאֱלֹהִ֑ים]  And they brought out (or, they brough out, I say [Pagnine]) it from the house of Abinadab, which was on the hill (Septuagint, English), or on the very hill of God (Junius and Tremellius).  Or, which was in Gibeah (Syriac, Pagnine, Vatablus, Montanus, similarly the Arabic).  [They refer the אֲשֶׁר/which/who to בֵּית/house.  Now, the Septuagint and the Arabic disregard the final words; but the rest render them:]  the ark of God (Syraic, Pagnine, Vatablus, Glassius).  It is conjoined with it; it, that is, the ark of God.  עִם/with is taken as אֶת [8] (Vatablus out of the Hebrews).  Thus the preceding verse is repeated with some change (Vatablus).  The Hebrews note that the antecedent, or noun, to which a relative is referred, is sometimes repeated after the relative, to reinforce the declaration, and to remove amphiboly.  Which Kimchi thus expresses:  then comes the thing signified, or the noun itself after the pronoun, etc.:  thus in Genesis 13:16, which if a man can number the dust of the earth, etc.;[9] and in Genesis 2:19, and whatsoever Adam called ‎לוֹ, to it, ‎נֶ֥פֶשׁ חַיָּ֖ה, the living creature.  The noun ‎חַיָּה, living thing, precedes, to which answers the relative לוֹ, to it (regard is had to the masculine gender as more suitable), and yet חַיָּה, living thing, is repeated.[10]  See also Exodus 7:11;[11] 35:5;[12] Joshua 1:2;[13] Jeremiah 27:8.[14]  To this they refer this passage, …it from the house…the ark of God (Glassius’ “Grammar” 216).  Cappel judges verse 4 here to be redundant, because it is a mere repetition of what precedes, neither is it found in 1 Chronicles 13:8, with the error arising from the repetition of new cart, in the midst and at the end of verse 3.  More specifically, when the scribe had finished transcribing verse 3, he thought that he had transcribed only half the verse:  and so he transcribed those things again, ‎וַיִּשָּׂאֻהוּ, etc. (Cappel’s Criticism).  [But Buxtorf thus calls for his attention:]  1.  How would the error of one scribe corrupt all the codices?  2.  Why are repetitions judged superfluous?  Do they have no use, because we ourselves do not see it?  3.  Kimchi more rightly:  It is said a second time, AND THEY BROUGHT IT OUT; what was stated in verse 3, that they brought it forth, is now explained in verse 4, that is, how they brought it forth; namely, that Ahio went before the ark, but Uzzah with the ark.  4.  Some render the last words differently (Buxtorf’s Vindication 2:2:429).  And they brought it out with the ark of God (Jonathan, Montanus, certain interpreters in Vatablus).  They maintain that the הוּ-/it on וַיִּשָּׂאֻהוּ, and they brought it, refers to the ark, or the chest in which the offerings of the Philistines were stored, which they brought out of the house of Abinadab together with the ark of God (certain interpreters in Vatablus).  Or, and they conveyed that (the cart) from the house of Abinadab with the ark of God, that is, placed upon it.  Thus the הוּ-/it is to be referred to the cart.  Objection:  They differ in gender, for הוּ- is masculine, but ‎עֲגָלָה/cart is feminine.  Response:  This enallage is common.  Or some participle is to be supplied here, as has been done by Junius (Glassius’ “Grammar” 216).  The Scripture has been abbreviated (Rabbi Salomon in Buxtorf), they brought it out from the house of Abinadab…(understanding, going [Junius and Tremellius in the former edition, with Buxtorf bearing witness], or with Uzzah going; or and they went [Buxtorf out of Rabbi Salomon and Rabbi Isaiah]) with the ark of God.  Or accompanying the ark of God, as Junius and Tremellius have it in the latter edition (Glassius).  Those that refer the relative אֲשֶׁר/which/who to the ark err, whereby the construction becomes overly complicated:  It is referred rather to Abinadab (Mariana).  Moreover, ‎גִּבְעָה/ Gibeah here is not the name of a city (Menochius); but it is posited appellatively, and signifies a hill (thus Vatablus, Septuagint, Junius and Tremellius, English, Menochius).  Now, this hill was in the city of Kirjath-jearim, which is expressly found in 1 Chronicles 13:6 (Menochius).

[Ahio was going before the ark]  Evidently so that he might lead the oxen that were drawing the car, out of verse 6 (Piscator).  Or so that he might in some measure fortify the way for the cart (Martyr).  Understand, and Uzzah was going behind the ark (so that he might watch, that it might not fall from the cart [Piscator]), an Ellipsis of the contrary (Malvenda out of Junius).

Ahio went before the ark:  To lead the oxen that drew it.

Verse 5:[15]  And David and all the house of Israel played before the LORD on all manner of instruments made of fir wood, even on harps, and on psalteries, and on timbrels, and on cornets, and on cymbals.

[They were playing (thus Piscator, Pagnine), ‎מְשַׂחֲקִים [16]]  Playing (Montanus); they were praising (Jonathan); they were sounding (Arabic); they were exulting (Vatablus, similarly Junius and Tremellius, Piscator).

[Before the Lord]  Before the ark, the symbol of the presence of Jehovah (Piscator).

[On all the woods fashioned skillfully, ‎בְּכֹ֖ל עֲצֵ֣י בְרוֹשִׁ֑ים]  On all woods of fir trees, or made of fir (Montanus, Jonathan, Arabic, Junius and Tremellius, Piscator, Vatablus), or of cedar (Syriac, Munster, Strigelius); with pine instruments of every sort (Castalio).  I translate it, with instruments of every sort, from woods made of fir (Piscator, similarly Vatablus), and likewise with lyres, and with psalteries, etc.  Species are subjoined to the genus.  Nevertheless, with these species are mixed things heterogeneous, for example, rattles and cymbals, which are made, not of wood, but of some metal (Piscator).

[And on sistris/rattles[17]]  Thus they translate the Hebrew ‎וּבִמְנַעַנְעִים (Syriac, Munster, Tigurinus, Pagnine, Junius and Tremellius).  Now, sistra are small percussive instruments of brass used especially in Egypt, with which they also arouse to war (Mariana).  They have their name from נָע, to be moved/stirred (Munster), from the shaking and agitation (certain interpreters in Malvenda), because for the playing of them they require the shaking of the whole body (Hebrews in Munster).  It is translated, on things rousing (Montanus); on things of four (Jonathan), namely, lyres, which struck with a pick, and have four strings; with which the Hebrew agrees (Mariana).  [By the Hebrew, both here and elsewhere, Mariana understands, not the text, but some Rabbi, Kimchi perhaps.]  On pipes (Castalio).

[1] Hebrew: וַיַּרְכִּ֜בוּ אֶת־אֲר֤וֹן הָֽאֱלֹהִים֙ אֶל־עֲגָלָ֣ה חֲדָשָׁ֔ה וַיִּשָּׂאֻ֔הוּ מִבֵּ֥ית אֲבִינָדָ֖ב אֲשֶׁ֣ר בַּגִּבְעָ֑ה וְעֻזָּ֣א וְאַחְי֗וֹ בְּנֵי֙ אֲבִ֣ינָדָ֔ב נֹהֲגִ֖ים אֶת־הָעֲגָלָ֥ה חֲדָשָֽׁה׃

[2] Hebrew:  ‎וַיַּרְכִּבוּ.

[3] Hebrew:  ‎בַּגִּבְעָה.

[4] Numbers 7:3, 6-9.

[5] 1 Samuel 7:1:  “And the men of Kirjath-jearim came, and fetched up the ark of the Lord, and brought it into the house of Abinadab in the hill (‎בַּגִּבְעָה), and sanctified Eleazar his son to keep the ark of the Lord.”

[6] Hebrew:  ‎וַיִּשָּׂאֻ֗הוּ מִבֵּ֤ית אֲבִֽינָדָב֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר בַּגִּבְעָ֔ה עִ֖ם אֲר֣וֹן הָאֱלֹהִ֑ים וְאַחְי֕וֹ הֹלֵ֖ךְ לִפְנֵ֥י הָאָרֽוֹן׃

[7] Hebrew:  ‎עִם.

[8] The direct object marker.

[9] Genesis 13:16:  “And I will make thy seed as the dust of the earth:  so that if a man can number the dust of the earth (‎אֲשֶׁ֣ר׀ אִם־יוּכַ֣ל אִ֗ישׁ לִמְנוֹת֙ אֶת־עֲפַ֣ר הָאָ֔רֶץ), then shall thy seed also be numbered.”

[10] Genesis 2:19:  “And out of the ground the Lord God formed every beast of the field (‎כָּל־חַיַּ֤ת הַשָּׂדֶה֙), and every fowl of the air; and brought them unto Adam to see what he would call them:  and whatsoever Adam called every living creature (‎וְכֹל֩ אֲשֶׁ֙ר יִקְרָא־ל֧וֹ הָֽאָדָ֛ם נֶ֥פֶשׁ חַיָּ֖ה), that was the name thereof.”

[11] Exodus 7:11:  “Then Pharaoh also called the wise men and the sorcerers:  now they, the magicians of Egypt, also did (‎וַיַּֽעֲשׂ֙וּ גַם־הֵ֜ם חַרְטֻמֵּ֥י מִצְרַ֛יִם) in like manner with their enchantments.”

[12] Exodus 35:5:  “Take ye from among you an offering unto the Lord:  whosoever is of a willing heart, let him bring it, an offering of the Lord (‎יְבִיאֶ֕הָ אֵ֖ת תְּרוּמַ֣ת יְהוָ֑ה); gold, and silver, and brass…”

[13] Joshua 1:2:  “Moses my servant is dead; now therefore arise, go over this Jordan, thou, and all this people, unto the land which I do give to them, even to the children of Israel (‎לָהֶ֖ם לִבְנֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃).”

[14] Jeremiah 27:8:  “And it shall come to pass, that the nation and kingdom which will not serve him, Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon (‎אֹתוֹ֙ אֶת־נְבוּכַדְנֶאצַּ֣ר מֶֽלֶךְ־בָּבֶ֔ל), and that will not put their neck under the yoke of the king of Babylon, that nation will I punish, saith the Lord, with the sword, and with the famine, and with the pestilence, until I have consumed them by his hand.”

[15] Hebrew: וְדָוִ֣ד׀ וְכָל־בֵּ֣ית יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל מְשַֽׂחֲקִים֙ לִפְנֵ֣י יְהוָ֔ה בְּכֹ֖ל עֲצֵ֣י בְרוֹשִׁ֑ים וּבְכִנֹּר֤וֹת וּבִנְבָלִים֙ וּבְתֻפִּ֔ים וּבִמְנַֽעַנְעִ֖ים וּֽבְצֶלְצֶלִֽים׃

[16] שָׂחַק signifies to laugh, to make sport, to play.

[17] 2 Samuel 6:5:  “And David and all the house of Israel played before the Lord on all manner of instruments made of fir wood, even on harps, and on psalteries, and on timbrels, and on cornets (‎וּבִמְנַעַנְעִים), and on cymbals.”