Again: the use of this word seems to connect this verse with the battles described in the previous chapter (verses 17-25) and may make readers think that a third battle is about to be described. But what follows is rather a peaceful mission to move the ark of the Covenant to the new capital in Jerusalem. Contemporary English Version leaves this word out completely, as does Anchor Bible, which justifies the decision on the basis of a minor modification of the Hebrew text. Some may prefer to translate “On another occasion,” “At another time,” or simply “One day.”

The chosen men of Israel: in 1 Sam 26.2 there were said to be “three thousand” of these men. But the situation had apparently changed by this time so that there were ten times as many chosen men.

Good News Translation modifies the structure here by continuing this sentence in the following verse.

Quoted with permission from Omanson, Roger L. and Ellington, John E. A Handbook on the First and Second Books of Samuel, Volume 2. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2001. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

The words all the people again refer to the military force of David and may therefore be translated “all the troops” (New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh).

From Baale-judah: so reads the standard Hebrew text. The text may be interpreted to mean “from the leaders of Judah,” since the word baʿal can mean “master.” Or the whole expression may be taken as a place name as in Revised Standard Version. However, one very old Hebrew manuscript has a different preposition, making it read “to Baalah of Judah” (compare also the parallel in 1 Chr 13.6). This seems to be the correct reading, although New Revised Standard Version and New International Version also have “from.” Baalah was the old name for the city elsewhere called Kiriath-jearim (see Josh 15.9).

The ark of God: this is the first mention of the ark in 2 Samuel, although it is found often in 1 Samuel (3.3 and frequently in chapters 4–7). See 1 Sam 3.3 and the description given in the comments. The presence of Yahweh was thought to be closely tied to this box.

Which is called by the name: the word for name is actually found twice in the original Hebrew, but most scholars agree that this was an accidental repetition by someone copying the Hebrew text. New International Version, however, reflects this with “the Name, the name…” (compare also New American Standard Bible, “the Name, the very name…”). The whole phrase seems to mean “bore the name of Yahweh written on it” (Revised English Bible and Jerusalem Bible as well as Good News Translation), or possibly that the divine Name was spoken over it on certain occasions (Anchor Bible). Contemporary English Version translates “and he is worshiped there.”

The LORD of hosts: see 1 Sam 1.3.

On the cherubim: two golden statues of these winged beings were on top of the Covenant Box and somehow served as the throne of God, perhaps with the wings forming the throne (see Exo 25.22). On the translation of this important term, see 1 Sam 4.4. Compare also Gen 3.24 and Exo 25.18.

While this verse is a continuation of the sentence started in the previous one in Good News Translation, it may be rendered as a separate sentence in languages where shorter sentences are more natural. New Century Version provides a four-sentence model that may be helpful insofar as structure is concerned:

• Then David and all his people went to Baalah in Judah. They took the Holy Box of God from Baalah in Judah and moved it to Jerusalem. The Holy Box is called by the Name, the name of the LORD of heaven’s armies. His throne is upon the gold creatures with wings that are on the Holy Box.

Quoted with permission from Omanson, Roger L. and Ellington, John E. A Handbook on the First and Second Books of Samuel, Volume 2. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2001. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

Carried … upon a new cart: when the Covenant Box was moved from Ekron to Beth-shemesh, it was also transported on a new cart (see 1 Sam 6.7). It was probably out of respect for the Box that the people of Israel wanted to use a cart that would not have been in danger of ever having been contaminated by any other load.

The house of Abinadab: according to 1 Sam 7.1, this is where the Covenant Box had been left. Abinadab had two sons named Uzzah and Ahio who helped with the moving of the Box. The consonants of the name Ahio are the same as the Hebrew word translated “his brother” or “his brothers.” The Septuagint translated this as “Uzzah and his brothers,” but nearly all modern translations render this word as the name Ahio. The hill mentioned here was located in the town of Kireath-jearim, which was also called Baalah (see verse 2).

Driving: as the following verse makes clear, the two men were not seated on the cart but were walking with it and steering it along the way. Translators should take care to select a verb that conveys this meaning.

Both Revised Standard Version and Good News Translation follow the shorter form of verse 3b and 4a, which is attested by the Septuagint and a manuscript from Qumran. The Masoretic Text has the following words at the end of this verse and at the beginning of verse 4: “and brought it out of the house of Abinadab which was on the hill.” Although the MT is followed by several translations (for example, Traduction œcuménique de la Bible, New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh, Nouvelle version Segond révisée), Critique Textuelle de l’Ancien Testament gives a {C} rating to the shorter text and suggests that the longer reading found in the MT is the result of an error by a scribe, who accidentally repeated words found earlier in verse 3.

Quoted with permission from Omanson, Roger L. and Ellington, John E. A Handbook on the First and Second Books of Samuel, Volume 2. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2001. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

The repeating of the words the ark of God will probably be unnecessary in many languages. But if such repetition is natural, it may be retained in the receptor language. Some may say “with the ark of God on [or, in] it [the cart].”

Went before the ark: Ahio was walking in front of the cart, which was carrying the ark, while his brother was probably beside it.

Quoted with permission from Omanson, Roger L. and Ellington, John E. A Handbook on the First and Second Books of Samuel, Volume 2. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2001. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

David and all the house of Israel: in some languages it will be more natural to say “David and all the other Israelites,” since David was, after all, also an Israelite.

Making merry: this same expression is used in the story of Samson (Judges 16.25, 27) in the sense of “made fun of.” This is clear because of the direct object there. But here it simply means “enjoying themselves,” “celebrating,” or “were very happy.” Good News Translation makes this more explicit with “dancing and singing,” since these activities were almost certainly involved. The verb denotes celebration, but later in the story the celebration appears to have degenerated into disorder. The verb is also found in 1 Sam 18.7 and 2 Sam 2.14.

Before the LORD: see 1 Sam 1.12; 2.18; as well as 3.28; and 5.3. Note that Good News Translation translates “to honor the LORD.”

With all their might, with songs: the traditional Hebrew text at this point has “with all the fir trees.” The differences in English between “with all their might, with songs” and “with all the fir trees” is considerable, but the differences in the underlying Hebrew text are small, consisting of slight changes in spelling and word division. The footnote in some editions of Revised Standard Version is incorrect, since the words with all their might, with songs replace the Hebrew words “with all the fir trees.” New American Standard Bible and Traduction œcuménique de la Bible, following the lead of King James Version, supply additional words and come up with the rendering “with all kinds of instruments made of fir [Traduction œcuménique de la Bible, cypress] trees.” Fox similarly has “fir-word instruments.” Most French versions speak of instruments made either of “cypress” (Traduction œcuménique de la Bible, La Bible du Semeur, Nouvelle version Segond révisée) or of “pine” (Bible en français courant). Critique Textuelle de l’Ancien Testament, which gives a {C} rating to the Masoretic Text, seems to recommend this understanding of the traditional Hebrew text. However, many modern English versions (New Revised Standard Version, Revised English Bible, New International Version, New American Bible, Jerusalem Bible, as well as Good News Translation) adopt the reading of Revised Standard Version. This is the reading of one manuscript of the Dead Sea Scrolls and the ancient Greek, as well as the parallel passage in Chronicles (1 Chr 13.8). If this text is accepted, translators should compare the similar observation with regard to David in verse 14 below.

Lyres and harps and tambourines and castanets and cymbals: the first two instruments in the list here have strings that are plucked, but the lyre is usually thought of as being smaller than the harp. These two terms are translated in Contemporary English Version as “small harps and other stringed instruments.” On the terms harps, tambourines, and lyres, see 1 Sam 10.5. The word translated castanets is found only here in all the Old Testament. Although the meaning is far from certain, it was probably some kind of rattle. New International Version and New American Bible use the difficult word “sistrums,” while New Century Version and Fox use the simpler and more general term “rattles.” In cultures where a technical term does not exist for this instrument, a term such as “rattles” may prove to be the best model. This may prove to be the best model for many languages. The word for cymbals occurs five times in the Old Testament, but it is translated in a variety of ways. It appears as “cymbals” in Psa 150.5, but as “locust” in Deut 28.42, and as “whirring” in Isa 18.1. If the receptor language has a term for two metal objects banged together to make music, this will probably be the best rendering for this term.

Quoted with permission from Omanson, Roger L. and Ellington, John E. A Handbook on the First and Second Books of Samuel, Volume 2. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2001. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

Threshing floor: since the word floor in English may make the reader think of something made of wood, Good News Translation uses the more general word “place.” For a full explanation of this high, hard, and flat area where grain was beaten, see 1 Sam 23.1, and compare also Ruth 3.2.

The Hebrew text, followed by Revised Standard Version, first relates the fact that Uzzah touched the ark and then gives the reason for his doing so. This has been reversed in Good News Translation. In quite a few languages the order of Good News Translation will be preferred. The fact that the ox stumbled, thus causing Uzzah to put his hand on the ark, will come first.

In comparing the parallel passage in 1 Chr 13.9, it will be noted that the threshing floor is said to belong to “Chidon” instead of Nacon as here. One of the Dead Sea Scrolls actually has yet another name, “Nodan” (so Anderson and New American Bible). Some interpreters have suggested that the Hebrew word is not a name at all but is rather a participle from a verb meaning “to stand firm.” New English Bible and Revised English Bible are based on this interpretation that the word is a participle, and they translate “a certain threshing floor.” But this interpretation is not widely held and is not recommended to translators. Since there is no textual evidence to harmonize this detail of the two accounts, translators should probably maintain the distinction found in the traditional Hebrew texts and keep Nacon here. Critique Textuelle de l’Ancien Testament gives a {C} evaluation to the reading in the Masoretic Text.

Quoted with permission from Omanson, Roger L. and Ellington, John E. A Handbook on the First and Second Books of Samuel, Volume 2. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2001. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

The passive expression anger … was kindled will be more naturally rendered in many languages by an active form. The expression is used of human anger in 1 Sam 17.28 (of Eliab) and 1 Sam 20.30 (of Saul), but here it is the anger of the LORD. The expression is frequently used to describe God’s anger in the books of Numbers and Judges, but it is also found in Exo 4.14, for example.

Smote: as often in the Old Testament, this is a euphemism for the verb “to kill.” In most cases it will be better to translate the meaning clearly, as in Good News Translation, although it is later stated that he died. The use of the verb “kill” simply combines the two meanings and makes it unnecessary to use two different verbs. See the comments on 1.15 as well as 1 Sam 4.8.

Because he put forth his hand to the ark: as the footnote in Revised Standard Version indicates, this translation is based on the parallel passage in 1 Chr 13.10 and is not a translation of the Masoretic Text. The difficulty in translating the MT is that the meaning of the Hebrew noun shal is uncertain. It may be related to an Aramaic root meaning “negligence” or “unintentional error.” This is the interpretation favored by Critique Textuelle de l’Ancien Testament, which gives a {B} rating to the MT. This appears to be the basis for the Good News Translation translation, which indicates that Uzzah was killed “because of his irreverence,” and adds a footnote that this is the probable text where the Hebrew is unclear. Compare also “… struck him down because of his presumption” (Anderson) and “… for his indiscretion” (New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh). Of course the “indiscretion” or the “unintentional error” consisted of putting forth his hand to the ark, so for translation reasons it may be better to follow Revised Standard Version or to say “God smote him for the mistake of having laid his hand on the ark.”

Quoted with permission from Omanson, Roger L. and Ellington, John E. A Handbook on the First and Second Books of Samuel, Volume 2. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2001. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

Note that the structure has been changed in Good News Translation to follow a more logical pattern in which David’s anger is mentioned after completing the part about the naming of the place. This may be a good model to follow in other languages.

David was angry: the word describing David’s reaction is not exactly the same as the expression used of the LORD’s angry reaction to Uzzah’s action. In the previous verse a more literal rendering is “anger burned,” while here we find simply the verb “burned” without specific mention of the noun “anger.” However, it may not be possible or natural to try to make this fine distinction in the receptor language.

Had broken forth is literally “had breached a breach [gap].” The basic meaning of the verb is “to break through [a wall in an attack on a city].” The verb is used by extension to mean “to punish,” which is how Good News Translation translates the verb. New American Bible renders this expression “vented his anger.” Where possible it is helpful to a better understanding of the text if the verb used here is related to the name that follows. For example, “David got angry because of God’s outburst of anger against Uzzah. So he named that place ‘Outburst Against Uzzah.’ ”

Perez-uzzah: see also the comments on the name “Baal-perazim” in 5.20. The meaning of the name is crucial in this passage, and the reader should somehow be made aware of this meaning and its relationship to what happened in that place. This may be done (1) by the use of a footnote as in Good News Translation, (2) by putting the meaning in parentheses after a transliteration of the Hebrew name as in An American Translation, or (3) by direct translation of the meaning of the place name in the text. Knox captures the meaning of the passage very well (using Oza for the name): “Great grief it was to David, this ruin the LORD had brought on Oza (the place is still called Oza’s Ruin).” Parola Del Signore: La Bibbia in Lingua Corrente provides a good model of the second approach, that is, of putting the meaning in parentheses: “That place is called Perez-Uzzah (Punishment of Uzzah), and that name has remained to this day.”

Quoted with permission from Omanson, Roger L. and Ellington, John E. A Handbook on the First and Second Books of Samuel, Volume 2. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2001. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .