1 Tawarikh 13:7-10

13:7 They transported the ark on a new cart from the house of Abinadab; Uzzah and Ahio were guiding the cart, 13:8 while David and all Israel were energetically ¹  celebrating before God, singing and playing various stringed instruments, ²  tambourines, cymbals, and trumpets. 13:9 When they arrived at the threshing floor of Kidon, Uzzah reached out his hand to take hold of ³  the ark, because the oxen stumbled. 13:10 The Lord was so furious with Uzzah, ⁴  he killed him, because he reached out his hand and touched the ark. ⁵  He died right there before God. ⁶ 

[13:8]  ¹ tn Heb “with all strength.”

[13:8]  ² tn Heb “with songs and with zithers [meaning uncertain] and with harps.” Due to the collocation with “harps,” some type of stringed instrument is probably in view.

[13:9]  ³ tn Or “to steady.”

[13:10]  ⁴ tn Heb “and the anger of the Lord burned against Uzzah.”

[13:10]  ⁵ tn Heb “because he stretched out his hand over the ark.”

[13:10]  ⁶ sn The modern reader might think God seemed to overreact here, but Israel needed a vivid object lesson of God’s holiness. By loading the ark on a cart, David had violated the instructions in God’s law (Exod 25:12-14; Num 4:5-6, 15). Uzzah’s action, however innocent it may seem, betrayed a certain lack of reverence for God’s presence. God had to remind his people that his holiness could not under any circumstances be violated.