Uzzah was a son of Abinadab who helped transport the ark of the covenant from his father's house to Jerusalem during King David's reign. He was struck down by God when he reached out his hand and touched the ark to steady it after the oxen stumbled. His sudden death served as a solemn reminder of the holiness of God's things and the importance of following God's instructions.
The ark of the covenant had been kept in Abinadab's house at Kiriath-Jearim for many years after it was returned by the Philistines. Uzzah and his brother Ahio grew up near the ark.
1So the men of Kiriath-jearim came and took up the ark of the LORD and brought it to the house of Abinadab on the hill, and they consecrated his son Eleazar to keep watch over the ark of the LORD.
King David decided to move the ark of the covenant to Jerusalem, and Uzzah and Ahio drove the new cart on which the ark was placed. This went against God's command that the ark should be carried by the Levites.
3They set the ark of God on a new cart and carried it from the house of Abinadab on the hill. Uzzah and Ahio, the sons of Abinadab, were guiding the new cart,
When they reached the threshing floor of Kidon, the oxen stumbled, and Uzzah reached out his hand and grabbed hold of God's ark to prevent it from falling.
That day David was both angry and afraid of the Lord. He named the place Perez-Uzzah, which means 'Uzzah's breach,' and he did not dare to move the ark further to the City of David.
10So David was unwilling to bring the ark of the LORD up to himself in the City of David; instead he turned it aside to the house of Obed-edom the Gittite.
After Uzzah's death, the ark was instead placed in the house of Obed-Edom from Gath, where it remained for three months. The Lord blessed Obed-Edom and his entire household while the ark was there.
10So David was unwilling to bring the ark of the LORD up to himself in the City of David; instead he turned it aside to the house of Obed-edom the Gittite.
12King David was told, "The LORD has blessed the house of Obed-edom and all that belongs to him because of the ark of God." So David went and brought the ark of God up from the house of Obed-edom to the City of David with rejoicing.
14The ark of God remained with the household of Obed-Edom in his house for three months, and the LORD blessed the house of Obed-Edom and all that he had.