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Christian Standard Bible ®

2 Samuel 6:13

When those carrying the ark of the Lord advanced six steps, he sacrificed an ox and a fattened calf.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Ark;   David;   Jerusalem;   Measure;   Thompson Chain Reference - Sacrifices;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Ark of the Covenant;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Ark of the Covenant;   Uzzah;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Ark;   Tabernacle;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Jerusalem;   Psalms, Theology of;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Fatling;   Tabernacle;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Dance;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Ark of the Covenant;   Cattle;   Fatlings, Fatted;   King, Kingship;   Pilgrimage;   Samuel, Books of;   Transportation and Travel;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Chronicles, I;   Jerusalem;   King;   Priests and Levites;   Weights and Measures;   The Hawker's Poor Man's Concordance And Dictionary - Nachon;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - David;   Jerusalem;   Smith Bible Dictionary - Weights and Measures;   Watson's Biblical & Theological Dictionary - Priest;  

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - Hebrew Monarchy, the;   International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Ark of the Covenant;   Cart;   Pace;   Priesthood;   Priests and Levites;   Kitto Biblical Cyclopedia - Ark of the covenant;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Cattle;   Samuel, Books of;  

Parallel Translations

Hebrew Names Version
It was so, that, when those who bore the ark of the LORD had gone six paces, he sacrificed an ox and a fattened calf.
King James Version
And it was so, that when they that bare the ark of the Lord had gone six paces, he sacrificed oxen and fatlings.
Lexham English Bible
It happened that when the carriers of the ark of Yahweh had marched six steps that he sacrificed an ox and a fatling.
English Standard Version
And when those who bore the ark of the Lord had gone six steps, he sacrificed an ox and a fattened animal.
New Century Version
When the men carrying the Ark of the Lord had walked six steps, David sacrificed a bull and a fat calf.
New English Translation
Those who carried the ark of the Lord took six steps and then David sacrificed an ox and a fatling calf.
Amplified Bible
And when those who were carrying the ark of the LORD [by its poles] had gone six paces, he sacrificed an ox and a fatling.
New American Standard Bible
And so it was, that when those carrying the ark of the LORD marched six paces, he sacrificed an ox and a fattened steer.
Geneva Bible (1587)
And when they that bare the Arke of the Lord had gone sixe paces, he offred an oxe, and a fatte beast.
Legacy Standard Bible
And so it happened, that when those who were carrying the ark of Yahweh had gone six paces, he sacrificed an ox and a fatling.
Contemporary English Version
The people carrying the chest walked six steps, then David sacrificed an ox and a choice cow.
Complete Jewish Bible
When those bearing the ark of Adonai had gone only six paces, he sacrificed an ox and a fattened sheep.
Darby Translation
And it was so, that when they that bore the ark of Jehovah had gone six paces, he sacrificed an ox and a fatted beast.
Easy-to-Read Version
When the men who carried the Lord 's Holy Box had walked six steps, they stopped and David sacrificed a bull and a fat calf.
George Lamsa Translation
And it was so that when those who bore the ark of the LORD had gone six paces, David sacrificed fat oxen.
Good News Translation
After the men carrying the Covenant Box had gone six steps, David had them stop while he offered the Lord a sacrifice of a bull and a fattened calf.
Literal Translation
And it happened, when those bearing the ark of Jehovah had gone six steps, he sacrificed an ox and a fatling.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
And wha they were gone sixe steppes in with the Arke of the LORDE, they offered an oxe and a fat shepe.
American Standard Version
And it was so, that, when they that bare the ark of Jehovah had gone six paces, he sacrificed an ox and a fatling.
Bible in Basic English
And when those who were lifting the ark of the Lord had gone six steps, he made an offering of an ox and a fat young beast.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
And when they that bare the arke of the Lorde, had gone sixe paces, he offered an oxe and a fat beast.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
And it was so, that when they that bore the ark of the LORD had gone six paces, he sacrificed an ox and a fatling.
King James Version (1611)
And it was so, that when they that bare the Arke of the Lord, had gone sixe paces, hee sacrificed oxen and fatlings.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And there were with him bearing the ark seven bands, and for a sacrifice a calf and lambs.
English Revised Version
And it was so, that when they that bare the ark of the LORD had gone six paces, he sacrificed an ox and a fatling.
Berean Standard Bible
When those carrying the ark of the LORD had advanced six paces, he sacrificed an ox and a fattened calf.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And whanne thei, that baren the arke of the Lord, hadden stied six paaces, thei offriden an oxe and a ram. And Dauid smoot in organs boundun to the arm;
Young's Literal Translation
And it cometh to pass, when those bearing the ark of Jehovah have stepped six steps, that he sacrificeth an ox and a fatling.
Update Bible Version
And it was so, that, when those that bore the ark of Yahweh had gone six paces, he sacrificed an ox and a fatling.
Webster's Bible Translation
And it was [so], that when they that bore the ark of the LORD had gone six paces, he sacrificed oxen and fatlings.
World English Bible
It was so, that, when those who bore the ark of Yahweh had gone six paces, he sacrificed an ox and a fattened calf.
New King James Version
And so it was, when those bearing the ark of the LORD had gone six paces, that he sacrificed oxen and fatted sheep.
New Living Translation
After the men who were carrying the Ark of the Lord had gone six steps, David sacrificed a bull and a fattened calf.
New Life Bible
When the men who carried the special box of the Lord had gone six steps, David killed and gave to the Lord a bull and a fat calf.
New Revised Standard
and when those who bore the ark of the Lord had gone six paces, he sacrificed an ox and a fatling.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And so it was that, when they who bare the ark of Yahweh had stepped forward six paces, he sacrificed an ox and a heifer.
Douay-Rheims Bible
And when they that carried the ark of the Lord had gone six paces, he sacrificed and ox and a ram:
Revised Standard Version
and when those who bore the ark of the LORD had gone six paces, he sacrificed an ox and a fatling.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
And so it was, that when the bearers of the ark of the LORD had gone six paces, he sacrificed an ox and a fatling.

Contextual Overview

12It was reported to King David: “The Lord has blessed Obed-edom’s family and all that belongs to him because of the ark of God.” So David went and had the ark of God brought up from Obed-edom’s house to the city of David with rejoicing. 13When those carrying the ark of the Lord advanced six steps, he sacrificed an ox and a fattened calf. 14David was dancing with all his might before the Lord wearing a linen ephod. 15He and the whole house of Israel were bringing up the ark of the Lord with shouts and the sound of the ram’s horn. 16As the ark of the Lord was entering the city of David, Saul’s daughter Michal looked down from the window and saw King David leaping and dancing before the Lord, and she despised him in her heart. 17They brought the ark of the Lord and set it in its place inside the tent David had pitched for it. Then David offered burnt offerings and fellowship offerings in the Lord’s presence. 18When David had finished offering the burnt offering and the fellowship offerings, he blessed the people in the name of the Lord of Armies. 19Then he distributed a loaf of bread, a date cake, and a raisin cake to each one in the entire Israelite community, both men and women. Then all the people went home.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

when they: Numbers 4:15, Numbers 7:9, Joshua 3:3, 1 Chronicles 15:2, 1 Chronicles 15:15, 1 Chronicles 15:25, 1 Chronicles 15:26

oxen: 1 Kings 8:5, 2 Chronicles 5:6

Reciprocal: 1 Samuel 15:9 - the fatlings 2 Samuel 15:24 - bearing Psalms 66:15 - I will offer

Cross-References

Genesis 6:1
When mankind began to multiply on the earth and daughters were born to them,
Genesis 6:2
the sons of God saw that the daughters of mankind were beautiful, and they took any they chose as wives for themselves.
Genesis 6:4
The Nephilim were on the earth both in those days and afterward, when the sons of God came to the daughters of mankind, who bore children to them. They were the powerful men of old, the famous men.
Genesis 6:6
the Lord regretted that he had made man on the earth, and he was deeply grieved.
Genesis 6:7
Then the Lord said, “I will wipe mankind, whom I created, off the face of the earth, together with the animals, creatures that crawl, and birds of the sky—for I regret that I made them.”
Genesis 6:10
And Noah fathered three sons: Shem, Ham, and Japheth.
Genesis 6:11
Now the earth was corrupt in God’s sight, and the earth was filled with wickedness.
Genesis 6:12
God saw how corrupt the earth was, for every creature had corrupted its way on the earth.
Genesis 7:23
He wiped out every living thing that was on the face of the earth, from mankind to livestock, to creatures that crawl, to the birds of the sky, and they were wiped off the earth. Only Noah was left, and those that were with him in the ark.
Genesis 49:5
Simeon and Levi are brothers;their knives are vicious weapons.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And it was [so], that when they that bare the ark of the Lord,.... The Levites; for now David had seen the former mistake, and rectified it, and ordered the Levites to "carry" it, as they did upon their shoulders, with the staves therein, see 1 Chronicles 15:2; when these

had gone six paces, he sacrificed oxen and fatlings; upon an altar, which was at once erected for that purpose; the number and kind of sacrifices offered were seven bullocks and seven rams, 1 Chronicles 15:26; and these David offered, not by himself, but by the priests that were with him, and that as soon as they had gone six paces from the house of Obededom; whereby they perceived the Levites, were able to carry the ark, with what was in it, the Lord helping them, as in 1 Chronicles 15:2, and without stumbling and falling, or any evil attending them; and Kimchi thinks these six paces were just the measure of the ground Uzzah went before what befell him; but it is highly probable that he had gone further; however, no doubt by the order of David, the Levites set down the ark, and sacrifices were offered by way of thanksgiving to God, and for the continuance of his goodness, and for atonement for former errors. Some think these seven oxen and rams were offered, at seven different times and places, at every six paces an ox and a ram; but this is not very likely.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

The meaning is, not that they sacrificed oxen and fatlings every six steps, which would have been impossible, but that when - after the arrangement made by David for the Levites to carry the ark 1 Chronicles 15:2, 1 Chronicles 15:12, 1 Chronicles 15:15 they had borne it successfully and with visible tokens of God’s favor, out of the house of Obed-edom and six “steps” on the road to the city of David to the sound of the musical instruments - then they stopped and offered solemn sacrifices. Possibly “the step” may have had a technical sense, and denoted a certain distance, say a stadium. Six such distances would have been nearly a mile, and if the ground was difficult and steep, the successful progress of “those that bare the ark,” so far, would have been a fit cause for a thanksgiving sacrifice.


 
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