Verse-by-Verse Bible Commentary

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible

And they brought it out of the house of Abinadab, which was at Gibeah,.... That is, the new cart, which is the last thing spoken of, 2 Samuel 6:3; and the bringing of the ark out of his house is mentioned before; though some take this to be the coffer in which were the presents of the Philistines, which was now brought out along with the ark, see 1 Samuel 6:8,

accompanying the ark of God; or "with the ark of God"^F6עם ארון האלהים "cum arca Dei", Pagninus, Montanus, Tigurine version, Piscator. ; that is, they brought the new cart "from" the house of Abinadab on the hill, with the ark of God upon it:

and Ahio went before the ark; guiding the oxen that drew it, and Uzzah might go behind, or on one side, to take care that the ark fell not out of it.

John Trapp Complete Commentary

2 Samuel 6:4 And they brought it out of the house of Abinadab which [was] at Gibeah, accompanying the ark of God: and Ahio went before the ark.

Ver. 4. And they brought it out of the house of Abinadab.] Where it had been more than forty years. See 1 Samuel 7:1.

Which was at Gibeah.] Or, On the hill in Kirjathjearim.

And Ahio went before the ark,] sc., To drive the oxen, as Uzzah came behind it, ut observaret ne illa de plaustro decideret, (a) to take care that the ark fell not out.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible

To lead the oxen that drew it.

Whedon's Commentary on the Bible

4.And they brought — The first part of this verse, as far as the word Gibeah, is a repetition from the preceding verse, and is probably a mistake of the copyist, who seems to have twice transcribed the same line.

Accompanying the ark — Rather, with the ark, the preposition with connecting cart of the preceding verse and the ark. The sons of Abinadab drave the new cart with the ark of God, that is, the new cart that bore the ark.

Ahio went before the ark — To guide the oxen, while Uzzah, as appears afterwards, walked behind, keeping his eyes upon the movements of the ark. These sons of Abinadab evidently lacked a becoming reverence for the ark. From childhood they had seen it in their home, and had become so familiar with the sight as to lose from their minds the sacred associations of its former history.

Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible

‘And they brought it out of the house of Abinadab, which was in the hill, with the ark of God, and Ahio went before the ark.’

Once the journey had commenced Ahio went before the Ark as a kind of herald and forerunner, in order to prepare people for the coming of that sacred object. It was necessary to give advanced warning for all had to beware lest in some way they come in contact with or desecrate the Ark, and he may well at the same time have spoken out aloud concerning the glory of God (note Numbers 10:35-36). Compare how David would later dance before the Ark.

Thus it was left to Uzzah to drive the cart. This is important in the context of the story because it demonstrates that his attention was on the cart and the oxen. While all the others were looking at the covered Ark, he was watching the oxen. Thus when the oxen stumbled his first concern would be the control of the oxen. What had happened to the Ark would only come to his perceptions once he was sure that he had control of the cart.

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible - Unabridged

And they brought it out of the house of Abinadab which was at Gibeah, accompanying the ark of God: and Ahio went before the ark.

Brought it out of the house of Abinadab which was at Gibeah [ bagib`aah (Hebrew #1389), with the article] - on the hill (1 Samuel 7:1), or the mount (Joshua 15:11).

Ahio went before the ark - namely, as leading the oxen which drew it.

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(4) And they brought it.—The text has undoubtedly suffered here through the repetition of a line by the scribes. The whole verse is omitted in the parallel passage in 1 Chronicles 13, and the first half of it (which is a repetition of 2 Samuel 6:3) in the LXX.

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

1 Samuel 7:1,2; 1 Chronicles 13:7

accompanying

Heb. with.