God had done everything for David to establish him as king and to exalt his kingdom for the fulfillment of His purpose. At this juncture David began to take thought concerning God’s dwelling place on earth. Whereas he was living in a house of cedar, the Ark, which represented God, still did not have a home (2 Sam. 7:2). Unable to bear such a situation, David decided to remove the Ark of God to a permanent dwelling place. This indicates that David’s heart was set on God’s house, God’s habitation. Whatever God does for us and whatever He gives to us should be altogether for our concern for the building up of God’s dwelling place on earth. For God to have a house on earth is a great shame to His enemy, Satan. For generations Satan has been struggling to abuse, usurp, and occupy the earth. As a result, in a sense God has been driven away from the earth. That was the situation at David’s time. However, David was for God; he was one with God and according to God. As a man according to God’s heart (1 Sam. 13:14), David desired to prepare a place where God could settle on the earth.

The meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain.

The people of Israel, perhaps influenced by the Philistines, moved the Ark by means of a cart (vv. 3-6; cf. 1 Sam. 6:7-14). The Ark should have been borne by the Levites (Num. 4:15; 7:9; 1 Chron. 15:2). God did not condemn the worldly Philistines for using a cart to move the Ark, but He would not tolerate the same action by His people. Under God’s sovereignty the oxen stumbled, and when Uzzah, with a good intention, reached out for the Ark of God and took hold of it, he was killed instantly. The natural hand, the hand of man, touching something divine brought in God’s anger.

Meaning the breaking forth on Uzzah.

This was Zion, David’s private city, which was the center of the public city of Jerusalem (2 Sam. 5:7).

David wore a garment, the ephod, which only the priests should wear. On that occasion he was a priest as well as a king. In a sense, he broke the divine ordination, but in another sense, this was an honor and a glory to God.

The meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain; others understand, a portion of wine; others, a date cake.