Uzzah - Wikipedia

Biblical figure who died from touching the Ark of the Covenant For the pre-Islamic goddess, see Al-Uzza.

Uzzah (also spelled Uzza from hebr.: עזה, meaning "Her Strength"), was an Israelite whose death is associated with touching the Ark of the Covenant. The account of Uzzah appears in 2 Samuel 6:3–8 and 1 Chronicles 13:7–11.

Uzzah was the son of Abinadab, in whose house the men of Kirjath-Jearim placed the Ark when it was brought back from the land of the Philistines.[1] With his brother Ahio, he drove the cart on which the ark was placed when David sought to bring it up to Jerusalem. When the oxen stumbled, making the ark tilt,[2] Uzzah steadied the ark with his hand, in direct violation of the divine law,[3] and he was immediately killed by the Lord for his error. David, displeased because Yahweh had killed Uzzah,[4] called the place where this occurred "Perez-uzzah", which means "to burst out against Uzzah".[5]

David was afraid to bring the ark any further, and placed it in the house of Obed-Edom (2 Samuel 6:2–11; 1 Chronicles 13:6–13) for three months. As the Lord blessed Obed-edom, David brought up the ark of God into the city of David.[4]

Rabbanic Literature

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The Rabbis made various attempts to explain and palliate the death of Uzza. By an "argumentum a majore ad minus" proof is offered that if the Ark could bear those who bore it, so much more could it bear itself. By not perceiving this, and thinking that the Ark might be prevented from falling by stopping the oxen, Uzza had brought death on himself. R Johanan thought that "' al ha-shal" implied that he died as a result of his act, while R. Eleazar drew from "shal" the inference stated that he died "by" the Ark; and as the latter belonged to eternity, Uzza in like manner must be immortal (Sotah 35a; Yalk., I Sam. 142, ed. Wilna, 1898.)[6]

Other

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• Another biblical character, Uzzah, son of Shimei, was a Merarite.[7]

References

[edit] Wikiquote has quotations related to Uzzah.

1. ^ 1 Samuel 7:1
2. ^ 1 Chronicles 13:9 in the Jerusalem Bible
3. ^ Numbers 4:15
4. ^ a b "www.Bibler.org - Dictionary - Uzzah". 2012-06-06.
5. ^ 2 Samuel 6:8 and 1 Chronicles 13:11, wording used by the New Living Translation
6. ^ UZZA, UZZAH "Jewish Encyclopedia"
7. ^ "1 Chronicles 6:29". 2012-06-06.

•  This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Easton, Matthew George (1897). "Uzzah". Easton's Bible Dictionary (New and revised ed.). T. Nelson and Sons.

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