What Does 2 Samuel 6:9 Mean?
And David was in awe of the LORD that day, and said, "How shall the ark of the LORD come to me?"
Key words are shown with the Hebrew or Greek and what each word meant.
Selah Decoded Version The Selah Decoded Version renders what the Hebrew and Greek words meant to the people who first heard them.
King James wording
King James Version
And David was afraid of the LORD that day, and said, How shall the ark of the LORD come to me?THE KEY
The beloved is still afraid: love does not make the LORD’s presence something David can carry home on his own terms.
THE MEANING
You can be beloved and still meet the LORD’s nearness with awe; being loved does not make that nearness tame. The question “How shall the ark of the LORD come to me?” leaves the danger and mystery of that approach open.
WHAT THIS UNDOES
This undoes the belief that being loved makes the presence of God safe to shape around your own terms.
THE ROOT
וַיִּרָא
vayyirāʾ
GROWS FROM
ירא
To fear, stand in awe.
“in awe” in this verse is vayyirāʾ. This root holds both the inward response of fear and the awe evoked by what is fearsome. Here, awe does not erase danger: the LORD’s nearness can be both desired and overwhelming.
ALSO GROWS
yir’ah: Fear, awe
יִרְאָה
The same root names the response David feels, carrying reverence alongside alarm.
nora: Awe-inspiring, fearsome
נוֹרָא
The same root describes what evokes awe, keeping the force of the encounter in view.
דָּוִד
Dāwīd
GROWS FROM
דוד
Beloved.
The name carries belovedness, placing it beside David’s fear in this verse. Being beloved does not make the LORD’s presence tame or controllable.
ALSO GROWS
dōd: Beloved, loved one
דּוֹד
The shared root brings the meaning of David’s name into the moment of fear.
dōdīm: Love, intimate affection
דּוֹדִים
The same root names affection, showing that belovedness and awe can stand together.
THE PATTERN
The presence of the LORD evokes awe and sets the terms of approach.
And he said, Do not draw near here. Loosen the sandals from your feet, for the place where you stand is set-apart ground.Let them extend their hands to your great and awesome nature; for it is set apart.Therefore, receiving an unshakable governance, let us hold favor, through which we may serve God acceptably, with reverence and awe. For our God is a fire that devours.THE THREAD
And the burning of the LORD's anger flared against Uzzah, and God struck him there for his straying, and there he died beside the ark of God.The preceding line names what stands behind the fear: Uzza is struck down and dies beside the ark. David’s question holds the violence of this nearness in view; the ark is not a harmless possession.
Read the SDV Bible.
Every verse has a Deep Dive in the app.
The iPhone Bible app with the Selah Decoded Version.
Does something in this reading look wrong? Tell us