According to theTanakh,Uzzah orUzza (Hebrew:עזה orעזא), meaning "Strength", was anIsraelite whose death is associated with touching theArk of the Covenant. The account of Uzzah appears in two places in scripture: 2 Samuel 6:3-8[1] and 1 Chronicles 13:7-11.[2]
Uzzah was the son ofAbinadab, in whose house the men ofKirjath-Jearim placed the Ark when it was brought back from the land of thePhilistines.[3] With his brotherAhio, he drove the cart on which the Ark was placed whenDavid sought to bring it up toJerusalem. When theoxen stumbled, making the Ark tilt,[4] Uzzah steadied the Ark with his hand, in direct violation of the divine law,[5] and he was immediately killed by the Lord for his error. David, displeased becauseYahweh had killed Uzzah,[6] called the place where this occurred "Perez-uzzah", which means "to burst out against Uzzah".[7]
David was afraid to bring the Ark any further, and placed it in the house ofObed-Edom theGittite[8] for three months. The Lord then blessed Obed-edom and David went and brought up the Ark of God into the city of David.[6]
This article incorporates text from a publication now in thepublic domain: Easton, Matthew George (1897). "Uzzah".Easton's Bible Dictionary (New and revised ed.). T. Nelson and Sons.| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
 | This article related to theHebrew Bible is astub. You can help Wikipedia byexpanding it. |
