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2 Samuel 6:11

in 2 Samuel 6

Thus the ark of the LORD remained in the house of Obed-edom the Gittite for three months, and the LORD blessed him and all his household.

BSB

The same verse in ASV and KJV

ASV

And the ark of Jehovah remained in the house of Obed-edom the Gittite three months: and Jehovah blessed Obed-edom, and all his house.

KJV

And the ark of the Lord continued in the house of Obed–edom the Gittite three months: and the Lord blessed Obed–edom, and all his household.

This verse in 2 Samuel 6

Commentary

7 notes on this verse

A commentator

John Wesley

1703–1791

Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament (1765)

The Lord blessed, &c. - The same hand that punished Uzzah's presumption, rewarded Obed-edom's humble boldness. None ever had, or ever shall have reason to say, that it is in vain to serve God. Piety is the best friend to prosperity.

This site's exposition

afraid of the Lord that day

on 2 Samuel 6:9-11

David's fear is not defiance but the shock of a plan that has just killed a man, and for three months he leaves the ark in the house of Obed-edom rather than risk it further. Obed-edom is called the Gittite, most likely a Levite connected to Gath-rimmon rather than a Philistine of Goliath's city, and 1 Chronicles 15:18 and 24 to 25 place a man of that name among the gatekeepers David later appoints. The report that the Lord has blessed his house for the ark's sake is what turns David back toward Jerusalem, and 1 Chronicles 15:13 preserves his own later confession of what the first attempt had lacked: we sought him not after the due order.

This site's exposition

the LORD blessed him and all his household

Three months under his roof brought blessing to Obed-edom and his whole house. John Wesley sets it against Uzzah: the same hand that struck presumption rewarded humble boldness. Matthew Henry calls the ark a guest none lose by welcoming.

The record, by era

The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices

And the ark of the Lord continued in the house of Obededom the Gittite three months,....

A commentator

Matthew Henry

1662–1714

Commentary on the Whole Bible (1710)

proposed

None ever had, nor ever shall have, reason to say that it is in vain to serve God. Let masters of families be encouraged to keep up religion in their families, and to serve God and the interests of his kingdom with their houses and estates, for that is the way to bring a blessing upon all they have. The ark is a guest which none shall lose by that bid it welcome.

The Nineteenth Century2 voices

A commentator

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown

1802–1910

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)

proposed

Obed-edom the Gittite--a Levite (1Ch 15:18, 21, 24; He is called a Gittite, either from his residence at Gath, or more probably from Gath-rimmon, one of the Levitical cities (Jos 21:24, 25).

quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens

A commentator

Adam Clarke

1762–1832

Commentary on the Bible · Written before 1832.

proposed

The Lord blessed Obed-edom - And why? Because he had the ark of the Lord in his house. Whoever entertains God’s messengers, or consecrates his house to the service of God, will infallibly receive God’s blessing.

How the passage was read

What the Jewish commentators add

And Hashem blessed. His wife and her eight daughters-in-law each gave birth to six children in one stomach. Pregnancy. as it is said, (Divrei Hayomim I,:5–8) "Poualti, the eigth. Child of Oveid Edom. … sixty-two [belonging] to Oveid Edom. 11 See Berachos 63b.
Rashi: France, 1040–1105 · Rashi on II Samuel 6:11:1, via Sefaria, The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J
1 more on this passage, in their own words ▾
Oveid Edom. He was a Levite as it is wriiten in Divrei Hayomim (I,:24) and he was one of the gatekeepers. 8 Of the Bais HaMikdosh.
Rashi: France, 1040–1105 · Rashi on II Samuel 6:10:1, via Sefaria, The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J

This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.

Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 5 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.

The words behind it

17 Hebrew words

Every Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.

  • וַיֵּשֶׁב֩and it remained

    vaiyeshevH34271079 times

  • אֲר֨וֹן[the] ark of

    ʾaronH727202 times

  • יְהוָ֜הYahweh

    yahwehH30686520 times

  • בֵּ֣ית[the] house of

    beitH10042046 times

  • עֹבֵ֥דObed-

    ʾovedH565440 times

  • אֱדֹ֛םEdom

    ʾedomH565440 times

  • הַגִּתִּ֖יthe Gittite

    hagitiH166310 times

  • שְׁלֹשָׁ֣הthree

    sheloshahH7969432 times

  • חֳדָשִׁ֑יםmonths

    chodashimH2320284 times

  • וַיְבָ֧רֶךְand he blessed

    vayvarekhH1288330 times

  • יְהוָ֛הYahweh

    yahwehH30686520 times

  • אֶת־<obj.>

    ʾet-H85310935 times

  • עֹבֵ֥דObed-

    ʾovedH565440 times

  • אֱדֹ֖םEdom

    ʾedomH565440 times

  • וְאֶת־and <obj.>

    veetH85310935 times

  • כָּל־all

    kol-H36055413 times

  • בֵּיתֽוֹ׃household his

    beitoH10042046 times

A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.

The walk

8 stops

Each card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.

  • Through

    Malachi 3:10

    Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, so that there may be food in My house. Test Me in this,” says the LORD of Hosts. “See if I will not open the windows of…

    it leads to

    • 2 Corinthians 9:6–8

      Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously.

    • Matthew 6:33

      But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added unto you.

    • Proverbs 3:9–10

      Honor the LORD with your wealth and with the firstfruits of all your harvest;

    • Psalms 37:3

      Trust in the LORD and do good; dwell in the land and cultivate faithfulness.

    • Deuteronomy 28:12

      The LORD will open the heavens, His abundant storehouse, to send rain on your land in season and to bless all the work of your hands. You will lend to many nations, but borrow…

  • Through

    Genesis 39:23

    The warden did not concern himself with anything under Joseph’s care, because the LORD was with Joseph and gave him success in whatever he did.

    it leads to

    • Isaiah 43:2

      When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you go through the rivers, they will not overwhelm you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be scorched;…

    • Psalms 1:3

      He is like a tree planted by streams of water, yielding its fruit in season, whose leaf does not wither, and who prospers in all he does.

  • Through

    Genesis 30:27

    But Laban replied, “If I have found favor in your eyes, please stay. I have learned by divination that the LORD has blessed me because of you.”

    it leads to

    • Acts 7:10

      and rescued him from all his troubles. He granted Joseph favor and wisdom in the sight of Pharaoh king of Egypt, who appointed him ruler over Egypt and all his household.

Where this verse is studied

On this page

About 2 Samuel

David Mourns the Death of Absalom, Gustave Doré, 1866. Public domain.
David Mourns the Death of Absalom, Gustave Doré, 1866. Public domain.

This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament; Keil and Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Books of Samuel; Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible and W. G. Blaikie, The Second Book of Samuel (Expositor's Bible).