Bible Synapse

Did David bring the ark to Jerusalem before or after he defeated the Philistines?

Hard question · Israel’s history: Joshua to Esther · raised by 1 of the lists sceptics circulate

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The passages

2 Samuel 5:17–25

When the Philistines heard that David had been anointed king, they came up against him; David defeated them twice, as far as Gazer.

But when the Philistines heard that they had anointed David king over Israel, all the Philistines came up to seek David; and David heard of it, and went down to the hold. The Philistines also came and spread themselves in the valley of Rephaim. And David enquired of the Lord, saying, Shall I go up to the Philistines? wilt thou deliver them into mine hand? And the Lord said unto David, Go up: for I will doubtless deliver the Philistines into thine hand. And David came to Baal–perazim, and David smote them there, and said, The Lord hath broken forth upon mine enemies before me, as the breach of waters. Therefore he called the name of that place Baal–perazim. And there they left their images, and David and his men burned them. And the Philistines came up yet again, and spread themselves in the valley of Rephaim. …

2 Samuel 6:1–17

David set out to bring up the ark; Uzzah died on the way; after three months with Obed-edom the ark was brought into the city of David.

Again, David gathered together all the chosen men of Israel, thirty thousand. And David arose, and went with all the people that were with him from Baale of Judah, to bring up from thence the ark of God, whose name is called by the name of the Lord of hosts that dwelleth between the cherubims. And they set the ark of God upon a new cart, and brought it out of the house of Abinadab that was in Gibeah: and Uzzah and Ahio, the sons of Abinadab, drave the new cart. And they brought it out of the house of Abinadab which was at Gibeah, accompanying the ark of God: and Ahio went before the ark. And David and all the house of Israel played before the Lord on all manner of instruments made of fir wood, even on harps, and on psalteries, and on timbrels, and on cornets, and on cymbals. And when they came to Nachon’s threshingfloor, Uzzah put forth his hand to the ark of God, and took hold of it; for the oxen shook it. …

1 Chronicles 13:1–14

David consulted the leaders and set out to fetch the ark from Kirjath-jearim; after Uzza’s death it stayed three months with Obed-edom.

And David consulted with the captains of thousands and hundreds, and with every leader. And David said unto all the congregation of Israel, If it seem good unto you, and that it be of the Lord our God, let us send abroad unto our brethren every where, that are left in all the land of Israel, and with them also to the priests and Levites which are in their cities and suburbs, that they may gather themselves unto us: And let us bring again the ark of our God to us: for we enquired not at it in the days of Saul. And all the congregation said that they would do so: for the thing was right in the eyes of all the people. So David gathered all Israel together, from Shihor of Egypt even unto the entering of Hemath, to bring the ark of God from Kirjath–jearim. And David went up, and all Israel, to Baalah, that is, to Kirjath–jearim, which belonged to Judah, to bring up thence the ark of God the Lord, that dwelleth between the cherubims, whose name is called on it. …

1 Chronicles 14:8–17

“when the Philistines heard that David was anointed king over all Israel”, they came up; David defeated them from Gibeon to Gazer.

And when the Philistines heard that David was anointed king over all Israel, all the Philistines went up to seek David. And David heard of it, and went out against them. And the Philistines came and spread themselves in the valley of Rephaim. And David enquired of God, saying, Shall I go up against the Philistines? and wilt thou deliver them into mine hand? And the Lord said unto him, Go up; for I will deliver them into thine hand. So they came up to Baal–perazim; and David smote them there. Then David said, God hath broken in upon mine enemies by mine hand like the breaking forth of waters: therefore they called the name of that place Baal–perazim. And when they had left their gods there, David gave a commandment, and they were burned with fire. And the Philistines yet again spread themselves abroad in the valley. …

1 Chronicles 15:1–3

David prepared a place and pitched a tent for the ark, and gathered all Israel to bring it up to Jerusalem.

And David made him houses in the city of David, and prepared a place for the ark of God, and pitched for it a tent. Then David said, None ought to carry the ark of God but the Levites: for them hath the Lord chosen to carry the ark of God, and to minister unto him for ever. And David gathered all Israel together to Jerusalem, to bring up the ark of the Lord unto his place, which he had prepared for it.

The objection

In 2 Samuel, David defeats the Philistines (chapter 5) and then brings the ark to Jerusalem (chapter 6). In 1 Chronicles, he sets out to fetch the ark (chapter 13) and only then fights the Philistines (chapter 14). Shabir Ally and others ask which order is right.

The answer

In both books the ark reached Jerusalem after the Philistine wars. David moved it in two stages. The first attempt ended at the threshing floor where Uzzah died, and the ark stayed for three months in the house of Obed-edom (2 Samuel 6:1–11; 1 Chronicles 13). Only then was it brought up into the city of David (2 Samuel 6:12–17; 1 Chronicles 15). In Chronicles that second, successful journey comes in chapter 15, after the Philistine victories of chapter 14, just as in Samuel.

What Chronicles moves is the account of the first attempt, which it tells before the section on Hiram, David’s family and the Philistine wars (1 Chronicles 14). That section is not in time order, and the Chronicler’s own wording shows it: the Philistines attacked “when the Philistines heard that David was anointed king over all Israel” (1 Chronicles 14:8), that is, at the start of his reign over all Israel. Keil and Delitzsch explain that the Chronicler wanted to present the bringing of the ark as David’s first undertaking once he had taken Jerusalem, so he told it first and placed the other events in the interval of three months, without meaning that they happened then. Samuel’s order is topical too: Keil and Delitzsch note that the first Philistine battle came before David’s palace was built, though Samuel mentions the palace first (2 Samuel 5:11). Each writer groups his material for his own purpose, and both agree on what happened.

From the classic commentators

The position in which the narrative of these events stands, between the removal of the ark from Kirjath-jearim and its being brought to Jerusalem, is not to be supposed to indicate that they happened in the interval of three monthsKeil & Delitzsch, Commentary on 1 Chronicles 14

Sources

Further reading

Raised by: Shabir Ally, 101 Clear Contradictions in the Bible. Only the verse references come from these lists.

Checked 2026-10-22. All hard questions