Failure of a Ritual Procession (2 Samuel 6; 1 Chronicles 13) and Its Implications Regarding the Nature of God

The present article investigates the cause(s) and implications of a biblical instance of ritual failure: the failure of the first ritual procession by which King David attempted to bring the ark of the covenant to Jerusalem. Analysis of the descriptions of this procession includes comparison and contrast with accounts or instructions regarding other ancient Near Eastern ritual processions and with the biblical descriptions of David’s second successful procession. The failure of David’s first procession highlighted the awesomeness of Israel’s deity and the importance of strictly following his instructions.