The ark of the covenant as divine representation of God: An exegetical analysis of 2 Samuel 6

Abstract

The ark of the covenant, also referred to as the ark of God, or the ark of the Lord, was the most powerful and most important symbol of the ancient Israelite world, especially during the conquest and settling of the promised land. It held immense power and supremacy as it not only contained the tablets of the covenant made between God and the Israelites, better known as the Ten Commandments, but it was also seen as the footstool or throne of God, thereby linking heaven and earth. Yet today, the most significant function of the ark of the covenant is often overlooked in media, discussions, and research on the topic, and that is that the ark of the covenant functioned as a representation of the divine and holy presence of God. There are various biblical passages that associate the ark of the covenant with the presence of God, but the text that stands out most prominently is the narrative of 2 Samuel 6. This narrative deals with the transfer of the ark of the covenant to the city of Jerusalem by King David, and the text provides several unique ways in which the idea that the ark of the covenant functioned as a representation of God's presence is strengthened throughout the narrative. Therefore, the Masoretic text of 2 Samuel 6 will be examined through a close reading of the text in order to determine how the association of God's presence with the ark of the covenant functions in the passage. The methodology of a close reading of the 2 Samuel 6 text will be incorporated to answer the main research question, and that is the question of how the narrative of 2 Samuel 6 uniquely portrays the ark of the covenant as a representation of God's presence as part of its content. With this in mind, the description and functions of the ark of the covenant in the Book of Exodus, the narrative background of 2 Samuel 6, and David as the main character of the narrative of 2 Samuel 6 will also be discussed to help achieve a satisfactory outcome to the main research question posed. The aim of this study is to describe how a close reading of the text of 2 Samuel 6 will aid in showing how the narrative employed unique ways to portray the ark of the covenant as a representation of God's presence, and how this argument is re-iterated throughout the narrative.