Uzzah

2025-11-01T01:21:43Z

2603:6010:BB00:288B:6C55:79D1:ECE9:9323: /* Rabbanic Literature */

{{Short description|Biblical figure who died from touching the Ark of the Covenant}}
{{For|the pre-Islamic goddess|Al-Uzza}}
{{distinguish|Uzziah}}
[[File:TissUzah.jpg|thumb|right|250px|''The Chastisement of Uzzah'' by [[James Tissot]] ]]
[[File:Giulio Quaglio the Younger - Uzaj, ki se je dotaknil skrinje zaveze in za kazen umrl.jpg|thumb|250px|Baroque painting of the death of Uzzah by [[Giulio Quaglio the Younger]] in a medallion in [[Ljubljana Cathedral]] (1704)]]
According to the [[Tanakh]], עזה, '''Uzzah''' or '''Uzza''', meaning "Her Strength", was an [[Israelite]] whose death is associated with touching the [[Ark of the Covenant]]. The account of Uzzah appears in two places in scripture: 2 Samuel 6:3-8<ref>{{bibleverse|2 Samuel|6:3-8}}</ref> and 1 Chronicles 13:7-11.<ref>{{bibleverse|1 Chronicles|13:7-11}}</ref>

Uzzah was the son of [[Abinadab]], in whose house the men of [[Kirjath-Jearim]] placed the Ark when it was brought back from the land of the [[Philistines]].<ref>{{bibleverse|1|Samuel|7:1|131}}</ref> With his brother [[Ahio]], he drove the cart on which the ark was placed when [[David]] sought to bring it up to [[Jerusalem]]. When the [[ox]]en stumbled, making the ark tilt,<ref>1 Chronicles 13:9 in the [[Jerusalem Bible]]</ref> Uzzah steadied the ark with his hand, in direct violation of the divine law,<ref>{{bibleverse||Numbers|4:15|131}}</ref> and he was immediately killed by the Lord for his error. David, displeased because [[Yahweh]] had killed Uzzah,<ref name="auto">{{cite web |url=http://www.bibler.org/glossary/uzza.html |title=www.Bibler.org - Dictionary - Uzzah |date=2012-06-06}}</ref> called the place where this occurred "Perez-uzzah", which means "to burst out against Uzzah".<ref>{{bibleverse|2|Samuel|6:8|NLT}} and {{bibleverse|1|Chronicles|13:11|NLT}}, wording used by the [[New Living Translation]]</ref>

David was afraid to bring the ark any further, and placed it in the house of [[Obed-Edom]] the [[Gittite]]<ref>{{bibleverse|2|Samuel|6:2-11|131}}; {{bibleverse|1|Chronicles|13:6-13|131}}</ref> for three months. The Lord then blessed Obed-edom and David went and brought up the ark of God into the city of David.<ref name="auto"/>

==Rabbanic Literature==
The Rabbis made various attempts to explain and palliate the death of Uzza. By an "argumentum a majore ad minus" proof is offered that if the Ark could bear those who bore it, so much more could it bear itself. By not perceiving this, and thinking that the Ark might be prevented from falling by stopping the oxen, Uzza had brough death on himself. R Johanan thought that "' al ha-shal" implied that he died as a result of his act, while R. Eleazar drew from "shal" the inference stated that he died "by" the Ark; and as the latter belonged to eternity, Uzza in like manner must be immortal (Sotah 35a; Yalk., I Sam. 142, ed. Wilna, 1898.)<ref>[https://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/14621-uzza-uzzah UZZA, UZZAH "Jewish Encyclopedia"]</ref>

== Other ==
* Another biblical character, Uzzah, son of [[Shimei]], was a [[Merarite]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.bibler.org/versions/american_standard/asv_1chronicles06_sml.htm#1chronicles_6:29 |title=1 Chronicles 6:29 |date=2012-06-06}}</ref>
* [[Al-Uzza|Al-ʻUzzā]] was one of the three chief goddesses of Arabian religion in pre-Islamic times and was worshiped by the pre-Islamic Arabs along with [[al-Lāt]] and [[Manāt]].

== References ==
{{reflist}}
*{{EBD|title=Uzzah}}

{{Ark of the Covenant}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:People from the Kingdom of Israel (united monarchy)]]
[[Category:Targeted killing]]
[[Category:Place of birth unknown]]
[[Category:Year of birth unknown]]
[[Category:10th-century BC deaths]]
[[Category:Israelites]]
[[Category:Ark of the Covenant]]
[[Category:Books of Chronicles people]]

{{Hebrew-Bible-stub}}

Vero - Wikipedia - User contributions [en]

Uzzah