the Week of Proper 28 / Ordinary 33
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Bible Dictionaries
Uzzah
Hawker's Poor Man's Concordance And Dictionary
or We have the short but striking history of this man, in 2 Samuel 6:3-8. His name, if it be as is supposed, derived from Hazaz, means strength. In consequence of his sudden death, David called the place where the Lord smote Uzzah, Perez-Uzzah, that is, as the margin of the Bible renders it, The breach of Uzzah. I refer the reader to the passage for the account of it.
It hath been a subject of much enquiry with some, what there was so highly offensive in Uzzah's conduct to bring forth so awful a judgment. But the answer is not far. It appears that the ark was exposed to view, whereas it ought to have been concealed. For upon a former occasion the Lord made a great slaughter among the men of Bethshe-mesh, for looking into the ark. (See 1 Samuel 6:19) This Uzzah, as a Levite, should have prevented. And certainly the carrying the ark on a cart, and causing it to be drawn by oxen, was a violation of the law; for the Lord provided how the sons of Aaron were to prepare for the covering of the ark, and how the sons of Kohath, were to bear it on their shoulders. (See Numbers 4:5-15; Num 7:9) Add to these, the hasty and irreverent touch of Uzzah might have been done in such a way as incurred the just judgment of the Lord. We may at least learn from hence with what reverence and godly fear the Lord is to be approached in ordinances. And we ought to learn moreover the blessedness of our privileges, in having such an High Priest as the Lord Jesus, in whom, and through whom, we have access to a mercy seat, "to obtain mercy and find grace to help in all time of need."
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Hawker, Robert D.D. Entry for 'Uzzah'. Hawker's Poor Man's Concordance and Dictionary. https://www.studylight.org/dictionaries/eng/pmd/u/uzzah.html. London. 1828.
