Lives of Scripture

Amminadab was a Levite, chief of the sons of Uzziel, named among the family heads David summoned after the disastrous first attempt to bring the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem had ended in Uzzah's death for touching it (1 Chronicles 13; 15:1-10). Reflecting on that failure, David concluded, "No one is to carry the ark of God but the Levites; for the LORD chose them to carry the ark of God and to minister to Him forever" (15:2). He therefore gathered the priests Zadok and Abiathar along with the leading Levites -- Uriel, Asaiah, Joel, Shemaiah, Eliel, and Amminadab among them -- and commanded them, "Consecrate yourselves, both you and your relatives, that you may bring up the ark of the LORD God of Israel to the place that I have prepared for it" (15:11-12). Amminadab and his fellow Levites obeyed, sanctifying themselves and carrying the Ark on their shoulders with its poles, exactly as the Law of Moses required rather than on a cart (15:14-15). The second attempt succeeded where the first had failed: the Ark came up to Jerusalem amid sacrifice, singing, and rejoicing, with David himself dancing before it with all his strength (15:25-16:1). Amminadab's brief but named appearance marks him as one of the Levites entrusted to correct Israel's earlier mistake and bring God's presence into the city on God's own terms.