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1 Chronicles 13 · a question people ask

Did David ask the LORD before he moved the ark?

In the text

Here is what the chapter tells. "David consulted with the captains of thousands and of hundreds, even with every leader" (13:1). He put it to the assembly: "If it seems good to you, and if it is of the LORD our God" (13:2). "All the assembly said that they would do so, for the thing was right in the eyes of all the people" (13:4). The chapter doesn't tell of David asking the LORD about the ark before they set out. In the next chapter, when the Philistines come, "David inquired of God" (1 Chronicles 14:10), and when they come again, "David inquired again of God" (1 Chronicles 14:14). When David brings the ark up again, he says, "we didn’t seek him according to the ordinance" (1 Chronicles 15:13), where seek is the Hebrew verb of 13:3 (tap seek). The chapter doesn't say whether consulting the leaders and the assembly was itself wrong, and this answer doesn't either.

The verses

“David consulted with the captains of thousands and of hundreds, even with every leader. David said to all the assembly of Israel, “If it seems good to you, and if it is of the LORD our God, let’s send word everywhere to our brothers who are left in all the land of Israel, with whom the priests and Levites are in their cities that have pasture lands, that they may gather themselves to us. Also, let’s bring the ark of our God back to us again, for we didn’t seek it in the days of Saul.” All the assembly said that they would do so, for the thing was right in the eyes of all the people.”
1 Chronicles 13:1-4 · World English Bible
“David inquired of God, saying, “Shall I go up against the Philistines? Will you deliver them into my hand?” The LORD said to him, “Go up; for I will deliver them into your hand.””
1 Chronicles 14:10 · World English Bible
“David inquired again of God; and God said to him, “You shall not go up after them. Turn away from them, and come on them opposite the mulberry trees.”
1 Chronicles 14:14 · World English Bible
“For because you didn’t carry it at first, the LORD our God broke out in anger against us, because we didn’t seek him according to the ordinance.””
1 Chronicles 15:13 · World English Bible

From Favor's study of 1 Chronicles 13

1 Chronicles 13: We didn't seek it

In Hebrew David's "we didn’t seek it in the days of Saul" (13:3) and his "we didn’t seek him according to the ordinance" (15:13) are the same word, and it is the verb the book used of Saul, who "didn’t inquire of the LORD" (10:14).

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Scripture quotations are from the World English Bible, which is in the public domain. Every answer cites the verses it rests on. What we believe · All Bible questions