Abinadab

Abinadab was a man from Kiriath-jearim in whose house the ark of God was kept for twenty years after it was returned by the Philistines (1Sa.7.1). The ark had been captured by the Philistines in battle, but after God afflicted them with plagues, they sent it back to Israel (1Samuel 5-6). The men of Beth-shemesh, where the ark first arrived, were struck down by God for looking into the ark, so they sent messengers to Kiriath-jearim to take the ark away (1Sa.6.19-21).

The ark remained in Abinadab's house until King David decided to bring it to Jerusalem. David and the Israelites went to Abinadab's house to retrieve the ark, placing it on a new cart driven by Abinadab's sons, Uzzah and Ahio (2Sa.6.3; 1Ch.13.7). However, when the oxen stumbled and Uzzah reached out to steady the ark, God struck him down for his irreverence (2Sa.6.6-7). After this incident, David left the ark in the house of Obed-edom the Gittite for three months before successfully bringing it to Jerusalem (2Sa.6.10-12).