{
  "id": "dict_004353",
  "term": "Perez-Uzzah",
  "slug": "perez-uzzah",
  "letter": "P",
  "entry_type": "biblical_place",
  "entry_family": "theological_term",
  "depth_profile": "standard",
  "short_definition": "The place David named after the Lord struck Uzzah for touching the ark of the covenant.",
  "simple_one_line": "Perez-Uzzah is the place-name David gave to mark God’s judgment on Uzzah after the ark was mishandled.",
  "tooltip_text": "A place name meaning an outburst or breaking forth against Uzzah, tied to Uzzah’s death when he touched the ark.",
  "aliases": [],
  "scripture_references": [],
  "original_language_terms": [],
  "related_entries": [
    "Uzzah",
    "Ark of the Covenant",
    "David",
    "Holiness of God",
    "Obedience"
  ],
  "see_also": [
    "2 Samuel 6",
    "1 Chronicles 13",
    "Numbers 4",
    "Numbers 7"
  ],
  "lede_intro": "Perez-Uzzah is the place David named after Uzzah was struck dead for reaching out to steady the ark. The name preserves the memory of God’s holiness and the seriousness of handling sacred things according to His command.",
  "at_a_glance_definition": "A biblical place-name connected to Uzzah’s death during the transport of the ark.",
  "at_a_glance_key_points": [
    "Appears in the narrative of David bringing the ark to Jerusalem",
    "Marks the Lord’s judgment after Uzzah touched the ark",
    "The name is commonly understood to mean “outburst against Uzzah” or “breaking forth against Uzzah”",
    "Highlights God’s holiness and the need for obedience in worship"
  ],
  "description_academic_short": "Perez-Uzzah is a biblical place-name tied to the event in which Uzzah died after reaching out to steady the ark of God. David named the site to memorialize the Lord’s sudden judgment, and the account underscores divine holiness and the importance of approaching sacred things in obedience.",
  "description_academic_full": "Perez-Uzzah is a place-name associated with the event recorded in 2 Samuel 6 and 1 Chronicles 13. During the transport of the ark, Uzzah put out his hand to steady it, and the Lord struck him there. David then named the place Perez-Uzzah, commonly understood as meaning an “outburst against Uzzah” or “breaking forth against Uzzah.” The narrative’s main emphasis is not on naming itself, but on the holiness of God and the seriousness of handling the ark according to the Lord’s instructions rather than according to human convenience. The account therefore functions as a sobering reminder that reverence and obedience belong together in true worship.",
  "background_biblical_context": "The name appears in the account of David’s attempt to bring the ark to Jerusalem. After Uzzah touched the ark, the Lord judged him, and David named the place Perez-Uzzah. The episode is part of the broader biblical theme that God’s holiness must be honored in the way His presence and ordinances are approached.",
  "background_historical_context": "In the ancient world, place-names often preserved memorable events. Here the naming of a location serves as an enduring marker of a public, covenantal moment in Israel’s history. The narrative also reflects the importance of proper ritual handling of the ark during transport.",
  "background_jewish_ancient_context": "Within the Old Testament world, naming a place after a significant event was a common way of preserving memory. The ark’s transport was not a casual matter; Israel’s sacred objects were to be handled according to divine instruction, not merely practical instinct.",
  "key_texts_primary": [
    "2 Samuel 6:1-8"
  ],
  "key_texts_secondary": [
    "1 Chronicles 13:9-11",
    "Numbers 4:15",
    "Numbers 7:9"
  ],
  "original_language_note": "Hebrew פֶּרֶץ־עֻזָּה (perets-ʿuzzah), commonly understood as “breaking forth against Uzzah” or “outburst against Uzzah.”",
  "theological_significance": "Perez-Uzzah highlights the holiness of God, the seriousness of divine commands, and the truth that good intentions do not replace obedience. It also shows that God’s presence is a blessing, but never to be treated casually.",
  "philosophical_explanation": "The passage assumes that moral and ritual order are objective realities under God’s authority. Human urgency or practicality cannot override revealed instruction when God has spoken.",
  "interpretive_cautions": "Do not turn the narrative into a claim that God was arbitrary or unjust. The text’s focus is on God’s holiness and the mishandling of the ark, not on inviting speculation beyond what Scripture emphasizes.",
  "major_views_note": "Most interpreters understand the name as commemorating God’s judgment at that location. The main discussion concerns the precise sense of the Hebrew phrase, not the basic meaning of the event.",
  "doctrinal_boundaries": "This entry should not be used to deny God’s mercy or to claim that every mistake receives immediate judgment in the same way. The passage is a specific historical warning about sacred things and obedience, not a universal formula for providence.",
  "practical_significance": "Perez-Uzzah reminds readers that worship must be governed by God’s word, not by familiarity or improvisation. It calls believers to reverence, care, and obedience when approaching the things of God.",
  "meta_description": "Perez-Uzzah is the place David named after Uzzah was struck for touching the ark, a memorial to God’s holiness and the need for obedience.",
  "public_url": "/companion-bible-dictionary/perez-uzzah/",
  "json_url": "/companion-bible-dictionary/data/dictionary/perez-uzzah.json",
  "final_disposition": "PUBLISH_CANONICAL"
}