Original Word: עֻזָּא
Part of Speech: proper name, masculine; proper name, masculine
Transliteration: `Uzza'
Pronunciation: OOZ-zah
Phonetic Spelling: (ooz-zaw')
KJV: Uzza, Uzzah
NASB: Uzza, Uzzah
Word Origin: [feminine of H5797 (עוֹז עוֹז - strength)]

1. strength
2. Uzza or Uzzah, the name of five Israelites

Uzza, Uzzah

Or (Uzzah {ooz-zaw'}; feminine of oz; strength; Uzza or Uzzah, the name of five Israelites -- Uzza, Uzzah.

see HEBREW oz

Word Origin
from azaz
Definition
four Isr.
NASB Translation
Uzza (9), Uzzah (4).

עֻזָּא proper name, masculine Οζα, Αζα :

1 driver of the ark 2 Samuel 6:3 = עֻזָּה 2 Samuel 6:6; 2 Samuel 6:7; 2 Samuel 6:8 = עֻזָּא 1 Chronicles 13:7,9,10,11.

2 in גַּןעֻֿזָּא burial-place of Manasseh and Amon 2 Kings 21:18,26 (׳ע perhaps = עֻזִּיָּה, compare Sta^{G i. 569, ii. 679} Kit).

3 Benjamite name 1 Chronicles 8:7.

4 head of family of returned exiles Ezra 2:49 = Nehemiah 7:51.

עֻזָּה proper name, masculine 1. Levite name 1 Chronicles 6:14, Οζ(ι)α, Αζα.

2 see עֻזָּא.

Occurrences and Identification

The name עֻזָּא (Uzzah, also Uzza) attaches to several persons and one site, appearing fourteen times in Scripture:

1. Uzzah the son of Abinadab who accompanied the Ark of the Covenant (2 Samuel 6; 1 Chronicles 13).
2. Uzzah (Merarite) in the Levitical genealogy (1 Chronicles 6:29).
3. Uzzah, descendant of Benjamin through Gera (1 Chronicles 8:7).
4. The garden or estate of Uzzah, later used as a royal burial ground (2 Kings 21:18, 26).
5. Post-exilic temple servants called “descendants of Uzzah” (Ezra 2:49; Nehemiah 7:51).

Uzzah and the Ark of God

In the united-monarchy narrative Uzzah and his brother Ahio are tasked with guiding a new cart that carries the Ark from Abinadab’s house toward Jerusalem. When the oxen stumble,

“But when they came to the threshing floor of Nakon, Uzzah reached out and took hold of the ark of God, because the oxen had stumbled. Then the anger of the LORD burned against Uzzah, and God struck him down on the spot for his irreverence, and he died there beside the ark of God.” (2 Samuel 6:6–7)

The Chronicler repeats the scene with the same outcome (1 Chronicles 13:9–10). David’s procession halts; the king is both angry and afraid, and he names the place Perez-uzzah (“outburst against Uzzah”). The Ark remains temporarily in the house of Obed-Edom until proper Levitical transport is arranged (1 Chronicles 15).

Theological and Ministry Lessons

1. Holiness of God’s Presence. Uzzah’s well-intentioned act violated explicit Mosaic procedure that only Levites of Kohath could carry the Ark, and only by its poles (Numbers 4:15). The narrative underscores that sincerity does not cancel divine standards.
2. Leadership Responsibility. David, though anointed, erred by adopting Philistine cart-technology (1 Samuel 6) instead of consulting the Law. Uzzah’s death becomes a corrective for the king and the nation regarding worship order.
3. Reverence in Worship. The incident anticipates New Testament warnings about unworthy approaches to holy things (1 Corinthians 11:27-30) and calls modern worshipers to combine zeal with obedience.

Levitical Genealogy (1 Chronicles 6:29)

Uzzah appears among Merarite lines alongside Shimei and others. The Merarites were charged with transporting the heavy structural parts of the tabernacle (Numbers 3:36-37). Although nothing further is told of this Uzzah, his placement in a worship-support tribe contrasts sharply with the non-Levite status of the Uzzah who touched the Ark, highlighting that lineage alone does not guarantee right practice.

Benjamite Line (1 Chronicles 8:7)

Here Uzzah is a grandson of Gera. The Benjamite context is marked by frequent mention of skillful warriors and sling-bearers (1 Chronicles 8:40). The record preserves tribal memory but gives no direct narrative about this Uzzah, illustrating how ordinary Israelites shared the name without notoriety.

The Garden of Uzzah (2 Kings 21:18, 26)

Manasseh and his son Amon are buried “in his palace garden, the garden of Uzza.” The site, probably south of the City of David, belonged to an earlier Uzzah whose property was incorporated into the royal complex. The appropriation of a private burial plot for apostate kings contrasts with the tombs of Davidic predecessors in the City of David and may hint at popular disapproval of Manasseh’s idolatry.

Post-Exilic Temple Servants (Ezra 2:49; Nehemiah 7:51)

Among the groups returning from Babylon are “the descendants of Uzzah,” counted with the Nethinim (temple servants). Their willingness to leave exile for labor in Jerusalem testifies to a restored commitment to covenant worship. While direct lineage to earlier bearers of the name is unproved, their inclusion ties the name to humble, obedient service—an ironic reversal of the infamous death near the Ark.

Practical Applications

• Worship must marry enthusiasm with scriptural order; unregulated zeal courts discipline.
• Leadership failure affects followers; David’s oversight cost Uzzah his life.
• God redeems names and histories: from judgment near the Ark to faithful servants in the rebuilt temple, the record of Uzzah warns and encourages the people of God.

בְּעֻזָּ֑א בְּעֻזָּ֑ה בְּעֻזָּ֔א בְּעֻזָּ֔ה בעזא בעזה וְעֻזָּ֣א ועזא עֻזָּ֑א עֻזָּ֖א עֻזָּ֜א עֻזָּ֥א עֻזָּ֥ה עזא עזה ‘uz·zā ‘uz·zāh ‘uzzā ‘uzzāh bə‘uzzā bə‘uzzāh bə·‘uz·zā bə·‘uz·zāh beuzZa beuzZah uzZa uzZah veuzZa wə‘uzzā wə·‘uz·zāInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts