שמואל ב, פרק ו׳, פסוק י״ג

King David's second attempt to bring the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem was marked by intense caution and profound gratitude for every safe movement forward. The memory of the fatal disaster during the first attempt loomed large, transforming the journey into a deeply emotional experience of relief and joy. This time, the Levites carried the Ark properly. Rather than using a cart, they bore the sacred object directly on their shoulders using poles [רד״ק].

As they began their march, the distance of exactly six steps held a terrifying significance. During the initial, tragic attempt, Uzzah had only managed to walk six steps before he was struck down by God. Therefore, when the Levites successfully completed six full steps completely unharmed, they immediately understood that God favored them and was actively helping them on their journey [רד״ק, צאינה וראינה]. Another clear sign of this divine assistance was that the Levites felt absolutely no weight on their shoulders; it was as though the Ark was carrying itself [רד״ק].

Overwhelmed with joy and relief simply to be alive, the carriers halted their march, lowered the Ark to the ground, and offered sacrifices to God [רד״ק, צאינה וראינה]. This was not a single event, but rather a continuous pattern that defined the entire journey. After every six steps they took, the procession stopped to offer sacrifices [מצודת דוד, שטיינזלץ, צאינה וראינה]. These offerings consisted of an ox and a specially fatted, high-quality ox [מצודת ציון, רד״ק, שטיינזלץ].

To align this event with another biblical account that mentions the Levites sacrificing seven bulls and seven rams, commentators explain a division in the offerings. King David was the one who personally sacrificed the ox and the fatted ox after every six steps, while the Levites were responsible for offering the seven bulls and rams. There are different views regarding exactly when the Levites offered their specific sacrifices. Some suggest they did so on the seventh step, while others maintain they sacrificed every six steps alongside David. A third perspective proposes that the Levites only offered their sacrifices after completing a full cycle of six sets of six steps [רד״ק, מלבי״ם].