2 Samuel 15:25 - Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible

Carry back the ark of God into the city; partly, out of care and reverence to the ark, which though sometimes it was and might be carried out to a certain place; yet he might justly think unfit to carry it from place to place he knew not whither, and to expose it to all the hazards and inconveniences to which he himself was likely to exposed; partly, out of respect to the priests, whom, by this means, he thought he should expose to the rage of Absalom, as he had before exposed them to Saul's fury on another occasion 1Sa 22; and partly, that by this, means he might have the better opportunity to search out and to counterwork Absalom's plots; which was so necessary, not only for himself, but for the defence and maintenance of the ark, and all God's ordinances, and of the true religion. His habitation, i.e. the tabernacle which David had lately built for it, 2 Samuel 6:17, in which the ark, and God, by means thereof, ordinarily dwelt. And hereby he insinuates another reason of his returning the ark to Jerusalem, be cause there was the tabernacle made for the receipt of it.