OZA (Hebr. ‘Uzzā’). — Son of Abinadab, who was struck dead for having dared to touch the Ark of the Covenant while he was transporting it from Cariathiarim to Jerusalem (II Sam. 6:3–8; I Par. 13:7–11).
This name was also borne by: a descendant of the patriarch Benjamin (I Par. 8:7); a Levite in the time of Ezra and Nehemiah (Esd. 2:49; Neh. 7:51); a Levite of the line of Merari (I Par. 6:14: Hebr. ‘Uzzāh).
In II Reg. 21:18, 26, where the text moves to the “garden of O.,” perhaps situated in the Kidron Valley (cf. ibid. 25:4; Neh. 3:15), the more probable reading would be “Ozia” or “Azaria” (cf. ibid. 15:1, 13), king of Judah (769–738 B.C.).