He inserted the poles into the rings on the sides of the ark in order to carry it.
Cross References
Exodus 37:4Then he made poles of acacia wood and overlaid them with gold.
Exodus 37:6He constructed a mercy seat of pure gold, two and a half cubits long and a cubit and a half wide.
1 Kings 8:8The poles extended far enough that their ends were visible from the Holy Place in front of the inner sanctuary, but not from outside the Holy Place; and they are there to this day.
Treasury of Scripture
And he put the staves into the rings by the sides of the ark, to bear the ark.
Numbers 1:50
But thou shalt appoint the Levites over the tabernacle of testimony, and over all the vessels thereof, and over all things that belong to it: they shall bear the tabernacle, and all the vessels thereof; and they shall minister unto it, and shall encamp round about the tabernacle.
Numbers 4:15
And when Aaron and his sons have made an end of covering the sanctuary, and all the vessels of the sanctuary, as the camp is to set forward; after that, the sons of Kohath shall come to bear it: but they shall not touch any holy thing, lest they die. These things are the burden of the sons of Kohath in the tabernacle of the congregation.
2 Samuel 6:3-7
And they set the ark of God upon a new cart, and brought it out of the house of Abinadab that was in Gibeah: and Uzzah and Ahio, the sons of Abinadab, drave the new cart…
