The long name given to the ark is probably its formal title (see 1 Samuel 4:4).1 The phrase itself indicates that the ark was uniquely associated with God’s identity and presence. In ancient Near Eastern culture, a name was not just a label but represented the essence, authority, and character of a person. The ark being called by the name of the Lord of hosts
signifies that it bore or represented God’s name; it was a tangible symbol of his presence among his people. The ark itself was not divine but it was set apart as holy because it was expressly linked to God. The Lord of hosts can otherwise be translated as Lord Almighty.
It identifies the Lord as the King of the hosts or armies of the spiritual realm, that is heaven.
2 And David arose and went with all the people who were with him from Baale-judah to bring up from there the ark of God, which is called by the name of the LORD of hosts who sits enthroned on the cherubim.