1 Samuel 6:10

10 The Philistines did what the priests and magicians said. They took two cows that had just had calves and hitched them to the cart, but they kept their calves at home.

1 Samuel 6:10 Meaning and Commentary

1 Samuel 6:10

And the men did so
Made a new cart, not the lords of the Philistines, but workmen by their orders:

and took two milch kine, and tied them to the cart;
with the gear that horses, asses, or oxen, were usually fastened to a carriage they drew:

and shut up their calves at home;
or, "in the house" ^F19; the cow house or stable where they used to be put; this they did to restrain them from following the cows, which would disturb them in drawing the cart.

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FOOTNOTES:

F19 (tybb) "in domo", Pagninus, Montanus

1 Samuel 6:10 In-Context

8 Put the Ark of the Lord on the cart and the gold models for the penalty offering in a box beside the Ark. Then send the cart straight on its way.

9 Watch the cart. If it goes toward Beth Shemesh in Israel's own land, the Lord has given us this great sickness. But if it doesn't, we will know that Israel's God has not punished us. Our sickness just happened by chance."

10 The Philistines did what the priests and magicians said. They took two cows that had just had calves and hitched them to the cart, but they kept their calves at home.

11 They put the Ark of the Lord and the box with the gold rats and models of growths on the cart.

12 Then the cows went straight toward Beth Shemesh. They stayed on the road, mooing all the way, and did not turn right or left. The Philistine kings followed the cows as far as the border of Beth Shemesh.