1 Samuel 6:7

Now therefore make a new cart, and take two milch kine, on which there hath come no yoke, and tie the kine to the cart, and bring their calves home from them:

Now therefore make {H6213} a {H259} new {H2319} cart {H5699}, and take {H3947} two {H8147} milch {H5763} kine {H6510}, on which there hath come {H5927} no yoke {H5923}, and tie {H631} the kine {H6510} to the cart {H5699}, and bring {H7725} their calves {H1121} home {H1004} from them {H310}:

Now take and prepare yourselves a new cart and two milk-cows that have never been under a yoke. Harness the cows to the cart, but put their calves back in the shed.

Now, therefore, prepare one new cart with two milk cows that have never been yoked. Hitch the cows to the cart, but take their calves away and pen them up.

Now therefore take and prepare you a new cart, and two milch kine, on which there hath come no yoke; and tie the kine to the cart, and bring their calves home from them;

Commentary

1 Samuel 6:7 details the Philistines' instructions for returning the Ark of the Covenant to Israel, a crucial moment in their attempt to appease the God of Israel and end the plagues afflicting them.

Context

Following seven months of devastating plagues—including tumors and a mouse infestation—that ravaged their cities after capturing the Ark of the Covenant (1 Samuel 5:6-12), the Philistine lords and priests sought a way to send the Ark back to its rightful place. This verse outlines their proposed method, which served as a divine test to confirm whether their suffering was indeed from the God of Israel or merely a coincidence. They aimed to remove any natural explanation for the Ark's return, thus proving the Lord's hand.

Key Themes

  • Divine Sovereignty and Testing God: The Philistines, despite being pagan, devised a test designed to demonstrate God's direct involvement. By choosing conditions that defied natural instinct (cows separated from calves, unyoked), they sought undeniable proof of the Lord's hand. Their actions highlight a grudging acknowledgment of a higher power at work.
  • The Ark's Holiness: The specific instructions—a "new cart" (unused, therefore ritually clean) and "milch kine" (nursing cows) that had "come no yoke" (untrained for pulling)—underscore the Ark's sacred nature and the reverence, albeit superstitious, it commanded. The newness and untamed nature emphasize that this was a special, consecrated journey.
  • Miraculous Guidance: The core of the test lay in the expectation that these untrained, mothering cows, whose natural instinct would be to return to their calves, would instead proceed directly toward Israel. This foreshadows the miraculous journey of the Ark to Beth-shemesh, demonstrating God's ability to direct even animal behavior for His purposes.

Linguistic Insights

  • The phrase "milch kine" refers to cows that are nursing their calves. This detail is critical because a mother cow's strongest natural urge is to remain with or return to her young. For them to leave their calves and walk straight to Israel would be a profound act against nature, thus proving divine intervention.
  • "On which there hath come no yoke" signifies that these cows were untrained and had never been used for labor. This further eliminates any natural explanation for their disciplined movement, making their journey even more clearly a supernatural event orchestrated by God.

Practical Application

This verse reminds us that God's purposes can be accomplished even through unexpected means and by those who do not fully know Him. It illustrates that God is sovereign over natural laws and human intentions. For believers, it highlights the importance of recognizing God's hand in circumstances that defy logical explanation, reinforcing faith in His ability to work beyond our understanding. It also subtly teaches about making sacrifices for God's purposes, as the cows were forced to give up their natural inclination for the sake of the Ark's return, mirroring the call for believers to present themselves as living sacrifices to God.

Reflection

The Philistines' precise, almost scientific, approach to testing the God of Israel ultimately served to glorify Him. Their desperate measures inadvertently provided undeniable proof of the Lord's power and the holiness of His presence, as embodied by the Ark. This passage powerfully demonstrates that God's will prevails, often in ways that challenge human reasoning and natural inclinations, inviting us to trust in His extraordinary ways.

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Please note that only the commentary section is AI-generated — the main Scripture and cross-references are stored on the site and are from trusted and verified sources.

Cross-References

  • Numbers 19:2 (5 votes)

    This [is] the ordinance of the law which the LORD hath commanded, saying, Speak unto the children of Israel, that they bring thee a red heifer without spot, wherein [is] no blemish, [and] upon which never came yoke:

  • 2 Samuel 6:3 (5 votes)

    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.

  • 1 Chronicles 13:7 (2 votes)

    And they carried the ark of God in a new cart out of the house of Abinadab: and Uzza and Ahio drave the cart.