This verse shows how reverence for God’s holiness can transcend cultural boundaries after witnessing His might.
“Now therefore, take and prepare a new cart and two milch cows on which there has never been a yoke; and hitch the cows to the cart and take their calves home, away from them.” (v.7)
In this verse, the Philistine rulers are instructed by their priests and diviners on how to return the ark of God to Israel. By using a new cart and unyoked milch cows, they demonstrate a form of reverence, acknowledging that no ordinary means was suitable to transport something so sacred. The Philistines had suffered greatly from the presence of the ark in their territory, seeing it as the cause of the plagues afflicting their people (1 Samuel 5-6). They hoped that following these precise instructions would appease the LORD and end their suffering. This event likely took place around the early 11th century BC, during the period shortly after Israel’s judges and before the establishment of the monarchy.
The detail that these are milch cows, which have never borne a yoke, underscores the sense of holiness and separation from common tasks. Typically, cows would be trained and accustomed to carrying loads, but here they are asked to carry a cart without prior experience. The order to send the calves home plays a crucial role in testing the divine source of the plague: if the untrained cows head straight toward Israel’s territory rather than returning to their young, it will prove that the hand of God is at work. This instruction also reflects the awe that the Philistines felt toward the Israelite God, recognizing His power even in a land outside Israel.
Geographically, the land of the Philistines was on the southwestern coast of Canaan, in an area that included city-states such as Ashdod, Gath, and Ekron. By sending the ark back on a cart directed toward Beth-shemesh, the Philistines effectively returned it to a Levitical city in the land of Judah. During this era, leadership in Israel was shifting from priestly figures like Eli and prophets such as Samuel into the time of kings (around 1050 BC), emphasizing a history where God demonstrated His sovereignty repeatedly over Israel’s enemies.
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1 Samuel 6:7 meaning
“Now therefore, take and prepare a new cart and two milch cows on which there has never been a yoke; and hitch the cows to the cart and take their calves home, away from them.” (v.7)
In this verse, the Philistine rulers are instructed by their priests and diviners on how to return the ark of God to Israel. By using a new cart and unyoked milch cows, they demonstrate a form of reverence, acknowledging that no ordinary means was suitable to transport something so sacred. The Philistines had suffered greatly from the presence of the ark in their territory, seeing it as the cause of the plagues afflicting their people (1 Samuel 5-6). They hoped that following these precise instructions would appease the LORD and end their suffering. This event likely took place around the early 11th century BC, during the period shortly after Israel’s judges and before the establishment of the monarchy.
The detail that these are milch cows, which have never borne a yoke, underscores the sense of holiness and separation from common tasks. Typically, cows would be trained and accustomed to carrying loads, but here they are asked to carry a cart without prior experience. The order to send the calves home plays a crucial role in testing the divine source of the plague: if the untrained cows head straight toward Israel’s territory rather than returning to their young, it will prove that the hand of God is at work. This instruction also reflects the awe that the Philistines felt toward the Israelite God, recognizing His power even in a land outside Israel.
Geographically, the land of the Philistines was on the southwestern coast of Canaan, in an area that included city-states such as Ashdod, Gath, and Ekron. By sending the ark back on a cart directed toward Beth-shemesh, the Philistines effectively returned it to a Levitical city in the land of Judah. During this era, leadership in Israel was shifting from priestly figures like Eli and prophets such as Samuel into the time of kings (around 1050 BC), emphasizing a history where God demonstrated His sovereignty repeatedly over Israel’s enemies.