1 Samuel 6 10

1 Samuel 6:10 kjv

And the men did so; and took two milch kine, and tied them to the cart, and shut up their calves at home:

1 Samuel 6:10 nkjv

Then the men did so; they took two milk cows and hitched them to the cart, and shut up their calves at home.

1 Samuel 6:10 niv

So they did this. They took two such cows and hitched them to the cart and penned up their calves.

1 Samuel 6:10 esv

The men did so, and took two milk cows and yoked them to the cart and shut up their calves at home.

1 Samuel 6:10 nlt

So these instructions were carried out. Two cows were hitched to the cart, and their newborn calves were shut up in a pen.

1 Samuel 6 verses

1 Samuel 6 10 Meaning

1 Samuel 6:10 details the immediate and direct response of the Philistines to the counsel of their priests and diviners concerning the return of the Ark of the Covenant. The verse describes their precise execution of the instructions given, which involved taking two milk cows that had not borne a yoke, hitching them to a new cart, and keeping their calves at home. This act of compliance was crucial for verifying if the recent plagues upon them were from the God of Israel.

1 Samuel 6 10 Context

1 Samuel 6:10 occurs after the Ark of the Covenant had been in Philistine territory for seven months, during which time it brought severe plagues and destruction upon their cities (1 Sam 5). Overwhelmed by these divine judgments, the Philistines, through their priests and diviners, sought a way to appease the God of Israel and remove the Ark. The diviners, as described in the preceding verses (1 Sam 6:7-9), prescribed a very specific method for returning the Ark to Israelite territory: a new cart, pulled by two milk cows that had never been yoked, with their calves separated from them and kept back in their enclosures. The path the cows would take would serve as a definitive sign from God concerning the origin of their suffering. If the cows went directly towards Beth Shemesh without turning, it would confirm that the plagues were indeed from the God of Israel. Verse 10 demonstrates the Philistines' compliance with these detailed instructions, acting upon their superstitious or fearful understanding of the divine will.

1 Samuel 6 10 Word analysis

• וַיַּעֲשׂוּ (wayya‘asū) – "And they did" / "So they acted": This verb denotes immediate and decisive action. The root ‘āśāh means "to do," "make," "act," or "perform." The waw consecutive signifies direct sequence. It highlights the Philistines' swift obedience to the instructions of their priests/diviners, reflecting either their genuine fear of the God of Israel or their desperate pragmatism in the face of continued affliction.
• הָאֲנָשִׁים (hā’ănāšîm) – "the men": Refers specifically to the Philistine people or the responsible officials (likely those commissioned by the Philistine lords mentioned in 1 Sam 6:4). This is a general term for men, often indicating human agents in a task. Their identity as Philistines, outsiders to the covenant, emphasizes God's sovereign power extending beyond Israel.
• כֵן (kēn) – "so" / "thus": A particle indicating confirmation or affirmation, signifying that the action performed was precisely in accordance with the prior instructions (1 Sam 6:7-9).
• וַיִּקְחוּ (wayyiqeḥū) – "and they took": From the verb lāqaḥ, "to take," "get," "receive." Again, the waw consecutive denotes sequential action. This specifies their initiative in acquiring the necessary elements for the test.
• אֶת־שְׁתֵּי (’et-shětê) – "the two" / "two": The definite direct object marker ’et with the numeral shtayim indicates precisely "the two." The exact number "two" was part of the divine test.
• הַפָּרוֹת (happārôt) – "the cows": Specifically "female cows" (from pārāh). The definite article points back to the specific "milk cows" previously commanded (1 Sam 6:7). The nature of these cows (nursing, never yoked) was crucial for the test.
• וַיִּרְבּוּ (wayyirbû) – (No, this word is not in the Hebrew text of 1 Sam 6:10.) The text actually says: וַיַּאֲסְרוּ (wayyaʾaserû) - "and they bound/hitched/shut up": From the verb ʾāsar, "to bind," "to tie," "to harness." This verb applies both to hitching the cows to the cart and to shutting up their calves.
• אֹתָם (’ōtām) – "them" (masculine plural): Refers to the cows.
• בָּעֲגָלָה (bā‘ăgālâ) – "to the cart": From ‘ăgālâ, "cart" or "wagon," with the preposition b-, meaning "in" or "to." This specifies the instrument used for transport, as per divine instruction. The cart itself had to be new (1 Sam 6:7), adding to the ritual purity.
• וַיַּאְסְרוּ (wayyaʾaserû) – "and they shut up" / "and they penned up": This is the repeated verb from ʾāsar. It refers here specifically to the calves.
• אֶת־בְּנֵיהֶם (’et-bənêhem) – "their calves": Literally, "their sons," but in this context refers to the young of the cows. The deep maternal instinct of cows for their calves is the crucial point of the test; any normal cow would return to its calves.
• בַּבַּיִת (babbáyith) – "at home" / "in the house": More generally, "in their enclosures" or "in the stable." This final act underscores the radical nature of the test: forcing the cows to defy their powerful natural instincts.

Words-group by words-group analysis:

• "And the men did so": This phrase highlights the Philistines' unhesitating execution of the instructions. Despite being pagan and often hostile to Israel, the Philistines recognized the overwhelming power of the God of Israel. This stands as a powerful testimony to divine sovereignty, as even enemies implicitly acknowledge God's will out of sheer terror and practical necessity. It contrasts sharply with Israel's frequent slowness to obey or outright rebellion against clear divine commands.
• "for they took two milk cows and hitched them to a cart": This segment describes the preparatory action according to the very precise instructions. The choice of "milk cows" and "new cart" was not arbitrary but designed as a supernatural test to remove any doubt about the cause of the plagues. The "milk cows" were those still suckling their young, meaning their maternal instinct to return to their calves was strong, making their predicted direct journey to Beth Shemesh (1 Sam 6:12) all the more miraculous.
• "and shut up their calves at home": This is the decisive element of the test. By separating the calves from their mothers, the Philistines consciously introduced a natural force that should have pulled the cows back to Ekron. Their willingness to follow this highly specific, seemingly counter-intuitive command, reveals their desperation and the profound impact God's judgment had on them. This specific action sets up the undeniable divine sign, challenging both natural instincts and potentially any rational explanation other than divine intervention. This action also serves as a subtle polemic against any belief in mere chance or the ineffectiveness of the Israelite God, Dagon's impotence already clearly established (1 Sam 5).

1 Samuel 6 10 Bonus section

The specific choice of "milk cows" (pārôt ḥalābôt or happārôt as contextually implied here with calves) that had "never had a yoke on them" (1 Sam 6:7) and the separation from "their calves" creates a stark contrast between natural animal instinct and a supernatural overriding force. In ancient agricultural societies, this would be an easily recognizable sign of deviation from normal behavior, emphasizing the profound and miraculous nature of the Ark's return journey. Had the cows turned aside or returned to their calves, it would have been dismissed as coincidence or human-induced suffering. But their deliberate forward movement towards Beth Shemesh (1 Sam 6:12), against every instinct, served as an irrefutable sign that the Lord alone was responsible for their suffering and was now dictating their actions. This entire Philistine "experiment" thus serves as a powerful, empirically verifiable witness to the absolute power of the God of Israel over nature, false gods, and the hearts of men, even unwilling ones.

1 Samuel 6 10 Commentary

1 Samuel 6:10 marks the crucial moment when the Philistines, having suffered devastating plagues due to the presence of the Ark of the Lord, actively follow the highly unusual instructions given by their own religious authorities. Their prompt and precise execution of every detail—taking two unyoked milk cows, harnessing them to a new cart, and cruelly separating them from their calves—underscores the overwhelming fear that God's judgments had instilled in them. This compliance is not an act of worship or conversion, but a desperate and practical measure driven by terror and a desire to see if the suffering would cease. It implicitly serves as a powerful declaration of the irresistible sovereignty of the God of Israel, whose will could compel even pagan adversaries to carry out His divine test with meticulous care. The subsequent miracle of the cows directly heading towards Beth Shemesh, ignoring their maternal instincts, would further validate God's unmatched power.