1 Samuel 6 7

1 Samuel 6:7 kjv

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:

1 Samuel 6:7 nkjv

Now therefore, make a new cart, take two milk cows which have never been yoked, and hitch the cows to the cart; and take their calves home, away from them.

1 Samuel 6:7 niv

"Now then, get a new cart ready, with two cows that have calved and have never been yoked. Hitch the cows to the cart, but take their calves away and pen them up.

1 Samuel 6:7 esv

Now then, take and prepare a new cart and two milk cows on which there has never come a yoke, and yoke the cows to the cart, but take their calves home, away from them.

1 Samuel 6:7 nlt

"Now build a new cart, and find two cows that have just given birth to calves. Make sure the cows have never been yoked to a cart. Hitch the cows to the cart, but shut their calves away from them in a pen.

1 Samuel 6 verses

1 Samuel 6 7 Meaning

This verse outlines a crucial component of the Philistines' devised test to discern if the severe afflictions they endured were indeed from the God of Israel. Their priests and diviners instruct them to create a completely new cart and yoke two milch (nursing) cows that have never before been worked. A key aspect of the test requires separating these cows from their calves and sending them directly toward Beth-shemesh, aiming to determine if their movement against natural maternal instinct confirms the Lord's hand.

1 Samuel 6 7 Context

1 Samuel chapter 6 follows the dramatic narrative of the Ark of God in Philistine territory. After its capture from Israel (1 Sam 4), the Ark brought plagues and destruction upon Philistine cities, starting with Ashdod (where their idol Dagon fell before it) and then Gath and Ekron. The Philistines, recognizing the devastating hand of the God of Israel, now seek to return the Ark to its place. This specific verse, 1 Sam 6:7, records the crucial advice given by the Philistine priests and diviners. They propose an elaborate, almost scientific test, relying on natural instincts to confirm or deny that the plagues were divine punishment rather than mere coincidence or happenstance. Their objective is not repentance, but empirical confirmation of Yahweh's power over their own gods and their lives.

1 Samuel 6 7 Word analysis

• Now therefore: wa'attah (וְעַתָּה). This phrase acts as a connective, signaling a transition from their understanding (the afflictions were from God) to the proposed course of action. It implies a conclusion derived from the preceding consultation.
• make: 'asu (עֲשׂוּ). A command, highlighting the deliberateness and exactitude required for this sacred and critical task.
• new cart: 'agalah chadasah (עֲגָלָה חֲדָשָׁה).
  • new: chadashah (חֲדָשָׁה) implies it must be unused, never before designated for common labor or transportation. This requirement symbolizes ritual purity and uniqueness, setting the object apart exclusively for this unprecedented sacred task, akin to items used in priestly service (Num 19:2, Dt 21:3). Its pristine nature serves to minimize any human-caused variables in the Philistines' "test."
  • cart: 'agalah (עֲגָלָה) refers to a wheeled vehicle. While the Ark was normally carried on poles by Levites (Num 4), its unusual return by the Philistines necessitates this mode of transport.
• take two milch cows: shteim paroth 'aloth (שְׁתֵּי פָּרוֹת עָלוֹת).
  • two: shteim (שְׁתֵּי) emphasizes a pair, implying symmetry and ensuring sufficient power to draw the cart.
  • milch cows: paroth 'aloth ('cows suckling') specifically denotes cows currently nursing their young calves. This detail is paramount to the test, as it pits the cows' strongest natural maternal instincts (to stay with their calves) against a potential supernatural impulse.
• which have never been yoked: 'asher lo-'alah 'aleihem 'ol (אֲשֶׁר לֹא־עָלָה עֲלֵיהֶם עֹל). This phrase signifies animals untamed, unburdened, and untouched by any work or training. Cows that have never been yoked would typically be wild, undisciplined, and difficult to manage, making their voluntary, straight, unimpeded movement to Beth-shemesh an unequivocal sign of divine direction (Num 19:2). It also further reinforces the ritual purity aspect, similar to offerings (Lev 22:21).
• harness the cows to the cart: v’asartem et-haparot ba’agalah (וַאֲסַרְתֶּם אֶת־הַפָּרוֹת בָּעֲגָלָה). The act of securing them, yet without typical human guidance, underlines their anticipated independent movement.
• take their calves home away from them: v’haveitem et-b'neihem me’achareihem habbaytah (וַהֲבֵיתֶם אֶת־בְּנֵיהֶם מֵאַחֲרֵיהֶם הַבַּיְתָה). This is the critical, final step of the test. Separating nursing mothers from their calves is a profoundly unnatural act for the cows. If, despite this separation, the cows choose to leave their offspring and proceed directly towards Israel with the Ark, it would serve as indisputable evidence to the Philistines of divine intervention and that their suffering originated from the God of Israel.

1 Samuel 6 7 Bonus section

The Philistines' method of seeking divine confirmation through this unusual experiment can be understood as an attempt at empirical divination, contrasting sharply with how the God of Israel reveals Himself through prophets, law, and direct communication (e.g., Urim and Thummim used by Israelite priests). While the Philistines employed their "priests and diviners," their proposed test did not rely on common pagan omens or rituals like augury or hepatoscopy. Instead, it was a precise, controlled experiment that demanded an outcome defying natural law, thereby indicating a superior, divine power. This unique "scientific" approach by pagans implicitly reveals a growing recognition among them of the transcendent and distinctive power of the God of Israel, acknowledging a logic beyond their familiar pantheon. It illustrates God's ability to reveal His glory even through those who do not yet worship Him, using their own frameworks to demonstrate His ultimate sovereignty.

1 Samuel 6 7 Commentary

1 Samuel 6:7 presents a uniquely calculated test devised by the Philistine diviners to confirm the source of their devastating plagues. The precise requirements – a new cart, never-yoked milch cows, and the cruel separation from their calves – demonstrate an ingenious understanding of natural animal behavior, allowing any deviation from that behavior to point unmistakably to the supernatural. This elaborate method served as an oracle to validate the power of the Lord against their own gods (1 Sam 5), specifically Dagon, whom they had recently seen utterly defeated by the Ark. The test intentionally removes all natural explanations: untrained cows should not pull a cart straight, and nursing mothers should never abandon their calves. Should these cows indeed proceed directly to Beth-shemesh (as described in 1 Sam 6:12), the Philistines would be left with no choice but to acknowledge the sovereign, irresistible hand of the God of Israel. This scenario functions as a powerful theological polemic, forcing even a pagan nation to confront and implicitly confess the unique power and truth of YHWH. It highlights God's sovereignty, not just over human affairs, but over the natural world and the instincts He Himself embedded in creation.