And the men did so; and took two milch kine, and tied them to the cart, and shut up their calves at home:
And the men did exactly what they were told; they took two cows that were nursing calves, tied them to the cart, and locked up their calves back home.
The Philistines followed the priests' instructions precisely, using nursing cows for their test to see if God was truly behind the plagues that had struck them.
📚 Historical Context
In the biblical narrative of 1 Samuel, the Philistines had captured the Ark of the Covenant from the Israelites, which brought plagues upon their cities as a divine judgment. To test whether God was directing the return of the Ark, their priests advised using two unyoked milk cows hitched to a cart, separating them from their calves to observe if the cows would defy their natural instincts and head toward Israelite territory. This act demonstrated the Philistines' attempt to discern God's involvement in their misfortunes.
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