John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Samuel 6:10
And the men did so ,.... Made a new cart, not the lords of the Philistines, but workmen by their orders: and took two milch kine, and tied them to the cart ; with the gear that horses, asses, or oxen, were usually fastened to a carriage they drew: and shut up their calves at home ; or, "in the house" F19 בבית "in domo", Pagninus, Montanus, &c.; ; the cow house or stable where they used to be put; this they did to restrain them from following the cows, which would disturb... read more
John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Samuel 6:9
And see if it goeth up by the way of its own coast to Bethshemesh ,.... The nearest city to the land of the Philistines, which lay on their borders, and the borders of the tribe of Judah; see Gill on Joshua 15:10 . Now the lords of the Philistines are directed by their priests to observe, whether these kine, that drew the cart on which the ark was, took the direct road to the borders of the land of Israel, and to Bethshemesh, the nearest city that lay on that coast: if so, they might... read more