SEV Biblia, Chapter 6:14
Y el carro vino al campo de Josué bet-semita, y paró allí porque allí había una gran piedra; y ellos cortaron la madera del carro, y ofrecieron las vacas en holocausto al SEÑOR.
Clarke's Bible Commentary - 1 Samuel 6:14
Verse 14. They clave the wood of the cart] Both the cart and the cattle having been thus employed, could no longer be devoted to any secular services; therefore the cattle were sacrificed, and the cart was broken up for fuel to consume the sacrifice.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 14. And the cart came into the field of Joshua, a Bethshemite , etc.] In that part of the valley where they were reaping wheat which belonged to him, whom we nowhere else read; whether a priest or Levite, which is not improbable, since this was a city of the Levites, or a common Israelite, is not certain: and stood there where there was a great stone ; afterwards called the great stone of Abel, ( 1 Samuel 6:18). By the providence of God it was so ordered, that the kine made a stop just at this place; and proceeded no further, as if sensible they were come to their journey’s end, and had brought the ark into the hands of its friends, and to a proper place for them to express their thankfulness for it; for this stone seemed designed to be, as it was, the altar on which the burnt offering, by way of thanksgiving for the return of the ark, was to be offered; the Jews say this stone was the altar built by Abraham: and they clave the wood of the cart, and offered the kine a burnt offering unto the Lord ; the cart they cut in pieces, and laid the wood of it in order upon the stone, and slew the two cows, and laid their pieces on the wood, and set fire to it, and burnt them with it, as expressive of joy and thankfulness that the ark was returned. This was done, not by the lords of the Philistines, as some of the ancient Jews thought, as Kimchi relates, in which they are followed by some Christian interpreters; but by the men of Bethshemesh, as Kimchi, by the priests there; for though this was not the proper and usual place for sacrifice, nor were cows offered in sacrifice; yet this being an extraordinary case, and thank offerings were necessary as soon as the ark was returned, these things were dispensed with; and the rather, since Shiloh, where the tabernacle was, was destroyed; and besides, the ark of the Lord was here present, which sanctified the place, as it did the tabernacle, and made it fit for such service; and as for these cows, they had been employed in sacred service, and the Lord had a right unto them, and claim upon them; and it seemed not fitting that they should be after employed to any other use and service than his own; nor were the men of Bethshemesh blamed or punished for this, though they afterwards were for looking into the ark.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 10-18 - These two kine knew their owner, their great Owner, whom Hophin an Phinehas knew not. God's providence takes notice even of brut creatures, and serves its own purposes by them. When the reapers saw the ark, they rejoiced; their joy for that was greater than the joy of harvest. The return of the ark, and the revival of holy ordinances after days of restraint and trouble, are matters of great joy.
Original Hebrew
והעגלה 5699 באה 935 אל 413 שׂדה 7704 יהושׁע 3091 בית השׁמשׁי 1030 ותעמד 5975 שׁם 8033 ושׁם 8033 אבן 68 גדולה 1419 ויבקעו 1234 את 853 עצי 6086 העגלה 5699 ואת 853 הפרות 6510 העלו 5927 עלה 5930 ליהוה׃ 3068
