The men did so, that is, the Philistines who had called for help (verse 2) did what the priests and diviners had advised them to do in verses 3-9. Given the length of the intervening verses, New Century Version fills in all this information by translating “The Philistines did what the priests and magicians said.” This may prove to be a useful model for other languages.

On the verb yoked and milch cows, see the comments on verse 7.

At home: literally “in the house.” The Hebrew noun “house” is also used for places where animals stay, and here it should be rendered according to the context; compare “shut up their calves indoors” (New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh, New American Bible), “penned up their calves” (New International Version), and “meanwhile shutting up their calves in the stall” (Revised English Bible). Compare verse 7.

Quoted with permission from Omanson, Roger L. and Ellington, John E. A Handbook on the First and Second Books of Samuel, Volume 1. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2001. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .