1 Samuel 13:19

1 Samuel 13:19 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Now there was no smith found throughout all the land of Israel: for the Philistines said, Lest the Hebrews make them swords or spears:
• New International Version (NIV)Not a blacksmith could be found in the whole land of Israel, because the Philistines had said, “Otherwise the Hebrews will make swords or spears!”
• English Standard Version (ESV)Now there was no blacksmith to be found throughout all the land of Israel, for the Philistines said, "Lest the Hebrews make themselves swords or spears."
• New King James Version (NKJV)Now there was no blacksmith to be found throughout all the land of Israel, for the Philistines said, “Lest the Hebrews make swords or spears.”

Context of 1 Samuel 13:19

17The Philistines sent out three small groups of soldiers to attack towns in Israel. One group went towards Ophrah in the land of Shual. 18The second group went towards Beth Horon. The third group went to Israel's border where they could see across Zeboim Valley towards the wilderness. At that time, there were no people in Israel who could use iron to make things. The Philistines had said, ‘We must not let the Hebrew people make swords and spears.’ 20So the Israelites had to ask the Philistines to mend their ploughs, axes, hoes and knives that they used on their farms. 21The Israelites had to pay eight grams of silver for the Philistines to make each plough or hoe sharp again. They paid four grams of silver for each axe, knife or ox-goad.

1 Samuel 13:19 word by word

וְחָרָשׁ֙ לֹ֣א יִמָּצֵ֔א בְּכֹ֖ל אֶ֣רֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל כִּֽי־אָמְר֣וּ פְלִשְׁתִּ֔ים פֶּ֚ן יַעֲשׂ֣וּ הָעִבְרִ֔ים חֶ֖רֶב א֥וֹ חֲנִֽית׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Now there was no smithחָרָשׁ, חֲרָשִׁיםchârâsh · artificerH2796
• foundמָצָאmâtsâ' · to findH4672
• throughout all the landאֶ֫רֶץ'erets · land: country/planetH776
• of Israelיִשְׂרָאֵלyiώrâ'êl · IsraelH3478
• for the Philistinesפְּלִשְׁתִּיpelishtîy · PhilistineH6430
• saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• Lest the Hebrewsעִבְרִי‛ibrîy · HebrewH5680
• makeעָשָׂה‛âώâh · to makeH6213
• swordsחֶ֫רֶבchereb · swordH2719
• or spearsחֲנִיתchănîyth · spearH2595

Cross-references for 1 Samuel 13:19

• Judges 5:8When the Israelites chose new gods to worship, enemies attacked their cities. No one in Israel was ready to fight. Not one of their 40,000 soldiers had a shield or a spear.
• 2 Kings 24:14Nebuchadnezzar took away as his prisoners all the people who lived in Jerusalem. There were 10,000 people. They included all the officers and all the soldiers. He also took away the people who had special skills to work with wood and metal. The only people who remained in Judah were the very poor people.
• Isaiah 54:16Look! I myself created the worker who knows how to use iron to make things. He makes his fire very hot, and he makes weapons from the iron. He makes weapons that are strong to fight with. I also created the armies who use their weapons to destroy people.
• Jeremiah 24:1King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon took Jeconiah away as his prisoner. Jeconiah was the son of Jehoiakim, king of Judah. Nebuchadnezzar also took all Jeconiah's officers and the workers in Judah who had special skills. He took them all away from Jerusalem to Babylon as his prisoners. After that happened, the Lord showed me a vision. I saw two baskets of figs. Somebody had put them in front of the Lord's temple.

Commentaries on 1 Samuel 13:19

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 19Now there was no smith found - It is very likely that in the former wars the Philistines carried away all the smiths from Israel, as Porsenna did in the peace which he granted to the Romans, not permitting any iron to be forged except for the purposes of agriculture: "Ne ferro, nisi in agricultura, uterentur." The Chaldeans did the same to the Jews in the time of Nebuchadnezzar; they carried away all the artificers, 2 Kings 24:14; Jeremiah 24:1; Jeremiah…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 19There was no smith - This was the result of the fierce inroads described in the preceding verses, and the method adopted to make the Philistine conquests permanent.Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 15-23Verses 15-23 See how politic the Philistines were when they had power; they not only prevented the people of Israel from making weapons of war, but obliged them to depend upon their enemies, even for instruments of husbandry. How impolitic Saul was, who did not, in the beginning of his reign, set himself to redress this. Want of true sense always accompanies want of grace. Sins which appear to us very little, have dangerous consequences. Miserable is a…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 19-22no blacksmith: The Philistines prevented the Israelites from having weapons by controlling all the iron needed to make them. Iron technology was new in Canaan. It likely developed in the Aegean region and was brought to Canaan by seafaring people, like the Philistines.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 19-2019-20. Now there was no smith found throughout ... Israel--The country was in the lowest state of depression and degradation. The Philistines, after the great victory over the sons of Eli, had become the virtual masters of the land. Their policy in disarming the natives has been often followed in the East. For repairing any serious damage to their agricultural implements, they had to apply to the neighboring forts.Read the comment

Topics related to 1 Samuel 13:19

• Agriculture
• Canaan
• Israel
• Smith

In the dictionaries

• Israel
• Philistines
• Israel, Israelites
• Jacob, Israel
• Carpenter
• Continue
• Palestine
• Samuel
• Smith
• Armor; Arms

Commentaries on 1 Samuel 13

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings