1 Samuel 13:22

1 Samuel 13:22 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)So it came to pass in the day of battle, that there was neither sword nor spear found in the hand of any of the people that were with Saul and Jonathan: but with Saul and with Jonathan his son was there found.
• New International Version (NIV)So on the day of the battle not a soldier with Saul and Jonathan had a sword or spear in his hand; only Saul and his son Jonathan had them.
• English Standard Version (ESV)So on the day of the battle there was neither sword nor spear found in the hand of any of the people with Saul and Jonathan, but Saul and Jonathan his son had them.
• New King James Version (NKJV)So it came about, on the day of battle, that there was neither sword nor spear found in the hand of any of the people who were with Saul and Jonathan. But they were found with Saul and Jonathan his son.

Context of 1 Samuel 13:22

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. So when the fight started, the soldiers that were with Saul and Jonathan did not have any swords or spears. Only Saul and his son Jonathan had them. 23A group of Philistine soldiers went to the narrow road across the hills at Michmash.

1 Samuel 13:22 word by word

וְהָיָה֙ בְּי֣וֹם מִלְחֶ֔מֶת וְלֹ֨א נִמְצָ֜א חֶ֤רֶב וַחֲנִית֙ בְּיַ֣ד כָּל־הָעָ֔ם אֲשֶׁ֥ר אֶת־שָׁא֖וּל וְאֶת־יוֹנָתָ֑ן וַתִּמָּצֵ֣א לְשָׁא֔וּל וּלְיוֹנָתָ֖ן בְּנֽוֹ׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• So it came to pass in the dayיוֹםyôm · dayH3117
• of battleמִלְחָמָהmilchâmâh · battleH4421
• that there was neither swordחֶ֫רֶבchereb · swordH2719
• nor spearחֲנִיתchănîyth · spearH2595
• foundמָצָאmâtsâ' · to findH4672
• in the handיָדyâd · handH3027
• of any of the peopleעַם‛am · peopleH5971
• with Saulשָׁאוּלshâ'ûl · SaulH7586
• and Jonathanיוֹנָתָןyônâthân · JonathanH3129
• his sonבֵּןbên · son: childH1121

Cross-references for 1 Samuel 13:22

• 1 Samuel 17:47The Lord does not need swords or spears to save his people. Everyone here will soon know that! The Lord is the one who fights our battles. He will put you under our power.’
• 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.
• Zechariah 4:6Then the angel said to me, ‘The Lord said this to Zerubbabel: “You will need my Spirit. You yourself are too weak. And you do not have enough power.” This is what the Lord Almighty says:
• 1 Corinthians 1:27Instead, God chose to use things that people think are silly. He did this so that clever people would be ashamed. Yes, God chose to use things that people think are weak. He did this so that powerful people would be ashamed.
• 2 Corinthians 4:7God has given to us the gift to speak his message. But we ourselves are very weak. It is like we are keeping his valuable gift in clay pots. So it is clear that the great power of God's message comes from God himself. It does not come from us.

Commentaries on 1 Samuel 13:22

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 22In the day of battle - these was neither sword nor spear - But if the Israelites enjoyed such profound peace and undisturbed dominion under Samuel, how is it that they were totally destitute of arms, a state which argues the lowest circumstances of oppression and vassalage? In answer to this we may observe, that the bow and the sling were the principal arms of the Israelites; for these they needed no smith: the most barbarous nations, who have never seen…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 22This seems to be mentioned here, in anticipation of the narrative in the next chapter, to enhance the victory gained, through God‘s help 1 Samuel 14:23, by the comparatively unarmed Israelites over their enemies. What with occasional skirmishes with the Philistines, the necessity of using their arms for domestic purposes, accidental losses, and the ordinary wear and tear, coupled with the impossibility of renewing their arms from the want of smiths and…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

In the dictionaries

• Jonathan
• Saul
• Paul, Saul
• Armour
• Continue
• Philistines
• Samuel
• Armor; Arms
• Names, Proper
• Samuel, Books of

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