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Texts -- 1 Samuel 13:17-23 (NET)

Context
13:17 Raiding bands went out from the camp of the Philistines in three groups . One band turned toward the road leading to Ophrah by the land of Shual ; 13:18 another band turned toward the road leading to Beth Horon ; and yet another band turned toward the road leading to the border that overlooks the valley of Zeboim in the direction of the desert . 13:19 A blacksmith could not be found in all the land of Israel , for the Philistines had said , “This will prevent the Hebrews from making swords and spears .” 13:20 So all Israel had to go down to the Philistines in order to get their plowshares , cutting instruments , axes , and sickles sharpened . 13:21 They charged two-thirds of a shekel to sharpen plowshares and cutting instruments , and a third of a shekel to sharpen picks and axes , and to set ox goads . 13:22 So on the day of the battle no sword or spear was to be found in the hand of anyone in the army that was with Saul and Jonathan . No one but Saul and his son Jonathan had them.
Jonathan Ignites a Battle
13:23 A garrison of the Philistines had gone out to the pass at Micmash .

Pericope

NET

Bible Dictionary

  • Philistines

    [ebd] (Gen. 10:14, R.V.; but in A.V., "Philistim"), a tribe allied to the Phoenicians. They were a branch of the primitive race which spread over the whole district of the Lebanon and the valley of the Jordan, and Crete and other ...
    [isbe] PHILISTINES - fi-lis'-tinz, fil'-is-tinz, fil'-is-tinz (pelishtim; Phulistieim, allophuloi): I. OLD TESTAMENT NOTICES 1. Race and Origin 2. Religion 3. Individual Philistines Mentioned 4. Title of Ruler and Circumcision 5. H...
    [nave] PHILISTINES Descendants of Mizraim, Gen. 10:14; 1 Chr. 1:12; Jer. 47:4; Amos 9:7. Called Cherethites, 1 Sam. 30:14-16; Ezek. 25:16; Zeph. 2:5; Casluhim, Gen. 10:14; 1 Chr. 1:12; Caphtorim, Jer. 47:4; Amos 9:7. Territory of...

  • Saul

    [isbe] SAUL - sol (sha'ul; Saoul): (1) The first king of Israel. I. EARLY HISTORY 1. Name and Meaning 2. Genealogy 3. Home and Station 4. Sources for Life 5. Election as King 6. Reasons for It II. REIGN AND FALL 1. His First Action...
    [nave] SAUL 1. Called also Shaul. King of Edom, Gen. 36:37, 38; 1 Chr. 1:48, 49. 2. King of Israel. A Benjamite, son of Kish, 1 Sam. 9:1, 2. Sons of, 1 Chr. 8:33. His personal appearance, 1 Sam. 9:2; 10:23. Made king of Israel,...

  • Samuel

    [ebd] heard of God. The peculiar circumstances connected with his birth are recorded in 1 Sam. 1:20. Hannah, one of the two wives of Elkanah, who came up to Shiloh to worship before the Lord, earnestly prayed to God that she might...

  • SAMUEL, BOOKS OF

    [isbe] SAMUEL, BOOKS OF - || I. PLACE OF THE BOOKS OF SAMUEL IN THE HEBREW CANON II. CONTENTS OF THE BOOKS AND PERIOD OF TIME COVERED BY THE HISTORY III. SUMMARY AND ANALYSIS 1. Life of Samuel (1 Samuel 1 through 15) 2. Reign and D...

  • WAR; WARFARE

    [isbe] WAR; WARFARE - wor, wor'-far (milchamah, 'anshe m., "men of war," "soldiers"; polemos, polemein, strateuesthai, stratia): 1. Religious Significance 2. Preliminaries 3. Operations of War 4. Strategy 5. Important Requisites 6....

  • Zeboim

    [ebd] gazelles or roes. (1.) One of the "five cities of the plain" of Sodom, generally coupled with Admah (Gen. 10:19; 14:2; Deut. 29:23; Hos. 11:8). It had a king of its own (Shemeber), and was therefore a place of some importanc...
    [isbe] ZEBOIM - ze-bo'-im ((1) tsebho`im; Seboeim (Neh 11:34); (2) ge ha-tsebho`im; Gai ten Samein (1 Sam 13:18)): (1) A Benjamite town mentioned as between HADID (which see) and NEBALLAT (which see), and therefore in the maritime ...
    [smith] (gazelles). One of the five cities of the "plain" or circle of Jordan. It is mentioned in (Genesis 10:19; 14:2,8; 29:23; Hosea 11:8) in each, of which passages it is either coupled with Admah or placed next it in the lists -...
    [nave] ZEBOIM 1. Called also Zeboiim. One of the cities in the valley of Siddim, Gen. 10:19; 14:2, 8; Deut. 29:23; Hos. 11:8. 2. A city and valley in Benjamin, 1 Sam. 13:18; Neh. 11:34.

  • Agriculture

    [ebd] Tilling the ground (Gen. 2:15; 4:2, 3, 12) and rearing cattle were the chief employments in ancient times. The Egyptians excelled in agriculture. And after the Israelites entered into the possession of the Promised Land, the...
    [nave] AGRICULTURE Divine institution of, Gen. 2:15; 3:19, 23. Practiced by Cain, Gen. 4:2; Noah, Gen. 9:20; Elisha, 1 Kin. 19:19; David, 1 Chr. 27:26-31; Uzziah, 2 Chr. 26:10; Solomon, Eccl. 2:4-6. God to be acknowledged in, Jer...

  • Mattock

    [isbe] MATTOCK - mat'-ok: The translation of 3 Hebrew words: (1) machereshah, probably "a pick-axe" (1 Sam 13:20,21; compare 13:21 margin); (2) cherebh, "sword," "ax," "tool" (2 Ch 34:6 the King James Version, "with their mattocks,...
    [nave] MATTOCK, 1 Sam. 13:20, 21; Isa. 7:25.

  • GOAD

    [ebd] (Heb. malmad, only in Judg. 3: 31), an instrument used by ploughmen for guiding their oxen. Shamgar slew six hundred Philistines with an ox-goad. "The goad is a formidable weapon. It is sometimes ten feet long, and has a sha...
    [isbe] GOAD - god (dorebhan, malmadh; kentron): The goad used by the Syrian farmer is usually a straight branch of oak or other strong wood from which the bark has been stripped, and which has at one end a pointed spike and at the ...
    [smith] (Judges 3:31; 1 Samuel 13:21) The Hebrew word in the latter passage probably means the point of the plough-share . The former word does probably refer to the goad, the long handle of which might be used as a formidable wea...

  • Ophrah

    [isbe] OPHRAH - of'-ra (`ophrah; Codex Vaticanus Aphra; Codex Alexandrinus Iephratha, etc.): (1) A town in the territory allotted to Benjamin named between Parah and Chephar-ammoni (Josh 18:23). It is mentioned again in 1 Sam 13:17...
    [smith] (fawn). A town in the tribe of Benjamin. (Joshua 18:23; 1 Samuel 13:17) Jerome places it five miles east of Bethel. It is perhaps et-Taiyibeh , a small village on the crown of a conspicuous hill, four miles east-northeast...
    [nave] OPHRAH 1. A city in Benjamin, Josh. 18:23; 1 Sam. 13:17. Possibly identical with Ephrain, 2 Chr. 13:19; and Ephraim, John 11:54. 2. A city in Manasseh, home of Gideon, Judg. 6:11, 24; 8:27, 32; 9:5. 3. Son of Meonothai, 1...

  • Ax

    [nave] AX An implement, Deut. 19:5; 1 Sam. 13:20, 21; 2 Sam. 12:31; Psa. 74:5, 6. Elisha causes to swim, 2 Kin. 6:5, 6. Battle-ax, Ezek. 26:9. Figurative Jer. 46:22; 51:20; Matt. 3:10.

  • File

    [isbe] FILE - fil: Found only in 1 Sam 13:21, but the text here is obscure. The Hebrew (petsirah phim) signifies "bluntness of edge," and is so rendered in the Revised Version, margin. See TOOLS.
    [nave] FILE, used for sharpening edged tools, 1 Sam. 13:21.

  • Coulter

    [ebd] (1 Sam. 13:20, 21), an agricultural instrument, elsewhere called "ploughshare" (Isa. 2:4; Micah 4:3; Joel 3:10). It was the facing-piece of a plough, analogous to the modern coulter.

  • Armies

    [nave] ARMIES Who of the Israelites were subject to service in, Num. 1:2, 3; 26:2; 2 Chr. 25:5; who were exempt from service in, Num. 1:47-50; 2:33; Deut. 20:5-9; Judg. 7:3. Enumeration of Israel's military forces, Num. 1:2, 3; 26...

  • Axe

    [ebd] used in the Authorized Version of Deut. 19:5; 20:19; 1 Kings 6:7, as the translation of a Hebrew word which means "chopping." It was used for felling trees (Isa. 10:34) and hewing timber for building. It is the rendering of ...

  • AX (AXE); AX-HEAD

    [isbe] AX (AXE); AX-HEAD - aks; aks'hed: Nine different Hebrew words have been rendered "ax": (1) garzen. This unquestionably was one of the larger chopping instruments, as the uses to which it was put would imply (Dt 19:5; 20:19; ...

  • Carpenter

    [ebd] an artificer in stone, iron, and copper, as well as in wood (2 Sam. 5:11; 1 Chr. 14:1; Mark 6:3). The tools used by carpenters are mentioned in 1 Sam. 13:19, 20; Judg. 4:21; Isa. 10:15; 44:13. It was said of our Lord, "Is no...

  • Fork

    [isbe] FORK - fork (shelosh qilleshon): This compound word, meaning strictly "three points" or "three prongs," is found only once (1 Sam 13:21), and doubtless there refers to the agricultural tool now known as the pitchfork. It mig...
    [nave] FORK, an agricultural implement, 1 Sam. 13:21. See: Fleshhook.

  • GARRISON

    [ebd] (1.) Heb. matstsab, a station; a place where one stands (1 Sam. 14:12); a military or fortified post (1 Sam. 13:23; 14:1, 4, 6, etc.). (2.) Heb. netsib, a prefect, superintendent; hence a military post (1 Sam. 10:5; 13:3, 4;...
    [smith] The Hebrew words so rendered in the Authorized Version are derivatives from the root natsab , to "place, erect," which may be applied to a variety of objects. Mattsab and mattsabah undoubtedly mean a "garrison" or fortified ...

  • Smith

    [ebd] The Hebrews were not permitted by the Philistines in the days of Samuel to have a smith amongst them, lest they should make them swords and spears (1 Sam. 13:19). Thus the Philistines sought to make their conquest permanent ...
    [nave] SMITH, a worker in metals. Tubal-cain, Gen. 4:22. Bezaleel, Ex. 31:1-11. The Philistines, 1 Sam. 13:19. Jewish, carried captive to Babylon, 2 Kin. 24:14; Jer. 24:1. The manufacturers of idols, Isa. 41:7; 44:12. Genius of...
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Expository Notes on the Bible (Constable)

  • The translation "again did"in verse 1 implies that the Philistine oppression followed the Ammonite oppression chronologically. However the Hebrew idiom these words translate does not necessarily mean that. It can also mean, a...
  • Statements in the Book of Samuel imply that someone who had witnessed at least some of the events recorded wrote it. However the original writer must have written most of it after Samuel's death (i.e., -1 Sam. 25-2 Sam. 24) a...
  • The Book of Samuel covers the period of Israel's history bracketed by Samuel's conception and the end of David's reign. David turned the kingdom over to Solomon in 971 B.C.3David reigned for 40 and one-half years (2 Sam. 2:11...
  • I. Eli and Samuel chs. 1-3A. The change from barrenness to fertility 1:1-2:101. Hannah's condition 1:1-82. Hannah's vow 1:9-183. Hannah's obedience 1:19-284. Hannah's song 2:1-10B. The contrast between Samuel and Eli's sons 2...
  • "Clearly these five chapters constitute a literary unit, for they are immediately preceded by the formula that marks the end of the story of a judge (7:13-17) and immediately followed by the formula that marks the beginning o...
  • The writer wrote chapters 12-15 very skillfully to parallel chapters 8-11. Each section begins with Samuel warning the people about the dangers of their requesting a king (chs. 8 and 12). Each one also follows with a descript...
  • The writer introduced the history of Saul's reign by referring to the king's age and possibly the length of his reign. Verse one contains a textual corruption in the Hebrew text.132There the verse reads, "Saul was . . . years...
  • The writer explained the military disaster that resulted from Saul's disobedience in verses 16-18. Saul's army dwindled and the enemy continued to move around his capital city freely.Saul evidently led his troops from Gilgal ...
  • Evidently Saul would not have inquired of God if Ahijah (cf. v. 18) had not suggested he do so (v. 36). Probably God did not answer his prayer immediately because Saul wanted this information to vindicate himself rather than ...
  • "In the short pericope 13:7b-15a obedience was the stone on which Saul stumbled; here it is the rock that crushes him."147Chapter 15 records one of the battles Saul had with the Amalekites, Israel's enemy to the south (cf. 14...
  • Samuel's death and the mention of Saul's commendable removal of mediums and spiritists prepare for what follows (cf. Lev. 19:3; Deut. 18:11). Mediums are people who communicate with the dead, and spiritists are those who comm...
  • Ackroyd, Peter R. The First Book of Samuel. Cambridge Bible Commentary on the New English Bible series. Cambridge, Eng.: University Press, 1971._____. "The Verb Love--'Aheb in the David-Jonathan Narratives--A Footnote."Vetus ...
  • Chapters 9-20 contrast with chapters 2-8 in that this later section is negative whereas the earlier one was positive. It records failure; the former records success. Compare the similar narrative of Saul's triumphs (1 Sam. 7-...
  • 25:15-16 The Philistines to Judah's west had also scorned the Israelites and had sought to destroy them (cf. Judg. 13-16; 1 Sam. 4; 13; 31; 2 Sam. 5; 2 Kings 18:8; 2 Chron. 21:16-17; 28:18). Therefore the Lord would stretch o...
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