1 Samuel 13:19-21

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 ¹  sharpened. 13:21 They charged ²  two-thirds of a shekel ³  to sharpen plowshares and cutting instruments, and a third of a shekel ⁴  to sharpen picks and axes, and to set ox goads.

1 Samuel 13:2

13:2 Saul selected for himself three thousand men from Israel. Two thousand of these were with Saul at Micmash and in the hill country of Bethel; ⁵  the remaining thousand were with Jonathan at Gibeah in the territory of Benjamin. ⁶  He sent all the rest of the people back home. ⁷ 

1 Samuel 24:14

24:14 Who has the king of Israel come out after? Who is it that you are pursuing? A dead dog? A single flea?

1 Samuel 24:2

24:2 So Saul took three thousand select men from all Israel and went to find ⁸  David and his men in the region of ⁹  the rocks of the mountain goats. ¹⁰ 

1 Samuel 18:1

Saul Comes to Fear David

18:1 When David ¹¹  had finished talking with Saul, Jonathan and David became bound together in close friendship. ¹²  Jonathan loved David as much as he did his own life. ¹³ 

1 Samuel 18:1

Saul Comes to Fear David

18:1 When David ¹⁴  had finished talking with Saul, Jonathan and David became bound together in close friendship. ¹⁵  Jonathan loved David as much as he did his own life. ¹⁶ 

¹ tc The translation follows the LXX (“their sickle”) here, rather than the MT “plowshares,” which is due to dittography from the word earlier in the verse.

² tn Heb “the price was.” The meaning of the Hebrew word פְּצִירָה (pÿtsirah) is uncertain. This is the only place it occurs in the OT. Some propose the meaning “sharpening,” but “price” is a more likely meaning if the following term refers to a weight (see the following note on the word “shekel”). See P. K. McCarter, I Samuel (AB), 238.

³ tn This word, which appears only here in the OT, probably refers to a stone weight. Stones marked פִּים (pim) have been found in excavations of Palestinian sites. The average weight of such stones is 0.268 ounces, which is equivalent to about two-thirds of a shekel. This probably refers to the price charged by the Philistines for the services listed. See P. K. McCarter, I Samuel (AB), 238; DNWSI 2:910; and G. I. Davies, Ancient Hebrew Inscriptions, 259.

⁴ tc Heb “and for a third, a pick.” The Hebrew text suffers from haplography at this point. The translation follows the textual reconstruction offered by P. K. McCarter, I Samuel (AB), 235.

⁵ map For location see Map4-G4; Map5-C1; Map6-E3; Map7-D1; Map8-G3.

⁶ tn Heb “at Gibeah of Benjamin.” The words “in the territory” are supplied in the translation for clarity.

⁷ tn Heb “each one to his tents.”

⁸ tn Heb “to search [for].”

⁹ tn Heb “upon the face of.”

¹⁰ tn Or “the region of the Rocks of the Mountain Goats,” if this expression is understood as a place name (cf. NASB, NIV, NRSV, TEV, CEV).

¹¹ tn Heb “he”; the referent (David) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

¹² tn Heb “the soul of Jonathan was bound with the soul of David.”

¹³ tn Heb “like his [own] soul.”

¹⁴ tn Heb “he”; the referent (David) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

¹⁵ tn Heb “the soul of Jonathan was bound with the soul of David.”

¹⁶ tn Heb “like his [own] soul.”