1 Samuel 13:20

20 (The Israelites had to go to the Philistines to get their plows, hoes, axes, and sickles sharpened;

1 Samuel 13:20 Meaning and Commentary

1 Samuel 13:20

But all the Israelites went down to the Philistines
Were obliged to go into Palestine, into some one or other of the cities of the Philistines, or to their garrisons, where the trade of a smith was exercised:

to sharpen every man his share, and his coulter;
which are the parts of the plough made of iron, with which the earth is cut and thrown up:

and his axe and his mattock;
or pick axe; with the one wood is felled and cut, and with the other stones are dug; and each of these for their several uses needed sharpening; and when they did, they were obliged to go to the Philistines to have them done, they having no smiths among them.

1 Samuel 13:20 In-Context

18 another went toward Beth Horon, and the other one went to the border overlooking Zeboim Valley and the wilderness.

19 There were no blacksmiths in Israel because the Philistines were determined to keep the Hebrews from making swords and spears

20 (The Israelites had to go to the Philistines to get their plows, hoes, axes, and sickles sharpened;

21 the charge was one small coin for sharpening axes and for fixing goads, and two coins for sharpening plows or hoes.)

22 And so on the day of battle none of the Israelite soldiers except Saul and his son Jonathan had swords or spears.

Footnotes

• [a]. [One ancient translation] sickles; [Hebrew] plows.