1 Samuel 13:21

21 for all the edges of their shares were blunt, and of their pickaxes, and of their three-toothed forks, and of axes, unto a prick to be amended. (for all the edges of their plowshares, their pickaxes, their three-toothed forks, and their axes, were blunt, and needed sharpening.)

1 Samuel 13:21 Meaning and Commentary

1 Samuel 13:21

Yet they had a file for the mattocks, and for the coulters,
and for the forks, and for the axes
Those that would not go to the Philistines, or were not able, or thought it too much trouble, these kept files by them to sharpen those several instruments with upon occasion; though the words are by some rendered in connection with the preceding, to this sense, that they went to the Philistines to sharpen them, when the mouths, or edges, of the mattocks, coulters were dull; or "blunt" ^F9; and so needed sharpening; and even

to sharpen the goads;
with which they pricked and pushed on the oxen in ploughing, when sluggish and remiss.

(The word for "file" in the verse is (Myp) "pim", and occurs only here in the Hebrew scriptures. It is not used elsewhere in other Hebrew writings. Therefore the translators of the 1611 Authorised Version had only the root derivation to deduce what the word meant. Literally, it means "a file with mouths". However, recently archaeologists have found a stone inscribed with this word. Also they found a stone inscribed with the word "shekel". Hence they deduced that the word was really a weight of measure equal to about one third of a shekel. Newer translations usually translate this as "the charge was a third of a shekel ...", hence removing the obvious contradiction between this verse and the preceding one. Editor.)

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FOOTNOTES:

F9 (Myp hryuph htyhw) "retusae itaque erant acies vomerum", V. L. "quandoquidem acies cultrorum aratri" "obtusae erant", Tigurine version.

1 Samuel 13:21 In-Context

19 And none ironsmith was found in all the land of Israel; for the Philistines were wary, either eschewed, lest peradventure the Hebrews made sword either spear. (And no ironsmith was found in all the land of Israel; for the Philistines forbade them, lest the Hebrews made for themselves swords or spears.)

20 Therefore all Israel went down to the Philistines, that each man should sharpen his share, and his pickax, and his ax, and his cutting hook; (And so all Israel needed to go down to the Philistines, where each man could sharpen his plowshare, and his pickax, and his ax, and his cutting hook;)

21 for all the edges of their shares were blunt, and of their pickaxes, and of their three-toothed forks, and of axes, unto a prick to be amended. (for all the edges of their plowshares, their pickaxes, their three-toothed forks, and their axes, were blunt, and needed sharpening.)

22 And when the day of battle came, no sword nor spear was found in the hand of all the people that was with Saul and Jonathan, except Saul, and Jonathan his son. (And so when the day of battle came, no sword or spear was found in the hands of all the people who were with Saul and Jonathan, except Saul, and his son Jonathan.)

23 Forsooth the station of Philistines went out, that it should pass into Michmash. (And the Philistines? garrison went out to the Michmash Pass.)