1 Samuel 13:18-22
The Message
Jonathan and His Armor Bearer
16-18 Saul, his son Jonathan, and the soldiers who had remained made camp at Geba (Gibeah) of Benjamin. The Philistines were camped at Micmash. Three squads of raiding parties were regularly sent out from the Philistine camp. One squadron was assigned to the Ophrah road going toward Shual country; another was assigned to the Beth Horon road; the third took the border road that rimmed the Valley of Hyenas.
19-22 There wasn’t a blacksmith to be found anywhere in Israel. The Philistines made sure of that—“Lest those Hebrews start making swords and spears.” That meant that the Israelites had to go down among the Philistines to keep their farm tools—plowshares and mattocks, axes and sickles—sharp and in good repair. They charged a silver coin for the plowshares and mattocks, and half that for the rest. So when the battle of Micmash was joined, there wasn’t a sword or spear to be found anywhere in Israel—except for Saul and his son Jonathan; they were both well-armed.
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1 Samuel 13:18-20
New International Version
18 another toward Beth Horon,(A) and the third toward the borderland overlooking the Valley of Zeboyim(B) facing the wilderness.
19 Not a blacksmith(C) could be found in the whole land of Israel, because the Philistines had said, “Otherwise the Hebrews will make swords or spears!(D)” 20 So all Israel went down to the Philistines to have their plow points, mattocks, axes and sickles[a] sharpened.
Footnotes
- 1 Samuel 13:20 Septuagint; Hebrew plow points
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