15 And Samuel arose and went up from Gilgal. The rest of the people went up after Saul to meet the army; they went up from Gilgal[a] to (A)Gibeah of Benjamin.

And Saul numbered the people who were present with him, (B)about six hundred men. 16 And Saul and Jonathan his son and the people who were present with them stayed in (C)Geba of Benjamin, but the Philistines encamped in Michmash. 17 And (D)raiders came out of the camp of the Philistines in three companies. One company turned toward Ophrah, to the land of Shual; 18 another company turned toward (E)Beth-horon; and another company turned toward the border that looks down on the Valley of (F)Zeboim toward the wilderness.

19 (G)Now there was no blacksmith to be found throughout all the land of Israel, for the Philistines said, “Lest the Hebrews make themselves swords or spears.” 20 But every one of the Israelites went down to the Philistines to sharpen his plowshare, his mattock, his axe, or his sickle,[b] 21 and the charge was two-thirds of a shekel[c] for the plowshares and for the mattocks, and a third of a shekel[d] for sharpening the axes and for setting the goads.[e] 22 So on the day of the battle (H)there was neither sword nor spear found in the hand of any of the people with Saul and Jonathan, but Saul and Jonathan his son had them.

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. 1 Samuel 13:15 Septuagint; Hebrew lacks The rest of the people… from Gilgal
  2. 1 Samuel 13:20 Septuagint; Hebrew plowshare
  3. 1 Samuel 13:21 Hebrew was a pim
  4. 1 Samuel 13:21 A shekel was about 2/5 ounce or 11 grams
  5. 1 Samuel 13:21 The meaning of the Hebrew verse is uncertain

15 Then Samuel got up and went from Gilgal to Gibeah of Benjamin. Saul mustered the people present with him, about 600 men. 16 Saul, his son Jonathan, and the people present with them remained in Geba of Benjamin, while the Philistines camped in Michmash. 17 Raiders went out of the Philistine camp in three companies. One company turned in the direction of[a] Ophrah, to the land of Shual, 18 one company turned in the direction of[b] Beth-horon, while the one company turned toward the border[c] that overlooks the valley of Zeboiim toward the desert.

The Philistine Monopoly on Metal Working

19 No blacksmith could be found in all the land of Israel because the Philistines thought, “This will keep the Hebrews from making swords or spears.” 20 Everyone in Israel would have to go to the Philistines so each person could sharpen his plow, his mattock, his axe, and his sickle.[d] 21 The charge was one pin[e] for plows, mattocks, three pronged forks,[f] and axes, or for setting the goads. 22 On the day of battle, none of the people who were with Saul and Jonathan were armed with swords or spears, but Saul and his son Jonathan did have[g] them.

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. 1 Samuel 13:17 Or along the road to
  2. 1 Samuel 13:18 Or along the road to
  3. 1 Samuel 13:18 Or along the border road
  4. 1 Samuel 13:20 So LXX; MT, plow
  5. 1 Samuel 13:21 I.e. a unit of measurement equal to about 2/3 of a shekel, weighing about 0.3 ounces; one shekel weighed about 0.4 ounces
  6. 1 Samuel 13:21 The meaning of MT is uncertain
  7. 1 Samuel 13:22 Lit. were found with