1 Samuel

1 Samuel 13:19–23

¹⁹And no blacksmith could be found in all the land of Israel, because the Philistines had said, “The Hebrews must not be allowed to make swords or spears.” ²⁰Instead, all the Israelites would go down to the Philistines to sharpen their plowshares, mattocks, axes, and sickles.^e ²¹The charge was a pim^f for sharpening a plowshare or mattock, a third of a shekel for sharpening a pitchfork or an axe, and a third of a shekel for repointing an oxgoad.^g

²²So on the day of battle not a sword or spear could be found in the hands of the troops with Saul and Jonathan; only Saul and his son Jonathan had weapons.

²³And a garrison of the Philistines had gone out to the pass at Michmash.

Footnotes

e 13:20 LXX; Hebrew and plowshares; (so plowshare appears twice in the Hebrew).
f 13:21 A pim possibly refers to a polished stone weighing approximately 0.25 ounces or 7 grams found in excavations. This is equivalent to about two-thirds of a shekel and likely refers to the price charged by the Philistines for the services listed.
g 13:21 Hebrew does not include the currency unit of a shekel charged for sharpening a pitchfork, an axe, or an oxgoad; alternatively, possibly a third of a pim for each.

Read all of 1 Samuel 13

Word by word

Each English word or phrase beside the Hebrew it translates, in the order of the English. Choose a number to open that word’s study.

1 Samuel 13:19

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
And no	לֹ֣א	lō	Adverb - Negative particle	H3808 not
blacksmith	וְחָרָשׁ֙	wə·ḥā·rāš	Conjunctive waw; Noun - masculine singular	H2796 graver, artificer
could be found	יִמָּצֵ֔א	yim·mā·ṣê	Verb - Nifal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular	H4672 attain to, find
in all	בְּכֹ֖ל	bə·ḵōl	Preposition-b; Noun - masculine singular construct	H3605 the whole, all
the land	אֶ֣רֶץ	’e·reṣ	Noun - feminine singular construct	H776 earth, land
of Israel	יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל	yiś·rā·’êl	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H3478 Israel
because	כִּֽי־	kî-	Conjunction	H3588 burning, branding
the Philistines	פְלִשְׁתִּ֔ים	p̄ə·liš·tîm	Noun - proper - masculine plural	H6430 Philistine
had said	אָמַר	ʾå̄·mar	Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural	H559 utter, say
The Hebrews	הָעִבְרִ֔ים	hā·‘iḇ·rîm	Article; Noun - proper - masculine plural	H5680 Hebrew
must not be allowed	פֶּ֚ן	pen	Conjunction	H6435 lest
to make	יַעֲשׂ֣וּ	ya·‘ă·śū	Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural	H6213 do, make
swords	חֶ֖רֶב	ḥe·reḇ	Noun - feminine singular	H2719 sword
or	א֥וֹ	’ōw	Conjunction	H176 or
spears	חֲנִֽית׃	ḥă·nîṯ	Noun - feminine singular	H2595 spear

1 Samuel 13:20

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
Instead	כָל־	ḵāl	Noun - masculine singular construct	H3605 the whole, all
all	כָל־	ḵāl	Noun - masculine singular construct	H3605 the whole, all
the Israelites	יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל	yiś·rā·’êl	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H3478 Israel
would go down	וַיֵּרְד֥וּ	way·yê·rə·ḏū	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural	H3381 come or go down, descend
to the Philistines	הַפְּלִשְׁתִּ֑ים	hap·pə·liš·tîm	Article; Noun - proper - masculine plural	H6430 Philistine
to sharpen	לִ֠לְטוֹשׁ	lil·ṭō·wōš	Preposition-l; Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct	H3913 hammer, sharpen, whet
their plowshares	מַחֲרַשְׁתּ֤וֹ	ma·ḥă·raš·tōw	Noun - feminine singular construct; third person masculine singular	H4281 ploughshare
mattocks	אֵתוֹ֙	’ê·ṯōw	Noun - masculine singular construct; third person masculine singular	H855 ploughshare
axes	קַרְדֻּמּ֔וֹ	qar·dum·mōw	Noun - masculine singular construct; third person masculine singular	H7134 axe
and sickles	מַחֲרֵשָׁתֽוֹ׃	ma·ḥă·rê·šā·ṯōw	Noun - feminine singular construct; third person masculine singular	H4281 ploughshare

1 Samuel 13:21

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
The charge	הַפְּצִ֣ירָה	hap·pə·ṣî·rāh	Article; Noun - feminine singular	H6477 bluntness
was	וְֽהָיְתָ֞ה	wə·hā·yə·ṯāh	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person feminine singular	H1961 fall out, come to pass, become, be
a pim	פִ֗ים	p̄îm	Noun - masculine singular	H6310 mouth
for	לַמַּֽחֲרֵשֹׁת֙	lam·ma·ḥă·rê·šōṯ	Preposition-l, Article; Noun - feminine plural	H4281 ploughshare
or mattock	וְלָ֣אֵתִ֔ים	wə·lā·’ê·ṯîm	Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l, Article; Noun - masculine plural	H855 ploughshare
a third	וְלִשְׁלֹ֥שׁ	wə·liš·lōš	Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l; Number - feminine singular construct	H7969 a three, triad
for	קִלְּשׁ֖וֹן	qil·lə·šō·wn	Noun - masculine singular	H7053 prong, hay-fork
or an axe	וּלְהַקַּרְדֻּמִּ֑ים	ū·lə·haq·qar·dum·mîm	Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l, Article; Noun - masculine plural	H7134 axe
and	וּלְהַצִּ֖יב	ū·lə·haṣ·ṣîḇ	Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l; Verb - Hifil - Infinitive construct	H5324 take one's stand, stand
an oxgoad	הַדָּרְבָֽן׃	had·dā·rə·ḇān	Article; Noun - masculine singular	H1861 goad

1 Samuel 13:22

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
So	וְהָיָה֙	wə·hā·yāh	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular	H1961 fall out, come to pass, become, be
on the day	בְּי֣וֹם	bə·yō·wm	Preposition-b; Noun - masculine singular construct	H3117 day
of battle	מִלְחֶ֔מֶת	mil·ḥe·meṯ	Noun - feminine singular	H4421 battle, war
not	וְלֹ֨א	wə·lō	Conjunctive waw; Adverb - Negative particle	H3808 not
a sword	חֶ֤רֶב	ḥe·reḇ	Noun - feminine singular	H2719 sword
or spear	וַחֲנִית֙	wa·ḥă·nîṯ	Conjunctive waw; Noun - feminine singular	H2595 spear
could be found	נִמְצָ֜א	nim·ṣā	Verb - Nifal - Perfect - third person masculine singular	H4672 attain to, find
in the hands	בְּיַ֣ד	bə·yaḏ	Preposition-b; Noun - feminine singular construct	H3027 hand
of the troops	הָעָ֔ם	hā·‘ām	Article; Noun - masculine singular	H5971 people
with	אֶת־	’eṯ-	Preposition	H854 with
Saul	שָׁא֖וּל	šā·’ūl	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H7586 Shaul
and Jonathan	יוֹנָתָ֑ן	yō·w·nā·ṯān	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H3129 Jonathan
only Saul	לְשָׁא֔וּל	lə·šā·’ūl	Preposition-l; Noun - proper - masculine singular	H7586 Shaul
and his son	בְּנֽוֹ׃	bə·nōw	Noun - masculine singular construct; third person masculine singular	H1121 son
Jonathan had weapons	וּלְיוֹנָתָ֖ן	ū·lə·yō·w·nā·ṯān	Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l; Noun - proper - masculine singular	H3129 Jonathan

1 Samuel 13:23

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
And a garrison	מַצַּ֣ב	maṣ·ṣaḇ	Noun - masculine singular construct	H4673 standing-place, station, garrison
of the Philistines	פְּלִשְׁתִּ֔ים	pə·liš·tîm	Noun - proper - masculine plural	H6430 Philistine
had gone out	וַיֵּצֵא֙	way·yê·ṣê	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular	H3318 go or come out
to the pass	מַעֲבַ֖ר	ma·‘ă·ḇar	Noun - masculine singular construct	H4569 ford, pass, passing
at Michmash	מִכְמָֽשׂ׃ס	miḵ·māś	Noun - proper - feminine singular	H4363 Mikmas, Mikmash

Cross-references

Other passages that speak to the same thing. Point at one to read it.

1 Samuel 13:19 2 Kings 24:14 · Judges 5:8 · Jeremiah 24:1

1 Samuel 13:22 Judges 5:8

1 Samuel 13:23 Isaiah 10:28 · 1 Samuel 14:4–5 · 1 Samuel 14:1

Cross-references from OpenBible.info, used under CC BY 4.0. The best-supported references for each verse are shown.

Scripture text: Berean Standard Bible.