1SA 13

1 Samuel 13:21

WEB

The price was one payim each to sharpen mattocks, plowshares, pitchforks, axes, and goads.

BSB

The charge was a pim 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.

KJV

Yet they had a file for the mattocks, and for the coulters, and for the forks, and for the axes, and to sharpen the goads.

Matthew Henry

Verses 15–23

1 Samuel 13:15–23

Here, 1. Samuel departs in displeasure. Saul has set up for himself, and now he is left to himself: Samuel gat him from Gilgal (Sa1 13:15), and it does not appear that he either prayed with Saul or directed him. Yet in going up to Gibeah of Benjamin, which was Saul's city, he intimated that he had not quite abandoned him, but waited to do him a kindness another time. Or he went to the college of the prophets there, to pray for Saul when he did not think fit to pray with him. 2. Saul goes after him to Gibeah, and there musters his army, and finds his whole number to be but 600 men, Sa1 13:15, Sa1 13:16. Thus were they for their sin diminished and brought low. 3. The Philistines ravage the country, and put all the adjacent parts under contribution. The body of their army, or standing camp (as it is called in the margin, Sa1 13:23), lay in an advantageous pass at Michmash, but thence they sent out three separate parties or detachments that took several ways, to plunder the country, and bring in provisions for the army, Sa1 13:17, Sa1 13:18. By these the land of Israel was both terrified and impoverished, and the Philistines were animated and enriched. This the sin of Israel brought upon them, Isa 42:24. 4. The Israelites that take the field with Saul are unarmed, having only slings and clubs, not a sword or spear among them all, except what Saul and Jonathan themselves have, Sa1 13:19, Sa1 13:22. See here, (1.) How politic the Philistines were, when they had power in their hands, and did what they pleased in Israel. They put down all the smiths' shops, transplanted the smiths into their own country, and forbade any Israelite, under severe penalties, to exercise the trade or mystery of working in brass or iron, though they had rich mines of both (Deu 8:9) in such plenty that it was said of Asher, his shoes shall be iron and brass, Deu 33:25. This was subtilely done of the Philistines, for hereby they not only prevented the people of Israel from making themselves weapons of war (by which they would be both disused to military exercises and unfurnished when there was occasion), but obliged them to a dependence upon them even for the instruments of husbandry; they must go to them, that is, to some or other of their garrisons, which were dispersed in the country, to have all their iron-work done, and no more might an Israelite do than use a file (Sa1 13:20, Sa1 13:21), and no doubt the Philistines' smiths brought the Israelites long bills for work done. (2.) How impolitic Saul was, that did not, in the beginning of his reign, set himself to redress this grievance. Samuel's not doing it was very excusable; he fought with other artillery; thunder and lightning, in answer to his prayer, were to him instead of sword and spear; but for Saul, that pretended to be a king like the kings of the nations, to leave his soldiers without swords and spears, and take no care to provide them, especially when he might have done it out of the spoils of the Ammonites whom he conquered in the beginning of his reign, was such a piece of negligence as could by no means be excused. (3.) How slothful and mean-spirited the Israelites were, that suffered the Philistines thus to impose upon them and had no thought nor spirit to help themselves. It was reckoned very bad with them when there was not a shield or spear found among 40,000 in Israel (Jdg 5:8), and it was not better now, when there was never an Israelite with a sword by his side but the king and his son, never a soldier, never a gentleman; surely they were reduced to this, or began to be so, in Samuel's time, for we never find him with sword or spear in his hand. If they had not been dispirited, they could not have been disarmed, but it was sin that made them naked to their shame.

Cross-references: 1Sam 13:15 · 1Sam 13:16 · 1Sam 13:23 · 1Sam 13:17 · 1Sam 13:18 · Isa 42:24 · 1Sam 13:19 · 1Sam 13:22 · Deut 8:9 · Deut 33:25 · 1Sam 13:20 · 1Sam 13:21 · Judg 5:8

Hebrew interlinear

H1961

הָיָהhâyâh/haw-yaw/

v — exist, be, become, come to pass

Derivation: a primitive root (compare 1933);

to exist, i.e. be or become, come to pass (always emphatic, and not a mere copula or auxiliary)

KJV: beacon, × altogether, be(-come), accomplished, committed, like), break, cause, come (to pass), do, faint, fall, follow, happen, × have, last, pertain, quit (one-) self, require, × use.

הָיָה

vb — fall out

הָיָה 3570 vb. fall out, come to pass, become, be

Qal

I.

1.

a. Fall out, happen

b. occur, take place, come about, come to pass

2. esp. & very oft., come about, come to pass

a.

(1). וַיְהִי and it came to pass that, most often (c. 292 t.)

(2). rarely also Pf. c. וְ conj. וְהָיָה

b. less oft. וְהָיָה Pf. consec. and it shall come to pass, or frequentat. came to pass (repeatedly, etc.)

II. Come into being, become

1.

a. abs., in lively narrative, arise, appear, come

b. sq. prep.

2. become

a. sq. pred. noun (to be viewed as implicit accus.)

b. sq. pred. adj.

c. become like

d. sq. pred. לְ pers.

e. sq. לְ pred.

f. oft. c. לְ pred. לְ pers.

g. with עַל and לְ

h. sts. c. לְ pers. only = became the property of, come into the possession of

III. Be (often with subbordinate idea of becoming)

1. exist, be in existence

2. abide, remain, continue

3. with word of locality, be in or at a place, be situated, stand, lie

4. as copula, joining subj. & pred.

5. periphrastic conjug.

Niph.

1. either be done, be brought about, or occur, come to pass

2. be done, finished, gone

H6477

פְּצִירָהpᵉtsîyrâh/pets-ee-raw'/

n-f — bluntness

Derivation: from 6484;

bluntness

KJV: file.

פְּצִירָה

n.f — bluntness

פְּצִירָה appar. n.f. 1 S 13:21; dub.; prob. incurably crpt.; bluntness

H6310

פֶּהpeh/peh/

n-m — mouth, blowing, speech, edge, portion, side, according to

Derivation: from 6284;

the mouth (as the means of blowing), whether literal or figurative (particularly speech); specifically edge, portion or side; adverbially (with preposition) according to

KJV: accord(-ing as, -ing to), after, appointment, assent, collar, command(-ment), × eat, edge, end, entry, file, hole, × in, mind, mouth, part, portion, × (should) say(-ing), sentence, skirt, sound, speech, × spoken, talk, tenor, × to, two-edged, wish, word.

פֶּה

n.m — mouth

פֶּה 485 n.m. mouth

1.

a. mouth, of man, organ of eating and drinking

b. external organ

2.

a. much oftener, as organ of speech, of man

b. as laughing; panting

c. of God

d. of idols

e. of musical instr. = sound

3. of animals; hence of edge of sword

4. mouth = opening, orifice

5.

a. extremity, end

b. = portion

6. with preps.

H4281

מַחֲרֵשָׁהmachărêshâh/makh-ar-ay-shaw'/

n-f — a pick-axe

Derivation: from 2790;

probably a pick-axe

KJV: mattock.

מַחֲרֵשָׁה

n.f — ploughshare

[מַחֲרֵשָׁה, מַחֲרֶ֫שֶׁת] n.f. ploughshare

H855

אֵתʼêth/ayth/

n-m — hoe

Derivation: of uncertain derivation;

a hoe or other digging implement

KJV: coulter, plowshare.

אֵת

n.[m.] — ploughshare

[אֵת] n.[m.] a cutting instrument of iron, usually transl. ploughshare

H7969

שָׁלוֹשׁshâlôwsh/shaw-loshe'/

n — three, third, thrice

Derivation: or שָׁלֹשׁ; masculine שְׁלוֹשָׁה; or שְׁלֹשָׁה; a primitive number;

three; occasionally (ordinal) third, or (multiple) thrice

KJV: fork, often(-times), third, thir(-teen, -teenth), three, thrice. Compare 7991.

שָׁלֹשׁ

n.m — a three

שָׁלֹשׁ, שָׁלוֹשׁ, שְׁלֹשָׁה 430 n.m. et f. a three, triad

H7053

קִלְּשׁוֹןqillᵉshôwn/kil-lesh-one'/

n-m — prong, hay-fork

Derivation: from an unused root meaning to prick;

a prong, i.e. hay-fork

KJV: fork.

קִלְּשׁוֹן

fine point

קִלְּשׁוֹן doubtful word 1 S 13:21 (poss. would be fine point)

H7134

קַרְדֹּםqardôm/kar-dome'/

n-m — axe

Derivation: perhaps from 6923 in the sense of striking upon;

an axe

KJV: ax.

קַרְדֹּם

n.[m.] — axe

[קַרְדֹּם] n.[m.] axe

H5324

נָצַבnâtsab/naw-tsab'/

v — station

Derivation: a primitive root;

to station, in various applications (literally or figuratively)

KJV: appointed, deputy, erect, establish, × Huzzah (by mistake for a proper name), lay, officer, pillar, present, rear up, set (over, up), settle, sharpen, establish, (make to) stand(-ing, still, up, upright), best state.

נָצַב

vb — take one’s stand

[נָצַב] vb. Niph. take one's stand, stand

Niph.

1.

a. station oneself, take one's stand, for definite purpose

b. stand = be stationed (by appointment, or in fulfillment of duty)

c. take an upright position, stand

2. be stationed = appointed over

3. Pt. as subst. deputy = prefect (as appointed, deputed)

4. stand firm

Hiph.

1. station, set

2. set up, erect pillar

3. cause to stand erect, waters

4. fix, establish boundary

Hoph. fixed, determined

H1861

דׇּרְבוֹןdorbôwn/dor-bone'/

n — goad

Derivation: (also dor-bawn'); of uncertain derivation;

a goad

KJV: goad.

דָּרבָן

n.[m.] — goad

דָּרבָן n.[m.] goad, 1 S 13:21

דָּֽרְבֹנָה

n.[f.] — goad

[דָּֽרְבֹנָה] n.[f.] goad, only abs. pl. Ec 12:11

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