1 Samuel 13:19

The NET Bible®

A blacksmith could not be found in all the land of Israel, for the Philistines had said, "This will prevent the Hebrews from making swords and spears."

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
No blacksmith could be found in all the land of Israel because the Philistines had said, “Otherwise, the Hebrews will make swords or spears.”

Hebrew Names Version
Now there was no smith found throughout all Eretz-Yisra'el; for the Pelishtim said, Lest the Hebrews make them swords or spears:

King James Version
Now there was no smith found throughout all the land of Israel: for the Philistines said, Lest the Hebrews make them swords or spears:

Lexham English Bible
Now no skilled craftsman could be found in all the land of Israel, for the Philistines had said, "So that the Hebrews cannot make swords or spears for themselves."

English Standard Version
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."

New Century Version
The whole land of Israel had no blacksmith because the Philistines had said, "The Hebrews might make swords and spears."

Amplified Bible
Now no blacksmith (metal-worker) could be found in all the land of Israel, for the Philistines said, "Otherwise the Hebrews will make swords or spears."

New American Standard Bible
Now no blacksmith could be found in all the land of Israel, because the Philistines said, "Otherwise the Hebrews will make swords or spears."

Geneva Bible (1587)
Then there was no smith founde throughout all the land of Israel: for the Philistims sayde, Lest the Ebrewes make them swordes or speares.

Legacy Standard Bible
Now no blacksmith could be found in all the land of Israel, for the Philistines said, "Lest the Hebrews make swords or spears."

Contemporary English Version
The Philistines would not allow any Israelites to learn how to make iron tools. "If we allowed that," they said, "those worthless Israelites would make swords and spears."

Complete Jewish Bible
Now there was no metalsmith to be found anywhere in all the land of Isra'el, because the P'lishtim had said, "We don't want the Hebrews making themselves swords or spears."

Darby Translation
Now there was no smith found throughout the land of Israel; for the Philistines said, Lest the Hebrews make them swords or spears.

Easy-to-Read Version
There were no blacksmiths in Israel. The Philistines would not allow them because they were afraid the Israelites would make iron swords and spears.

George Lamsa Translation
Now there was no smith found throughout all the land of Israel; for the Philistines said, We do not want the Hebrews to make swords and spears;

Good News Translation
There were no blacksmiths in Israel because the Philistines were determined to keep the Hebrews from making swords and spears.

Literal Translation
And there was no smith found throughout all the land of Israel, for the Philistines said, Lest the Hebrews make swords or spears.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
But there was not a smyth founde in all the lode of Israel: for ye Philistynes thoughte: The Hebrues mighte happly make swerdes and speares.

American Standard Version
Now there was no smith found throughout all the land of Israel; for the Philistines said, Lest the Hebrews make them swords or spears:

Bible in Basic English
Now there was no iron-worker in all the land of Israel: for the Philistines said, For fear the Hebrews make themselves swords or spears:

Bishop's Bible (1568)
There was no smith founde throughout all the lande of Israel: For the Philistines sayde, Lest the Hebrues make them swordes or speares.

JPS Old Testament (1917)
Now there was no smith found throughout all the land of Israel; for the Philistines said: 'Lest the Hebrews make them swords or spears';

King James Version (1611)
Now there was no smith found thorowout all the land of Israel: for the Philistines said, Lest the Hebrewes make them swords or speares.

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And there was not found a smith in all the land of Israel, for the Philistines said, Lest the Hebrews make themselves sword or spear.

English Revised Version
Now there was no smith found throughout all the land of Israel: for the Philistines said, Lest the Hebrews make them swords or spears:

Berean Standard Bible
And 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."

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Forsothe `no smyyth of yrun was foundun in al the lond of Israel; for Filisteis `weren war, ether eschewiden, lest perauenture Ebreis maden a swerd ether a spere.

Young's Literal Translation
And an artificer is not found in all the land of Israel, for the Philistines said, `Lest the Hebrews make sword or spear;'

Update Bible Version
Now there was no smith found throughout all the land of Israel; for the Philistines said, Or else the Hebrews will make swords or spears:

Webster's Bible Translation
Now there was no smith found throughout all the land of Israel: (for the Philistines said, Lest the Hebrews make [them] swords or spears:)

World English Bible
Now there was no smith found throughout all the land of Israel; for the Philistines said, Lest the Hebrews make them swords or spears:

New King James Version
Now there was no blacksmith to be found throughout all the land of Israel, for the Philistines said, "Lest the Hebrews make swords or spears."

New Living Translation
There were no blacksmiths in the land of Israel in those days. The Philistines wouldn't allow them for fear they would make swords and spears for the Hebrews.

New Life Bible
Now there was no one to be found in all the land of Israel who made things of iron. For the Philistines said, "The Hebrews might make swords or spears."

New Revised Standard
Now there was no smith to be found throughout all the land of Israel; for the Philistines said, "The Hebrews must not make swords or spears for themselves";

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Now, a smith, could not be found, throughout all the land of Israel - for the Philistines had said, Lest the Hebrews make sword or spear.

Douay-Rheims Bible
Now there was no smith to be found in all the land of Israel, for the Philistines had taken this precaution, lest the Hebrews should make them swords or spears.

Revised Standard Version
Now there was no smith to be found throughout all the land of Israel; for the Philistines said, "Lest the Hebrews make themselves swords or spears";

THE MESSAGE
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.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
Now no blacksmith could be found in all the land of Israel, for the Philistines said, "Otherwise the Hebrews will make swords or spears."

Contextual Overview

¹⁵ Then Samuel set out and went up from Gilgal to Gibeah in the territory of Benjamin. Saul mustered the army that remained with him; there were about six hundred men. ¹⁶ Saul, his son Jonathan, and the army that remained with them stayed in Gibeah in the territory of Benjamin, while the Philistines camped in Micmash. ¹⁷ Raiding bands went out from the camp of the Philistines in three groups. One band turned toward the road leading to Ophrah by the land of Shual; ¹⁸ another band turned toward the road leading to Beth Horon; and yet another band turned toward the road leading to the border that overlooks the valley of Zeboim in the direction of the desert. ¹⁹ A blacksmith could not be found in all the land of Israel, for the Philistines had said, "This will prevent the Hebrews from making swords and spears." ²⁰ So all Israel had to go down to the Philistines in order to get their plowshares, cutting instruments, axes, and sickles sharpened. ²¹ They charged two-thirds of a shekel to sharpen plowshares and cutting instruments, and a third of a shekel to sharpen picks and axes, and to set ox goads. ²² So on the day of the battle no sword or spear was to be found in the hand of anyone in the army that was with Saul and Jonathan. No one but Saul and his son Jonathan had them. ²³ A garrison of the Philistines had gone out to the pass at Micmash.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

there was no: It is probable that the Philistines in the former wars had carried away all the smiths from Israel. Judges 5:8, 2 Kings 24:14, Isaiah 54:16, Jeremiah 24:1

Reciprocal: Deuteronomy 28:29 - thou shalt be Deuteronomy 28:43 - General Judges 3:3 - five lords Judges 3:31 - an ox goad 1 Kings 20:6 - and they shall search 2 Kings 13:7 - fifty horsemen 1 Chronicles 17:10 - And since Psalms 60:1 - scattered Psalms 73:8 - speak wickedly Psalms 83:3 - They Psalms 106:43 - brought low Psalms 129:1 - have they

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Now there was no smith found throughout all the land of Israel,.... The Philistines, when they ruled over them, having removed them into their own country, and forbid any to learn or exercise that trade in Israel:

for the Philistines said, lest the Hebrews make swords or spears: this they did to prevent their having arms, and the use of them, that they might not rebel against them, and fight with them, and overcome them; it was a piece of policy to keep them subject to them; so Nebuchadnezzar, when he conquered the Jews and carried them captive, took care particularly to carry away their smiths, and left none but the poorest sort of people in the land, 2 Kings 24:14 and Porsena, king of the Etrusci, when he made a covenant with the Romans, upon the expulsion of their kings, made this a condition of peace with them, that they should use no iron but in husbandry h. When this course was taken by the Philistines with the Israelites, and how long it had continued is not certain; it is probable it might be in the space of forty years they ruled over Israel, in which Samson was born, for we never read of any sword or spear that he made use of; and though there were two battles in the times of Eli, in both which Israel were beaten, they might make use only of bows and arrows, slings, and stones, clubs, c, as also in the battle of Saul with the Ammonites and as for the defeat of the Philistines in the time of Samuel, it was by thunder; and though the Philistines were then subdued, yet, as Samuel grew old, they regained their power in a good measure, and the Israelites had not spirit enough to oppose them, nor diligence and industry to learn and revive the trade of smiths among them; not even for what was necessary to husbandry, as the following verse shows.

h Plin. Nat. Hist. l. 34. c. 14.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

There was no smith - This was the result of the fierce inroads described in the preceding verses, and the method adopted to make the Philistine conquests permanent.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 1 Samuel 13:19. Now there was no smith found — It is very likely that in the former wars the Philistines carried away all the smiths from Israel, as Porsenna did in the peace which he granted to the Romans, not permitting any iron to be forged except for the purposes of agriculture: "Ne ferro, nisi in agricultura, uterentur." The Chaldeans did the same to the Jews in the time of Nebuchadnezzar; they carried away all the artificers, 2 Kings 24:14; Jeremiah 24:1; Jeremiah 29:2. And in the same manner did Cyrus treat the Lydians, Herod. lib. i., c. 145. See several examples in Calmet.