1 Samuel 13:19

Contextual Overview

¹⁵Then Samuel left Gilgal and went up to Gibeah in Benjamin, and Saul counted the men who were with him. They numbered about six hundred. ¹⁵ Then Samuel left Gilgal and went up to Gibeah in Benjamin, and Saul counted the men who were with him. They numbered about six hundred. ¹⁵Then Samuel arose and went up from Gilgal to Gibeah of Benjamin. And Saul numbered the people who were present with him, about six hundred men. ¹⁵ Then Samuel arose and went up from Gilgal to Gibeah of Benjamin. And Saul numbered the people who were present with him, about six hundred men. ¹⁵ And Samuel arose, & gate him vp from Gilgal in Gibea of Beniamin, and Saul numbred the people that were found with him, and they were about a sixe hundred men. ¹⁵ Then Samuel got up and left Gilgal. Saul and the rest of his army left Gilgal and went to Gibeah in Benjamin. Saul counted the men who were still with him. There were about 600. ¹⁵ And Samuel rose up and went up from Gilgal to Gibeah of Benjamin. And Saul numbered the people who were found with him, about six hundred men. ¹⁵ And Samuel arose, and went up from Gilgal to Gib'e-ah of Benjamin. And Saul numbered the people who were present with him, about six hundred men. ¹⁵ Samuel arose, and got him up from Gilgal to Gibeah of Benjamin. Saul numbered the people who were present with him, about six hundred men. ¹⁵ And Samuel arose, and gate him vp from Gilgal, vnto Gibeah of Beniamin, and Saul numbred the people that were present with him, about sixe hundred men.

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.