1 Samuel 13:19

CONFISCATING THE WEAPONS OF ISRAEL

"Now there was no smith to be found throughout all the land of Israel; for the Philistines said, "Lest the Hebrews make for themselves swords or spears"; but every one of the Israelites went down to the Philistines to sharpen his plowshare, his mattock, his axe, or his sickle; and the charge was a pym for the plowshares and for the mattocks, and a third of a shekel for sharpening the axes and for setting the goads. So on the day of the battle, 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. And the garrison of the Philistines went out to the pass of Michmash."

The word "now" at the head of this paragraph means that, after the raiders had completed their mission, the situation prevailed as outlined here. The raiders either murdered or captured all of the smiths in Israel and instituted a schedule of very high prices for sharpening the agricultural tools of the Israelites.

"There was neither sword nor spear found in the hand of any of the people" (1 Samuel 13:22). After making due allowance for the hyperbolic nature of this statement, it is still clear enough that one could hardly imagine a worse situation, from the military standpoint, than that which confronted Israel at this time. The inspired writer is here evidently preparing us to see the truly miraculous nature of the great victory that soon developed.

"The garrison of the Philistines went out to the pass of Michmash" (1 Samuel 13:23). This maneuver was supposed by the Philistines to cut off all avenues of attack by the men of Saul and Jonathan.