1 Samuel 13:19
New International Version
Not a blacksmith could be found in the whole land of Israel, because the Philistines had said, “Otherwise the Hebrews will 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.

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.”

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.”

King James 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 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.”

NASB 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.”

NASB 1977
Now no blacksmith could be found in all the land of Israel, for the Philistines said, “Lest the Hebrews make swords or spears.”

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.”

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.”

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.”

Holman 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.”

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:

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
And a Craftsmen was not found in all the land of Israel, for the Philistines said: “The Hebrews shall not make swords and spears”

Brenton Septuagint Translation
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.

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."

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.

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:

GOD'S WORD® Translation
No blacksmith could be found in the entire land of Israel. In this way the Philistines kept the Hebrews from making 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. (

International Standard Version
No blacksmith could be found in all the land of Israel because the Philistines thought, "This will keep the Hebrews from making swords or spears."

JPS Tanakh 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';

Literal Standard Version
And a craftsman is not found in all the land of Israel, for the Philistines said, “Lest the Hebrews make sword or spear”;

Majority 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.”

New American Bible
Not a single smith was to be found anywhere in Israel, for the Philistines had said, “Otherwise the Hebrews will make swords or spears.”

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."

New Revised Standard Version
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”;

New Heart English Bible
Now there was no smith found throughout all the land of Israel; for the Philistines had said, "Lest the Hebrews make them 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 blacksmith found throughout all the land of Israel, for the Philistines said, “Lest the Hebrews make themselves swords or spears”;

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;'

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Israel Without Weapons
18another toward Beth-horon, and the third down the border road overlooking the Valley of Zeboim facing the wilderness. 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.…

Cross References
Judges 5:8
When they chose new gods, then war came to their gates. Not a shield or spear was found among forty thousand in Israel.

1 Samuel 13:20
Instead, all the Israelites would go down to the Philistines to sharpen their plowshares, mattocks, axes, and sickles.

2 Kings 24:14
He carried into exile all Jerusalem--all the commanders and mighty men of valor, all the craftsmen and metalsmiths--ten thousand captives in all. Only the poorest people of the land remained.

Jeremiah 24:1
After Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had carried away Jeconiah son of Jehoiakim king of Judah, as well as the officials of Judah and the craftsmen and metalsmiths from Jerusalem, and had brought them to Babylon, the LORD showed me two baskets of figs placed in front of the temple of the LORD.

Jeremiah 29:2
(This was after King Jeconiah, the queen mother, the court officials, the officials of Judah and Jerusalem, the craftsmen, and the metalsmiths had been exiled from Jerusalem.)


Treasury of Scripture

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

Judges 5:8
They chose new gods; then was war in the gates: was there a shield or spear seen among forty thousand in Israel?

2 Kings 24:14
And he carried away all Jerusalem, and all the princes, and all the mighty men of valour, even ten thousand captives, and all the craftsmen and smiths: none remained, save the poorest sort of the people of the land.

Isaiah 54:16
Behold, I have created the smith that bloweth the coals in the fire, and that bringeth forth an instrument for his work; and I have created the waster to destroy.

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Blacksmith Hebrews Iron-Worker Israel Otherwise Philistines Smith Spear Spears Sword Swords Themselves Throughout Whole
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Blacksmith Hebrews Iron-Worker Israel Otherwise Philistines Smith Spear Spears Sword Swords Themselves Throughout Whole
1 Samuel 13
1. Saul's select band
3. He calls the Hebrews to Gilgal against the Philistines
5. The Philistines' great army
6. The distress of the Israelites
8. Saul, weary of staying for Samuel, sacrifices
11. Samuel reproves him
17. The three raiding parties of the Philistines
19. The policy of the Philistines, to allow no blacksmith in Israel














(19) Now there was no smith found.--We must allow a year, perhaps two or three, to have elapsed while "Saul and Jonathan . . . abode in Gibeah," during which period the Philistine raids went on unchecked, the Israelitish forces being too weak to venture with any hope of success into the open country. The statement respecting the destruction of the smithies probably only specially refers to the southern districts of Canaan--especially the territory of Benjamin, whence Saul and Jonathan, in the earlier years of the former's reign, drew, no doubt, the majority of their men of war. These devastating forays are alluded to in 1Samuel 13:17-18.

Verse 19. - There was no smith. This accounts for the contemptuous disregard of Saul by the Philistines. The people were disarmed, and resistance impossible. Apparently this policy had been long followed; but we need fuller information of what had happened between Samuel's victory at Mizpah and Saul's appointment as king, to enable us to understand the evident weakness of Israel at this time. But probably this description applies fully only to the districts of Benjamin, near the Philistines, The people further away had arms with which they defeated the Ammonites, and Saul and his men would have secured all the weapons which the enemy then threw away. But evidently no manufacture of weapons was allowed, and no one as far as possible permitted either to wear or possess arms.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
And no
לֹ֣א (lō)
Adverb - Negative particle
Strong's 3808: Not, no

blacksmith
וְחָרָשׁ֙ (wə·ḥā·rāš)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 2796: A fabricator, any material

could be found
יִמָּצֵ֔א (yim·mā·ṣê)
Verb - Nifal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 4672: To come forth to, appear, exist, to attain, find, acquire, to occur, meet, be present

in all
בְּכֹ֖ל (bə·ḵōl)
Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 3605: The whole, all, any, every

the land
אֶ֣רֶץ (’e·reṣ)
Noun - feminine singular construct
Strong's 776: Earth, land

of Israel,
יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל (yiś·rā·’êl)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3478: Israel -- 'God strives', another name of Jacob and his desc

because
כִּֽי־ (kî-)
Conjunction
Strong's 3588: A relative conjunction

the Philistines
פְלִשְׁתִּ֔ים (p̄ə·liš·tîm)
Noun - proper - masculine plural
Strong's 6430: Philistines -- inhabitants of Philistia

had said,
אָמְר֣וּ‪‬ (’ā·mə·rū)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural
Strong's 559: To utter, say

“The Hebrews
הָעִבְרִ֔ים (hā·‘iḇ·rîm)
Article | Noun - proper - masculine plural
Strong's 5680: Hebrews -- perhaps descendant of Eber, also another name for an Israelite

must not be allowed
פֶּ֚ן (pen)
Conjunction
Strong's 6435: Removal, lest

to make
יַעֲשׂ֣וּ (ya·‘ă·śū)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 6213: To do, make

swords
חֶ֖רֶב (ḥe·reḇ)
Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 2719: Drought, a cutting instrument, as a, knife, sword

or
א֥וֹ (’ōw)
Conjunction
Strong's 176: Desire, if

spears.”
חֲנִֽית׃ (ḥă·nîṯ)
Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 2595: A lance


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OT History: 1 Samuel 13:19 Now there was no smith found throughout (1Sa iSam 1 Sam i sa)
1 Samuel 13:18
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