1 Samuel 13 · Verse 19

1 Samuel 13:19

Now there was no smith found throughout all the land of Israel: for the Philistines said, Lest the Hebrews make them swords or spears:
1 Samuel 13:19, King James Version

1 Samuel 13:19 in other translations

BSBAnd 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.”
WEBNow there was no blacksmith found throughout all the land of Israel, for the Philistines said, “Lest the Hebrews make themselves swords or spears”;
ASVNow there was no smith found throughout all the land of Israel; for the Philistines said, Lest the Hebrews make them swords or spears:
YLTAnd an artificer is not found in all the land of Israel, for the Philistines said, ‘Lest the Hebrews make sword or spear;'
DARBYNow there was no smith found throughout the land of Israel; for the Philistines said, Lest the Hebrews make them swords or spears.
BBENow there was no iron-worker in all the land of Israel: for the Philistines said, For fear the Hebrews make themselves swords or spears:
WebsterNow there was no smith found throughout all the land of Israel: (for the Philistines said, Lest the Hebrews make them swords or spears:)

What does 1 Samuel 13:19 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on 1 Samuel 13:19-20
19-20. Now there was no smith found throughout ... Israel--The country was in the lowest state of depression and degradation. The Philistines, after the great victory over the sons of Eli, had become the virtual masters of the land. Their policy in disarming the natives has been often followed in the East. For repairing any serious damage to their agricultural implements, they had to apply to the neighboring forts.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 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, 2Kgs 24:14; Jer 24:1; Jer 29:2. And in the same manner did Cyrus treat the Lydians, Herod. lib. i., c. 145. See several examples in Calmet.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on 1 Samuel 13:15-23

See how politic the Philistines were when they had power; they not only prevented the people of Israel from making weapons of war, but obliged them to depend upon their enemies, even for instruments of husbandry. How impolitic Saul was, who did not, in the beginning of his reign, set himself to redress this. Want of true sense always accompanies want of grace. Sins which appear to us very little, have dangerous…

Read the full comment on 1 Samuel 13:15-23 →

1 Samuel 13:19 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

וְחָרָשׁ֙ve.cha.Rashand a craftsmanH2796
לֹ֣אlo'notH3808
יִמָּצֵ֔אyi.ma.Tze'he was foundH4672
בְּכֹ֖לbe.Kholin allH3605
אֶ֣רֶץ'E.retz[the] land ofH776
יִשְׂרָאֵ֑לYis.ra.'ElIsraelH3478
כִּֽי\־ki-forH3588
אָמְר֣וּ'a.marthey saidH559
פְלִשְׁתִּ֔יםfe.lish.Tim[the] PhilistinesH6430
פֶּ֚ןpenlestH6435
יַעֲשׂ֣וּya.'a.Suthey should makeH6213
הָעִבְרִ֔יםha.'iv.Rimthe HebrewsH5680
חֶ֖רֶבChe.reva swordH2719
א֥וֹ'oorH176
חֲנִֽית\׃cha.Nita spearH2595

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for 1 Samuel 13:19

  • 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.

  • 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?

  • Jeremiah 24:1

    The Lord shewed me, and, behold, two baskets of figs were set before the temple of the Lord, after that Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon had carried away captive Jeconiah the son of Jehoiakim king of Judah, and the princes of Judah, with the carpenters and smiths, from Jerusalem, and had brought them to Babylon.

  • 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.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
there was no.It is probable that the Philistines in the former wars had carried away all the smiths from Israel.
Jud 5:8; 2Ki 24:14; Isa 54:16; Jer 24:1

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • 1 Samuel 13:18

    And another company turned the way to Beth–horon: and another company turned to the way of the border that looketh to the valley of Zeboim toward the wilderness.

  • 1 Samuel 13:19

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

  • 1 Samuel 13:20

    But all the Israelites went down to the Philistines, to sharpen every man his share, and his coulter, and his axe, and his mattock.

Read all of 1 Samuel 13

1 Samuel 13:19 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Y en toda la tierra de Israel no se hallaba herrero; porque los Filisteos habían dicho: Para que los Hebreos no hagan espada ó lanza.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Et il ne se trouvait pas de forgeron dans tout le pays d’Israël; car les Philistins avaient dit: Que les Hébreux ne puissent faire ni épée ni lance.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Und es war kein Schmied zu finden im ganzen Lande Israel; denn die Philister hatten gesagt: Daß die Hebräer sich nicht Schwert oder Speer machen!
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Porro faber ferrarius non inveniebatur in omni terra Israël: caverant enim Philisthiim, ne forte facerent Hebræi gladium aut lanceam.