1 Samuel 13:21

_YET THEY HAD A FILE FOR THE MATTOCKS, AND FOR THE COULTERS, AND FOR THE FORKS, AND FOR THE AXES, AND TO SHARPEN THE GOADS._ YET THEY HAD A FILE - as a kind of privilege, for the purpose of sharpening various smaller utensils of farming. [The Septuagint, kai een ho trugeetos hetoimos tou therizein; ta de skeuee een treis sikloi eis ton odonta, kai tee axinee kai too drepanoo hupostasis een hee autee, 'and the grape season (vintage) was ready for the reaping. Now the implements were three shekels for the tooth, and to the ax and to the sickle there was the same subject.' This is a literal and correct rendering; but it is wholly meaningless, or what meaning there is in it is irrelevant to the context.]...

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 consequences. Miserable is a guilty, defenceless nation; much more those who are destitute of the whole armour of God....

Verse 1 Samuel 13:21. _YET THEY HAD A FILE_] The Hebrew פצירה _petsirah_, from פצר _patsar_, to _rub hard_, is translated very differently by the versions and by critics. Our translation may be as likely as any: they permitted them the use of _files_, (I believe the word means _grindstone_), to restore the blunted edges of their _tridents_ _axes_, and _goads_....

The best rendering of the passage is perhaps as follows: “But all the Israelites went down to the Philistines to sharpen etc. 1 Samuel 13:21, whenever there was bluntness of edge to their shares and coulters and prong-forks and axes, and to point their goads.” Coulters and mattocks were cutting instruments of the type of the share....

SAUL'S PROBATION AND FAILURE (CHS. 13-15.). EXPOSITION WAR AGAINST THE PHILISTINES (verse 1-14:46). 1 SAMUEL 13:1 Saul's age and length of reign. SAUL REIGNED ONE YEAR. This verse literally translated is, "Saul was one year old when he began to reign, and he reigned two years over Israel." In its form it exactly follows the usual statement prefixed to each king's reign, of his age at his accession, and the years of his kingdom (2 Samuel 2:10; 2Sa 5:4; 1 Kings 14:21;...

YET THEY HAD A FILE FOR THE MATTOCKS, AND FOR THE COULTERS, AND FOR THE FORKS, AND FOR THE AXES,.... Those that would not go to the Philistines, or were not able, or thought it too much trouble, these kept files by them to sharpen those several instruments with upon occasion; though the words are by some rendered in connection with the preceding, to this sense, that they went to the Philistines to sharpen them, when the mouths, or edges, of the mattocks, coulters, c. were dull or "blunt" i; and so needed sharpening; and even TO SHARPEN THE GOADS; with which they pricked and pushed on the oxen in ploughing, when sluggish and remiss. (The word for "file" in the verse is פים "pim", and occurs only here in the Hebrew scriptures. It is not used elsewhere in other Hebrew writings. Therefore the translators of the 1611 Authorised Version had only the root derivation to deduce what the word me...

6. THE FIRST FAILURE OF SAUL AND ITS RESULTS CHAPTER 13 _ 1. The failure of Saul (1 Samuel 13:1)_ 2. Samuel's sentence (1 Samuel 13:10) 3. Israel's deplorable condition (1 Samuel 13:15) Omit the first verse of this chapter as it does not belong into the text. In self-confidence Saul has dismissed the greater part of the people; only 2000 remained with him and 1000 with his son Jonathan. Saul is now passing through a test. Hath he true faith which counts and depends on God? Is he obedient to His word as given by the prophet? Jonathan appears here for the first time. His name means “the Lord hath given.” He is the opposite from his poor father; the son is a man of real faith

1 SAMUEL 13, 14. SAUL'S EARLY STRUGGLES WITH THE PHILISTINES. (J), chiefly from the ancient narrative concerning Saul. Editorial notes, or additions from other sources, are 1 Samuel 13:1; 1 Samuel 7_ b,_ but as for Saul. Benjamin, 1 Samuel 13:15_ a_; 1 Samuel 13:19; 1 Samuel 14:47. 1 SAMUEL 13:1. If the present Hebrew text were regarded as correct and complete, the translation (_cf.mg._) would be, And Saul was a year old when he became king, and he reigned two years over Israel. Both periods are absurd. The edi

The disarmament of the Israelites 19. _Now there was no smith found_, &c. A signal proof of the severity of the Philistine oppression, and the difficulties against which Saul had to contend. This general disarmament clearly points to the lasting subjugation of a large district in the later years of Samuel's judgeship and the beginning of Saul's reign, and was not merely the temporary result of the present invasion. A similar tyranny was practised by the Canaanites before Deborah's victory (Judges 5:8, cp. Judges 3:31); and Porsena is reported by Pliny to have prohibited the Romans from using iron except for agricultural purposes (_Hist. Nat._XXXIV. 14)....

_The Battle Pitched._ 1 Samuel 13:17-23 17 And the spoilers came out of the camp of the Philistines in three companies; one company turned unto the way _that leadeth_ to Ophrah, unto the land of Shual: 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. 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: 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. 21 Yet they had a file for the mattocks, and for the coulters, and for the forks, and for the axes, and to sharpen the goads. 22 So it came to pass in the day of battle, that there was neither sword