1 Samuel 13:19

19. No smith חרשׁ , a graver, a workman: whether in wood, stone, or metals, is usually determined by the context. The Philistines, like other conquerors, had, during the long period of their dominion over Israel, removed all the artificers. After their deliverance by the hand of Samuel, (1 Samuel 7:13,) the Israelites seem to have taken no measures to supply themselves with workmen and arms, such as they had formerly possessed. For the purpose of sharpening their agricultural implements they were obliged to resort to their enemies; and yet so loth were they to do this that their instruments often became very dull. See on 1 Samuel 13:21. In the war with the Ammonites the Israelites probably found the sling and the bow ( see note on 1 Samuel 11:9) so serviceable that they saw no particular necessity for swords and spears, and took no pains to collect them. Still, we are not to suppose that Saul and his son were the only ones in all Israel that had weapons of this kind. 1 Samuel 13:22 expressly tells us that it was with the people who were with Saul and Jonathan, that is, the six hundred with Saul, (1 Samuel 13:15 and 1 Samuel 14:2,) and perhaps a still smaller number with Jonathan, that neither sword nor spear was found. The writer’s object in introducing the statements of 1 Samuel 13:19-22 seems to have been to show how illy prepared, according to all human appearance, the Israelitish army under Saul and Jonathan was to cope with its thoroughly equipped antagonist.