1 Samuel 13:15-23 - Israel's Military Disadvantage

¹⁵ Then Samuel went up from Gilgal and the rest of the people went up after Saul against the men of war, and they came from Gilgal to Gibeah in the land of Benjamin: and Saul took the number of the people who were with him, about six hundred men.

¹⁶ And Saul, with Jonathan his son and the people who were with them, was waiting in Geba in the land of Benjamin: but the tents of the Philistines were in Michmash. ¹⁷ And three bands of men came out from the Philistines to make an attack; one band went by the road which goes to Ophrah, into the land of Shual: ¹⁸ And another went in the direction of Beth-horon: and another went by the hill looking down on the valley of Zeboiim, in the direction of the waste land.

¹⁹ Now there was no iron-worker in all the land of Israel: for the Philistines said, For fear the Hebrews make themselves swords or spears: ²⁰ But all the Israelites had to go to the Philistines to get their ploughs and blades and axes and hooks made sharp; ²¹ For they had instruments for putting an edge on their ploughs and blades and forks and axes, and for putting iron points on their ox-driving rods. ²² So on the day of the fight at Michmash, not a sword or a spear was to be seen in the hands of any of the people with Saul and Jonathan: only Saul and his son Jonathan had them. ²³ And the armed force of the Philistines went out to the narrow way of Michmash.