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

¹⁵ Samuel left Gilgal. The rest of the people followed Saul to meet the soldiers. They went from Gilgal to Gibeah in Benjamin. Saul counted the troops who were still with him. There were about six hundred men.

¹⁶ Saul and his son Jonathan and the troops with them stayed at Geba (Gebeah) in Benjamin. The Philistines camped at Michmash. ¹⁷ Raiding parties left the Philistine camp in three companies. One company turned on the road to Ophrah to the region of Shual. ¹⁸ Another company turned to the road to Beth Horon. Another turned onto the road toward the region that overlooks the valley of Zeboim and the desert.

¹⁹ No blacksmith could be found in all of Israel. In this way the Philistines kept the Hebrews from making swords and spears. ²⁰ Everyone in Israel had to go to the Philistines to sharpen the blade of his plow, his mattock, ax, or sickle. ²¹ The charge for sharpening plowshares and for the mattocks, and for the mattocks, and for the three-pronged forks, and for the axes was a pim. ²² So in the day of battle there was neither sword nor spear found in the hand of any of the people with Saul and Jonathan. But with Saul and with his son Jonathan there was found sword and spear. ²³ The garrison of the Philistines went out to the passage of Michmash.