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yet they had a file for the mattocks, and for the plowshares, and for the forks, and for the axes, and to set the goads.
Verse Takeaways
1
The Price of Dependence
Commentators note a fascinating translation issue in this verse. Older translations, like the KJV, mention a 'file,' which seems to contradict the previous verse stating there were no blacksmiths. However, as multiple scholars and archaeological findings point out, the Hebrew word 'pim' was not a tool but a unit of weight and currency. Therefore, the verse is most likely stating the high price the Philistines charged for sharpening tools—about two-thirds of a shekel—highlighting Israel's economic subjugation.
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1 Samuel
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4
18th Century
Presbyterian
The best rendering of the passage is perhaps as follows: But all the Israelites went down to the Philistines to sharpen whenever there was blun…
19th Century
Anglican
Yet they had a file for the mattocks ... —This translation, the sense of which is not very clear, is supported by the Tar…
17th Century
Reformed Baptist
Yet they had a file for the mattocks, and for the coulters, and for the forks, and for the axes
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Consider how shrewd the Philistines were when they held power; they not only prevented the people of Israel from making weapons of war but also com…