Translations
F.O.G.MPrimary
F.O.G MessageNot a single blacksmith could be found throughout all of Israel, for the Philistines had reasoned, 'We must not let the Hebrews forge swords or spears for themselves.'
F.O.GSecondary
The F.O.GNow there was no blacksmith to be found in all the land of Yisra'el, for the P'lishtim had said, 'Lest the Ivrim make themselves swords or spears.'
KJV
King James VersionNow there was no smith found throughout all the land of Israel: for the Philistines said, Lest the Hebrews make them swords or spears:
BSB
Berean Standard BibleAnd no blacksmith could be found in all the land of Israel, because the Philistines had said, “The Hebrews must not be allowed to make swords or spears.”
Footnotes
The *charash* (craftsman/smith) was indispensable to ancient society — without smiths, tools cannot be made or repaired, and weapons are impossible. The Philistines had imposed a total ironworking monopoly, a form of technological colonialism that kept Israel in enforced military helplessness. This is not cowardice but structural disarmament; the narrative forces the reader to see that any victory which follows cannot be explained by Israel's own strength. The stage is being set for YHWH alone to receive the glory. FOG uses 'blacksmith' for historical specificity; FOG Message 'forge' to capture the industrial scale of the prohibition.
