Lexical Summary petsirah: Entreaty, Urging, Request Original Word: פְצִירָה Strong's Exhaustive Concordance file From patsar; bluntness -- + file. see HEBREW patsar NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom patsar Definition perhaps bluntness NASB Translation charge (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs מְּצִירָה apparently noun feminine from √ פצר, 1 Samuel 13:21; dubious; probably incurably corrupt; AV file from ᵑ7 ᵑ6 Rabb, Ke bluntness; both lack philological ground; see especially Dr. מִּק see מִּיק Topical Lexicon Narrative SettingThe word פְצִירָה appears in the account of Israel’s first formal war under King Saul, when “no blacksmith could be found in all the land of Israel, for the Philistines had said, ‘Otherwise the Hebrews will make swords or spears’ ” (1 Samuel 13:19). Israelite farmers were forced to travel to the Philistine towns to have their agricultural implements serviced. Verse 21 records the financial terms for this imposed service and mentions the פְצִירָה, the iron file or rasp used to re-edge or repair their tools. Literal Function A פְצִירָה was a simple but indispensable piece of iron, drawn across the dull edge of a plowshare, mattock, axe head, or oxgoad to restore its cutting efficiency. Without it, tools soon became useless, crops suffered, and the community’s food supply was threatened. Thus the Philistine monopoly on such technology was an effective means of economic and military domination. Historical Significance 1. Strategic Disarmament: By controlling both smelting and finishing tools like the פְצִירָה, the Philistines ensured that Israel remained largely unarmed (1 Samuel 13:22). Their policy exemplifies how enemy powers exploit technological gaps to suppress God’s people. 2. Prelude to Deliverance: The scarcity described in 1 Samuel 13 frameworks the miraculous victory in the next chapter, where Jonathan, armed only with faith and a single sword, defeats a Philistine garrison (1 Samuel 14:6-15). The absence of iron underscored that Israel’s salvation came “not by might nor by power” but by the Lord’s intervention. Theological Themes • Dependence on God: The need to rely on hostile Philistine artisans for a basic file spotlighted Israel’s inability to save itself. Scripture repeatedly records God allowing such deficiencies so that His deliverance would be unmistakable (Judges 7:2; 2 Corinthians 4:7). • Spiritual Sharpening: Just as iron sharpens iron (Proverbs 27:17), a פְצִירָה points to the divine process of honing character through friction—discipline, adversity, godly counsel—so that believers become effective instruments for service (Hebrews 12:11). • Covenant Faithfulness: Israel’s bondage under Philistine technology was a covenant consequence for their earlier disobedience (Deuteronomy 28:47-48). The text therefore calls the reader to wholehearted loyalty to the Lord. Ministry Applications 1. Discipleship and Equipping: Ministry leaders must place “files” in the hands of their people—Scripture, sound doctrine, and accountable fellowship—so that spiritual tools remain sharp for harvest labor (2 Timothy 3:16-17). 2. Cultural Engagement: The Philistine embargo warns against surrendering intellectual or technological ground to hostile worldviews. Christian stewardship of education, science, and media keeps the Church from dependence on systems that oppose biblical truth. 3. Stewarding Resources: The farmers still brought their dull tools to be serviced. Likewise, believers should not neglect gifts, marriages, ministries, or callings, but submit them to God’s refining process for renewed effectiveness (2 Timothy 1:6). Christological Foreshadowing Israel’s lack of forging capability anticipates humanity’s inability to forge its own salvation (Romans 3:10-12). The true “Iron Smith” is Christ, who forges, files, and tempers His people by His Spirit, preparing them as “instruments for noble purposes” (2 Timothy 2:21). Related Biblical Imagery • Proverbs 27:17 demonstrates mutual sharpening among believers. Contemporary Reflection The singular mention of פְצִירָה may seem incidental, yet it vividly exposes enemy strategies, underscores God’s sovereign rescue, and furnishes enduring lessons on preparedness in both physical and spiritual realms. Like Israel, the modern Church must recognize where it has ceded ground, seek God’s provision for sharpening, and move forward in faith, trusting Him to supply every need for life and godliness (2 Peter 1:3). Forms and Transliterations הַפְּצִ֣ירָה הפצירה hap·pə·ṣî·rāh happəṣîrāh happeTzirahLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance 1 Samuel 13:21 HEB: וְֽהָיְתָ֞ה הַפְּצִ֣ירָה פִ֗ים לַמַּֽחֲרֵשֹׁת֙ NAS: The charge was two-thirds INT: become the charge according the plowshares 1 Occurrence |
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