File
Summary
A tool for sharpening metal implements, mentioned in the context of Israel's dependence on the Philistines for metalwork during Saul's reign.
☩Biblical Context
The word 'file' appears only in 1 Samuel 13:21, in the context of the Philistines' monopoly on metalworking. The Israelites had to go to the Philistines to sharpen their agricultural tools—plowshares, mattocks, axes, and goads—because there was no smith in Israel. This placed the Israelites at a severe military and economic disadvantage.
☩Translation Issues
The Hebrew phrase rendered 'file' (petstsira pim) is actually obscure and has been variously interpreted. Modern scholarship suggests it signifies 'bluntness of edge' rather than a sharpening tool, referring to the dull condition of the implements that needed sharpening. The Revised Version margin has 'bluntness of edge.' The passage describes the cost charged by the Philistines for sharpening services.
Related Verses1 mention
1 Samuel· 1 verse
References
- 1.John McClintock and James Strong, "File," in Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature, vol. III (Harper & Brothers, 1867–1887).
- 2.James Orr (ed.), "File," in International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, vol. II (Howard-Severance Company, 1915).