Lexical Summary eth: Not typically translated; used as a direct object marker Original Word: אֵת Strong's Exhaustive Concordance coulter, plowshare Of uncertain derivation; a hoe or other digging implement -- coulter, plowshare. Brown-Driver-Briggs III. אֵת see אתת. אַתָּה, אַתְּ, אַתְּי see below אנת. III. [אֵת] noun [masculine] a cutting instrument of iron usually transl. ploughshare — singular suffix אֵתוֺ 1 Samuel 13:20; plural אֵתִים 1 Samuel 13:21, אִתִּים Isaiah 2:4 = Micah 4:3; suffix אִתֵּיכֶם Joel 4:10; according to Klo and others also 2 Kings 6:5 אֶתהַֿבַּרְזֶל, i.e. the axe of iron. Topical Lexicon Meaning and General Usage אֵת (ʾēt, Strong’s Hebrew 855) denotes the iron “plowshare,” the metal blade fixed to a wooden plow for turning soil. By extension it can describe similar digging or cutting implements such as mattocks or axes (1 Samuel 13:20). Because plowshares were forged from valuable iron, they could be re-shaped into weapons and back again, making the word an ideal vehicle for biblical imagery of both conflict and peace. Occurrences in Scripture • 1 Samuel 13:20–21 – Israelite farmers, deprived of their own smiths, must “go down to the Philistines to sharpen their plowshares”, paying an oppressive fee. Historical and Cultural Background During the early Iron Age, the Philistines guarded metallurgical expertise. 1 Samuel 13 portrays a strategic stranglehold: Israel may farm only at the mercy of its enemy. The plowshare thus becomes a symbol of economic dependence and national vulnerability. Conversely, later prophets envision abundant peace when agricultural technology is no longer subservient to military might. Symbolic Contrast of War and Peace 1. Instrument of Oppression (1 Samuel 13) – The need to visit Philistine smiths underlines Israel’s impotence without divine aid. Theological Themes • Divine Sovereignty over History – God alone directs the grand reversal from warfare to agrarian prosperity (Isaiah 2:4; Micah 4:3) and can equally summon nations to judgment (Joel 3:10). Christological and Prophetic Dimensions Messiah is the Judge who “will decide for many peoples” (Isaiah 2:4). His righteous verdict brings genuine peace, not merely disarmament. The repeated imagery of plowshares frames the promise of the New Covenant: hostility ended, fruitfulness restored (Ephesians 2:14; John 15:5). Until His return, the church embodies a foretaste of that peace through gospel proclamation and practical reconciliation. Practical Implications for Believers • Stewardship – Whether in agriculture, industry, or technology, believers are called to harness material resources for life-giving purposes. Summary אֵת paints a vivid picture of metal that can wound or cultivate, oppress or liberate. In Scripture its five appearances trace a movement from subjugation (1 Samuel 13) through eschatological hope (Isaiah 2; Micah 4) to sober warning (Joel 3). The plowshare therefore stands as a quiet but powerful testimony that every tool, every talent, every moment belongs to the Lord of the harvest. Forms and Transliterations אִתֵּיכֶם֙ אֵתוֹ֙ אתו אתיכם וְלָ֣אֵתִ֔ים ולאתים לְאִתִּ֗ים לאתים ’ê·ṯōw ’êṯōw ’it·tê·ḵem ’ittêḵem eTo itteiChem lə’ittîm lə·’it·tîm leitTim veLaeTim wə·lā·’ê·ṯîm wəlā’êṯîmLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance 1 Samuel 13:20 HEB: מַחֲרַשְׁתּ֤וֹ וְאֶת־ אֵתוֹ֙ וְאֶת־ קַרְדֻּמּ֔וֹ NAS: his plowshare, his mattock, his axe, KJV: his share, and his coulter, and his axe, INT: each his share his mattock his axe his plowshare 1 Samuel 13:21 Isaiah 2:4 Joel 3:10 Micah 4:3 5 Occurrences |