There was neither sword nor spear. — These words must not be pressed too literally. The general result of the raids alluded to in 1 Samuel 13:16-17 was that in the open valleys of Southern Canaan, especially in the Benjamite territory, the districts whence Saul and Jonathan could most easily recruit their thinned and dispirited forces, there was an absence of arms. This fact is especially dwelt upon, for the Philistines appear to have armed their fighting men to the teeth. (Compare the description of their champion, Goliath, who is described as “clad in armour.”)
But with Saul. — These words probably signify that the companies of regulars, who throughout this disastrous period were always with the king and prince, were — in contrast to the country people around — fully armed. (See allusion, for instance, to Jonathan and his armour-bearer in the next chapter.)