The Hebrews were not permitted by the Philistines in the days of Samuel to have a smith amongst them, lest they should make them swords and spears (1 Sam. 13:19). Thus the Philistines sought to make their conquest permanent (comp. 2 Kings 24:16).
Easton’s Bible Dictionary
Smith
Easton’s Bible Dictionary (1897), public domain. Text via Theographic Bible Metadata, CC BY-SA 4.0.