The garrison of the Philistines went out to the pass of Michmash.
The main physical advantage the Philistines enjoyed was their ability to smelt iron. This advanced technology gave them a strong military edge over the Israelites. [Note: Dothan, p. 20.] As in the days of Deborah and Barak (Judges 5:8), the Philistines still had the advantage of superior weapons and the power to restrict the Israelites’ use of iron implements.