1 Samuel 4:9

1 Samuel 4:9 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Be strong, and quit yourselves like men, O ye Philistines, that ye be not servants unto the Hebrews, as they have been to you: quit yourselves like men, and fight.
• New International Version (NIV)Be strong, Philistines! Be men, or you will be subject to the Hebrews, as they have been to you. Be men, and fight!”
• English Standard Version (ESV)Take courage, and be men, O Philistines, lest you become slaves to the Hebrews as they have been to you; be men and fight."
• New King James Version (NKJV)Be strong and conduct yourselves like men, you Philistines, that you do not become servants of the Hebrews, as they have been to you. Conduct yourselves like men, and fight!”

Context of 1 Samuel 4:9

7The Philistines were afraid, for they said, “God has come into the camp.” And they said, “Woe [disaster is coming] to us! For nothing like this has happened before. 8Woe to us! Who will rescue us from the hand of these mighty gods? These are the gods who struck the Egyptians with all kinds of plagues in the wilderness. Take courage, and be men, O Philistines, so that you do not become servants to the Hebrews, as they have been servants to you; act like men and fight!” 10So the Philistines fought; Israel was defeated and every man fled to his tent. It was a very great defeat, for thirty thousand foot soldiers of Israel fell. 11Also the ark of God was taken; and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were killed.

1 Samuel 4:9 word by word

הִֽתְחַזְּק֞וּ וִֽהְי֤וּ לַֽאֲנָשִׁים֙ פְּלִשְׁתִּ֔ים פֶּ֚ן תַּעַבְד֣וּ לָעִבְרִ֔ים כַּאֲשֶׁ֥ר עָבְד֖וּ לָכֶ֑ם וִהְיִיתֶ֥ם לַאֲנָשִׁ֖ים וְנִלְחַמְתֶּֽם׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Be strongחָזַקchâzaq · to strengthen: strengthenH2388
• and quitהָיָהhâyâh · to beH1961
• yourselves like menאֱנוֹשׁ'ĕnôsh · humanH582
• O ye Philistinesפְּלִשְׁתִּיpelishtîy · PhilistineH6430
• that ye be not servantsעָבַד‛âbad · to serveH5647
• unto the Hebrewsעִבְרִי‛ibrîy · HebrewH5680
• and fightלָחַםlâcham · to fightH3898

Cross-references for 1 Samuel 4:9

• 2 Samuel 10:12Be courageous, and let us show ourselves courageous for the benefit of our people and the cities of our God. And may the Lord do what is good in His sight.”
• 1 Corinthians 16:13Be on guard; stand firm in your faith [in God, respecting His precepts and keeping your doctrine sound]. Act like [mature] men and be courageous; be strong.
• Ephesians 6:10In conclusion, be strong in the Lord [draw your strength from Him and be empowered through your union with Him] and in the power of His [boundless] might.
• Deuteronomy 28:47“Because you did not serve the Lord your God with a heart full of joy and gladness for the abundance of all things [with which He blessed you],
• Judges 10:7So the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel, and He sold them into the hands of the Philistines and the Ammonites,
• Judges 13:1Now Israel again did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, and the Lord gave them into the hands of the Philistines for forty years.
• Isaiah 14:2The peoples will take them along and bring them to their own place (Judea), and the house of Israel will possess them as an inheritance in the land of the Lord as male and female servants; and they will take captive those whose captives they have been, and they will rule over their [former] oppressors.
• Isaiah 33:1Woe (judgment is coming) to you, O destroyer, You who were not destroyed, And he who is treacherous, while others did not deal treacherously with him. As soon as you finish destroying, you will be destroyed; As soon as you stop dealing treacherously, others will deal treacherously with you.

Commentaries on 1 Samuel 4:9

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 9Be strong, etc. - This was the address to the whole army, and very forcible it was. "If ye do not fight, and acquit yourselves like men, ye will be servants to the Hebrews, as they have been to you; and you may expect that they will avenge themselves of you for all the cruelty you have exercised towards them."Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 1-22The crisis with the ark of the covenant showed Israel needed Samuel's leadership. It also fulfilled prophecies about Eli and his sons (1 Samuel 3:11–14).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 3-93-9. Let us fetch the ark of the covenant of the Lord out of Shiloh unto us--Strange that they were so blind to the real cause of the disaster and that they did not discern, in the great and general corruption of religion and morals (1Sa 2:22-25; 7:3; Psa 78:58), the reason why the presence and aid of God were not extended to them. Their first measure for restoring the national spirit and energy ought to have been a complete reformation--a universal…Read the comment

Topics related to 1 Samuel 4:9

• Aphek
• Ark
• Armies
• Hebrew

In the dictionaries

• Philistines
• Ark
• Glory
• Jew
• Mean
• Pain
• Tabernacle
• Tumult
• Ark of the Covenant
• Exodus, the Book of

Commentaries on 1 Samuel 4

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings