1 Samuel 17:9

1 Samuel 17:9 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)If he be able to fight with me, and to kill me, then will we be your servants: but if I prevail against him, and kill him, then shall ye be our servants, and serve us.
• New International Version (NIV)If he is able to fight and kill me, we will become your subjects; but if I overcome him and kill him, you will become our subjects and serve us.”
• English Standard Version (ESV)If he is able to fight with me and kill me, then we will be your servants. But if I prevail against him and kill him, then you shall be our servants and serve us."
• New King James Version (NKJV)If he is able to fight with me and kill me, then we will be your servants. But if I prevail against him and kill him, then you shall be our servants and serve us.”

Context of 1 Samuel 17:9

7He also carried a heavy spear. It was as thick as a tree. The iron point on the spear weighed about seven kilograms. A man who carried Goliath's shield walked in front of him. 8Goliath stood up and he shouted to the Israelite soldiers, ‘Why have you all got ready to fight against us? I am the great soldier of the Philistine army. You serve Saul as his soldiers. Is that not true? So you must choose one of your men to come and fight against me. If he can kill me in a fight, we Philistines will become your slaves. But if I knock him down and I kill him, then you Israelites will become our slaves.’ 10Then Goliath said, ‘I am not afraid of any of your soldiers! Choose one of your men and we will fight against each other.’ 11King Saul and all the Israelite soldiers heard what Goliath said. It made them very upset and afraid.

1 Samuel 17:9 word by word

אִם־יוּכַ֞ל לְהִלָּחֵ֤ם אִתִּי֙ וְהִכָּ֔נִי וְהָיִ֥ינוּ לָכֶ֖ם לַעֲבָדִ֑ים וְאִם־אֲנִ֤י אֽוּכַל־לוֹ֙ וְהִכִּיתִ֔יו וִהְיִ֤יתֶם לָ֙נוּ֙ לַעֲבָדִ֔ים וַעֲבַדְתֶּ֖ם אֹתָֽנוּ׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• If he be ableיָכֹלyâkôl yâkôl · be ableH3201
• to fightלָחַםlâcham · to fightH3898
• with me, and to killנָכָהnâkâh · to smiteH5221
• me, then will we be your servantsעֶ֫בֶד‛ebed · servant/slaveH5650
• and serveעָבַד‛âbad · to serveH5647

Cross-references for 1 Samuel 17:9

• 1 Samuel 11:1One month later, Nahash went with his army to attack Jabesh, a town in Gilead region. Nahash was an Ammonite. The people in Jabesh said to him, ‘Make an agreement with us so that we will serve you.’

Commentaries on 1 Samuel 17:9

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 9Then will we be your servants - Of this stipulation we hear nothing farther.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 4-114-11. a champion--Hebrew, a "man between two"; that is, a person who, on the part of his own people, undertook to determine the national quarrel by engaging in single combat with a chosen warrior in the hostile army.Read the comment

Topics related to 1 Samuel 17:9

• Armies
• Championship

In the dictionaries

• Arise
• Assay
• Carriage
• Cause
• Coat
• David
• Elhanan
• Naughtiness
• Prevail
• Rehearse

Commentaries on 1 Samuel 17

• 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
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings