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

7Then they were frightened and said, “A god has come into ⌞their⌟ camp.” They also said, “Oh no! Nothing like this has ever happened before. 8We’re in trouble now! Who can save us from the power of these mighty gods? These are the gods who struck the Egyptians with every kind of plague in the desert. Be strong, Philistines, and act like men, or else you will serve the Hebrews as they served you. Act like men and fight.” 10The Philistines fought and defeated Israel. Every ⌞Israelite⌟ soldier fled to his tent. It was a major defeat in which 30,000 Israelite foot soldiers died. 11The ark of God was captured. Both of Eli’s sons, Hophni and Phinehas, died.

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 strong! Let’s prove ourselves strong for our people and for the cities of our God, and the Lord will do what he considers right.”
• 1 Corinthians 16:13Be alert. Be firm in the Christian faith. Be courageous and strong.
• Ephesians 6:10Finally, receive your power from the Lord and from his mighty strength.
• Deuteronomy 28:47You didn’t serve the Lord your God with a joyful and happy heart when you had so much.
• Judges 10:7The Lord became angry with the people of Israel. So he used the Philistines and Ammonites to defeat them.
• Judges 13:1The people of Israel again did what the Lord considered evil. So the Lord handed them over to the Philistines for 40 years.
• Isaiah 14:2People will take them and bring them to their own place. The nation of Israel will possess nations as male and female slaves in the Lord’s land. They will take their captors captive and rule their oppressors.
• Isaiah 33:1How horrible it will be for you, you destroyer, although you haven’t been destroyed. How horrible it will be for you, you traitor, although you haven’t been betrayed. When you’ve finished destroying, you will be destroyed. When you’ve finished being a traitor, you will be betrayed.

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