New International Version
1 Samuel 4:9
9Be strong, Philistines! Be men, or you will be subject to the Hebrews, as they have been to you. Be men, and fight!”
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.
- 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!”
- New Living Translation (NLT)Fight as never before, Philistines! If you don’t, we will become the Hebrews’ slaves just as they have been ours! Stand up like men and fight!”
Context of 1 Samuel 4:9
7the Philistines were afraid. “A god has come into the camp,” they said. “Oh no! Nothing like this has happened before. 8We’re doomed! Who will deliver us from the hand of these mighty gods? They are the gods who struck the Egyptians with all kinds of plagues in the wilderness. Be strong, Philistines! Be men, or you will be subject to the Hebrews, as they have been to you. Be men, and fight!” 10So the Philistines fought, and the Israelites were defeated and every man fled to his tent. The slaughter was very great; Israel lost thirty thousand foot soldiers. 11The ark of God was captured, and Eli’s two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, died.
Read all of 1 Samuel 41 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, and let us fight bravely for our people and the cities of our God. The Lord will do what is good in his sight.”
- 1 Corinthians 16:13Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong.
- Ephesians 6:10Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.
- Deuteronomy 28:47Because you did not serve the Lord your God joyfully and gladly in the time of prosperity,
- Judges 10:7he became angry with them. He sold them into the hands of the Philistines and the Ammonites,
- Judges 13:1Again the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the Lord, so the Lord delivered them into the hands of the Philistines for forty years.
- Isaiah 14:2Nations will take them and bring them to their own place. And Israel will take possession of the nations and make them male and female servants in the Lord’s land. They will make captives of their captors and rule over their oppressors.
- Isaiah 33:1Woe to you, destroyer, you who have not been destroyed! Woe to you, betrayer, you who have not been betrayed! When you stop destroying, you will be destroyed; when you stop betraying, 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
In the dictionaries
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
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