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Read the Bible

King James Version

1 Samuel 4:9

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.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Aphek;   Ark;   Armies;   Hebrew;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Philistines, the;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Ark of the Covenant;   Eli;   Philistines;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Philistia, philistines;   Charles Buck Theological Dictionary - Lord's Name Taken in Vain;   Prayer;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Ark;   Jew;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Hebrew;   Holman Bible Dictionary - High Priest;   Philistines, the;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Philistines;   Samuel, Books of;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - Hebrews;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Hophni ;   Phinehas ;   The Hawker's Poor Man's Concordance And Dictionary - Hophni;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Eli;  

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - Samuel the Prophet;   International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Hebrew;   Quit;   Kitto Biblical Cyclopedia - Ark of the covenant;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Eben-Ezer;   Iyyar;   Soá¹­ah;  

Devotionals:

- Every Day Light - Devotion for March 30;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
Show some courage and be men, Philistines! Otherwise, you’ll serve the Hebrews just as they served you. Now be men and fight!”
Hebrew Names Version
Be strong, and behave yourselves like men, O you Pelishtim, that you not be servants to the Hebrews, as they have been to you: quit yourselves like men, and fight.
Lexham English Bible
Take courage and be men, you Philistines, lest you end up serving the Hebrews just like they have served you. Be men and fight!"
English Standard Version
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 Century Version
Be brave, Philistines! Fight like men! In the past they were our slaves. So fight like men, or we will become their slaves."
New English Translation
Be strong and act like men, you Philistines, or else you will wind up serving the Hebrews the way they have served you! Act like men and fight!"
Amplified Bible
"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!"
New American Standard Bible
"Take courage and be men, Philistines, or you will become slaves to the Hebrews, as they have been slaves to you; so be men and fight!"
Geneva Bible (1587)
Be strong and play the men, O Philistims, that ye be not seruants vnto the Ebrewes, as they haue serued you: be valiant therefore, and fight.
Legacy Standard Bible
Be strong and become men, O Philistines, lest you become slaves to the Hebrews, as they have been slaves to you; therefore, become men and fight."
Contemporary English Version
Philistines, be brave and fight hard! If you don't, those Hebrews will rule us, just as we've been ruling them. Fight and don't be afraid.
Complete Jewish Bible
Be strong; and behave like men, you P'lishtim; so that you won't become slaves to the Hebrews, as they have been to you. Behave like men, and fight!"
Darby Translation
Shew yourselves valiant and be men, ye Philistines, that ye may not have to be servants to the Hebrews, as they have been servants to you: be men, and fight.
Easy-to-Read Version
Be brave, Philistines. Fight like men. In the past they were our slaves, so fight like men or you will become their slaves."
George Lamsa Translation
Be strong, and conduct yourselves like men, O Philistines, lest you become servants to the Hebrews, as they have served you; be strong and fight with them.
Good News Translation
Be brave, Philistines! Fight like men, or we will become slaves to the Hebrews, just as they were our slaves. So fight like men!"
Literal Translation
Make yourselves strong and become men, O Philistines, lest you become slaves to the Hebrews, as they were slaves to you. Then you must be men and fight.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Be stronge now and manly ye Philistynes, that ye serue not the Hebrues as they haue serued you. Be manly and fighte.
American Standard Version
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.
Bible in Basic English
Be strong, O Philistines, be men! Do not be servants to the Hebrews as they have been to you: go forward to the fight without fear.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
Be strong and quite your selues lyke men, O ye Philistines, that ye be no seruaunts vnto the Ebrues, as they haue ben to you: Be of a manly corage therfore and fight.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
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.'
King James Version (1611)
Bee strong, and quit your selues like men, O ye Philistines, that yee be not seruants vnto the Hebrewes, as they haue bene to you: quit your selues like men, and fight.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
Strengthen yourselves and behave yourselves like men, O ye Philistines, that ye may not serve the Hebrews as they have served us, but be ye men and fight with them.
English Revised Version
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.
Berean Standard Bible
Take courage and be men, O Philistines! Otherwise, you will serve the Hebrews just as they served you. Now be men and fight!"
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Filisteis, be ye coumfortid, and be ye men, serue ye not Ebrews, as thei serueden vs; be ye coumfortid, and fiyte ye.
Young's Literal Translation
Strengthen yourselves, and become men, O Philistines, lest ye do service to Hebrews, as they have done to you -- then ye have become men, and have fought.'
Update Bible Version
Be strong, and conduct yourselves like men, O you Philistines, or else you will be slaves to the Hebrews, as they have been slaves to you: conduct yourselves like men, and fight.
Webster's Bible Translation
Be strong, and acquit yourselves like men, O ye Philistines, that ye may not be servants to the Hebrews, as they have been to you: acquit yourselves like men, and fight.
World English Bible
Be strong, and behave yourselves like men, O you Philistines, that you not be servants to the Hebrews, as they have been to you: quit yourselves like men, and fight.
New King James Version
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
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!"
New Life Bible
Be strong and act like men, O Philistines. Or you will be made to work for the Hebrews, as they have been made to work for you. Be men and fight."
New Revised Standard
Take courage, and be men, O Philistines, in order not to become slaves to the Hebrews as they have been to you; be men and fight."
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Take courage, and quit yourselves like men, ye Philistines, lest ye come into bondage to the Hebrews, as they have been in bondage unto you, - therefore must ye quit yourselves like men, and fight.
Douay-Rheims Bible
Take courage, and behave like men, ye Philistines: lest you come to be servants to the Hebrews, as they have served you: take courage and fight.
Revised Standard Version
Take courage, and acquit yourselves like men, O Philistines, lest you become slaves to the Hebrews as they have been to you; acquit yourselves like men and fight."
THE MESSAGE
The Chest of God Is Taken Whatever Samuel said was broadcast all through Israel. Israel went to war against the Philistines. Israel set up camp at Ebenezer, the Philistines at Aphek. The Philistines marched out to meet Israel, the fighting spread, and Israel was badly beaten—about four thousand soldiers left dead on the field. When the troops returned to camp, Israel's elders said, "Why has God given us such a beating today by the Philistines? Let's go to Shiloh and get the Chest of God 's Covenant. It will accompany us and save us from the grip of our enemies." So the army sent orders to Shiloh. They brought the Chest of the Covenant of God , the God -of-the-Angel-Armies, the Cherubim-Enthroned- God . Eli's two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, accompanied the Chest of the Covenant of God. When the Chest of the Covenant of God was brought into camp, everyone gave a huge cheer. The shouts were like thunderclaps shaking the very ground. The Philistines heard the shouting and wondered what on earth was going on: "What's all this shouting among the Hebrews?" Then they learned that the Chest of God had entered the Hebrew camp. The Philistines panicked: "Their gods have come to their camp! Nothing like this has ever happened before. We're done for! Who can save us from the clutches of these supergods? These are the same gods who hit the Egyptians with all kinds of plagues out in the wilderness. On your feet, Philistines! Courage! We're about to become slaves to the Hebrews, just as they have been slaves to us. Show what you're made of! Fight for your lives!"
New American Standard Bible (1995)
"Take courage and be men, O Philistines, or you will become slaves to the Hebrews, as they have been slaves to you; therefore, be men and fight."

Contextual Overview

1 And the word of Samuel came to all Israel. Now Israel went out against the Philistines to battle, and pitched beside Ebenezer: and the Philistines pitched in Aphek. 2 And the Philistines put themselves in array against Israel: and when they joined battle, Israel was smitten before the Philistines: and they slew of the army in the field about four thousand men. 3 And when the people were come into the camp, the elders of Israel said, Wherefore hath the Lord smitten us to day before the Philistines? Let us fetch the ark of the covenant of the Lord out of Shiloh unto us, that, when it cometh among us, it may save us out of the hand of our enemies. 4 So the people sent to Shiloh, that they might bring from thence the ark of the covenant of the Lord of hosts, which dwelleth between the cherubims: and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were there with the ark of the covenant of God. 5 And when the ark of the covenant of the Lord came into the camp, all Israel shouted with a great shout, so that the earth rang again. 6 And when the Philistines heard the noise of the shout, they said, What meaneth the noise of this great shout in the camp of the Hebrews? And they understood that the ark of the Lord was come into the camp. 7 And the Philistines were afraid, for they said, God is come into the camp. And they said, Woe unto us! for there hath not been such a thing heretofore. 8 Woe unto us! who shall deliver us out of the hand of these mighty Gods? these are the Gods that smote the Egyptians with all the plagues in the wilderness. 9 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.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Be strong: 2 Samuel 10:12, 1 Corinthians 16:13, Ephesians 6:10, Ephesians 6:11

as they have: Deuteronomy 28:47, Deuteronomy 28:48, Judges 10:7, Judges 13:1, Isaiah 14:2, Isaiah 33:1

quit yourselves like men: Heb. be men

Reciprocal: Joshua 1:6 - Be strong Judges 18:9 - be not 2 Samuel 2:7 - let your 1 Chronicles 19:13 - of good Jeremiah 34:9 - Hebrew

Cross-References

Genesis 4:4
And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. And the Lord had respect unto Abel and to his offering:
Genesis 4:9
And the Lord said unto Cain, Where is Abel thy brother? And he said, I know not: Am I my brother's keeper?
Genesis 4:11
And now art thou cursed from the earth, which hath opened her mouth to receive thy brother's blood from thy hand;
Genesis 4:13
And Cain said unto the Lord , My punishment is greater than I can bear.
Genesis 4:14
Behold, thou hast driven me out this day from the face of the earth; and from thy face shall I be hid; and I shall be a fugitive and a vagabond in the earth; and it shall come to pass, that every one that findeth me shall slay me.
Genesis 37:32
And they sent the coat of many colours, and they brought it to their father; and said, This have we found: know now whether it be thy son's coat or no.
Psalms 9:12
When he maketh inquisition for blood, he remembereth them: he forgetteth not the cry of the humble.
Proverbs 28:13
He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy.
John 8:44
Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Be strong, and quit yourselves like men, O ye Philistines,.... Since this was all they had to depend upon, their manly courage; if they did not exert that it was all over with them; and seeing their case was desperate, having gods as well as men to fight with, it became them to exert themselves to the uttermost; which did they, there was a possibility still of gaining victory, and so immortal honour to themselves; these words seem to be spoken by the generals and officers of the army of the Philistines to the common soldiers:

that ye be not servants to the Hebrews, as they have been to you; that is, before and in the times of Samson; but it appears from hence that at this time neither the Philistines ruled over the Israelites, nor the Israelites over them; but as there was danger of their becoming subject to Israel, they had better die gloriously in the field of battle than to be in the base state of servitude:

quit yourselves like men, and fight; this is repeated to animate them to battle, which they supposed was not far off by the shoutings of the Israelites, and which they must prepare for.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 1 Samuel 4:9. Be strong, c. — 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."


 
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