1 Samuel 17:9
New International Version
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.”

New Living Translation
If he kills me, then we will be your slaves. But if I kill him, you will be our slaves!

English Standard Version
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.”

Berean Standard Bible
If he is able to fight 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 labor for us.”

King James Bible
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 King James Version
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 American Standard Bible
If he is able to fight me and kill me, then we will become your servants; but if I prevail against him and kill him, then you shall become our servants and serve us.”

NASB 1995
“If he is able to fight with me and kill me, then we will become your servants; but if I prevail against him and kill him, then you shall become our servants and serve us.”

NASB 1977
“If he is able to fight with me and kill me, then we will become your servants; but if I prevail against him and kill him, then you shall become our servants and serve us.”

Legacy Standard Bible
If he is able to fight with me and strike me down, then we will become your slaves; but if I prevail against him and strike him down, then you shall become our slaves and serve us.”

Amplified Bible
If he is able to fight with me and kill me, then we will become your servants; but if I prevail against him and kill him, then you shall become our servants and serve us.”

Christian Standard Bible
If he wins in a fight against me and kills me, we will be your servants. But if I win against him and kill him, then you will be our servants and serve us.”

Holman Christian Standard Bible
If he wins in a fight against me and kills me, we will be your servants. But if I win against him and kill him, then you will be our servants and serve us.”

American Standard Version
If he be able to fight with me, and 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.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
If he is able to fight with me and will kill me, we shall be Servants to you, and if I defeat him and will kill him, you will be Servants to us and you will serve us!”

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And if he shall be able to fight against me, and shall smite me, then will we be your servants: but if I should prevail and smite him, ye shall be our servants, and serve us.

Contemporary English Version
If he can kill me, our people will be your slaves. But if I kill him, your people will be our slaves.

Douay-Rheims Bible
If he be able to fight with me, and kill me, we will be servants to you: but if I prevail against him, and kill him, you shall be servants, and shall serve us.

English Revised Version
If he be able to fight with me, and 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.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
If he can fight me and kill me, then we will be your slaves. But if I overpower him and kill him, then you will be our slaves and serve us."

Good News Translation
If he wins and kills me, we will be your slaves; but if I win and kill him, you will be our slaves.

International Standard Version
If he's able to fight me and strike me down, then we will become your servants; but if I prevail against him and strike him down, then you will become our servants and serve us."

JPS Tanakh 1917
If he be able to fight with me, and 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.'

Literal Standard Version
if he is able to fight with me, and has struck me, then we have been for servants to you; and if I prevail against him, and have struck him, then you have been for servants to us, and have served us.”

Majority Standard Bible
If he is able to fight 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 labor for us.”

New American Bible
If he beats me in combat and kills me, we will be your vassals; but if I beat him and kill him, you shall be our vassals and serve us.”

NET Bible
If he is able to fight with me and strike me down, we will become your servants. But if I prevail against him and strike him down, you will become our servants and will serve us."

New Revised Standard Version
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 Heart English Bible
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 will be our servants, and serve us."

Webster's Bible Translation
If he shall be able to fight with me, and to kill me, then will we be your servants: but if I shall prevail against him, and kill him, then shall ye be our servants, and serve us.

World English Bible
If he is able to fight with me and kill me, then will we be your servants; but if I prevail against him and kill him, then you will be our servants and serve us.”

Young's Literal Translation
if he be able to fight with me, and have smitten me, then we have been to you for servants; and if I am able for him, and have smitten him, then ye have been to us for servants, and have served us.'

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Goliath's Challenge
8And Goliath stood and shouted to the ranks of Israel, “Why do you come out and array yourselves for battle? Am I not a Philistine, and are you not servants of Saul? Choose one of your men and have him come down against me. 9If he is able to fight 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 labor for us.” 10Then the Philistine said, “I defy the ranks of Israel this day! Give me a man to fight!”…

Cross References
2 Samuel 2:12
One day Abner son of Ner and the servants of Ish-bosheth son of Saul marched out from Mahanaim to Gibeon.

1 Samuel 17:10
Then the Philistine said, "I defy the ranks of Israel this day! Give me a man to fight!"


Treasury of Scripture

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 you be our servants, and serve us.

and serve us

1 Samuel 11:1
Then Nahash the Ammonite came up, and encamped against Jabeshgilead: and all the men of Jabesh said unto Nahash, Make a covenant with us, and we will serve thee.

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1 Samuel 17
1. The armies of the Israelites and Philistines being ready to battle
4. Goliath challenges a combat
12. David, sent by his father to visit his brothers, takes the challenge
28. Eliab chides him
30. He is brought to Saul
32. shows the reason of his confidence
38. and slays the giant
55. Saul takes notice of David














(9) Then will we be your servants.--Each of the positions which the two opposing armies held was well-nigh impregnable; thus it seemed as though a single combat was the only way of deciding the present campaign: besides which, in those far back times such single combats between renowned chieftains of the opposing armies were not by any means uncommon. The reader of the Iliad will ever readily call to mind--in colloquies before the deadly duel--words not altogether unlike the haughty, boastful challenge of the giant Philistine. See, for instance, the speeches of Glaucus and Diomede in Book VI. of the Iliad: "Come hither," says Glaucus, "that you may quickly reach the goal of death."



Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
If
אִם־ (’im-)
Conjunction
Strong's 518: Lo!, whether?, if, although, Oh that!, when, not

he is able
יוּכַ֞ל (yū·ḵal)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 3201: To be able, have power

to fight
לְהִלָּחֵ֤ם (lə·hil·lā·ḥêm)
Preposition-l | Verb - Nifal - Infinitive construct
Strong's 3898: To feed on, to consume, to battle

me
אִתִּי֙ (’it·tî)
Preposition | first person common singular
Strong's 854: Nearness, near, with, by, at, among

and kill me,
וְהִכָּ֔נִי (wə·hik·kā·nî)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular | first person common singular
Strong's 5221: To strike

then we will be
וְהָיִ֥ינוּ (wə·hā·yî·nū)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - first person common plural
Strong's 1961: To fall out, come to pass, become, be

your
לָכֶ֖ם (lā·ḵem)
Preposition | second person masculine plural
Strong's Hebrew

servants.
לַעֲבָדִ֑ים (la·‘ă·ḇā·ḏîm)
Preposition-l | Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 5650: Slave, servant

But if
וְאִם־ (wə·’im-)
Conjunctive waw | Conjunction
Strong's 518: Lo!, whether?, if, although, Oh that!, when, not

I
אֲנִ֤י (’ă·nî)
Pronoun - first person common singular
Strong's 589: I

prevail
אֽוּכַל־ (’ū·ḵal-)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - first person common singular
Strong's 3201: To be able, have power

against him
לוֹ֙ (lōw)
Preposition | third person masculine singular
Strong's Hebrew

and kill him,
וְהִכִּיתִ֔יו (wə·hik·kî·ṯîw)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Conjunctive perfect - first person common singular | third person masculine singular
Strong's 5221: To strike

then you shall be
וִהְיִ֤יתֶם (wih·yî·ṯem)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - second person masculine plural
Strong's 1961: To fall out, come to pass, become, be

our
לָ֙נוּ֙ (lā·nū)
Preposition | first person common plural
Strong's Hebrew

servants
לַעֲבָדִ֔ים (la·‘ă·ḇā·ḏîm)
Preposition-l | Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 5650: Slave, servant

and labor
וַעֲבַדְתֶּ֖ם (wa·‘ă·ḇaḏ·tem)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - second person masculine plural
Strong's 5647: To work, to serve, till, enslave

for us.”
אֹתָֽנוּ׃ (’ō·ṯā·nū)
Direct object marker | first person common plural
Strong's 853: Untranslatable mark of the accusative case


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OT History: 1 Samuel 17:9 If he be able to fight (1Sa iSam 1 Sam i sa)
1 Samuel 17:8
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