1 Samuel 17:9 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.
1 Samuel 17:9 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."
1 Samuel 17:9 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."
1 Samuel 17:9 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."
1 Samuel 17:9 nlt
If he kills me, then we will be your slaves. But if I kill him, you will be our slaves!
1 Samuel 17 9 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| 1 Sam 17:45 | David said to the Philistine, "You come to me with a sword... but I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts..." | Contrast: Goliath trusts weapons; David trusts God. |
| 1 Sam 17:47 | "...that all the assembly may know that the Lord saves not with sword and spear. For the battle is the Lord's..." | God's sovereignty in victory, not human might. |
| Ex 14:14 | "The Lord will fight for you, and you have only to be silent." | God fighting on behalf of His people. |
| Deut 20:4 | "For the Lord your God is he who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies, to give you the victory." | God as the ultimate warrior for Israel. |
| Deut 28:48 | "...you shall serve your enemies whom the Lord will send against you, in hunger and thirst, in nakedness and lack of everything..." | The consequence of defeat and serving foreign masters. |
| Judg 3:7-8 | "...and they forgot the Lord their God and served the Baals and the Asheroth. Therefore the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel... and they served Cushan-rishathaim..." | Israel's history of serving foreign powers due to disobedience. |
| Josh 23:10 | "One man of you puts to flight a thousand, since it is the Lord your God who fights for you, just as he promised." | Divine empowerment for victory, regardless of numbers. |
| 2 Chr 20:15 | "...Thus says the Lord to you, 'Do not be afraid and do not be dismayed at this great horde, for the battle is not yours but God's.'" | Reliance on God in overwhelming circumstances. |
| Ps 20:7 | "Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God." | Contrast between reliance on human/material strength vs. God. |
| Ps 33:16-17 | "The king is not saved by his great army; a warrior is not delivered by his great strength. The war horse is a false hope for salvation..." | Human might is insufficient for true salvation. |
| Prov 16:18 | "Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall." | Goliath's boasting aligns with this proverb's warning. |
| Prov 21:31 | "The horse is made ready for the day of battle, but the victory belongs to the Lord." | Ultimate victory comes from God, not preparation or strength. |
| Zech 4:6 | "...'Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit,' says the Lord of hosts." | God's work is accomplished through His Spirit, not human ability. |
| Rom 6:16 | "Do you not know that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness?" | Metaphor of servanthood; whom one obeys, to them one is servant. |
| Rom 6:18 | "...and having been set free from sin, have become slaves of righteousness." | A choice of servanthood, but for righteousness in Christ. |
| Jn 8:34 | "Jesus answered them, 'Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who practices sin is a slave to sin.'" | The concept of spiritual slavery, echoing earthly bondage. |
| 2 Cor 10:4 | "For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds." | Spiritual warfare principles contrast with purely physical battles. |
| Eph 6:12 | "For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness..." | Acknowledging a deeper, spiritual conflict beyond the visible. |
| Heb 2:14-15 | "Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery." | Christ as the ultimate champion who delivered from spiritual bondage. |
| Col 2:15 | "He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him." | Christ's victory over spiritual adversaries, akin to a champion duel. |
| Rev 21:7 | "The one who conquers will have this heritage, and I will be his God and he will be my son." | Promise to the conqueror, contrasting Goliath's challenge for servanthood. |
| Is 14:3-4 | "When the Lord has given you rest from your pain and turmoil and the hard service with which you were made to serve, you will take up this taunt against the king of Babylon..." | Deliverance from forced servitude as a result of God's intervention. |
1 Samuel 17 verses
1 Samuel 17 9 Meaning
This verse contains Goliath's direct challenge to the Israelite army: a proposition for a single champion to fight on behalf of each nation. The outcome of this duel would determine the fate of both peoples: if the Israelite champion wins, the Philistines will become servants to Israel; if Goliath wins, Israel will become servants to the Philistines. It sets extremely high stakes, transforming a battle of armies into a winner-take-all individual combat, promising complete submission and loss of sovereignty for the defeated side.
1 Samuel 17 9 Context
1 Samuel chapter 17 details the epic confrontation between Israel and the Philistines in the Valley of Elah. For forty days, the Philistine champion, Goliath of Gath, stood before the Israelite army, hurling defiant challenges. Verse 9 is the culmination of Goliath's taunt, specifying the rules of engagement and the catastrophic consequences for the losing side. This challenge highlights the deep-seated fear and lack of faith within the Israelite ranks, including King Saul, as no one dared to answer Goliath. Historically, champion combat was a known ancient Near Eastern practice to settle disputes between armies, minimizing bloodshed. However, for Israel, serving any other nation would be a betrayal of their covenant with Yahweh, who had delivered them from Egyptian bondage and called them to serve Him alone.
1 Samuel 17 9 Word analysis
- If he is able: (Hebrew: ʾIm yūḵal - אִם־יוּכַל) The conditional particle "if" sets up a choice based on capability. yūḵal (from yakol) means "to be able," "to prevail," "to be strong enough." Goliath emphasizes physical prowess and power, the prevailing mindset for earthly battles. This phrase inherently challenges Israel's ability to produce a formidable champion.
- to fight with me: (Hebrew: ləhippaḥem ʿimmādî - לְהִלָּחֵם אִתִּי) Ləhippaḥem (from laḥam) signifies a direct, personal, and intense combat. ʿimmādî means "with me," stressing a singular, mano-a-mano duel. It is an invitation to direct confrontation.
- and kill me: (Hebrew: wəhikḵānî - וְהִכָּנִי) From the root nakah, "to strike," "to hit," "to kill." This states the definitive outcome that secures victory. Goliath explicitly accepts death as a possible personal consequence.
- then we will be your servants: (Hebrew: wəhâyînū lākem laʿăḇāḏîm - וְהָיִינוּ לָכֶם לַעֲבָדִים) Laʿăḇāḏîm (plural of ʿeḇed) means "as slaves" or "as bondservants." This implies a complete and permanent subjugation, a reversal of status where the Philistines, previously dominators, would become enslaved to Israel.
- But if I prevail against him: (Hebrew: wəʾim ʾānōḵî ʾûḵal-lōh - וְאִם־אָנֹכִי אוּכַל־לוֹ) ʾānōḵî is an emphatic "I," showcasing Goliath's overwhelming self-confidence and self-reliance. ʾûḵal-lōh again uses yakol, reinforcing the idea of his anticipated power and dominance over any challenger.
- and kill him: (Hebrew: wəhikkītīhû - וְהִכִּיתִיו) A restatement of the desired lethal outcome, highlighting the winner-takes-all nature of the combat.
- then you shall be our servants and serve us: (Hebrew: wîhîtîm lānu lāʿăḇāḏîm waʿăḇaḏtemūnnû - וִהְיִיתֶם לָנוּ לַעֲבָדִים וַעֲבַדְתֶּמֻנוּ) This repeats the condition of total servitude (lāʿăḇāḏîm) and explicitly adds the action of serving (waʿăḇaḏtemūnnû, from ʿaḇad, "to serve"). The double emphasis on "servants" and "serve us" underscores the total loss of autonomy and submission for Israel, a stark contrast to their identity as God's redeemed people.
Words-group by words-group analysis
- "If he is able to fight with me and kill me": This establishes the conditional premise for Philistine submission. It articulates Goliath's clear, albeit overconfident, understanding of the duel's rules and stakes, based on physical power and fatal outcome.
- "then we will be your servants": This is the declared consequence for the Philistines if they lose. It is an acceptance of defeat and full subjugation, a promise for collective servitude. This would involve a drastic societal upheaval.
- "But if I prevail against him and kill him": This is Goliath's reciprocal conditional premise, mirroring the first. His emphatic "I" (אָנֹכִי) here signifies his absolute conviction in his own power and his disdain for the opposing army. This half of the challenge outlines his assured victory.
- "then you shall be our servants and serve us": This is the declared consequence for Israel if they lose, which Goliath confidently expects. The repetition of the concept of servitude—being "servants" and then specifically commanded to "serve us"—emphasizes complete and active subjugation. This would be a profound theological crisis for Israel, as their identity was tied to being God's servants, not human masters.
1 Samuel 17 9 Bonus section
- Binding Agreement: The proposition in verse 9, delivered verbally, served as a form of "blood covenant" in ancient warfare. Both parties, by either accepting or failing to provide a champion, implicitly agreed to abide by the duel's outcome, signifying a deeply binding and irrevocable pledge of national destiny.
- Humiliation as a Weapon: Goliath's forty-day challenge was not just a delay tactic but a continuous act of psychological warfare. His repeated taunts, culminating in this detailed proposal, were designed to demoralize Israel and force their submission even before a sword was drawn, effectively weaponizing fear and public humiliation.
- Spiritual Blindness: The Israelite army, under King Saul, saw Goliath's challenge purely through a human lens of physical comparison and fear. They failed to grasp that the true battle was not Goliath against a human champion, but Goliath and the gods of the Philistines against Yahweh, the living God. Their inability to provide a champion showcased their spiritual weakness and their dependence on outward appearance rather than divine promise.
1 Samuel 17 9 Commentary
1 Samuel 17:9 crystallizes the high stakes of Goliath's challenge, embodying the ancient custom of champion warfare. Goliath's audacious proposition was more than a physical dare; it was a psychological and spiritual assault. By demanding a single combat that would decide the national fate, he challenged not only Israel's military might but, implicitly, the power of their God. His focus on "ability" (yakol) through physical prowess (strength, fighting skill) contrasts sharply with David's later approach, who trusted in God's ability to save, irrespective of human strength or weapons (1 Sam 17:45-47). For Israel, accepting such servitude would be a grave failure to their covenant with Yahweh, who liberated them from slavery to serve Him alone. Goliath's self-assured declarations highlight the hubris of man trusting in flesh, setting the stage for God's demonstration of power through the unlikeliest of champions.