1 Samuel 17:9

9 if he may fight with me, and slay me, we shall be your servants; forsooth if I have the mastery, and slay him, ye shall be bond (ye shall be our bondsmen, or our slaves), and serve us.

1 Samuel 17:9 Meaning and Commentary

1 Samuel 17:9

If he be able to fight with me, and to kill me, then will we be
your servants
For which it does not appear he had any commission or authority to say; nor did the Philistines think themselves obliged to abide by what he said, since, when he was slain, they did not yield themselves servants to the Israelites:

but if I prevail against him, and kill him, then shall ye be our
servants, and serve us;
to which terms also the Israelites did not consent; nor did David, who engaged with him, enter the fray on such conditions.

1 Samuel 17:9 In-Context

7 Forsooth the shaft of his spear was as the beam of webs (And his spear shaft was like a weaver's beam); and the iron of his spear weighed six hundred shekels of iron; and his squire went before him.

8 And he stood, and cried (out) against the companies of (the) armed men of Israel, and said to them, Why came ye ready to (do) battle? Whether I am not a Philistine, and ye be the servants of Saul? Choose ye a man of you, and come he down to a singular battle, (that is, man-to-man);

9 if he may fight with me, and slay me, we shall be your servants; forsooth if I have the mastery, and slay him, ye shall be bond (ye shall be our bondsmen, or our slaves), and serve us.

10 And the Philistine said, I have said shame today to the companies of Israel; give ye [to me] a man, and begin he singular battle with me. (And the Philistine said, I have shamed Israel's companies this day; now give ye to me a man, and let him fight with me man-to-man.)

11 Soothly Saul and all men of Israel heard such words of the Philistine, and they were astonished, and dreaded greatly (and were greatly afraid).