King James Version

1 Kings 20:18

And he said, Whether they be come out for peace, take them alive; or whether they be come out for war, take them alive.

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Hebrew

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וַיֹּ֛אמֶרvayomerand sayאָמַרconjunction, verb, qal, sequential imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “and say”, the next action in the storyH559to say (used with great latitude)answer, appoint, avouch, bid, boast self, call, certify, challenge, charge, [phrase] (at the, give) command(-ment), commune, consider, declare, demand, [idiom] desire, determine, [idiom] expressly, [idiom] indeed, [idiom] intend, name, [id…אִםimoh thatאִםconjunction — “oh that”H518used very widely as demonstrative, lo!; interrogative, whether?; or conditional, if, although; also Oh that!, when; hence, as a negative, not(and, can-, doubtless, if, that) (not), [phrase] but, either, [phrase] except, [phrase] more(-over if, than), neither, nevertheless, nor, oh that, or, [phrase] save (only, -ing), seeing, since, sith, [phrase] surely (no more, none, not), t…לְשָׁל֥וֹםleshalomto healthשָׁלוֹםpreposition, noun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “to health”, the ordinary formH7965safe, i.e. (figuratively) well, happy, friendly; also (abstractly) welfare, i.e. health, prosperity, peace[idiom] do, familiar, [idiom] fare, favour, [phrase] friend, [idiom] great, (good) health, ([idiom] perfect, such as be at) peace(-able, -ably), prosper(-ity, -ous), rest, safe(-ty), salute, welfare, ([idiom] all is, be) well, [idiom] whol…יָצָ֖אוּyatsavbring forthיָצָאverb, qal, perfect, 3rd person, common, plural — “bring forth”, a completed actionH3318to go (causatively, bring) out, in a great variety of applications, literally and figuratively, direct and proxim.[idiom] after, appear, [idiom] assuredly, bear out, [idiom] begotten, break out, bring forth (out, up), carry out, come (abroad, out, thereat, without), [phrase] be condemned, depart(-ing, -ure), draw forth, in the end, escape, exact, fail…תִּפְשׂ֣וּםtifsumcatchתָּפַשׂverb, qal, imperative, 2nd person, masculine, plural, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, masculine, plural — “catch”, a commandH8610to manipulate, i.e. seize; chiefly to capture, wield, specifically, to overlay; figuratively, to use unwarrantablycatch, handle, (lay, take) hold (on, over), stop, [idiom] surely, surprise, take.חַיִּ֑יםchayimlifeחַיadjective, adjective, masculine, plural, absolute — “life”, the ordinary formH2416alive; hence, raw (flesh); fresh (plant, water, year), strong; also (as noun, especially in the feminine singular and masculine plural) life (or living thing), whether literally or figuratively[phrase] age, alive, appetite, (wild) beast, company, congregation, life(-time), live(-ly), living (creature, thing), maintenance, [phrase] merry, multitude, [phrase] (be) old, quick, raw, running, springing, troop.וְאִ֧םveimand oh thatאִםconjunction, conjunction — “and oh that”H518used very widely as demonstrative, lo!; interrogative, whether?; or conditional, if, although; also Oh that!, when; hence, as a negative, not(and, can-, doubtless, if, that) (not), [phrase] but, either, [phrase] except, [phrase] more(-over if, than), neither, nevertheless, nor, oh that, or, [phrase] save (only, -ing), seeing, since, sith, [phrase] surely (no more, none, not), t…לְמִלְחָמָ֛הlemilchamahto battleמִלְחָמָהpreposition, noun, common, feminine, singular, absolute — “to battle”, the ordinary formH4421a battle (i.e. the engagement); generally, war (i.e. warfare)battle, fight(-ing), war(-rior).יָצָ֖אוּyatsavbring forthיָצָאverb, qal, perfect, 3rd person, common, plural — “bring forth”, a completed actionH3318to go (causatively, bring) out, in a great variety of applications, literally and figuratively, direct and proxim.[idiom] after, appear, [idiom] assuredly, bear out, [idiom] begotten, break out, bring forth (out, up), carry out, come (abroad, out, thereat, without), [phrase] be condemned, depart(-ing, -ure), draw forth, in the end, escape, exact, fail…חַיִּ֥יםchayimlifeחַיadjective, adjective, masculine, plural, absolute — “life”, the ordinary formH2416alive; hence, raw (flesh); fresh (plant, water, year), strong; also (as noun, especially in the feminine singular and masculine plural) life (or living thing), whether literally or figuratively[phrase] age, alive, appetite, (wild) beast, company, congregation, life(-time), live(-ly), living (creature, thing), maintenance, [phrase] merry, multitude, [phrase] (be) old, quick, raw, running, springing, troop.תִּפְשֽׂוּםtifsumcatchתָּפַשׂverb, qal, imperative, 2nd person, masculine, plural, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, masculine, plural — “catch”, a commandH8610to manipulate, i.e. seize; chiefly to capture, wield, specifically, to overlay; figuratively, to use unwarrantablycatch, handle, (lay, take) hold (on, over), stop, [idiom] surely, surprise, take.

Jewish translation (JPS 1917)

And he said: 'Whether they are come out for peace, take them alive; or whether they are come out for war, take them alive.'

Compare Public-Domain Translations

The King James Version remains the text of this page and the canonical URL.

American Standard Version (1901)

And he said, Whether they are come out for peace, take them alive; or whether they are come out for war, take them alive.

Young’s Literal Translation

And he saith, 'If for peace they have come out — catch them alive; and if for battle they have come out — alive catch them.'

World English Bible

He said, “If they have come out for peace, take them alive; or if they have come out for war, take them alive.”

Darby Translation

And he said, Whether they be come out for peace, take them alive; or whether they be come out for war, take them alive.

Douay-Rheims

And he said: Whether they come for peace, take them alive: or whether they come to fight, take them alive.

Jewish Publication Society (1917)

And he said: 'Whether they are come out for peace, take them alive; or whether they are come out for war, take them alive.'

Brenton’s Septuagint (1851), English

Arise, and go down to meet Achaab king of Israel, who is in Samaria, for he is in the vineyard of Nabuthai, for he has gone down thither to take possession of it.

Septuagint (Brenton’s Greek, 1851)

ἀνάστηθι καὶ κατάβηθι εἰς ἀπαντὴν Ἀχαὰβ βασιλέως Ἰσραὴλ τοῦ ἐν Σαμαρείᾳ, ὅτι οὗτος ἐν ἀμπελῶνι Ναβουθαὶ, ὅτι καταβέβηκεν ἐκεῖ κληρονομῆσαι αὐτόν.