King James Version

Judges 8:19

And he said, They were my brethren, even the sons of my mother: as the LORD liveth, if ye had saved them alive, I would not slay you.

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Hebrew

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וַיֹּאמַ֕רvayomarand 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…אַחַ֥יachaybrother ; kindredאָחnoun, common, masculine, plural, construct, suffix, pronominal, 1st person, common, singular — “brother ; kindred”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH251a brother (used in the widest sense of literal relationship and metaphorical affinity or resemblance (like father))another, brother(-ly); kindred, like, other. Compare also the proper names beginning with 'Ah-' or 'Ahi-'.בְּנֵֽיbenesonבֵּןnoun, common, masculine, plural, construct — “son”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH1121a son (as a builder of the family name), in the widest sense (of literal and figurative relationship, including grandson, subject, nation, quality or condition, etc., (like father or brother), etc.)[phrase] afflicted, age, (Ahoh-) (Ammon-) (Hachmon-) (Lev-) ite, (anoint-) ed one, appointed to, ([phrase]) arrow, (Assyr-) (Babylon-) (Egypt-) (Grec-) ian, one born, bough, branch, breed, [phrase] (young) bullock, [phrase] (young) calf, […אִמִּ֖יimimotherאֵםnoun, common, feminine, singular, construct, suffix, pronominal, 1st person, common, singular — “mother”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH517a mother (as the bond of the family); in a wide sense (both literally and figuratively (like father))dam, mother, [idiom] parting.הֵ֑םhemtheyהֵםpronoun, personal, 3rd person, masculine, plural — “they”H1992they (only used when emphatic)it, like, [idiom] (how, so) many (soever, more as) they (be), (the) same, [idiom] so, [idiom] such, their, them, these, they, those, which, who, whom, withal, ye.חַיchaylifeחַיadjective, adjective, masculine, singular, 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.יְהוָ֗הyehvahJehovahיְהֹוָהnoun, proper name — “Jehovah”H3068Jehovah, Jewish national name of GodJehovah, the Lord. Compare H3050 (יָהּ), H3069 (יְהֹוִה).ל֚וּlvifלוּאconjunction — “if”H3863a conditional particle; if; by implication (interj. as a wish) would that!if (haply), peradventure, I pray thee, though, I would, would God (that).הַחֲיִתֶ֣םhachayitemliveחָיָהverb, hiphil, perfect, 2nd person, masculine, plural — “live”, a completed actionH2421to live, whether literally or figuratively; causatively, to revivekeep (leave, make) alive, [idiom] certainly, give (promise) life, (let, suffer to) live, nourish up, preserve (alive), quicken, recover, repair, restore (to life), revive, ([idiom] God) save (alive, life, lives), [idiom] surely, be whole.אוֹתָ֔םotamobject markerאֵתparticle, direct object marker, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, masculine, plural — “object marker”H853properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely)(as such unrepresented in English).לֹ֥אlono , -r,לֹאparticle, negative — “no , -r,”H3808not (the simple or abs. negation); by implication, no; often used with other particles[idiom] before, [phrase] or else, ere, [phrase] except, ig(-norant), much, less, nay, neither, never, no((-ne), -r, (-thing)), ([idiom] as though...,(can-), for) not (out of), of nought, otherwise, out of, [phrase] surely, [phrase] as trul…הָרַ֖גְתִּיharagtidestroyהָרַגverb, qal, perfect, 1st person, common, singular — “destroy”, a completed actionH2026to smite with deadly intentdestroy, out of hand, kill, murder(-er), put to (death), make (slaughter), slay(-er), [idiom] surely.אֶתְכֶֽםetkhemobject markerאֵתparticle, direct object marker, suffix, pronominal, 2nd person, masculine, plural — “object marker”H853properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely)(as such unrepresented in English).

Jewish translation (JPS 1917)

And he said: 'They were my brethren, the sons of my mother; as the LORD liveth, if ye had saved them alive, I would not slay you.'

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, They were my brethren, the sons of my mother: as Jehovah liveth, if ye had saved them alive, I would not slay you.

Young’s Literal Translation

And he saith, 'My brethren — sons of my mother — they; Jehovah liveth, if ye had kept them alive — I had not slain you.'

World English Bible

He said, “They were my brothers, the sons of my mother. As Yahweh lives, if you had saved them alive, I would not kill you.”

Darby Translation

And he said, They were my brethren, the sons of my mother. [As] Jehovah liveth, if ye had saved them alive, I would not slay you.

Douay-Rheims

He answered them: They were my brethren, the sons of my mother. As the Lord liveth, if you had saved them, I would not kill you.

Jewish Publication Society (1917)

And he said: 'They were my brethren, the sons of my mother; as the LORD liveth, if ye had saved them alive, I would not slay you.'

Brenton’s Septuagint (1851), English

And Gedeon said, They were my brethren and the sons of my mother: as the Lord lives, if ye had preserved them alive, I would not have slain you.

Septuagint (Brenton’s Greek, 1851)

Καὶ εἶπε Γεδεὼν, ἀδελφοί μου καὶ υἱοὶ τῆς μητρός μου ἦσαν· ζῇ Κύριος· εἰ ἐζωογονήκειτε αὐτοὺς, οὐκ ἂν ἀπέκτεινα ὑμᾶς.