1 Samuel 25 – Abigail, Example Of Godliness

By Nate Wilson. Delivered: October 2004 EPC Carbondale, June 2006 CTR Manhattan, 29 Aug 2021 CTR Manhattan

Introduction

How to get something out of the Bible every time you read it: look for a:

Sin to avoid

Promise to claim

*Example to follow

Command to obey

Knowledge to remember

Read 1 Samuel 25

This chapter is book-ended by tantalizingly-brief newsbytes on the death and burial¹ of the prophet Samuel in v.1, and a list of David’s wives² at the end.
- Since Saul had taken Michal back to give to another man (2 Sam. 3:15 - Paltiel or “Palti” for short), David had married Ahinoam, a woman from the Judean town of Jezreel (no relation to Saul’s wife Ahinoam, by the way), and with Ahinoam, David fathered Amnon, who became infamous for abusing his sister.
- With Abigail, David fathered Chileab (2 Sam. 3:3), also known as “Daniel” (1 Chron. 3:1) who was pretty much lost in obscurity. David’s marriage to Abigail after she had become a widow may have been a kind of mutually-advantageous political move that would connect him to the resources of a wealthy estate while giving her and her people the security of an honest and powerful warlord looking out for them. It was the people of that area around Hebron who were the first to make David their king. (Tsumura)
The main part of this chapter, however, centers on an incident between David and Abigal’s husband Nabal.
- It is the second of three stories in a row set in the Judean wilderness³ in which David was tempted to take revenge - but didn’t. In the last chapter - and in the next chapter, he was tempted to take revenge on King Saul but he restrained himself and his men; in this chapter, he is tempted to take revenge on Nabal, and it is Abigaal who restrains him from taking revenge.
- Like the men of Ziph in chapter 23 and chapter 26 who tried to betray David into Saul’s hands, Nabal too was descended from Caleb and was loyal to Saul – or at least not wanting to get on Saul’s bad side by doing anything good to David. Without being told who David’s father was, Nabal knew Saul’s epithet for David, “the son of Jesse,” and his message to David is full of insults. David takes the bait and gets so mad he vows to kill every male⁴ in Nabal’s household, or as David literally says, “every one who pees against the wall.” David’s crass language gives us an idea of how upset he had unwisely allowed himself to get.
- The occasion is a sheep-shearing where wool for all kinds of cloth was sheared off of Nabal’s 3,000 sheep (and perhaps from his 1,000 goats too).
  - It would have been a big work- project with lots of people helping, and it would net Nabal lots of money when he sold all that wool.
  - It also seems to be one of the religious feast days too, where Jews were commanded in the law to invite poor people and Levites to their feast. David may have been asking if Nabal would take them on as a charity for the feast. Nabal was apparently rich enough to feast a few hundred men, so he was a logical person for David to ask.
  - Or he may have simply been asking for a share in the profits since he has contributed to the security of Nabal’s flocks. (David, as we know, was quite knowledgeable about protecting sheep.)
Now, usually, when there is a band of revolutionaries in the area, everyone around them is vandalized. Bandits will steal for a living. but not David. Nabal's shepherds thought it remarkable that David did not steal to provide supplies for his company, and Nabal's shepherds and servants commented on this to Nabal's wife, Abigail. The servants were also afraid that if Nabal were to insult this band of David's, that David would come out for battle against Nabal -- which was precisely what David was doing!
Abigail saved the day by hurrying out to stop David with a generous gift and gracious, humble words.

3 Character traits of Abigail that make her an example

1. Wisdom (“intelligent”) – v.3

a) Took advice (v.14-17 “Now therefore know this and consider what you should do, for harm is determined against our master and against all his house, and he is such a worthless man that one cannot speak to him.”) - unlike Nabal (v.8-10 implies that Nabal did not ask for references) v.17 implies that the servant did not feel he could talk to Nabal whereas he knew he would get an audience with Abigail.
* Are you easy to approach with advice?
* Cf. Prov. 12:15 “The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, But he who heeds counsel is wise.” (NKJV)

b) Accepted blame that wasn’t hers (v24 “On me alone, my lord, be the guilt.”, v28 “Please forgive the trespass of your servant.”) and gave gifts to appease David (v.18 “two hundred loaves and two skins of wine and five sheep already prepared and five measures of parched grain and a hundred clusters of raisins and two hundred cakes of figs”)
* Are you willing to take blame for something you didn’t do and let your reputation go? This is like what Jesus did, taking our sin on Himself and suffering punishment for us on the cross!

c) Knew when to talk to Nabal (v.36 sober after feast) and when not to (before she took action when he could have stopped her⁵ – v.19) She also knew when to talk to David – right away before he did anything he would regret! She even timed her departure perfectly to sneak up on him by an unseen route and intercept him where the routes crossed.

d) Knew how to speak persuasively

They say the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach, and Abigail leveraged that, quickly diverting food prepared for the shearing-feast and having it delivered to David – big skins of wine, and enough bread to give every man a third of a loaf and lots of dried fruit. With this generous gift of food, she was bound to be heard.
Also, in v.26 before David makes a decision to stop pursuing Nabal, she speaks of it in the past tense, and she also attributes her action to God: “because the Lord has restrained you from bloodguilt,” v. 31 “my lord shall have no cause of grief or pangs of conscience for having shed blood without cause,” even speaking of a slingshot v.29).
She uses a play on words in v.25, for the word "Nabal" in Hebrew means "fool."
She knew just how to butter David up, too, talking of slingshots and of his future kingship. The respect and thoughtfulness she showed to David healed the offense of Nabal’s insult.
In v.28, she also talks about David “fighting the battles of the LORD” – reminding him that God had not called him to fight against Jews but against the enemies of the Jews and therefore attacking Nabal was beneath his calling. (Metsudath David)
It seems God tends to naturally gift women in speech. This gift can be used for good or for evil. See how Abigail used it for good!

e) Gave thought to the future – v.31 (“When Yahweh does good to you, remember me.”)

Wisdom is good, but it can lead to pride when a person feels able to meet the challenges of life without God by their own wits and when a person thinks himself better than others. Not so with Abigail. Her wisdom was tempered with humility.

2. Humility (servant attitude)

v. 18 hurried to prepare the food,
v.23, “hurried down from her donkey” upon first seeing David, calling David “lord” and herself “servant” (v.23 “got down from the donkey and fell before David on her face and bowed to the ground. She fell at his feet and said, ‘On me alone, my lord, be the guilt. Please let your servant speak in your ears, and hear the words of your servant.’”)
In v. 28, She asked forgiveness of the tresspass against David. It takes humility to admit a mistake that reflects on you and to go to the person who was offended and ask forgiveness, but it it what God’s word calls us to do.
v.41 “And she rose and bowed with her face to the ground and said, ‘Behold, your handmaid is a servant to wash the feet of the servants of my lord.’") Would you be willing to wash 600 soldier’s feet for the rest of your life? v.42 - she hurried to David when he asked to marry her.
“[T]he more she humbled herself, the more worthy she was to be exalted to be Dauid’s wife.” ~Andrew Willett
“None so fit to be preferred as those that can thus humble themselves.” ~Matthew Henry
Humility is a Christ-like character trait: Philippians 2:5-8 “Have this attitude in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, while existing in God's form, did not consider being equal to God a prize to be clutched, but rather, emptied Himself, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And while He was found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself, becoming obedient unto death – even death by crucifixion.” (NAW)

Abigail’s wisdom and humility are wonderful, but there is one more essential ingredient to her character. There are, many wise and humble people who will not be in heaven because they do not have faith in God. Abigail’s faith completes the picture of an exemplary woman.

3. Faith

“Abigail had received certain information of the anointing of David, and his designation to be the future king, probably through Samuel, or one of the pupils of the prophets... Abigail manifests such an advance and maturity in the life of faith, as could only have been derived from inter[action] with prophets.” ~Keil & Delitzsch

a) She believed in God as sovereign over:

Actions: “God has held you back” v.26 “[S]he does not impute this to her prudence, and the provision she made to appease David... but to the Lord, and the interposition of his providence, which she knew would have its weight on the mind of ... David.” ~John Gill
Justice: (v. 26 “Jehovah has restrained you from bloodguilt and from saving with your own hand” v.31 “my lord shall have no cause of grief or pangs of conscience for having shed blood without cause or for my lord taking vengeance himself. And when Jehovah has dealt well with my lord, then remember your servant.” also in 1 Chron 3:1 her son is named “Daniel” “God is my judge.”)
Life: (v.29 “If men rise up to pursue you and to seek your life, the life of my lord shall be bound in the bundle of the living in the care of Jehovah your God. And the lives of your enemies he shall sling out as from the hollow of a sling.”) beautiful picture here! ILLUSTRATION: packing china cups carefully
* Do you really believe God is sovereign, or do you worry and work to make sure things turn out right?

b) She also believed in God’s anointed

sided with David, trusting in God’s promise (v.30 And when Jehovah has done to my lord according to all the good that he has spoken concerning you and has appointed you prince over Israel”), instead of with Saul as her husband had done (v.10 “Who is the son of Jesse? There are many servants these days who are breaking away from their masters.”)
* Jesus was also called the anointed/Christ. Like Abigail we have the choice: do we look to the world and the ones who have power for our leadership - as Nabal looked to Saul, or do we trust in Jesus and His promise to come through for us, to provide for us, to save us?

Conclusion

For the wealthy: generosity is a virtue; miserliness and surliness aren't.
For the fugitive: stealing is wrong no matter what the circumstances. Do good to the people of the country!
Gracious, humble words are always important!
A quick temper is bad. David decided upon military revenge for Nabal's insult, but he shouldn’t have done it. Taking vengeance into your own hands is wrong (v.33,39).
- Don’t despair too quickly and call your service to God and to others vain simply because it wasn’t recognized. v.21--No, it was NOT useless for David to see that none of Nabal's property was stolen or damaged. It sounds like David's focus had shifted from God to man (and how EASY that is to do!). Out of honor for God, David should have not stolen -- not out of some hope that he would GET something back from Nabal.
- “Let this help us to bear such reproaches and misrepresentations of us with patience and cheerfulness, and make us easy under them, that it has often been the lot of the excellent ones of the earth. Some of the best men that ever the world was blest with were counted as the off-scouring of all things, 1Cor. 4:13.” ~Matthew Henry
When someone is wronged, lose no time in making it right. The longer it festers, the worse it becomes (v.18). Abigail did well to hurry to make the problem right.
Women should stay away from ornery wealthy men and drunkards! It must have been a difficult life for Abigail. But she was right in patching up things to save and honor her husband and all their household staff.
What made Abigail attractive to David? she was humble and had a servant's heart.
- The apostle Peter touched on that in the third chapter of his epistle: “even though some are uncompliant with the word, they will be won over through the lifestyle of their wives without a word after observing y'all's respectful, pure lifestyle, of whom your world must be – not external, of braiding of hairs or of decoration made of gold things or of trying on of clothes, but rather [it must be] – the hidden person of the heart, with the imperishable [characteristic] of your meek and quiet spirit which continues to be very precious in God's sight.” (NAW)
v.24--Blame-shifting does not help. Go ahead and take blame even if it isn't your fault.
v.28--Abigail asks David to forgive her husband. Done in this way, David can't help but forgive.
- This is like our position with God as described in 1 John 5:16 “ If someone were to see his brother sinning a sin not unto death, he will request, and He will give to him life...” (NAW)
- There are appropriate times to ask God to forgive other people. Jesus' prayer on the cross is one example in Luke 23:34 “Father forgive them for they know not what they do.”
Sometimes it is best to eat our words like David did when he realized that his vow to kill every male in Nabal’s household was rash. “A rash vowe and oath... are better broken then obserued… when an vnlawfull and vniust oath is kept, there is a double sinne committed: first, in the rash making of such an oath, and then in the vngodly performing of it…. but it is better, the oath beeing once made by repentance to heale that soare in reuersing it, then to make the wound greater in effecting it.” ~A. Willett
The consequences of David marrying so many women played out in his inability to teach Godly character to the many children he fathered through them. His children from all these wives fought and bickered and abused each other and tried to overthrow David for the rest of his life. Lord, let me be a "one-woman man," (1 Tim. 3:2) with no eye or thought for any other woman but my wife!
One last thought on Samuel's death (v.1): May God manifest His goodness through our lives in such a way that people will mourn our death rather than be glad, as David – and probably many members of Nabal’s household – were when Nabal died.

1 Samuel 25 – Side-by-side comparison of versions^{^A}

LXX	Brenton	DRB	KJV	NAW	MT
1 Καὶ ἀπέθανεν Σαμουηλ, καὶ συναθροίζονται πᾶς Ισραηλ καὶ κόπτονται αὐτὸν καὶ θάπτουσιν αὐτὸν ἐν οἴκῳ αὐτοῦ ἐν Αρμαθαιμ. --καὶ ἀνέστη Δαυιδ καὶ κατέβη εἰς τὴν ἔρημον Μααν.	1 And Samuel died, and all Israel assembled, and bewailed him, and they bury him in his house in Armathaim: and David arose, and went down to the wilderness of Maon.	1 And Samuel died, and all Israel was gathered together, and they mourned for him, and buried him in his house in Ramatha. And David rose, and went down into the wilderness of Pharan.	1 And Samuel died; and all the Israelites were gathered together, and lamented^B him, and buried him in his house at Ramah. And David arose, and went down to the wilderness of Paran.	1	1 וַיָּמָת שְׁמוּאֵל וַיִּקָּבְצוּ כָל-יִשְׂרָאֵל וַיִּסְפְּדוּ-לוֹ וַיִּקְבְּרֻהוּ בְּבֵיתוֹ בָּרָמָה וַיָּקָם דָּוִד וַיֵּרֶד אֶל-מִדְבַּר פָּארָן: ס
2 καὶ ἦν ἄνθρωπος ἐν τῇ Μααν, καὶ τὰ ποίμνια αὐτοῦ ἐν τῷ Καρμήλῳ· καὶ ὁ ἄνθρωπος μέγας σφόδρα, καὶ τούτῳ ποίμνια τρισχίλια καὶ αἶγες χίλιαι· καὶ ἐγενήθη ἐν τῷ κείρειν τὸ ποίμνιον αὐτοῦ ἐν τῷ Καρμήλῳ.	2 And there was a man in Maon, and his flocks were in Carmel, and he was a very great man; and he had three thousand sheep, and a thousand she-goats: and he happened to be shearing his flock in Carmel.	2 Now there was a certain man in [the wilderness of] Maon, and his possessions were in Carmel, and the man was very great: and he had 3,000 sheep, and 1,000 goats: and it happened that he was shearing his sheep in Carmel.	2 And there was a man in Maon, whose possessions^C were in Carmel; and the man was very great^D, and he had three thousand sheep, and a thousand goats: and he was shearing his sheep in Carmel.	2	2 וְאִישׁ בְּמָעוֹן וּמַעֲשֵׂהוּ בַכַּרְמֶל וְהָאִישׁ גָּדוֹל מְאֹד וְלוֹ צֹאן שְׁלֹשֶׁת-אֲלָפִים וְאֶלֶף עִזִּים וַיְהִי בִּגְזֹז אֶת-צֹאנוֹ בַּכַּרְמֶל:
3 καὶ ὄνομα τῷ ἀνθρώπῳ Ναβαλ, καὶ ὄνομα τῇ γυναικὶ αὐτοῦ Αβιγαια· καὶ ἡ γυνὴ [αὐτοῦ] ἀγαθὴ συνέσει^E καὶ καλὴ τῷ εἴδει σφόδρα, καὶ ὁ ἄνθρωπος σκληρὸς καὶ πονηρὸς ἐν ἐπιτηδεύμασιν^F, καὶ ὁ [ἄνθρωπος] κυνικός.	3 And the man's name was Nabal, and his wife's name was Abigaia: and [his] wife was of good understanding and very beautiful in person: but the man was harsh, and evil in [his] doings, and the man was ~~churlish~~.	3 Now the name of the man was Nabal: and the name of his wife was Abigail. And she was a prudent and very comely woman: but her husband was churlish, and [very] bad and ill ~~natured~~: and he was [of the house] of Caleb.	3 Now the name of the man was Nabal; and the name of his wife Abigail: and she was a woman of good understanding, and of a beautiful countenance: but the man was churlish and evil in [his] doings; and he was of [the house of] Caleb.	3	3 וְשֵׁם הָאִישׁ נָבָל וְשֵׁם אִשְׁתּוֹ אֲבִגָיִל וְהָאִשָּׁה טוֹבַת-שֶׂכֶל וִיפַת תֹּאַר וְהָאִישׁ קָשֶׁה וְרַע מַעֲלָלִים וְהוּא^G כָלֶבוֹ^H:
4 καὶ ἤκουσεν Δαυιδ ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ ὅτι κείρει Ναβαλ [ὁ Καρμήλιος] τὸ ποίμνιον αὐτοῦ,	4 And David heard in the wilderness, that Nabal [the Carmelite] was shearing his sheep.	4 And when David heard in the wilderness, that Nabal was shearing his sheep,	4 And David heard in the wilderness that Nabal did shear his sheep.	4	4 וַיִּשְׁמַע דָּוִד בַּמִּדְבָּר כִּי-גֹזֵז נָבָל^I אֶת-צֹאנוֹ:
5 καὶ Δαυιδ ἀπέστειλεν δέκα παιδάρια καὶ εἶπεν τοῖς παιδαρίοις Ἀνάβητε εἰς Κάρμηλον καὶ ἀπέλθατε πρὸς Ναβαλ καὶ ἐρωτήσατε^J αὐτὸν ἐπὶ τῷ ὀνόματί μου εἰς εἰρήνην	5 And David sent ten young men, and he said to the young men, Go up to Carmel, and go to Nabal, and ask him in my name how he is.	5 X He sent ten young men, and X said to them X: Go up to Carmel, and go to Nabal, and salute him in my name with peace.	5 And David sent out ten young men, and David said unto the young men, Get you up to Carmel, and go to Nabal, and greet him in my name:	5	5 וַיִּשְׁלַח דָּוִד עֲשָׂרָה נְעָרִים וַיֹּאמֶר דָּוִד לַנְּעָרִים^K עֲלוּ כַרְמֶלָה וּבָאתֶם אֶל-נָבָל וּשְׁאֶלְתֶּם- לוֹ בִשְׁמִי לְשָׁלוֹם:
6 καὶ ἐρεῖτε τάδε Εἰς ὥρας· καὶ σὺ ὑγιαίνων, καὶ ὁ οἶκός σου καὶ πάντα τὰ σὰ ὑγιαίνοντα.	6 And thus shall ye say, May thou and thy house seasonably prosper, and all thine be in prosperity.	6 And you shall say: Peace be to my brethren, and to thee, and peace to thy house, and peace to all that thou hast.	6 And thus shall ye say to him that liveth in prosperity, Peace be both to thee, and peace be to thine house, and peace be unto all that thou hast.	6	6 וַאֲמַרְתֶּם כֹּה לֶחָי^L וְאַתָּה שָׁלוֹם וּבֵיתְךָ שָׁלוֹם וְכֹל אֲשֶׁר- לְךָ שָׁלוֹם:
7 καὶ νῦν [ἰδοὺ] ἀκήκοα ὅτι κείρουσίν σοι· νῦν οἱ ποιμένες σου, οἳ ἦσαν μεθ᾿ ἡμῶν [ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ, καὶ] οὐκ ἀπεκωλύσαμεν^M αὐτοὺς καὶ οὐκ ἐν~~ετειλάμεθα~~ αὐτοῖς οὐθὲν πάσας τὰς ἡμέρας ὄντων αὐτῶν ἐν Καρμήλῳ	7 And now, [behold], I have heard that thy shepherds X who were with us [in the wilderness X] are shearing thy sheep, and we hindered them not, neither did we ~~demand~~ any thing from them all the time they were in Carmel.	7 X X I have heard that thy shepherds X that were with us [in the desert] were shearing: we never molested them, neither was there ought missing to them [of the flock] at any time, all the while they were with us in Carmel.	7 And now I have heard that thou hast shearers: now thy shepherds which were with us, we hurt^N them not, neither was there ought missing unto them, all the while^O they were in Carmel.	7	7 וְעַתָּה שָׁמַעְתִּי כִּי גֹזְזִים לָךְ עַתָּה הָרֹעִים אֲשֶׁר-לְךָ הָיוּ עִמָּנוּ ^Pלֹא הֶכְלַמְנוּם וְלֹא-נִפְקַד^Q לָהֶם מְאוּמָה כָּל-יְמֵי הֱיוֹתָם בַּכַּרְמֶל:
8 ἐρώτησον τὰ παιδάριά σου, καὶ ἀπαγγελοῦσίν σοι. καὶ εὑρέτωσαν τὰ παιδάρια χάριν ἐν ὀφθαλμοῖς σου, ὅτι ἐφ᾿ ἡμέραν ἀγαθὴν ἥκομεν· δὸς δὴ ὃ ἐὰν εὕρῃ ἡ χείρ σου X X X X τῷ υἱῷ σου τῷ Δαυιδ.	8 Ask thy servants, and they will tell thee. Let then thy servants find grace in thine eyes, for we are come on a good day; give we pray thee, whatsoever thy hand may find, X X X X to thy son David.	8 Ask thy servants, and they will tell thee. Now therefore let thy servants find favour in thy eyes: for we are come in a good day, whatsoever thy hand shall find give to thy servants, and to thy son David.	8 Ask thy young men, and they will shew thee. Wherefore let the young men find favour in thine eyes: for we come in a good^R day: give, I pray thee, whatsoever cometh to thine hand unto thy servants, and to thy son David.	8	8 שְׁאַל אֶת- נְעָרֶיךָ וְיַגִּידוּ לָךְ וְיִמְצְאוּ הַנְּעָרִים חֵן בְּעֵינֶיךָ כִּי- עַל-יוֹם טוֹב בָּנוּ^S תְּנָה-נָּא אֵת אֲשֶׁר תִּמְצָא יָדְךָ לַעֲבָדֶיךָ וּלְבִנְךָ לְדָוִד:
9 καὶ ἔρχονται τὰ παιδάρια X καὶ λαλοῦσιν τοὺς λόγους τούτους πρὸς Ναβαλ κατὰ πάντα τὰ ῥήματα ταῦτα ἐν τῷ ὀνόματι Δαυιδ. καὶ ~~ἀνεπήδησεν~~^T	9 So the servants X come and speak these words to Nabal, according to all these words in the name of David. And ~~Nabal sprang up~~	9 And when David's servants came, they spoke to Nabal X all these words in David's name, and then held their peace.	9 And when David's young men came, they spake to Nabal according to all those words in the name of David, and ceased^U.	9	9 וַיָּבֹאוּ נַעֲרֵי דָוִד וַיְדַבְּרוּ אֶל-נָבָל כְּכָל-הַדְּבָרִים הָאֵלֶּה בְּשֵׁם דָּוִד וַיָּנוּחוּ^V:
10 καὶ ἀπεκρίθη Ναβαλ τοῖς παισὶν Δαυιδ καὶ εἶπεν Τίς ὁ Δαυιδ καὶ τίς ὁ υἱὸς Ιεσσαι; σήμερον πεπληθυμμένοι εἰσὶν οἱ δοῦλοι ἀναχωροῦντες^Wἕκαστος ἐκ προσώπου τοῦ κυρίου αὐτοῦ.	10 and answered the servants of David, and said, Who is David? and who is the son of Jessae? Now-a-days there is abundance of servants who depart every one from his masterX.	10 But Nabal answering the servants of David, X said: Who is David? and what is the son of Isai? servants are multiplied now days who flee from their masters.	10 And Nabal answered David's servants, and said, Who is David? and who is the son of Jesse? there be many servants now a days that break away every man from his masterX.	10	10 וַיַּעַן נָבָל אֶת-עַבְדֵי דָוִד וַיֹּאמֶר מִי דָוִד^X וּמִי בֶן-יִשָׁי הַיּוֹם רַבּוּ עֲבָדִים הַמִּתְפָּרְצִים^Y אִישׁ מִפְּנֵי אֲדֹנָיו:
11 καὶ λήμψομαι τοὺς ἄρτους μου καὶ τὸν ~~οἶνόν~~ μου καὶ τὰ θύματά μου, ἃ τέθυκα τοῖς κείρουσίν μου, τὰ πρόβατα, καὶ δώσω αὐτὰ ἀνδράσιν, οἷς οὐκ οἶδα πόθεν εἰσίν X X ;	11 And shall I take my bread, and my ~~wine~~, and my beasts that I have slain for my shearers, and shall I give them to men of whom I know not whence X X they are?	11 Shall I then take my bread, and my water, and [the flesh of] my cattle, which I have killed for my shearers, and give to men whom I know not whence X X they are?	11 Shall I then take my bread, and my water, and my flesh that I have killed for my shearers, and give it unto men, whom I know not whence X X they be?	11	11 וְלָקַחְתִּי אֶת- לַחְמִי וְאֶת-מֵימַי וְאֵת טִבְחָתִי אֲשֶׁר טָבַחְתִּי לְגֹזְזָי וְנָתַתִּי לַאֲנָשִׁים אֲשֶׁר לֹא יָדַעְתִּי אֵי מִזֶּה הֵמָּה:
12 καὶ ἀπεστράφησαν τὰ παιδάρια Δαυιδ εἰς ὁδὸν αὐτῶν καὶ ἀνέστρεψαν καὶ ἦλθον καὶ ἀνήγγειλαν τῷ [Δαυιδ] κατὰ X τὰ ῥήματα ταῦτα.	12 So the servants of David turned backX X, and returned, and came and reported to [David] according to X these words.	12 So the servants of David went back their way, and returning came and told him X all the words [that he said].	12 So David's young men turned their way, and went again, and came and told him X all those sayings.	12	12 וַיַּהַפְכוּ נַעֲרֵי-דָוִד לְדַרְכָּם וַיָּשֻׁבוּ וַיָּבֹאוּ וַיַּגִּדוּ לוֹ כְּכֹל הַדְּבָרִים הָאֵלֶּה:
13 καὶ εἶπεν Δαυιδ τοῖς ἀνδράσιν αὐτοῦ Ζώσασθε ἕκαστος τὴν ῥομφαίαν αὐτοῦ· X X X X X X X X X X X καὶ ἀνέβησαν ὀπίσω Δαυιδ ὡς τετρακόσιοι ἄνδρες, καὶ οἱ διακόσιοι ἐκάθισαν μετὰ τῶν σκευῶν.	13 And David said to his men, Gird on every man his sword. X X X X X X X X X X X And they went up after David, about four hundred men: and two hundred abode with the stuff.	13 Then David said to his young men: Let [every] man gird on his sword. And they girded on every man his sword. And David also girded on his sword: and there X followed David about four hundred men, and two hundred remained with the baggage.	13 And David said unto his men, Gird ye on [every] man his sword. And they girded on^Z every man his sword; and David also girded on his sword: and there went up after David about four hundred men; and two hundred abode by the stuff.	13	13 וַיֹּאמֶר דָּוִד לַאֲנָשָׁיו חִגְרוּ אִישׁ אֶת-חַרְבּוֹ וַיַּחְגְּרוּ אִישׁ אֶת-חַרְבּוֹ וַיַּחְגֹּר גַּם-דָּוִד אֶת-חַרְבּוֹ וַיַּעֲלוּ אַחֲרֵי דָוִד כְּאַרְבַּע מֵאוֹת אִישׁ וּמָאתַיִם יָשְׁבוּ עַל-הַכֵּלִים:
14 καὶ τῇ Αβιγαια γυναικὶ Ναβαλ ἀπήγγειλεν ἓν X τῶν παιδαρίων λέγων Ἰδοὺ Δαυιδ ἀπέστειλεν ἀγγέλους ἐκ τῆς ἐρήμου εὐλογῆσαι τὸν κύριον ἡμῶν, καὶ ἐξέκλινεν^AA ἀπ᾿ αὐτῶν.	14 And one X of the servants reported to Abigaia the wife of Nabal, saying, Behold, David sent messengers out of the wilderness to salute our lord; but he turned away from them.	14 But one X of the servants told, Abigail, the wife of Nabal, saying: Behold, David sent messengers out of the wilderness, to salute our master: and he rejected them.	14 But one X of the young men told Abigail, Nabal's wife, saying, Behold, David sent messengers out of the wilderness to salute^AB our master; and he railed^ACon them.	14	14 וְלַאֲבִיגַיִל אֵשֶׁת נָבָל הִגִּיד נַעַר-אֶחָד מֵהַנְּעָרִים לֵאמֹר הִנֵּה שָׁלַח דָּוִד מַלְאָכִים מֵהַמִּדְבָּר לְבָרֵךְ אֶת-אֲדֹנֵינוּ וַיָּעַט^AD בָּהֶם:
15 καὶ οἱ ἄνδρες ἀγαθοὶ ἡμῖν σφόδρα· X οὐκ ἀπεκώλυσαν ἡμᾶς οὐδὲ ~~ἐνετείλαντο~~ ἡμῖν πάσας τὰς ἡμέρας, ἃς ~~ἦμεν~~ παρ᾿ αὐτοῖς· [καὶ] ἐν τῷ εἶναι ἡμᾶς ἐν ἀγρῷ	15 And the men were very good to us; X they did not hinder us, neither did they ~~demand~~ from us any thing all the days that we ~~were~~ with them. [And] when we were in the field,	15 These men were very good to us, and gave us no trouble: Neither did we [ever] lose any thing all the timeX that we conversed with them X X X in the desert.	15 But the men were very good unto us, and we were not hurt, neither missed we any thing, as ~~long~~ [as]^AE we were conversant^AF with them, when we were in the fields:	15	15 וְהָאֲנָשִׁים טֹבִים לָנוּ מְאֹד וְלֹא הָכְלַמְנוּ וְלֹא-פָקַדְנוּ מְאוּמָה כָּל-יְמֵי הִתְהַלַּכְנוּ אִתָּם בִּהְיוֹתֵנוּ בַּשָּׂדֶה:
16 [ὡς] τεῖχος ἦσαν περὶ ἡμᾶς καὶ τὴν νύκτα καὶ τὴν ἡμέραν πάσας τὰς ἡμέρας, ἃς ἤμεθα παρ᾿ αὐτοῖς ποιμαίνοντες τὸ ποίμνιον.	16 they were [as] a wall round about us, both by night and by day, all the days that we were with them feeding the flock.	16 They were a wall unto us, both by night and day, all the whileX we were with them keeping the sheep.	16 They were a wall unto us both by night and day, all the whileX^AG we were with them keeping^AH the sheep.	16	16 חוֹמָה^AI הָיוּ עָלֵינוּ גַּם-לַיְלָה גַּם-יוֹמָם כָּל-יְמֵי הֱיוֹתֵנוּ עִמָּם רֹעִים הַצֹּאן:
17 καὶ νῦν γνῶθι καὶ ἰδὲ τί [σὺ] ποιήσεις, ὅτι συντετέλεσται ἡ κακία εἰς τὸν κύριον ἡμῶν καὶ εἰς^AJ X τὸν οἶκον αὐτοῦ· καὶ οὗτος υἱὸς λοιμός^AK, [καὶ] οὐκ ἔστιν λαλῆσαι πρὸς αὐτόν.	17 And now do thou consider, and see what thou wilt do; for mischief is determined against our lord and against X his house; and he is a vile character, [and] one cannot speak to him.	17 Wherefore consider, and think what thou hast to do: for evil is determined against ~~thy~~ ~~husband~~, and against X ~~thy~~ house, and he is a son of Belial, so that no man can speak to him.	17 Now therefore know and consider^AL what thou wilt do; for evil is determined^AM against our master, and against all his household: for he is such a son of Belial^AN, that a man cannot speak to him.	17	17 וְעַתָּה דְּעִי וּרְאִי מַה-תַּעֲשִׂי כִּי-כָלְתָה הָרָעָה^AO אֶל-אֲדֹנֵינוּ וְעַל כָּל-בֵּיתוֹ וְהוּא בֶּן-בְּלִיַּעַל מִדַּבֵּר אֵלָיו:
18 καὶ ἔσπευσεν Αβιγαια καὶ ἔλαβεν διακοσίους ἄρτους καὶ δύο ἀγγεῖα^AP οἴνου καὶ πέντε πρόβατα πεποιημένα καὶ πέντε οιφι^AQ ἀλφίτου καὶ ~~γομορ~~ ἓν^AR σταφίδος καὶ διακοσίας παλάθας καὶ ἔθετο ἐπὶ τοὺς ὄνους	18 And Abigaia hasted, and took two hundred loaves, and two vessels of wine, and five sheep ready dressed, and five ephahs of fine flour, and ~~one~~ ~~homer~~ of dried grapes, and two hundred cakes of figs, and put them upon asses.	18 Then Abigail made haste and took two hundred loaves, and two vessels of wine, and five sheep ready dressed, and five measures of parched corn, and a hundred clusters of raisins, and two hundred cakes of [dry] figs, and laid them upon asses:	18 Then Abigail made haste, and took two hundred loaves, and two bottles^AS of wine, and five sheep ready dressed, and five measures of parched^AT corn, and an hundred clusters of raisins, and two hundred cakes of figs, and laid^AU them on asses.	18	18 וַתְּמַהֵר אֲבוֹגַיִל^AV וַתִּקַּח מָאתַיִם לֶחֶם וּשְׁנַיִם נִבְלֵי-יַיִן וְחָמֵשׁ צֹאן עֲשָׂווֹת עֲשׂוּיֹת וְחָמֵשׁ סְאִים קָלִי וּמֵאָה צִמֻּקִים וּמָאתַיִם דְּבֵלִים וַתָּשֶׂם עַל-הַחֲמֹרִים:
19 καὶ εἶπεν τοῖς παιδαρίοις αὐτῆς Προπορεύεσθε ἔμπροσθέν μου, καὶ ἰδοὺ ἐγὼ ὀπίσω ὑμῶν παραγίνομαι. καὶ τῷ ἀνδρὶ αὐτῆς X οὐκ ἀπήγγειλεν.	19 And she said to her servants, Go on before me, and behold I come after you: but she told not her husband X.	19 And she said to her servants: Go before me: behold, I will follow after you: but she told not her husband, Nabal.	19 And she said unto her servants, Go on before me; behold, I come after you. But she told not her husband Nabal.	19	19 וַתֹּאמֶר לִנְעָרֶיהָ עִבְרוּ לְפָנַי הִנְנִי אַחֲרֵיכֶם בָּאָה וּלְאִישָׁהּ נָבָל לֹא הִגִּידָה:
20 καὶ ἐγενήθη αὐτῆς ἐπιβεβηκυίης ἐπὶ τὴν ὄνον καὶ καταβαινούσης ἐν σκέπῃ τοῦ ὄρους καὶ ἰδοὺ Δαυιδ καὶ οἱ ἄνδρες αὐτοῦ κατέβαινον εἰς συνάντησιν αὐτῆς, καὶ ἀπήντησεν αὐτοῖς.	20 And it came to pass when she had mounted her ass and was going down by the covert of the mountain, X behold, David and his men came down to meet her, and she met them.	20 And when she had gotten upon an ass, and was coming down to the ~~foot~~ of the mountain, X X David and his men came down over ~~against~~ her, and she met them.	20 And it was so, as she rode on the ass, that she came down by the covert of the hill^AW, and, behold, David and his men came down against X^AX her; and she met them.	20	20 וְהָיָה הִיא רֹכֶבֶת עַל-הַחֲמוֹר וְיֹרֶדֶת בְּסֵתֶר הָהָר וְהִנֵּה דָוִד וַאֲנָשָׁיו יֹרְדִים לִקְרָאתָהּ וַתִּפְגֹּשׁ אֹתָם:
21 καὶ Δαυιδ εἶπεν Ἴσως^AY εἰς ἄδικον ^AZ πεφύλακα πάντα τὰ αὐτοῦ ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ καὶ οὐκ ~~ἐνετειλάμεθα~~^BA λαβεῖν ἐκ πάντων τῶν αὐτοῦ οὐθέν, καὶ ἀνταπέδωκέν μοι πονηρὰ ἀντὶ ἀγαθῶν·	21 And David said, Perhaps X X I have kept all his possessions in the wilderness [that he should wrong me], and we did not ~~order~~ the taking anything of all his goods; yet he has rewarded me evil for good.	21 And David said: Truly in vain have I kept all that belonged to this fellow in the wilderness, and nothing was lost of all that pertained unto him: and he hath returned me evil for good.	21 Now David had said, Surely in vain have I kept^BB all that this fellow hath in the wilderness, so that nothing was missed of all that pertained unto him: and he hath requited^BC me evil for good.	21	21 וְדָוִד אָמַר אַךְ לַשֶּׁקֶר שָׁמַרְתִּי אֶת-כָּל-אֲשֶׁר לָזֶה בַּמִּדְבָּר וְלֹא-נִפְקַד מִכָּל-אֲשֶׁר-לוֹ מְאוּמָה וַיָּשֶׁב-לִי רָעָה תַּחַת טוֹבָה:
22 τάδε ποιήσαι ὁ θεὸς τῷ X^BD Δαυιδ καὶ τάδε προσθείη, εἰ ὑπολείψομαι ἐκ πάντων τῶν [τοῦ Ναβαλ] ἕως πρωὶ οὐροῦντα πρὸς τοῖχον.	22 So God do to X X David and more also, if I leave one male of all that belong to Nabal until the morning.	22 May God do so and so, and add more to the foes of David, if I leave of all that belong to him till the morning, any that pisseth against the wall.	22 So and more also do God unto the enemies of David, if I leave of all that pertain to him by the morning [light^BE] any that pisseth^BF against the wall.	22	22 כֹּה-יַעֲשֶׂה אֱלֹהִים לְאֹיְבֵי דָוִד וְכֹה יֹסִיף אִם-אַשְׁאִיר מִכָּל- אֲשֶׁר-לוֹ עַד-הַבֹּקֶר מַשְׁתִּין בְּקִיר:
23 καὶ εἶδεν Αβιγαια τὸν Δαυιδ καὶ ἔσπευσεν καὶ κατεπήδησεν ἀπὸ τῆς ὄνου καὶ ἔπεσεν ἐνώπιον Δαυιδ ἐπὶ πρόσωπον αὐτῆς καὶ προσεκύνησεν [αὐτῷ^BG ἐπὶ] τὴν γῆν	23 And Abigaia saw David, and she hasted and alighted from her ass; and she fell before David on her face, and did obeisance [to him, bowing] to the ground	23 And when Abigail saw David, she made haste and lighted off the ass, and fell before David, on her face, and adored upon the ground.	23 And when Abigail saw David, she hasted, and lighted off the ass, and fell before David on her face, and bowed herself to the ground,	23	23 וַתֵּרֶא אֲבִיגַיִל אֶת-דָּוִד וַתְּמַהֵר וַתֵּרֶד מֵעַל הַחֲמוֹר וַתִּפֹּל לְאַפֵּי דָוִד עַל-פָּנֶיהָ וַתִּשְׁתַּחוּ אָרֶץ:
24 X X ἐπὶ τοὺς πόδας αὐτοῦ καὶ εἶπεν Ἐν ἐμοί, κύριέ μου, ἡ ἀδικία· λαλησάτω δὴ ἡ δούλη σου εἰς τὰ ὦτά σου, καὶ ἄκουσον τῆς δούλης σου λόγον.	24 X X even to his feet, and said, On me, my lord, be my wrong: let, I pray thee, thy servant speak in thine ears, and hear thou the words of thy servant.	24 And she fell at his feet, and said: Upon me let this iniquity be, my lord: let thy handmaid speak, I beseech thee, in thy ears, and hear the words of thy servant.	24 And fell at his feet, and said, Upon me, my lord, upon me let this iniquity be: and let thine handmaid, I pray thee, speak in thine audience, and hear the words of thine handmaid.	24	24 וַתִּפֹּל עַל-רַגְלָיו וַתֹּאמֶר בִּי-אֲנִי אֲדֹנִי הֶעָוֹן וּתְדַבֶּר-נָא אֲמָתְךָ בְּאָזְנֶיךָ וּשְׁמַע אֵת דִּבְרֵי אֲמָתֶךָ:
25 μὴ δὴ θέσθω^BH ὁ κύριός μου καρδίαν αὐτοῦ ἐπὶ τὸν ἄνθρωπον τὸν λοιμὸν τοῦτον, X X ὅτι κατὰ τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ οὕτως ἐστίν· Ναβαλ ὄνομα αὐτῷ, καὶ ἀφροσύνη μετ᾿ αὐτοῦ· καὶ ἐγὼ ἡ δούλη σου οὐκ εἶδον τὰ παιδάριά [σου] X X, ἃ ἀπέστειλας.	25 Let not my lord, I pray thee, take to heart this pestilent man X X, for according to his name, so is he; Nabal is his name, and folly is with him: but I thy handmaid saw not the servants of {my lord}^BI whom thou didst send.	25 Let not my lord the king, I pray thee, regard this naughty man, X X Nabal: for according to his name, he is a fool, and folly is with him: but I, thy handmaid, did not see [thy] servants, my lord, whom thou sentest.	25 Let not my lord, I pray thee, regard this man of Belial, even Nabal: for as his name is, so is he; Nabal is his name, and folly is with him: but I thine handmaid^BJ saw not the young men of my lord, whom thou didst send.	25	25 אַל-נָא יָשִׂים אֲדֹנִי אֶת-לִבּוֹ אֶל-אִישׁ הַבְּלִיַּעַל הַזֶּה עַל-נָבָל כִּי כִשְׁמוֹ כֶּן-הוּא נָבָל שְׁמוֹ וּנְבָלָה^BK עִמּוֹ וַאֲנִי אֲמָתְךָ לֹא רָאִיתִי אֶת-נַעֲרֵי אֲדֹנִי אֲשֶׁר שָׁלָחְתָּ:
26 καὶ νῦν, κύριε, ζῇ κύριος καὶ ζῇ ἡ ψυχή σου, καθὼς ἐκώλυσέν σε κύριος τοῦ μὴ ἐλθεῖν εἰς αἷμα [ἀθῷον]^BL καὶ σῴζειν^BM τὴν χεῖρά σού σοι, καὶ νῦν γένοιντο ὡς Ναβαλ οἱ ἐχθροί σου καὶ οἱ ζητοῦντες τῷ κυρίῳ μου κακά.	26 And now, my lord, as the Lord lives, and thy soul lives, as the Lord has kept thee from coming against [innocent] blood, and [from] executing ~~veng~~~~eance~~ for thyself, now therefore let thine enemies, and those that seek evil against my lord, become as Nabal.	26 Now therefore, my lord, the Lord liveth, and thy soul liveth, who X hath withholden thee from coming to blood, and hath saved thy hand to thee: and now let thy enemies be as Nabal, and all they that seek evil to my lord.	26 Now therefore, my lord, as the LORD liveth, and as thy soul liveth, seeing^BN the LORD hath withholden^BO thee from coming to shed blood, and [from] avenging^BP thyself with thine own hand, X now let thine enemies, and they that seek evil to my lord, be as Nabal.	26	26 וְעַתָּה אֲדֹנִי חַי-יְהוָה וְחֵי-נַפְשְׁךָ אֲשֶׁר מְנָעֲךָ יְהוָה מִבּוֹא בְדָמִים וְהוֹשֵׁעַ יָדְךָ לָךְ וְעַתָּה יִהְיוּ כְנָבָל^BQ אֹיְבֶיךָ וְהַמְבַקְשִׁים אֶל-אֲדֹנִי רָעָה:
27 καὶ νῦν [λαβὲ] τὴν εὐλογίαν ταύτην, ἣν ἐνήνοχεν ἡ δούλη σου τῷ κυρίῳ μου, καὶ δώσεις τοῖς παιδαρίοις τοῖς παρεστηκόσιν X X τῷ κυρίῳ μου.	27 And now [accept] this token of goodwill, which thy servant has brought to my lord, and thou shalt give it to the servants that ~~wait~~ on X X my lord.	27 Wherefore [receive] this blessing, which thy handmaid hath brought to [thee], my lord: and give it to the young men that ~~follow~~ X X [thee], my lord.	27 And now this blessing^BR which thine handmaid hath brought unto my lord, let it even be given unto the young men that ~~follow~~ X X my lord.	27	27 וְעַתָּה ^BS הַבְּרָכָה הַזֹּאת אֲשֶׁר-הֵבִיא שִׁפְחָתְךָ לַאדֹנִי וְנִתְּנָה לַנְּעָרִים הַמִּתְהַלְּכִים בְּרַגְלֵי^BT אֲדֹנִי:
28 ἆρον^BU δὴ τὸ ἀνόμημα τῆς δούλης σου, ὅτι ποιῶν ποιήσει κύριος τῷ κυρίῳ μου οἶκον πιστόν, ὅτι πόλεμον κυρίου ὁ κύριός μου πολεμεῖ, καὶ κακία^BV οὐχ εὑρεθήσεται ἐν σοὶ ~~πώποτε~~ X.	28 Remove, I pray thee, the trespass of thy servant; for the Lord will surely make for my lord a sure house, for ~~the~~ Lord fights the battles of my^BW lord, and there shall no evil be ~~ever~~ found in thee X.	28 Forgive the iniquity of thy handmaid: for the Lord will surely make for my lord a faithful house, because thou, my lord, fightest the battles of the Lord: let not evil therefore be found in thee [all the] days of thy [life].	28 I pray thee, forgive the trespass^BX of thine handmaid: for the LORD will certainly make my lord a sure house^BY; because my lord fighteth the battles of the LORD, and evil hath not been found in thee all thy days.	28	28 שָׂא נָא לְפֶשַׁע אֲמָתֶךָ כִּי עָשֹׂה- יַעֲשֶׂה יְהוָה לַאדֹנִי בַּיִת נֶאֱמָן כִּי-מִלְחֲמוֹת יְהוָה אֲדֹנִי נִלְחָם וְרָעָה לֹא-תִמָּצֵא בְךָ מִיָּמֶיךָ:
29 καὶ ἀναστήσεται ἄνθρωπος καταδιώκων σε καὶ ζητῶν τὴν ψυχήν σου, καὶ ἔσται ἡ ψυχὴ κυρίου μου ἐνδεδεμένη^BZ ἐν δεσμῷ τῆς ζωῆς παρὰ κυρίῳ τῷ θεῷ, καὶ ψυχὴν ἐχθρῶν σου σφενδονήσεις ἐν μέσῳ τῆς σφενδόνης^CA.	29 And if a man shall rise up persecuting thee and seeking thy life, yet shall the life of my lord be bound up in the bundle of lifeX with the Lord God, and thou shalt whirl the life of thine enemies [as] in the midst of a sling.	29 For if a man [at any time] shall rise, ~~and~~ persecute thee, and seek thy life, X the soul of my lord shall be kept, [as] in the bundle of the living, with the Lord thy God: but the souls of thy enemies shall be whirled, [as] with [the violence and] whirling of a sling.	29 Yet a man is risen to pursue thee, and to seek thy soul: but the soul of my lord shall be bound in the bundle of lifeX with the LORD thy God; and the souls of thine enemies, them shall he sling out, as out of the middle^CB of a sling.	29	29 וַיָּקָם אָדָם לִרְדָפְךָ וּלְבַקֵּשׁ אֶת-נַפְשֶׁךָ וְהָיְתָה נֶפֶשׁ אֲדֹנִי צְרוּרָה בִּצְרוֹר הַחַיִּים^CC אֵת יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ וְאֵת נֶפֶשׁ אֹיְבֶיךָ יְקַלְּעֶנָּה בְּתוֹךְ כַּף הַקָּלַע:
30 καὶ ἔσται ὅτι ποιήσει κύριος τῷ κυρίῳ μου X πάντα, ὅσα ἐλάλησεν ἀγαθὰ ἐπὶ σέ, καὶ ἐντελεῖταί σοι κύριος εἰς ἡγούμενον ἐπὶ Ισραηλ,	30 And it shall be when the Lord shall have wrought for my lord X all the good thing[s] he has spoken concerning thee, and shall appoint thee to be ruler over Israel;	30 And when the Lord shall have done to [thee], my lord, X all the good that he hath spoken concerning thee, and shall have ~~made~~ thee prince over Israel,	30 And it shall come to pass, when the LORD shall have done to my lord according to all the good that he hath spoken concerning thee, and shall have appointed thee ruler over Israel;	30	30 וְהָיָה כִּי- יַעֲשֶׂה יְהוָה לַאדֹנִי כְּכֹל אֲשֶׁר- דִּבֶּר אֶת-הַטּוֹבָה עָלֶיךָ וְצִוְּךָ לְנָגִיד עַל-יִשְׂרָאֵל:
31 καὶ οὐκ ἔσται σοι τοῦτο βδελυγμὸς καὶ σκάνδαλον X τῷ κυρίῳ μου, X ἐκχέαι αἷμα [ἀθῷον] δωρεὰν^CD καὶ σῶσαι [χεῖρα] κυρίου μου αὐτῷ. καὶ ἀγαθώσει κύριος τῷ κυρίῳ μου, καὶ μνησθήσῃ τῆς δούλης σου [ἀγαθῶσαι αὐτῇ].	31 then this shall not be an abomination and offence X to {you^CE} my lord, X to have shed [innocent] blood without cause, and for my lord to have avenged himself: and so may the Lord do good to my lord, and thou shalt remember thine handmaid [to do her good].	31 X This shall not be an occasion of grief to thee, and a scruple of heart to my lord, X that thou hast shed innocent blood, or X X hast revenged thyself: and when the Lord shall have done well by my lord, X thou shalt remember thy handmaid.	31 That this shall be no grief unto thee, nor offence^CFof heart^CG unto my lord, either^CH that thou hast shed blood causeless, or that my lord hath avenged himself: but when the LORD shall have dealt well^CI with my lord, then remember thine handmaid.	31	31 וְלֹא תִהְיֶה זֹאת לְךָ לְפוּקָה^CJ וּלְמִכְשׁוֹל לֵב^CK לַאדֹנִי וְלִשְׁפָּךְ-דָּם חִנָּם וּלְהוֹשִׁיעַ אֲדֹנִי לוֹ וְהֵיטִב יְהוָה לַאדֹנִי וְזָכַרְתָּ אֶת-אֲמָתֶךָ: ס
32 καὶ εἶπεν Δαυιδ τῇ Αβιγαια Εὐλογητὸς κύριος ὁ θεὸς Ισραηλ, ὃς ἀπέστειλέν σε σήμερον ἐν ταύτῃ εἰς ἀπάντησίν μου,	32 And David said to Abigaia, Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, who sent thee this very day to meet me:	32 And David said to Abigail: Blessed be the Lord the God of Israel, who sent thee this day to meet me,	32 And David said to Abigail, Blessed be the LORD God of Israel, which sent thee this day to meet me:	32	32 וַיֹּאמֶר דָּוִד לַאֲבִיגַל בָּרוּךְ יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל אֲשֶׁר שְׁלָחֵךְ הַיּוֹם הַזֶּה לִקְרָאתִי:
33 καὶ εὐλογητὸς ὁ τρόπος^CL σου, καὶ εὐλογημένη σὺ ἡ ἀποκωλύσασά με σήμερον ἐν ταύτῃ μὴ ἐλθεῖν εἰς αἵματα καὶ σῶσαι χεῖρά μου ἐμοί.	33 and blessed be thy conduct, and blessed be thou, who hast hindered me this very day from coming to shed blood, and from {with my own hand^CM} avenging myself.	and blessed be thy speech: 33 And blessed be thou, who hast kept me to day from coming to blood, and revenging me with my own hand.	33 And blessed be thy advice^CN, and blessed be thou, which hast kept me this day from coming^CO to shed blood, and from avenging myself with mine own hand.	33	33 וּבָרוּךְ טַעְמֵךְ וּבְרוּכָה אָתְּ אֲשֶׁר כְּלִתִנִי הַיּוֹם הַזֶּה מִבּוֹא בְדָמִים וְהֹשֵׁעַ^CP יָדִי לִי:
34 πλὴν ὅτι^CQ ζῇ κύριος ὁ θεὸς Ισραηλ, ὃς ἀπεκώλυσέν με [σήμερον] τοῦ κακοποιῆσαί σε, ὅτι εἰ μὴ ἔσπευσας καὶ παρεγένου εἰς ἀπάντησίν μοι, τότε [εἶπα] Εἰ ὑπολειφθήσεται τῷ Ναβαλ ἕως φωτὸς τοῦ πρωὶ οὐρῶν πρὸς τοῖχον.	34 But surely as the Lord God of Israel lives, who hindered me [this day] from doing thee harm, if thou hadst not hasted and come to meet me, then [I said], There shall surely not be left to Nabal till the {light of^CR} morning one male.	34 Otherwise, as the Lord liveth, the God of Israel, who hath withholden me from doing thee [any] evil, if thou hadst not quickly come to meet me, there had not been left to Nabal by the morning light, any that pisseth against the wall.	34 For in very deed,^CS as the LORD God of Israel liveth, which hath kept me back from hurting thee, X except thou hadst hasted^CT and come to meet me, surely there had not been left unto Nabal by the morning light any that pisseth against the wall.	34	34 וְאוּלָם חַי-יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל אֲשֶׁר מְנָעַנִי מֵהָרַע אֹתָךְ כִּי לוּלֵי מִהַרְתְּ וַתָּבֹאתִי^CU לִקְרָאתִי כִּי אִם-נוֹתַר לְנָבָל עַד-אוֹר הַבֹּקֶר מַשְׁתִּין בְּקִיר:
35 καὶ ἔλαβεν Δαυιδ ἐκ χειρὸς αὐτῆς [πάντα], ἃ ἔφερεν αὐτῷ, καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῇ Ἀνάβηθι εἰς εἰρήνην εἰς οἶκόν σου· βλέπε ἤκουσα τῆς φωνῆς σου καὶ ᾑρέτισα^CV τὸ πρόσωπόν σου.	35 And David took of her hand [all] that she brought to him, and said to her, Go in peace to thy house: see, I have hearkened to thy voice, and accepted thy petition.	35 And David received at her hand [all] that she had brought him, and said to her: Go in peace into thy house, behold I have heard thy voice, and honoured thy face.	35 So David received of her hand that which she had brought him, and said unto her, Go up in peace to thine house; see, I have hearkened^CW to thy voice, and have accepted^CX thy person.	35	35 וַיִּקַּח דָּוִד מִיָּדָהּ אֵת אֲשֶׁר-הֵבִיאָה לוֹ וְלָהּ אָמַר עֲלִי לְשָׁלוֹם לְבֵיתֵךְ רְאִי שָׁמַעְתִּי בְקוֹלֵךְ וָאֶשָּׂא פָּנָיִךְ:
36 καὶ παρεγενήθη Αβιγαια πρὸς Ναβαλ, καὶ ἰδοὺ αὐτῷ πότος ἐν οἴκῳ αὐτοῦ ὡς πότος βασιλέως, καὶ ἡ καρδία Ναβαλ ἀγαθὴ ἐπ᾿ αὐτόν, καὶ αὐτὸς μεθύων ἕως σφόδρα· καὶ οὐκ ἀπήγγειλεν αὐτῷ ῥῆμα μικρὸν ἢ μέγα ἕως φωτὸς τοῦ πρωί.	36 And Abigaia came to Nabal: and, behold, he had a banquet in his house, as the banquet of a king, and the heart of Nabal was merry within him, and he was very drunken: and she told him nothing great or small till the morning light.	36 And Abigail came to Nabal: and behold he had a feast in his house, like the feast of a king: and Nabal's heart was merry X X, for he was very drunk: and she told him nothing less or more until X X morning.	36 And Abigail came to Nabal; and, behold, he held a feast in his house, like the feast of a king; and Nabal's heart was merry within him, for he was very drunken: wherefore she told him nothing, less or more, until the morning light.	36	36 וַתָּבֹא אֲבִיגַיִל אֶל-נָבָל וְהִנֵּה-לוֹ מִשְׁתֶּה בְּבֵיתוֹ כְּמִשְׁתֵּה הַמֶּלֶךְ וְלֵב נָבָל טוֹב עָלָיו וְהוּא שִׁכֹּר עַד-מְאֹד וְלֹא-הִגִּידָה לּוֹ דָּבָר קָטֹן וְגָדוֹל עַד-אוֹר הַבֹּקֶר:
37 καὶ ἐγένετο πρωί, ὡς ἐξένηψεν ἀπὸ τοῦ οἴνου Ναβαλ, ἀπήγγειλεν αὐτῷ X ἡ γυνὴ αὐτοῦ τὰ ῥήματα ταῦτα, καὶ ἐναπέθανεν ἡ καρδία αὐτοῦ ἐν αὐτῷ, καὶ αὐτὸς γίνεται ὡς λίθος.	37 And it came to pass in the morning, when Nabal recovered from his wine, X his wife told him these words; and his heart died within him, and he became as a stone.	37 But early in the morning, when Nabal had digested his wine, X his wife told him these words, and his heart died within him, and he became as a stone.	37 But it came to pass in the morning, when the wine was gone out of Nabal, and his wife had told him these things, that his heart died within him, and he became as a stone.	37	37 וַיְהִי בַבֹּקֶר בְּצֵאת הַיַּיִן מִנָּבָל וַתַּגֶּד-לוֹ אִשְׁתּוֹ אֶת-הַדְּבָרִים הָאֵלֶּה וַיָּמָת לִבּוֹ בְּקִרְבּוֹ וְהוּא הָיָה לְאָבֶן^CY:
38 καὶ ἐγένετο ὡσεὶ δέκα ἡμέραι καὶ ἐπάταξεν κύριος τὸν Ναβαλ, καὶ ἀπέθανεν.	38 And it came to pass after about ten days, that the Lord smote Nabal, and he died.	38 And after ten days had passed, X the Lord struck Nabal, and he died.	38 And it came to pass about ten days after, that the LORD smote Nabal, that he died.	38	38 וַיְהִי כַּעֲשֶׂרֶת הַיָּמִים וַיִּגֹּף יְהוָה אֶת-נָבָל וַיָּמֹת:
39 καὶ ἤκουσεν Δαυιδ X X X καὶ εἶπεν Εὐλογητὸς κύριος, ὃς ἔκρινεν τὴν κρίσιν τοῦ ὀνειδισμοῦ μου ἐκ χειρὸς Ναβαλ καὶ τὸν δοῦλον αὐτοῦ περιεποιήσατο^CZ ἐκ [χειρὸς] κακῶν, καὶ τὴν κακίαν Ναβαλ ἀπέστρεψεν κύριος εἰς κεφαλὴν αὐτοῦ. καὶ ἀπέστειλεν Δαυιδ καὶ ἐλάλησεν περὶ Αβιγαιας λαβεῖν αὐτὴν ἑαυτῷ εἰς γυναῖκα.	39 And David heard it X X X and said, Blessed be the Lord, who has judged the cause of my reproach at the hand of Nabal, and has delivered his servant from the [power of] evil; and the Lord has returned the mischief of Nabal upon his own head. And David sent and spoke concerning Abigaia, to take her to himself for a wife.	39 And when David had heard that Nabal was dead, he said: Blessed be the Lord, who hath judged the cause of my reproach, at the hand of Nabal, and hath kept his servant from evil, and the Lord hath returned the wickedness of Nabal upon his head. Then David sent and treated with Abigail, that he might take her to himself for a wife.	39 And when David heard that Nabal was dead, he said, Blessed be the LORD, that hath pleaded the cause^DAof my reproach from the hand of Nabal, and hath kept his servant from evil: for the LORD hath returned the wickedness^DB of Nabal upon his own head. And David sent and communed^DC with Abigail, to take her to him to wife.	39	39 וַיִּשְׁמַע דָּוִד כִּי מֵת נָבָל^DD וַיֹּאמֶר בָּרוּךְ יְהוָה אֲשֶׁר רָב אֶת-רִיב חֶרְפָּתִי מִיַּד נָבָל וְאֶת-עַבְדּוֹ חָשַׂךְ מֵרָעָה וְאֵת רָעַת נָבָל הֵשִׁיב יְהוָה בְּרֹאשׁוֹ^DE וַיִּשְׁלַח דָּוִד וַיְדַבֵּר בַּאֲבִיגַיִל לְקַחְתָּהּ לוֹ לְאִשָּׁה:
40 καὶ ἦλθον οἱ παῖδες Δαυιδ πρὸς Αβιγαιαν εἰς Κάρμηλον καὶ ἐλάλησαν αὐτῇ λέγοντες Δαυιδ ἀπέστειλεν ἡμᾶς πρὸς σὲ λαβεῖν σε αὐτῷ εἰς γυναῖκα.	40 So the servants of David came to Abigaia to Carmel, and spoke to her, saying, David has sent us to thee, to take thee to himself for a wife.	40 And David's servants came to Abigail, to Carmel, and spoke to her, saying: David hath sent us to thee, to take thee to himself for a wife.	40 And when the servants of David were come to Abigail to Carmel, they spake unto her, saying, David sent us unto thee, to take thee to him to wife.	40	40 וַיָּבֹאוּ עַבְדֵי דָוִד אֶל-אֲבִיגַיִל הַכַּרְמֶלָה וַיְדַבְּרוּ אֵלֶיהָ לֵאמֹר דָּוִד שְׁלָחָנוּ אֵלַיִךְ לְקַחְתֵּךְ לוֹ לְאִשָּׁה:
41 καὶ ἀνέστη καὶ προσεκύνησεν ἐπὶ τὴν γῆν ἐπὶ πρόσωπον καὶ εἶπεν Ἰδοὺ ἡ δούλη σου εἰς παιδίσκην νίψαι πόδας τῶν παίδων ~~σου~~ X^DF.	41 And she arose, and did reverence with her face to the earth, and said, Behold, thy servant is for an handmaid to wash the feet of thy servants.	41 And she arose, and bowed herself down with her face to the earth, and said: Behold, let thy servant be a handmaid, to wash the feet of the servants of my lord.	41 And she arose, and bowed herself on her face to the earth, and said, Behold, let thine handmaid be a servant^DG to wash the feet of the servants of my lord.	41	41 וַתָּקָם וַתִּשְׁתַּחוּ אַפַּיִם אָרְצָה וַתֹּאמֶר הִנֵּה אֲמָתְךָ לְשִׁפְחָה לִרְחֹץ רַגְלֵי עַבְדֵי אֲדֹנִי:
42 καὶ ἀνέστη X X^DH Αβιγαια καὶ ἐπέβη ἐπὶ τὴν ὄνον, καὶ πέντε κοράσια ἠκολούθουν X αὐτῇ, καὶ ἐπορεύθη ὀπίσω τῶν παίδων Δαυιδ καὶ γίνεται αὐτῷ εἰς γυναῖκα.	42 And Abigaia arose, and X X mounted her ass, and five damsels followed X her: and she went after the servants of David, and became his wife.	42 And Abigail arose, and made haste, and got upon an ass, and five damsels went with her X, her waiting maids, and she X followed the messengers of David, and became his wife.	42 And Abigail hasted, and arose, and rode^DI upon an ass, with five damsels of hers that went after her X; and she went after the messengers of David, and became his wife.	42	42 וַתְּמַהֵר וַתָּקָם אֲבִיגַיִל וַתִּרְכַּב עַל-הַחֲמוֹר וְחָמֵשׁ נַעֲרֹתֶיהָ הַהֹלְכוֹת לְרַגְלָהּ וַתֵּלֶךְ אַחֲרֵי מַלְאֲכֵי דָוִד וַתְּהִי-לוֹ לְאִשָּׁה:
43 καὶ τὴν Αχινααμ ἔλαβεν Δαυιδ ἐξ Ιεζραελ, καὶ ἀμφότεραι ἦσαν αὐτῷ γυναῖκες.	43 And David took Achinaam out of Jezrael, and they were both his wives.	43 Moreover David took also Achinoam of Jezrahel: and they were both of them his wives.	43 David also took Ahinoam of Jezreel; and they were also both of them his wives.	43	43 וְאֶת-אֲחִינֹעַם לָקַח דָּוִד מִיִּזְרְעֶאל ^DJ וַתִּהְיֶיןָ גַּם- שְׁתֵּיהֶן לוֹ לְנָשִׁים: ס
44 καὶ Σαουλ ἔδωκεν Μελχολ τὴν θυγατέρα αὐτοῦ τὴν γυναῖκα Δαυιδ τῷ Φαλτι υἱῷ Λαις τῷ ἐκ ~~Ρομμα~~.	44 And Saul gave Melchol his daughter, David's wife, to Phalti the son of ~~Amis~~^DK who was of ~~Romma~~.	44 But Saul gave Michol, his daughter, David's wife, to Phalti, the son of Lais, who was of Gallim.	44 But Saul had given Michal his daughter, David's wife, to Phalti the son of Laish, which was of Gallim.	44	44 וְשָׁאוּל נָתַן אֶת-מִיכַל בִּתּוֹ אֵשֶׁת דָּוִד לְפַלְטִי בֶן-לַיִשׁ אֲשֶׁר מִגַּלִּים^DL:

1There is some controversy over where Samuel was buried, and it hinges on how to interpret the beth prepositional prefix to the Hebrew word “house”: Willett asserted it just meant he was buried “among his family and kindred in Ramah,” (cf. NASB & NIV “at his house/home,” Jamieson: his own mausoleum,” John Gill: “not that he was buried...within the walls of that building wherein he dwelt… the meaning is, that they buried him in the place where his house was, as Ben Gersom interprets it, at Ramah, in some field or garden belonging to it.”), while Keil & Delitzsch and Tsumura (NICOT) asserted that he was buried “within” the house itself, although the latter noted that this would be a departure from Jewish tradition in burial (cf. KJV, ESV “in his house”).

2Andrew Willett’s commentary , published in 1607, devotes several pages in his treatment of 1 Sam. 25 to a good Biblical rebuttal of dozens of pro-polygamy arguments. (If I had read this before my ordination exam, I could have saved myself a lot of embarrassment!)

3In this instance, it was the southern Carmel (“vineyard of God”) where Saul had set up a “hand” monument to himself.

4Willet seems to be alone in interpreting this to mean every living person and animal “to the very dogge.”

5Andrew Willett went on an interesting excursus on the rights of wives on this point: “[N]either the woman should dispose of her husbands goods at her pleasure, nor yet haue no power vpon what occasion soeuer, to haue the disposition of part: for a difference is to be made of the things which appertaine vnto those which are married: the wife must keepe her soule for God, her bodie for her husband: the goods are in some sort common betweene them, by the right of mariage. Againe, the wife hath more interest, then either seruant or child in the goods of the house: shee is not after a seruile, but ciuill manner subiected to her husbands power... In these cases then, and these circumstances considered, the wife is not barred, to dispose of the substance of the house: first, where the glorie of God is sought, and it tendeth to the preseruation of her husband, and of the whole house, as in this case: Borr. secondly, where the husband is foolish and weake, and not able to see what is good for himselfe and his familie, as this was Abigail’s case also: or where he is an enemie…” I would recommend the book, Is It Abuse?, on the topic of what a woman in an abusive relationship should do.

AMy original chart includes the NASB and NIV, but their copyright restrictions have forced me to remove them from the publicly-available edition of this chart. I have included the ESV in footnotes when it employs a word not already used by the KJV, NASB, or NIV. (NAW is my translation.) When a translation adds words not in the Hebrew text, but does not indicate it has done so by the use of italics (or greyed-out text), I put the added words in [square brackets]. When one version chooses a wording which is different from all the other translations, I underline it. When a version chooses a translation which, in my opinion, either departs too far from the root meaning of the Hebrew word or departs too far from the grammar form of the original text, I use ~~strikeout~~. And when a version omits a word which is in the original text, I insert an X. (I also place an X at the end of a word if the original word is plural but the English translation is singular.) I occasionally use colors to help the reader see correlations between the various editions and versions when there are more than two different translations of a given word. The only known Dead Sea Scroll containing any part of 1 Samuel 25 is 4Q51Samuel^a, dated between 50-25 B.C., which contains parts of verses 3-12, 20-27, and 38-40, and 4Q53 Samuel^c, dated around 100BC, and containing parts of verses 30-31. Where the MT is legible and in agreement with the MT, the MT text is colored purple. Where the DSS supports the LXX with omissions or text not in the MT, I have highlighted with yellow the LXX and its translation into English, and where I have accepted that into my NAW translation, I have marked it with {pointed brackets}.

BNASB, NIV = “mourned”

CNASB & ESV = “business,” NIV = “property”

D“Great” is the central meaning of this Hebrew word, but NASB & ESV = “rich,” NIV = “wealthy”

Ecf. synonym from Symmachus’ later translation into Greek = eudianohtoV (“good at thinking things through”)

Fcf. Sym. kakognwmwn (“knowledge of bad”)

GDSS reads ?yahw (“and the man”), matching the LXX.

HThe margin note from the Masorite scribes suggests changing the last letter of this word to read כָלִבִּי , which makes it more clear that this is a plurality of descendants of Caleb. The Targums, Vulgate, Midieval Jewish Commentaries, and most English versions follow this tradition. Josephus, as well as the old Latin, Syriac, and Arabic, on the other hand, interpret it like the LXX did, as “dog-like.” (The Hebrew root KLB means “dog.”)

IAlthough the DSS is illegible at this point, it has too much space for the wording of the MT. It has more than enough space to include the extra words in the LXX: “the Carmelite.”

JThe Hebrew word is literally “ask,” but Symmachus translated more idiomatically “greet” = ασπαζεσθε.

KThe DSS employed a less-abbreviated construction which means the same thing = <yrunh la

LThis word is the subject of much discussion in the commentaries. The Vulgate treats the root as “ach” = “to my brother,” and Wellhausen and Tsumura supported this, the latter explaining how the aleph could have disappeared (“vowel sandhi”) from the beginning of the word for “brother.” Most other commentators see “life” (chai) as the root (Josephus, Vatabulus, Willet, Henry, Gill, K&D, Driver)

MS. enwclhsamen (“in trouble”), Q. kathscunamen (“dispossessed”)

NNASB = “insulted,” NIV = “mistreat,” ESV = “harm” Same goes for v.15.

ONASB is more literal with “days,” NIV & ESV = “time”

PTargums, Syriac, and Septuagint all have a conjunction before “not,” furthermore, the DSS, although illegible at this point has just the right amount of space between legible portions of this verse to support the reading of the LXX and Vulgate which add “in the wilderness” at this point. It doesn’t add anything to the story that we couldn’t already deduce, though.

QThe LXX interpreted this as a 1^st person plural Qal imperfect form, which is theoretically possible in the consonantal text, whereas the MT, Vulgate and English versions interpreted it as a 3^rd person singular Niphal perfect form. This word in this form only occurs two other times in the Hebrew Bible: Num. 31:49 and later on in 1 Sam. 25 in v.21. All the versions interpret all three according to the idea of “missing” except that the LXX translates it with the idea of “commanded” in both instances in 1 Sam. 25. Normally the root PQD has to do with “visiting to hold accountable,” but perhaps the Niphal Perfect has the unique meaning of “missing.”

RThe simplest translation of the Hebrew word is “good,” but NASB & NIV render it “festive”

SThis is an abbreviated form of wnab

TLater Greek translations conform to the MT with epausanto (“they paused”), but the DSS supports the LXX.

UNASB & NIV = “waited,” Maimonedes & Gill = “rested,” K&D = “sat down,” but the LXX “Nabal sprang up” is supported by the DSS, and K&D surprisingly commented that it would make more sense.

VThe middle of this verse is illegible in the DSS, but it becomes legible at the last two words, lbn zjpyw (the greyed-out text being illegible but supplied as a best-guess) “and Nabal boiled-over” - totally different from the MT, yet supporting the LXX. Furthermore, it seems odd for a narrative to state that the servants stopped talking after delivering their message.

Wcf. Theodotion = apodidraskonteV (“having been seized from”).

X“The question... is ‘a formal rejection’ of David’s implied invitation to Nabal to enter into a regulated covenant with him.” ~Tsumura, quoting Wiseman.

YOnly the last three letters of this word (<y?-) are legible in the DSS, the first of which is different from the MT. The DSS appears to read a synonym with the root פרש (“break into distinct parts”), which makes more sense than the MT’s root פרץ (“break down/destroy”).

ZNIV = “put on,” ESV = “strap on” The Hebrew word implies a belt that goes around the body.

AACf. synonyms from later Greek versions: A. wtrunwh (“eared”?), S. apestrafh (“turned from”), Q. exoudenwsen (“made nothing of”). In 1 Sam. 15:19 the same Hebrew word was translated εκλιθη (“lean”), and in the only other instance of this word, 14:32, the LXX translated it ὥρμησας (“rush”).

ABContemporary English versions = “greet”

ACNASB = “scorned,” NIV = “hurled insults” It was translated “fly/swoop/rush/pounce” in 15:19 and 14:32.

ADThe only other places this verb occurs in the O.T. are 1 Sam. 14:32 and 15:19, both in the context of Saul’s men taking spoil for themselves which God had told them to destroy, and there it is translated “fly/swoop/rush/pounce.”

AEThe Hebrew is literally “all the days” cf. NIV “the whole timeX”

AFcf. NASB & ESV = “went (about)”

AGHebrew and Greek Lit. = “days”

AHNASB = “tending,” NIV = “herding”

AI“Wall” is in the emphatic position in Hebrew. “i.e., a wall of defence against attacks from the Bedouins living in the desert.” ~K&D

AJ Symmachus’ translation κατα means more clearly “against”

AKThe Hebrew “Belial” gets a wide range of translation into Greek. Cf. A. apostasiaV (“apostasy”), S. anomoV (“lawlessness”), Q. afrosunhV (“unthinking”)

ALLit. “see”

AMNASB = “evil is plotted,” NIV = “disaster is hanging,” ESV = “harm is determined”

AN“Belial” is a transliteration of the Hebrew word. NASB & ESV translate more according to the meaning: “worthless”

AOcf. this phrase in 20:7-9 regarding Saul’s intent against David. Now it is David against Nabal.

APcf. Other names for wine containers in other versions: A. amforeiV. S. askouV (“wineskin”), Q. nebel (transliteration into Greek letters of the Hebrew word).

AQAquila switched to the MT word “seah”

ARSymmachus corrected to the MT: ekaton endesmouV (“100 bindings”)

ASNASB = “jugs,” NIV = “skins,” Henry = “casks,” Jamieson = whole “goat-skins”

ATNASB & NIV = “roasted grain” Goldman and Tsumura estimated 5 seahs to be one bushel.

AUNASB & NIV = “loaded”

AVThe Qere suggests correcting the first vowel in Abigail’s name to be consistent = אֲבִיגַיִל Tsumurah chalks the spelling variation down to another “vowel sandhi.”

AWAll other English versions = “mountain” (Hebrew = Har)

AXThe Hebrew verb here is literally “to call,” and the Greek verb is “to meet,” but most English versions drop it out. In vs. 32 & 34 when the same Hebrew verb recurs, most English versions translate it “to meet.”

AYcf. A. plhn (“however”), S. outwV (“thus”).

AZLit. “for no good” cf. A. yeudoV (“falsely” – probably the closest translation to the MT), S. anohton (“thoughtlessly”).

BAThis word is the same as v.15. cf. S. diefwnhsen (“speak through”), Q. hthsamen (“demand”).

BBNASB & ESV = “guarded,” NIV = “watched over”

BCNASB = “returned,” NIV = “paid back”

BDSome Septuagint manuscripts, including the Lucian Rescription, have the word “enemies” here like the MT does.

BEThe Targum and several Hebrew manuscripts read אור (“light”), but not the LXX or MT.

BFThis the literal translation of the Greek and Hebrew, but contemporary translations opt for the euphemism “one male.”

BGThe Hishtaphel ends with a vav, which looks like a 3ms pronomial ending (“to him”) but isn’t, and this seems to have tripped up the LXX in this chapter.

BHSymmachus rendered this mh proschV, axiw (“don’t take, worthy” perhaps the idea being “don’t put stock in”).

BIThe Vaticanus (which Brenton translated into English here) reads “servants of my Lord” with the MT, but the LXX and Vulgate read “your servants.” This part of the DSS is illegible, as is all the text on the left side of this DSS fragment, but there might not be enough room for the extra word “my lord.” There is no difference in actual meaning, though.

BJcf. NASB = “maidservant” Also in the following verses.

BKcf. Isaiah 32:6 for a description of the nabal fool

BLThis part of the DSS is illegible, but there is room between legible portions for this extra word “innocent,” especially if “blood” were reduced to its singular form: דם נקי.

BMLXX is a literal translation of the MT, but Aquila seems to have sought for an easier-to-understand translation with tou mh musazein (“not committing an abomination”?) also in v.33.

BNLit. “which,” but cf. NASB & NIV = “since,” and ESV = “because”

BONASB = “restrained,” NIV = “kept” Same with v.34, except that there the KJV renders the same word “kept”

BPLit. (& ESV) = “saving”

BQWillet expounded on a variety of interpretations of “let them be like Nabal”: “1. Some thinke that Abigail prophesieth and foretelleth of Nabal’s ende, which should follow not long after, and wisheth that all Dauid’s enemies might in that respect be like vnto him: Osiand. but then Abigail had spoken, as one that wished and expected her husbands ruine. 2. Others [including Gill] expound it thus: shee wisheth that all Dauid’s enemies had no more valure in them, then Nabal, or power to hurt him: Borr. that as Nabal entended euill to Dauid, in rayling vpon him, but was not able to hurt him: that all Dauid’s enemies therein should be like vnto him. Mar. But Nabal did mischiefe enough vnto Dauid, in depriuing him of all necessarie helpes, who by that might haue beene famished with his men. 3. Therefore it is better vnderstood of Nabal’s condition, wherein he was like to haue beene, if Dauid had gone forward with his purpose. Iun.” Jamieson and Keil & Delitzsch added another: “be as foolish and contemptible as he,” thus “bringing down punishment” for “ungodliness.”

BRThe Hebrew and Greek words literally denote “blessing,” but cf. NASB & NIV = “gift,” and ESV = “present.”

BSThere is room in the DSS for the extra word “take” (קח) in the LXX and Vulgate.

BTThe Hebrew is more literally “who conduct themselves in the footsteps of,” but the ancient versions do not read as though “in the feet” existed in the text they were translating, and most English versions which follow the MT ignore the phrase. In v.42, the phrase occurs again, this time in both MT and the ancient versions, and English versions translate it there “went” or “attended.”

BUSymmachus translated more loosely afelou (“forgive”)

BVSym. = ponhria (“evil”)

BWThe Vaticanus manuscript (reflected in Brenton’s English translation) got the words backwards, but the majority text of the LXX has it right, “my lord fights the battles of Yahweh.”

BXNASB = “transgression,” NIV = “offense”

BYcf. NIV = “lasting dynasty,” the Hebrew word translated “sure” also means “faithful” but not so much “lasting.”

BZSym. = pefulagmenh (“kept secure”)

CAcf. Aquila’s tarsw plagiw (“I will agitate with a plague/striking instrument”)

CB“middle” is the LXX word. NASB & ESV are closer to the MT word with “hollow” (cf. NIV = “pocket, K&D = “cup”).

CC“bound in the bundle of the living”
Willett: “is rather vnderstoode of Dauid’s preseruation, euen in this life: as the words shew both going before, and following: for before shee spake of Sauls rising against Dauid, and after shee saith, that God shall cast out his enemies as out of a sling, that is, their life shall be violently taken from them, as it was from Saul: but Dauids life shall be surely bound vnto him, that no man shall be able to take it from him: Iun. yet these words haue also a fit relation vnto eternall life, where the Saints are bound vp together in the booke of life.”
Goldman: “The figure is that of valuables tied up in a bag and placed in safe keeping. Already in the Targum the prayer is understood to refer to life after death…”
Tsumura: “According to N.H. Tur-Sinai, seror here and in Job 14:17 refers to a document tied up with a string and sealed with a lump of clay (bullae) … equivalent of the ‘Book of the Living’ in Ps. 69:29[28]...”

CDcf. synonym from Symmachus’ version: anaiton

CENot in Brenton, but in the Vaticanus

CFNASB = “troubled,” NIV = “staggering,” ESV = “pangs”

CGNIV & ESV = “conscience”

CHThe Greek, Syriac, and Latin all don’t have a conjunction here.

CINIV = “brought success,” but the Greek and Hebrew is literally “good”

CJDSS 4Q53 reads a synonym למנקם “for a grief (that will call for consolation)” instead of the MT’s “for a stumbling block / destabilizing agent”), with the name number of characters but three of them different from the MT. This noun in the MT occurs nowhere else.

CKTsumura: “probably means an unstable state of the heart because of the blame, with ‘of heart’ being a subjective genitive, rather than an obstacle which causes the heart to totter or stumble, treating the genitive as an objective genitive.”

CLcf. Aq. gnwmh (“knowledge”)

CMIn the Vaticanus, but not in Brenton’s translation.

CNNASB = “discernment,” NIV = “good judgment,” ESV = “discretion”

COThis verb is in the LXX and MT, but NASB, NIV, and ESV omit it.

CP“[This] inf. Abs. In v.26 and here functions as if it were and inf. cstr…. The only other occurrence of this term is Jer. 11:12…” ~Tsumura

CQOther conjunctions in other versions: A. & Q. kai, S. epeitoige

CRIn the Vaticanus, but not in Brenton’s English

CSNASB = “Nevertheless,” NIV = “Otherwise”

CT NASB & NIV = “quickly,” ESV = “hurried” Same with v. 42, except there, the LXX omits the word.

CU“The very unusual form תָּבֹאתִי, an imperfect with the termination of the perfect... in all probability it is only an intensified form of the second pers. fem. Imperf.” ~K&D

CVLXX is a literal translation of the Hebrew word. Later versions were more figurative: Sym. = etimhsa (“honored”), Q. elabon (“received”)

CWNASB = “listened to,” NIV = “heard,” ESV tried to bring in the meaning within this Hebrew word of actually acting upon what was heard, but overstated it a bit with “obeyed,” I prefer “heeded.”

CXLit. “Lifted up your face” NASB, NIV, ESV = “granted your request/petition”

CYHenry: “He grew sullen, and said little, ashamed of his own folly...”
Gill: “he swooned away, became as cold as a stone, and remained as senseless, spoke not a word, but lay in a stupor”
Jamieson: “He probably fainted from horror at the perilous situation in which he had unconsciously placed himself”
Goldman: “The words suggest a paralytic stroke.”
Tsumura: “Nabal probably had a stroke (due to brain hemorrhage) rather than a heart attack.”

CZAq. exeilato (“lifted out”)

DANIV = “upheld my cause,” ESV = “avenged the insult” – this is legal language for what the prosecuting attorney does.

DBNASB = “evildoing,” NIV = “wrongdoing,” ESV = “evil”

DCESV gives the most literal translation “and spoke,” but other versions are creative like the KJV, with NASB = proposal,” and NIV = “sent word” Gill commented, “These messengers were sent by David at a convenient time, at a proper distance from the death of Nabal; and he chose rather to send messengers than to go himself, lest being denied he should be put to shame, she being a rich widow, and he a poor persecuted man, and that her answer might be entirely free and unawed by him, and that it might appear that she was not taken to him by force...”

DDThe DSS is illegible at this point, but there is not enough space between legible words in the DSS for all the words of the MT. If the phrase “that Nabal died” were omitted from the DSS, as it is in the LXX, the rest of the words would fit in the space.

DEDSS is illegible, but there is space for a lot more words than the MT has, yet there aren’t extra words in LXX or Vulgate.

DFAq. corrected to the MT = tou kuriou mou

DGThree different Hebrew words for “servant” occur in this verse. The NASB captured this word shaphach the best with “maid” – a female domestic servant as opposed to the avad man-servant who does manual labour.

DHAq. added in the missing words in his version: kai etacune

DIRKB could mean “mounted” or “rode,” and different versions choose one or the other.

DJ“This is not the Jezreel in the north… but a town in the hill-country of Judah… in the neighborhood of Maon and Ziph.” ~Goldman

DK“Amis” is the Vaticanus reading. The majority text of the LXX reads “Lais” with the MT.

DL“A little north of Jerusalem.” ~Goldman