1 Samuel 25:17

1 Samuel 25:17 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Now therefore know and consider what thou wilt do; for evil is determined against our master, and against all his household: for he is such a son of Belial, that a man cannot speak to him.
• New International Version (NIV)Now think it over and see what you can do, because disaster is hanging over our master and his whole household. He is such a wicked man that no one can talk to him.”
• English Standard Version (ESV)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."
• New King James Version (NKJV)Now therefore, know and consider what you will do, for harm is determined against our master and against all his household. For he is such a scoundrel that one cannot speak to him.”

Context of 1 Samuel 25:17

15But David’s men were very good to us, and we were not harmed or treated badly, nor did we miss anything as long as we were with them, when we were in the fields. 16They were a wall [of protection] to us both night and day, all the time that we were with them tending the sheep. Now then, know this and consider what you should do, for evil is [already] planned against our master and against all his household; but he is such a worthless and wicked man that one cannot speak [reasonably] to him.” 18Then Abigail hurried and took two hundred loaves of bread, two jugs of wine, five sheep already prepared [for roasting], five measures of roasted grain, a hundred clusters of raisins, and two hundred cakes of figs, and loaded them on donkeys. 19She said to her young men (servants), “Go on ahead of me; behold, I am coming after you.” But she did not tell her husband Nabal.

1 Samuel 25:17 word by word

וְעַתָּ֗ה דְּעִ֤י וּרְאִי֙ מַֽה־תַּעֲשִׂ֔י כִּֽי־כָלְתָ֧ה הָרָעָ֛ה אֶל־אֲדֹנֵ֖ינוּ וְעַ֣ל כָּל־בֵּית֑וֹ וְהוּא֙ בֶּן־בְּלִיַּ֔עַל מִדַּבֵּ֖ר אֵלָֽיו׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Now therefore knowיָדַעyâda‛ · to knowH3045
• and considerרָאָהrâ'âh · to see: examineH7200
• what thou wilt doעָשָׂה‛âώâh · to make: doH6213
• for evilרָעָהra‛ râ‛âh · distress: harmH7451
• is determinedכָּלָהkâlâh · to end: decidesH3615
• against our masterאָדוֹן'âdôn 'âdôn · lordH113
• and against all his householdבַּ֫יִתbayith · house: householdH1004
• a sonבֵּןbên · son: descendant/peopleH1121
• of Belialבְּלִיַּ֫עַלbelîya‛al · BelialH1100
• cannot speakדָבַרdâbar · to speak: speakH1696

Cross-references for 1 Samuel 25:17

• 1 Samuel 20:7If he says, ‘All right,’ your servant will be safe; but if he is very angry, then be certain that he has decided on evil.
• 2 Chronicles 25:16As he was talking, the king said to him, “Have we made you the king’s counselor? Stop! Why should you be put to death?” Then the prophet stopped and said, “I know that God has decided to destroy you because you have done this and have ignored my advice.”
• Esther 7:7Then in his fury, the king stood up from drinking wine and went into the palace garden [to decide what he should do]; but Haman stayed to plead for his life from Queen Esther, for he saw that harm had been determined against him by the king.
• 1 Samuel 25:25Please do not let my lord pay attention to this worthless man, Nabal, for as his name is, so is he. Nabal (fool) is his name and foolishness (stupidity) is with him; but I your maidservant did not see my lord’s young men whom you sent.
• 1 Samuel 2:12The sons of Eli [Hophni and Phinehas] were worthless (dishonorable, unprincipled) men; they did not know [nor respect] the Lord
• Deuteronomy 13:13that some worthless and evil men have gone out from among you and have tempted the inhabitants of their city [to sin], saying, ‘Let us go and serve other gods’ (whom you have not known),
• Judges 19:22While they were celebrating, behold, men of the city, certain worthless and evil men, surrounded the house, pounding on the door; and they spoke to the master of the house, the old man, saying, “Bring out the man who came to your house so that we may have relations with him.”
• 2 Samuel 23:6But the wicked and worthless are all to be thrown away like thorns, Because they cannot be taken with the hand;
• 1 Kings 21:10and seat two worthless and unprincipled men opposite him, and have them testify against him, saying, ‘You cursed God and the king.’ Then take him out and stone him to death.”
• 2 Chronicles 13:7and worthless (unprincipled, unethical) men gathered around him, useless and wicked men, who proved too strong for Rehoboam the son of Solomon when Rehoboam was young and timid, and could not assert himself against them.
• 1 Samuel 20:32Jonathan answered Saul his father, “Why must he be put to death? What has he done?”
• 2 Kings 5:13Then his servants approached and said to him, “My father, if the prophet had told you to do some great thing, would you not have done it? How much more then, when he has said to you, ‘Wash, and be clean?’ ”

Commentaries on 1 Samuel 25:17

• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 12-17Verses 12-17 God is kind to the evil and unthankful, and why may not we be so? David determined to destroy Nabal, and all that belonged to him. Is this thy voice, O David? Has he been so long in the school of affliction, where he should have learned patience, and yet is so passionate? He at other times was calm and considerate, but is put into such a heat by a few hard words, that he seeks to destroy a whole family. What are the best of men, when God…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 1-44This story about Nabal falls between two accounts in which Saul pursued David and David spared Saul’s life. Nabal was similar to Saul.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 14-1814-18. Then Abigail made haste--The prudence and address of Nabal's wife were the means of saving him and family from utter destruction. She acknowledged the demand of her formidable neighbors; but justly considering, that to atone for the insolence of her husband, a greater degree of liberality had become necessary, she collected a large amount of food, accompanying it with the most valued products of the country. bottles--goatskins, capable of holding a…Read the comment

Topics related to 1 Samuel 25:17

• Decision
• Inhospitableness
• Nabal
• Servant
• Wife

In the dictionaries

• Abigail
• Conversant
• Covert
• David
• Die
• Miss
• Nabal
• Requite
• Sure
• Wall

Commentaries on 1 Samuel 25

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings