1 Samuel 25:39

1 Samuel 25:39 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And when David heard that Nabal was dead, he said, Blessed be the Lord, that hath pleaded the cause of my reproach from the hand of Nabal, and hath kept his servant from evil: for the Lord hath returned the wickedness of Nabal upon his own head. And David sent and communed with Abigail, to take her to him to wife.
• New International Version (NIV)When David heard that Nabal was dead, he said, “Praise be to the Lord, who has upheld my cause against Nabal for treating me with contempt. He has kept his servant from doing wrong and has brought Nabal’s wrongdoing down on his own head.” Then David sent word to Abigail, asking her to become his wife.
• English Standard Version (ESV)When David heard that Nabal was dead, he said, "Blessed be the Lord who has avenged the insult I received at the hand of Nabal, and has kept back his servant from wrongdoing. The Lord has returned the evil of Nabal on his own head." Then David sent and spoke to Abigail, to take her as his wife.
• New King James Version (NKJV)So when David heard that Nabal was dead, he said, “Blessed be the Lord, who has pleaded the cause of my reproach from the hand of Nabal, and has kept His servant from evil! For the Lord has returned the wickedness of Nabal on his own head.” And David sent and proposed to Abigail, to take her as his wife.

Context of 1 Samuel 25:39

37But in the morning, when Nabal was sober, and his wife told him these things, his heart died within him and he became [paralyzed and helpless] like a stone. 38About ten days later, the Lord struck Nabal and he died. When David heard that Nabal was dead, he said, “Blessed be the Lord, who has pleaded the cause of my reproach [suffered] at the hand of Nabal and has kept His servant from [retaliating with] evil. For the Lord has returned the wickedness of Nabal on his own head.” Then David sent word to Abigail, proposing to take her as his wife. 40When the servants of David came to Abigail at Carmel, they said to her, “David sent us to you to take you [to him] to be his wife.” 41And she stood and bowed with her face to the ground and said, “Behold, your maidservant is [ready to be] a maid to wash the feet of the servants of my lord.”

1 Samuel 25:39 word by word

וַיִּשְׁמַ֣ע דָּוִד֮ כִּ֣י מֵ֣ת נָבָל֒ וַיֹּ֡אמֶר בָּר֣וּךְ יְהוָ֡ה אֲשֶׁ֣ר רָב֩ אֶת־רִ֨יב חֶרְפָּתִ֜י מִיַּ֣ד נָבָ֗ל וְאֶת־עַבְדּוֹ֙ חָשַׂ֣ךְ מֵֽרָעָ֔ה וְאֵת֙ רָעַ֣ת נָבָ֔ל הֵשִׁ֥יב יְהוָ֖ה בְּרֹאשׁ֑וֹ וַיִּשְׁלַ֤ח דָּוִד֙ וַיְדַבֵּ֣ר בַּאֲבִיגַ֔יִל לְקַחְתָּ֥הּ ל֖וֹ לְאִשָּֽׁה׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And when Davidדָּוִדdâvid dâvîyd · DavidH1732
• heardשָׁמַעshâma‛ · to hear: hearH8085
• that Nabalנָבָלnâbâl · NabalH5037
• was deadמוּתmûth · to dieH4191
• he saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• Blessedבָּרַךְbârak · to blessH1288
• the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
• that hath pleadedרִיבrîyb rûb · to contendH7378
• the causeרִיבrîyb rib · strifeH7379
• of my reproachחֶרְפָּהcherpâh · reproachH2781
• from the handיָדyâd · hand: powerH3027
• and hath keptחָשַׂךְchâώak · to withholdH2820
• his servantעֶ֫בֶד‛ebed · servant/slaveH5650
• from evilרָעָהra‛ râ‛âh · distress: evilH7451
• hath returnedשׁוּבshûb · to return: returnH7725
• upon his own headרֹאשׁrô'sh · headH7218
• sentשָׁלַחshâlach · to send: departH7971
• and communedדָבַרdâbar · to speak: speakH1696
• with Abigailאֲבִיגַ֫יִל, אֲבִיגַ֫ל'ăbîygayil 'ăbîygal · AbigailH26
• to takeלָקַחlâqach · to take: marryH3947
• her to him to wifeאִשָּׁה'ishshâh nâshîym · woman: wifeH802

Cross-references for 1 Samuel 25:39

• 1 Samuel 25:32David said to Abigail, “Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, who sent you to meet me this day.
• Judges 5:2“For the leaders who took the lead in Israel, For the people who volunteered [for battle], Bless the Lord!
• 2 Samuel 22:47The Lord lives, and blessed be my rock, And exalted be my God, the rock of my salvation.
• Psalms 58:10The [unyieldingly] righteous will rejoice when he sees the vengeance [of God]; He will wash his feet in the blood of the wicked.
• Revelation 19:1After these things I heard something like the great and mighty shout of a vast multitude in heaven, exclaiming, “Hallelujah! Salvation and glory (splendor, majesty) and power (dominion, might) belong to our God;
• Proverbs 22:23For the Lord will plead their case And take the life of those who rob them.
• Lamentations 3:58O Lord, You have pleaded my soul’s cause [You have guided my way and protected me]; You have rescued and redeemed my life.
• Micah 7:9I will bear the indignation and wrath of the Lord Because I have sinned against Him, Until He pleads my case and executes judgment for me. He will bring me out to the light, And I will behold His [amazing] righteousness and His remarkable deliverance.
• 1 Samuel 25:26So now, my lord, as the Lord lives, and as your soul lives, since the Lord has prevented you from shedding blood, and from avenging yourself by your own hand, now then let your enemies and those who seek to do evil to my lord, be as [self-destructive as] Nabal.
• Hosea 2:6Therefore, behold, I [the Lord God] will hedge up her way with thorns; And I will build a wall against her [shutting off her way] so that she cannot find her paths.
• 2 Corinthians 13:7But I pray to God that you may do nothing wrong. Not so that we [and our teaching] may appear to be approved, but that you may continue doing what is right, even though we [by comparison] may seem to have failed.
• 1 Thessalonians 5:23Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you through and through [that is, separate you from profane and vulgar things, make you pure and whole and undamaged—consecrated to Him—set apart for His purpose]; and may your spirit and soul and body be kept complete and [be found] blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
• 2 Timothy 4:18The Lord will rescue me from every evil assault, and He will bring me safely into His heavenly kingdom; to Him be the glory forever and ever. Amen.
• 2 Samuel 3:28Afterward, when David heard of it, he said, “I and my kingdom are forever innocent before the Lord of the blood of Abner the son of Ner.
• 1 Kings 2:44The king also said to Shimei, “You are aware in your own heart of all the evil you did to my father David; so the Lord shall return your evil on your own head.
• Esther 7:10So they hanged Haman on the gallows that he had prepared for Mordecai. Then the king’s anger subsided.

Commentaries on 1 Samuel 25:39

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 39To take her to him to wife - It is likely that he had heard before this that Saul, to cut off all his pretensions to the throne, had married Michal to Phalti; and this justified David in taking Abigail or any other woman; and, according to the then custom, it was not unlawful for David to take several wives. By his marriage with Abigail, it is probable he became possessed of all Nabal's property in Carmel and Maon.Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 32-39Verses 32-39 David gives God thanks for sending him this happy check in a sinful way. Whoever meet us with counsel, direction, comfort, caution, or seasonable reproof, we must see God sending them. We ought to be very thankful for those happy providences which are the means of keeping us from sinning. Most people think it enough, if they take reproof patiently; but few will take it thankfully, and commend those who give it, and accept it as a favour. The…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 39Nabal’s death was God’s punishment for his sin. David could not be accused of vengeful murder. David quickly asked Abigail to marry him. She had proven herself wise and was also beautiful (1 Samuel 25:3).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 39-4239-42. the Lord hath returned the wickedness of Nabal upon his own head--If this was an expression of pleasure, and David's vindictive feelings were gratified by the intelligence of Nabal's death, it was an instance of human infirmity which we may lament; but perhaps he referred to the unmerited reproach (1Sa 25:10, 11), and the contempt of God implied in it. David sent and communed with Abigail, to take her to wife--This unceremonious proceeding was…Read the comment

Topics related to 1 Samuel 25:39

• Polygamy
• Wife

In the dictionaries

• David
• Abigail
• Conversant
• Covert
• 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