1 Samuel 25:4

1 Samuel 25:4 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And David heard in the wilderness that Nabal did shear his sheep.
• New International Version (NIV)While David was in the wilderness, he heard that Nabal was shearing sheep.
• English Standard Version (ESV)David heard in the wilderness that Nabal was shearing his sheep.
• New King James Version (NKJV)When David heard in the wilderness that Nabal was shearing his sheep,

Context of 1 Samuel 25:4

2A man in Maon had a business in Carmel; he was a very rich man with three thousand sheep and one thousand goats and was shearing his sheep in Carmel. 3The man’s name was Nabal, and his wife’s name, Abigail. The woman was intelligent and beautiful, but the man, a Calebite, was harsh and evil in his dealings. While David was in the wilderness, he heard that Nabal was shearing sheep, 5so David sent ten young men instructing them, “Go up to Carmel, and when you come to Nabal, greet him in my name. 6Then say this: ‘Long life to you, and peace to you, peace to your family, and peace to all that is yours.

1 Samuel 25:4 word by word

וַיִּשְׁמַ֥ע דָּוִ֖ד בַּמִּדְבָּ֑ר כִּֽי־גֹזֵ֥ז נָבָ֖ל אֶת־צֹאנֽוֹ׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And Davidדָּוִדdâvid dâvîyd · DavidH1732
• heardשָׁמַעshâma‛ · to hear: hearH8085
• in the wildernessמִדְבָּרmidbâr · wildernessH4057
• that Nabalנָבָלnâbâl · NabalH5037
• did shearגָּזַזgâzaz · to shearH1494
• his sheepצֹאןtsô'n tse'ôn · flockH6629

Cross-references for 1 Samuel 25:4

• Genesis 38:13Tamar was told, “Your father-in-law is going up to Timnah to shear his sheep.”
• 2 Samuel 13:23Two years later, Absalom’s sheepshearers were at Baal-hazor near Ephraim, and Absalom invited all the king’s sons.

Commentaries on 1 Samuel 25:4

• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 2-11Verses 2-11 We should not have heard of Nabal, if nothing had passed between him and David. Observe his name, Nabal, "A fool;" so it signifies. Riches make men look great in the eye of the world; but to one that takes right views, Nabal looked very mean. He had no honour or honesty; he was churlish, cross, and ill-humoured; evil in his doings, hard and oppressive; a man that cared not what fraud and violence he used in getting and saving. What little…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. 4-94-9. Nabal did shear his sheep, and David sent out ten young men, &c.--David and his men lurked in these deserts, associating with the herdsmen and shepherds of Nabal and others and doing them good offices, probably in return for information and supplies obtained through them. Hence when Nabal held his annual sheep-shearing in Carmel, David felt himself entitled to share in the festival and sent a message, recounting his own services and asking for a…Read the comment

Topics related to 1 Samuel 25:4

• Decision
• Nabal

In the dictionaries

• David
• Cattle
• Conversant
• Covert
• Die
• Miss
• Nabal
• Paran
• Requite
• Sheep

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