1 Samuel 25:26

1 Samuel 25:26 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Now therefore, my lord, as the Lord liveth, and as thy soul liveth, seeing the Lord hath withholden thee from coming to shed blood, and from avenging thyself with thine own hand, now let thine enemies, and they that seek evil to my lord, be as Nabal.
• New International Version (NIV)And now, my lord, as surely as the Lord your God lives and as you live, since the Lord has kept you from bloodshed and from avenging yourself with your own hands, may your enemies and all who are intent on harming my lord be like Nabal.
• English Standard Version (ESV)Now then, my lord, as the Lord lives, and as your soul lives, because the Lord has restrained you from bloodguilt and from saving with your own hand, now then let your enemies and those who seek to do evil to my lord be as Nabal.
• New King James Version (NKJV)Now therefore, my lord, as the Lord lives and as your soul lives, since the Lord has held you back from coming to bloodshed and from avenging yourself with your own hand, now then, let your enemies and those who seek harm for my lord be as Nabal.

Context of 1 Samuel 25:26

24and fell at his feet, and said, Upon me, my lord, [upon] me let the iniquity be; but let thy handmaid, I pray thee, speak in thine ears, and hear the words of thy handmaid. 25Let not my lord, I pray thee, regard this man of Belial, Nabal; for as his name is, so is he: Nabal is his name, and folly is with him; and I thy handmaid did not see the young men of my lord, whom thou didst send. And now, my lord, [as] Jehovah liveth, and [as] thy soul liveth, seeing Jehovah has restrained thee from coming with bloodshed, and from avenging thyself with thine own hand, now let thine enemies, and they that seek evil to my lord, be as Nabal. 27And now this blessing which thy bondmaid has brought to my lord, let it be given to the young men that follow my lord. 28I pray thee, forgive the transgression of thy handmaid: for Jehovah will certainly make my lord a lasting house; because my lord fights the battles of Jehovah, and evil has not been found in thee all thy days.

1 Samuel 25:26 word by word

וְעַתָּ֣ה אֲדֹנִ֗י חַי־יְהוָ֤ה וְחֵֽי־נַפְשְׁךָ֙ אֲשֶׁ֨ר מְנָעֲךָ֤ יְהוָה֙ מִבּ֣וֹא בְדָמִ֔ים וְהוֹשֵׁ֥עַ יָדְךָ֖ לָ֑ךְ וְעַתָּ֗ה יִֽהְי֤וּ כְנָבָל֙ אֹיְבֶ֔יךָ וְהַֽמְבַקְשִׁ֥ים אֶל־אֲדֹנִ֖י רָעָֽה׃Read the interlinear

• nowעַתָּ֫ה‛attâh · nowH6258
• soulנֶ֫פֶשׁnephesh · soulH5315
• restrainedמָנַעmâna‛ · to withholdH4513
• comingבּוֹאbô' · to come (in): comeH935
• handיָדyâd · hand: themselvesH3027
• enemiesאֹיֵב'ôyêb 'ôyêb · enemyH341
• seekבָּקַשׁbâqash · to seekH1245
• evilרָעָהra‛ râ‛âh · distress: evilH7451
• beהָיָהhâyâh · to beH1961
• Nabalנָבָלnâbâl · NabalH5037

Cross-references for 1 Samuel 25:26

• 1 Samuel 25:34But indeed, as Jehovah the God of Israel liveth, who has restrained me from hurting thee, except thou hadst hasted and come to meet me, there had not been left to Nabal by the morning light any male.
• 1 Samuel 22:3And David went thence to Mizpeh in Moab, and said to the king of Moab, Let my father and my mother, I pray thee, come forth amongst you, till I know what God will do for me.
• 2 Kings 2:2And Elijah said to Elisha, Abide here, I pray thee; for Jehovah has sent me to Bethel. And Elisha said, As Jehovah liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee! So they went down to Bethel.
• 2 Kings 4:6And it came to pass when the vessels were full, that she said to her son, Bring me yet a vessel. And he said to her, There is not a vessel more. And the oil stayed.
• 1 Samuel 1:26And she said, Oh my lord, [as] thy soul liveth, my lord, I am the woman that stood by thee here to pray to Jehovah.
• 1 Samuel 25:33And blessed be thy discernment, and blessed be thou, who hast kept me this day from coming with bloodshed, and from avenging myself with mine own hand.
• Genesis 20:6And God said to him in a dream, I also knew that thou didst this in the integrity of thy heart, and I, too, have withheld thee from sinning against me: therefore have I not suffered thee to touch her.
• Romans 12:19not avenging yourselves, beloved, but give place to wrath; for it is written, Vengeance [belongs] to me, I will recompense, saith the Lord.
• Psalms 18:47The God who hath avenged me, and hath subjected the peoples to me;
• Psalms 44:3For not by their own sword did they take possession of the land, neither did their own arm save them; but thy right hand, and thine arm, and the light of thy countenance, because thou hadst delight in them.
• 2 Samuel 18:32And the king said to the Cushite, Is it well with the young man Absalom? And the Cushite said, The enemies of my lord the king, and all that rise against thee for evil, be as that young man.
• Jeremiah 29:22And of them shall be taken up a curse by all the captivity of Judah that are in Babylon, saying, Jehovah make thee like Zedekiah and like Ahab, whom the king of Babylon roasted in the fire;
• Daniel 4:19Then Daniel, whose name is Belteshazzar, was astonied for one hour, and his thoughts troubled him. The king spoke and said, Belteshazzar, let not the dream, nor its interpretation, trouble thee. Belteshazzar answered and said, My lord, the dream be to them that hate thee, and its interpretation to thine enemies!

Commentaries on 1 Samuel 25:26

• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 26The passage should be rendered as follows: “And now my lord, as the Lord liveth, and as thy soul liveth,” it is “the Lord” that “hath withholden thee from coming” into blood-guiltiness (as in 1 Samuel 25:33), “and from saving thyself with thine own hand;” and “now” all “thine enemies” shall be as Nabal (whom she considers as utterly impotent to hurt David, and as already thoroughly humbled before him), and (so shall be) all “that seek evil to my Lord.”Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 18-31Verses 18-31 By a present Abigail atoned for Nabal's denial of David's request. Her behaviour was very submissive. Yielding pacifies great offences. She puts herself in the place of a penitent, and of a petitioner. She could not excuse her husband's conduct. She depends not upon her own reasonings, but on God's grace, to soften David, and expects that grace would work powerfully. She says that it was below him to take vengeance on so weak and despicable…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 26the LORD has held you back from bloodshed and from avenging yourself: Abigail began her plea by saying that God had kept David from murder and revenge, and she ended it the same way (1 Samuel 25:31). She reminded David that he had the power to kill Nabal, just as he had the power to kill Saul, but he chose not to do so.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 2626. let thine enemies ... be as Nabal--be as foolish and contemptible as he.Read the comment

Topics related to 1 Samuel 25:26

• Decision
• Diplomacy
• Fig
• Intercession
• Nabal
• Obsequiousness
• Prudence
• Tact
• 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