God’s Word Translation
1 Samuel 25:3
3This man’s name was Nabal, and his wife’s name was Abigail. She was sensible and beautiful, but he was harsh and mean. He was a descendant of Caleb.
1 Samuel 25:3 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)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.
- New International Version (NIV)His name was Nabal and his wife’s name was Abigail. She was an intelligent and beautiful woman, but her husband was surly and mean in his dealings—he was a Calebite.
- English Standard Version (ESV)Now the name of the man was Nabal, and the name of his wife Abigail. The woman was discerning and beautiful, but the man was harsh and badly behaved; he was a Calebite.
- New King James Version (NKJV)The name of the man was Nabal, and the name of his wife Abigail. And she was a woman of good understanding and beautiful appearance; but the man was harsh and evil in his doings. He was of the house of Caleb.
Context of 1 Samuel 25:3
1Samuel died, and all Israel gathered to mourn for him. They buried him at his home in Ramah. Then David went to the desert of Paran. 2Now, there was a man in Maon whose business was in Carmel. He was a very rich man. He had 3,000 sheep and 1,000 goats. And he was shearing his sheep in Carmel. This man’s name was Nabal, and his wife’s name was Abigail. She was sensible and beautiful, but he was harsh and mean. He was a descendant of Caleb. 4While David was in the desert, he heard that Nabal was shearing his sheep. 5So David sent ten young men and told them, “Go to Carmel, visit Nabal, and greet him for me.
Read all of 1 Samuel 251 Samuel 25:3 word by word
וְשֵׁ֤ם הָאִישׁ֙ נָבָ֔ל וְשֵׁ֥ם אִשְׁתּ֖וֹ אֲבִגָ֑יִל וְהָאִשָּׁ֤ה טֽוֹבַת־שֶׂ֙כֶל֙ וִ֣יפַת תֹּ֔אַר וְהָאִ֥ישׁ קָשֶׁ֛ה וְרַ֥ע מַעֲלָלִ֖ים וְה֥וּא כָלִבִּֽי׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Now the nameשֵׁםshêm · nameH8034
- of the manאִישׁ'îysh · manH376
- Nabalנָבָלnâbâl · NabalH5037
- of his wifeאִשָּׁה'ishshâh nâshîym · woman: wifeH802
- Abigailאֲבִיגַ֫יִל, אֲבִיגַ֫ל'ăbîygayil 'ăbîygal · AbigailH26
- a womanאִשָּׁה'ishshâh nâshîym · womanH802
- of goodטוֹבţôb · pleasantH2896
- understandingשֵׂ֫כֶלώekel ώêkel · understandingH7922
- and of a beautifulיָפֶהyâpheh · beautifulH3303
- countenanceתֹּ֫אַרtô'ar · appearanceH8389
- churlishקָשֶׁהqâsheh · severeH7186
- and evilרַעra‛ râ‛âh · bad: evilH7451
- in his doingsמַעֲלָלma‛ălâl · deedH4611
- of the house of Calebכָּלִבִּיkâlibbô kâlêbîy · CalebiteH3614
Cross-references for 1 Samuel 25:3
- Proverbs 14:1The wisest of women builds up her home, but a stupid one tears it down with her own hands.
- Proverbs 31:26“She speaks with wisdom, and on her tongue there is tender instruction.
- 1 Samuel 25:10“Who is David?” Nabal answered David’s servants. “Who is Jesse’s son? So many servants nowadays are leaving their masters.
- Psalms 10:3The wicked person boasts about his selfish desires. He blesses robbers, but he curses the Lord.
- Isaiah 32:5Godless fools will no longer be called nobles, nor will scoundrels be considered gentlemen.
Commentaries on 1 Samuel 25:3
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 3The name of the man was Nabal - The word נבל nabal signifies to be foolish, base, or villanous; and hence the Latin word nebulo, knave, is supposed to be derived. The name of his wife Abigail - The joy or exultation of my father. A woman of sense and beauty, married to the boor mentioned above, probably because he was rich. Many women have been thus sacrificed. Of the house of Caleb - כלבי והוא vehu Chalibbi, "he was a Calebite." But as the word caleb…Read the comment
- 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. 3Nabal: See 1 Samuel 25:25 to understand the irony of his name. Unlike her husband, Abigail was a sensible and wise person, as the story shows.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 33. he was of the house of Caleb--of course, of the same tribe with David himself; but many versions consider Caleb ("dog") not as a proper, but a common noun, and render it, "he was snappish as a dog."Read the comment
Topics related to 1 Samuel 25:3
In the dictionaries
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
God’s Word Translation — © 1995 God’s Word to the Nations Bible Society
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