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

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. 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. While 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. 6Say to him, ‘May you live ⌞long⌟! May you, your home, and all you have prosper!

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 38:13As soon as Tamar was told that her father-in-law was on his way to Timnah to shear his sheep,
• 2 Samuel 13:23Two years later Absalom had sheepshearers at Baal Hazor near Ephraim. He 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