1 Samuel 25:26

1 Samuel 25:26 in other versions

• 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.
• New Living Translation (NLT)“Now, my lord, as surely as the Lord lives and you yourself live, since the Lord has kept you from murdering and taking vengeance into your own hands, let all your enemies and those who try to harm you be as cursed as Nabal is.

Context of 1 Samuel 25:26

24And fell at his feet, and said, Upon me, my lord, upon me let this iniquity be: and let thine handmaid, I pray thee, speak in thine audience, and hear the words of thine handmaid. 25Let not my lord, I pray thee, regard this man of Belial, even Nabal: for as his name is, so is he; Nabal is his name, and folly is with him: but I thine handmaid saw not the young men of my lord, whom thou didst send. 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. 27And now this blessing which thine handmaid hath brought unto my lord, let it even be given unto the young men that follow my lord. 28I pray thee, forgive the trespass of thine handmaid: for the Lord will certainly make my lord a sure house; because my lord fighteth the battles of the Lord, and evil hath 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

• Now therefore, my lordאָדוֹן'âdôn 'âdôn · lordH113
• the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
• livethחַיchay · aliveH2416
• thy soulנֶ֫פֶשׁnephesh · soulH5315
• hath withholdenמָנַעmâna‛ · to withholdH4513
• thee from comingבּוֹאbô' · to come (in): comeH935
• bloodדָּםdâm · bloodH1818
• and from avengingיָשַׁעyâsha‛ · to saveH3467
• thyself with thine own handיָדyâd · hand: themselvesH3027
• now let thine enemiesאֹיֵב'ôyêb 'ôyêb · enemyH341
• and they that seekבָּקַשׁbâqash · to seekH1245
• evilרָעָהra‛ râ‛âh · distress: evilH7451
• be as Nabalנָבָלnâbâl · NabalH5037

Cross-references for 1 Samuel 25:26

• 1 Samuel 25:34For in very deed, as the Lord God of Israel liveth, which hath kept me back from hurting thee, except thou hadst hasted and come to meet me, surely there had not been left unto Nabal by the morning light any that pisseth against the wall.
• 1 Samuel 22:3And David went thence to Mizpeh of Moab: and he said unto the king of Moab, Let my father and my mother, I pray thee, come forth, and be with you, till I know what God will do for me.
• 2 Kings 2:2And Elijah said unto Elisha, Tarry here, I pray thee; for the Lord hath sent me to Beth–el. And Elisha said unto him, As the Lord liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. So they went down to Beth–el.
• 2 Kings 4:6And it came to pass, when the vessels were full, that she said unto her son, Bring me yet a vessel. And he said unto 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, praying unto the Lord.
• 1 Samuel 25:33And blessed be thy advice, and blessed be thou, which hast kept me this day from coming to shed blood, and from avenging myself with mine own hand.
• Genesis 20:6And God said unto him in a dream, Yea, I know that thou didst this in the integrity of thy heart; for I also withheld thee from sinning against me: therefore suffered I thee not to touch her.
• Romans 12:19Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.
• Psalms 18:47It is God that avengeth me, and subdueth the people under me.
• Psalms 44:3For they got not the land in possession by their own sword, neither did their own arm save them: but thy right hand, and thine arm, and the light of thy countenance, because thou hadst a favour unto them.
• 2 Samuel 18:32And the king said unto Cushi, Is the young man Absalom safe? And Cushi answered, The enemies of my lord the king, and all that rise against thee to do thee hurt, be as that young man is.
• Jeremiah 29:22And of them shall be taken up a curse by all the captivity of Judah which are in Babylon, saying, The Lord make thee like Zedekiah and like Ahab, whom the king of Babylon roasted in the fire;
• Daniel 4:19Then Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, was astonied for one hour, and his thoughts troubled him. The king spake, and said, Belteshazzar, let not the dream, or the interpretation thereof, trouble thee. Belteshazzar answered and said, My lord, the dream be to them that hate thee, and the interpretation thereof 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