1 Samuel 25:23–25
Abigail bows before David, takes the guilt on herself, and speaks of Nabal
Study it word by word23When Abigail saw David, she hurried and got down from the donkey, and fell before David on her face and bowed down to the ground.
24She fell at his feet and said, “On me, my lord, be the iniquity! Please let your servant speak in your ears, and hear the words of your servant.
25Please do not let my lord set his heart on this wicked man, on Nabal; for as his name is, so is he: Nabal is his name, and outrage is with him. But I, your servant, did not see the young men of my lord whom you sent.
In its context
21Now David had said, “Surely in vain I have guarded all that this fellow has in the wilderness, so that nothing was missing of all that was his; and he has repaid me evil for good.
22So may Elohim do to the enemies of David, and so may he add, if I leave, of all that is his, until morning so much as one who urinates against a wall.”
…
26Now, my lord, as YHWH lives and as your soul lives, since YHWH has kept you from entering into guilt of blood and from saving yourself with your own hand, now let your enemies be like Nabal, and those who seek evil for my lord.
27And now, this blessing that your servant has brought to my lord, let it be given to the young men who go about at the feet of my lord.
Its words in the original
- תֵּרֶאtere· see
See. Also look, observe, notice, consider; in some forms, "appear" or "show".
- אֲבִיגַיִלavigayil· Abigail
Abigail: the name of two women; best known is the wife of Nabal, a woman of good understanding, who later became David's wife (1 Samuel 25); the other is a sister of David (1 Chronicles 2:16). It means "my father rejoices".
- דָּוִדdavid· David
David, youngest son of Jesse, of Bethlehem; the second king of Israel. The name means "beloved."
- תְּמַהֵרtemaher· hurry
Hurry, do something quickly; "quickly".
- תֵּרֶדtered· go down, bring down
Go down, come down, descend. In the causative form, bring down, take down. Going from Canaan to Egypt is "going down".
- חֲמוֹרchamor· donkey
Donkey, male donkey.
- תִּפֹּלtipol· fall
Fall; also fall upon (attack), lie down, desert to someone. In the causative form, "make fall", throw down, cast (lots).
- אַפֵּיape· anger, nose
Nose, nostrils. Since breathing grows hard in anger, the same word also means "anger"; sometimes "face".
- פָּנֶיpane· face, presence
Face. From there "surface" (the face of something) and "presence" (being before someone's face); with a preposition it means "before" or "in front of".
- תִּשְׁתַּחוּtishtachu· bow down, worship
Bow down: bend down to the ground. It was the gesture of respect before someone greater (a king, a visitor) and also the gesture of worshiping God.
- אָרֶץarets· earth, land
The earth, in two senses: the whole world in contrast with the heavens, or a particular country or region ("the land of Egypt").
- רַגְלָיraglay· foot
Foot; the foot of an animal; also a step.
- תֹּאמֶרtomer· say
Say, speak. The most common verb for bringing in what someone says; sometimes "think" (say to oneself) or "command".
- אֲדֹנִadoni· lord, master
Lord: one who has authority over another (an owner, a husband, a superior). It is also a polite form, "my lord". Said of God, "the Lord".
- עָוֺןavon· iniquity
Iniquity: wickedness, a serious wrong. The same word covers the wrong, the guilt it leaves and the punishment it brings.
- תְדַבֶּרtedaber· speak
Speak, talk, say; also promise or command.
- אֲמָתְamat· female slave, maidservant
Female slave, maidservant.
- אָזְנֶיazne· ear
Ear. "Speak in someone's ears" is to tell him something directly.
- שְׁמַעshema· hear, listen, obey
Hear, listen. In the Bible listening truly includes paying heed; so it often means "obey". In the causative form, make heard, proclaim.
- דִּבְרֵיdivre· word, matter, thing
Word; what is said. Also "matter" or "thing": what is spoken about, an affair, an event.
- יָשִׂיםyasim· put, set
Put, place, set; appoint, establish; make something into something.
- לִבּlib· heart
Heart. In Hebrew it is not only the place of feelings: it is the center of the person, where one thinks, decides and wills; also the middle of something.
- אִישׁish· man, husband, each
Man, male; with a possessive, husband. Also "each one", "anyone". It is "ish", distinct from "adam" (human being); it is used for the man in contrast with the woman ("ishah").
- בְּלִיַּעַלbeliyaal· worthlessness, wickedness
Worthlessness, a thing of no value: "sons of belial" are worthless people who do evil. Later it was used as a name for the evil one (2 Corinthians 6:15).
- נָבָלnaval· Nabal
Nabal, a rich man of Maon, husband of Abigail, who scorned David (1 Samuel 25). His name sounds the same as the Hebrew word for "fool".
- שְׁמshem· name
Name. In the Bible a name says who someone is; so it also means fame, renown or reputation.
- נְבָלָהnevala· outrage, folly
Outrage, disgraceful folly: a shameful act that gravely offends the whole community.
- נַעֲרֵיnaare· young man, servant
Boy, young man; also a servant or attendant.
- שָׁלָחְתָּshalachta· send, stretch out
Send; stretch out (the hand); let go, send away, set free.