1 Samuel 25:26

King James Version:

(The Lord speaking is red text)

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.

Complete Jewish Bible:

Therefore, my lord, as ADONAI lives, and as you live, inasmuch as ADONAI has kept you from the guilt of shedding blood and from taking vengeance into your own hands - therefore, may your enemies and anyone seeking your harm be [as worthless] as Naval.

Berean Standard Bible:

Now, my lord, as surely as the LORD lives and you yourself live, the LORD has held you back from coming to bloodshed and avenging yourself with your own hand. May your enemies and those who seek harm for my lord be like Nabal.

American Standard Version:

Now therefore, my lord, as Jehovah liveth, and as thy soul liveth, seeing Jehovah hath withholden thee from bloodguiltiness, and from avenging thyself with thine own hand, now therefore let thine enemies, and them that seek evil to my lord, be as Nabal.

KJV with Strong’s Numbers:

Now therefore, my lord^{H113}, as the LORD^{H3068} liveth^{H2416}, and as thy soul^{H5315} liveth^{H2416}, seeing the LORD^{H3068} hath withholden^{H4513} thee from coming^{H935} to shed blood^{H1818}, and from avenging^{H3467} thyself with thine own hand^{H3027}, now let thine enemies^{H341}, and they that seek^{H1245} evil^{H7451} to my lord^{H113}, be as Nabal^{H5037}.

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Commentary for 1 Samuel 25:26

1 Samuel 25:26 is part of the narrative involving David, before he became king, and a man named Nabal. The verse is set during a period when David and his men have been protecting Nabal's shepherds and flocks in the wilderness, but when David sends messengers to Nabal to request provisions for his men, Nabal insults and rejects them. In response, David prepares to attack Nabal in retaliation.

In this verse, Abigail, Nabal's wise and beautiful wife, is speaking to David. She has come to intercede on behalf of her household to prevent David's vengeance. The key themes of the verse include wisdom, restraint, and divine intervention. Abigail acknowledges the LORD's role in restraining David from taking revenge into his own hands, thus attributing David's restraint to a godly attribute rather than mere human self-control. She appeals to David's sense of justice and his respect for the LORD, asking that those who seek harm to him (David) should be like Nabal—implicitly suggesting that they should be treated with mercy and not harmed, just as David has shown restraint towards Nabal.

Abigail's speech is a plea for David to act in accordance with God's will and to avoid bloodshed, which would be a stain on his future kingship. Her words reflect an understanding of the broader historical context, where David's actions are being observed by both men and God, and his responses to provocation will shape his legacy and divine blessing. The verse underscores the importance of patience, the proper channeling of anger, and the recognition that vengeance belongs to the LORD, not to individuals. Abigail's intervention is successful, as David is convinced not to pursue revenge, thus avoiding a rash act that could have had severe consequences for his destiny as Israel's future king.

*This commentary is produced by Microsoft/WizardLM-2-8x22B AI model

Strong's Numbers and Definitions:

Note: H = Hebrew (OT), G = Greek (NT)

1. Strong's Number: H113
   There are 337 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: אָדוֹן
   Transliteration: ʼâdôwn
   Pronunciation: aw-done'
   Description: or (shortened) אָדֹן; from an unused root (meaning to rule); sovereign, i.e. controller (human or divine); lord, master, owner. Compare also names beginning with 'Adoni-'.
   
2. Strong's Number: H3068
   There are 5521 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: יְהֹוָה
   Transliteration: Yᵉhôvâh
   Pronunciation: yeh-ho-vaw'
   Description: from הָיָה; (the) self-Existent or Eternal; Jehovah, Jewish national name of God; Jehovah, the Lord. Compare יָהּ, יְהֹוִה.
   
3. Strong's Number: H2416
   There are 452 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: חַי
   Transliteration: chay
   Pronunciation: khah'-ee
   Description: from חָיָה; alive; hence, raw (flesh); fresh (plant, water, year), strong; also (as noun, especially in the feminine singular and masculine plural) life (or living thing), whether literally or figuratively; [phrase] age, alive, appetite, (wild) beast, company, congregation, life(-time), live(-ly), living (creature, thing), maintenance, [phrase] merry, multitude, [phrase] (be) old, quick, raw, running, springing, troop.
   
4. Strong's Number: H5315
   There are 683 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: נֶפֶשׁ
   Transliteration: nephesh
   Pronunciation: neh'-fesh
   Description: from נָפַשׁ; properly, a breathing creature, i.e. animal of (abstractly) vitality; used very widely in a literal, accommodated or figurative sense (bodily or mental); any, appetite, beast, body, breath, creature, [idiom] dead(-ly), desire, [idiom] (dis-) contented, [idiom] fish, ghost, [phrase] greedy, he, heart(-y), (hath, [idiom] jeopardy of) life ([idiom] in jeopardy), lust, man, me, mind, mortally, one, own, person, pleasure, (her-, him-, my-, thy-) self, them (your) -selves, [phrase] slay, soul, [phrase] tablet, they, thing, ([idiom] she) will, [idiom] would have it.
   
5. Strong's Number: H4513
   There are 29 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: מָנַע
   Transliteration: mânaʻ
   Pronunciation: maw-nah'
   Description: a primitive root; to debar (negatively or positively) from benefit or injury; deny, keep (back), refrain, restrain, withhold.
   
6. Strong's Number: H935
   There are 2307 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: בּוֹא
   Transliteration: bôwʼ
   Pronunciation: bo
   Description: a primitive root; to go or come (in a wide variety of applications); abide, apply, attain, [idiom] be, befall, [phrase] besiege, bring (forth, in, into, to pass), call, carry, [idiom] certainly, (cause, let, thing for) to come (against, in, out, upon, to pass), depart, [idiom] doubtless again, [phrase] eat, [phrase] employ, (cause to) enter (in, into, -tering, -trance, -try), be fallen, fetch, [phrase] follow, get, give, go (down, in, to war), grant, [phrase] have, [idiom] indeed, (in-) vade, lead, lift (up), mention, pull in, put, resort, run (down), send, set, [idiom] (well) stricken (in age), [idiom] surely, take (in), way.
   
7. Strong's Number: H1818
   There are 295 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: דָּם
   Transliteration: dâm
   Pronunciation: dawm
   Description: from דָּמַם (compare אָדַם); blood (as that which when shed causes death) of man or an animal; by analogy, the juice of the grape; figuratively (especially in the plural) bloodshed (i.e. drops of blood); blood(-y, -guiltiness, (-thirsty), [phrase] innocent.
   
8. Strong's Number: H3467
   There are 198 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: יָשַׁע
   Transliteration: yâshaʻ
   Pronunciation: yaw-shah'
   Description: a primitive root; properly, to be open, wide or free, i.e. (by implication) to be safe; causatively, to free or succor; [idiom] at all, avenging, defend, deliver(-er), help, preserve, rescue, be safe, bring (having) salvation, save(-iour), get victory.
   
9. Strong's Number: H3027
   There are 1447 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: יָד
   Transliteration: yâd
   Pronunciation: yawd
   Description: a primitive word; in distinction from כַּף, the closed one); used (as noun, adverb, etc.) in a great variety of applications, both literally and figuratively, both proximate and remote (as follows); a hand (the open one (indicating power, means, direction, etc.),; ([phrase] be) able, [idiom] about, [phrase] armholes, at, axletree, because of, beside, border, [idiom] bounty, [phrase] broad, (broken-) handed, [idiom] by, charge, coast, [phrase] consecrate, [phrase] creditor, custody, debt, dominion, [idiom] enough, [phrase] fellowship, force, [idiom] from, hand(-staves, -y work), [idiom] he, himself, [idiom] in, labour, [phrase] large, ledge, (left-) handed, means, [idiom] mine, ministry, near, [idiom] of, [idiom] order, ordinance, [idiom] our, parts, pain, power, [idiom] presumptuously, service, side, sore, state, stay, draw with strength, stroke, [phrase] swear, terror, [idiom] thee, [idiom] by them, [idiom] themselves, [idiom] thine own, [idiom] thou, through, [idiom] throwing, [phrase] thumb, times, [idiom] to, [idiom] under, [idiom] us, [idiom] wait on, (way-) side, where, [phrase] wide, [idiom] with (him, me, you), work, [phrase] yield, [idiom] yourselves.
   
10. Strong's Number: H341
    There are 481 instances of this translation in the Bible
    Lemma: אֹיֵב
    Transliteration: ʼôyêb
    Pronunciation: o-yabe'
    Description: or (fully) אוֹיֵב; active participle of אָיַב; hating; an adversary; enemy, foe.
    
11. Strong's Number: H1245
    There are 215 instances of this translation in the Bible
    Lemma: בָּקַשׁ
    Transliteration: bâqash
    Pronunciation: baw-kash'
    Description: a primitive root; to search out (by any method, specifically in worship or prayer); by implication, to strive after; ask, beg, beseech, desire, enquire, get, make inquisition, procure, (make) request, require, seek (for).
    
12. Strong's Number: H7451
    There are 623 instances of this translation in the Bible
    Lemma: רַע
    Transliteration: raʻ
    Pronunciation: rah
    Description: from רָעַע; bad or (as noun) evil (natural or moral); adversity, affliction, bad, calamity, [phrase] displease(-ure), distress, evil((-favouredness), man, thing), [phrase] exceedingly, [idiom] great, grief(-vous), harm, heavy, hurt(-ful), ill (favoured), [phrase] mark, mischief(-vous), misery, naught(-ty), noisome, [phrase] not please, sad(-ly), sore, sorrow, trouble, vex, wicked(-ly, -ness, one), worse(-st), wretchedness, wrong. (Incl. feminine raaah; as adjective or noun.).
    
13. Strong's Number: H5037
    There are 18 instances of this translation in the Bible
    Lemma: נָבָל
    Transliteration: Nâbâl
    Pronunciation: naw-bawl'
    Description: the same as נָבָל; dolt; Nabal, an Israelite; Nabal.