1 Samuel 25:1-44 KJV

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Samuel 25:5

And David sent out ten young men ,.... Such persons, and such a number of them, he sent to show honour and reverence to Nabal: and David said, unto the young men, get ye up to Carmel ; which lay higher than the wilderness, in which he was: and go to Nabal, and greet him in my name ; ask him of his peace and welfare, as the Targum; wish all health and happiness in my name, present my service and best respects to him. read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Samuel 25:6

And thus shall ye say to him that liveth in prosperity ,.... That lives, while others, as David and his men, might be rather said to starve than live; they lived in great meanness, but he in great abundance, and therefore in a capacity to give to others, and particularly to relieve them: or the sense is, they should say to him, "thus" shall it be, or may it be "for life": for the time of life, for the year to come; at this time next year, at next sheep shearing, mayest thou be in as great... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Samuel 25:7

And now I have heard that thou hast shearers ,.... Men employed in shearing his sheep, which was a time of feasting and gladness, and therefore David sent his young men to him at this time with his compliments upon it; and in order to obtain what he intended by this message to him, he observes the favours he and his men had done to his servants, and the advantages which they had received from them: now thy shepherds which were with us ; feeding their sheep near the wilderness of Paran,... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Samuel 25:8

Ask thy young men, and they will show thee ,.... The shepherds before mentioned, who kept their flocks hard by them: wherefore let the young men find favour in thine eyes ; the ten young men David sent to Nabal: for we are come in a good day ; a day in which Nabal made a feast for his shearers, as was usual then, and still is, see 2 Samuel 13:23 ; and at such times as persons are generally cheerful and merry, so free and liberal, and as there were plenty of provisions, not only... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Samuel 25:9

And when David's young men came ,.... To Carmel: they spake to Nabal according to all those words in the name of David ; they delivered their message punctually and exactly, in the very words, or however according to the purport of them, in David's name, as he enjoined them: and ceased : from speaking, waiting for Nabal's answer; or "they rested" F25 וינוחו "et quieverunt", Pagninus, Montanus, Munster. , from the fatigues of their journey; which they did not until they had... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Samuel 25:10

And Nabal answered David's servants, and said ,.... In a very haughty manner, in great wrath, just as churlish covetous persons do, when they do not care to give what is asked of them: who is David? and who is the son of Jesse ; his two questions, which relate to the same person, do not well agree together, since by both he would suggest as if he knew not the person they came from, and whose name they made use of: had he stopped at the first question, it might have gone so, but his... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Samuel 25:11

Shall I then take my bread, and my water ,.... Which include all food and liquors, everything eatable and drinkable; and "water" may be particularly mentioned, because very scarce in the wilderness, and so precious; though the Septuagint version has "wine" instead of "water": and my flesh which I have killed for my shearers ; whether oxen, or sheep, or lambs, as there might be of each sort, for an entertainment made on such an occasion: and give it unto men whom I know not whence... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Samuel 25:12

So David's young men turned their way ,.... Their backs on him, without making any reply; and though they did not return railing for railing, they treated him with silent contempt; and though they did not offer to do any injury to his person, nor to take anything away by force, yet they were determined to report this usage to David, who they doubted not would avenge the affront put on him and them: and went again ; to the wilderness from whence they came: and came and told him all... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Samuel 25:13

And David said unto his men ,.... Provoked to the last degree to have such a rude churlish answer returned to such a civil and humble message as he had sent: gird you on every man his sword ; and prepare to march and chastise Nabal for his insolence: and they girded on every man his sword ; in obedience to David, and in vindication of his honour and their own: and David also girded on his sword ; in order to march at the head of them, fired with indignation at the affront given... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Samuel 25:14

But one of the young men told Abigail, Nabal's wife ,.... Not one of David's young men, as what follows shows, but one of Nabal's young men or servants, one of those David directs him to for the truth of what he said, 1 Samuel 25:8 ; this was one of those that had been employed in feeding sheep in the wilderness, where David was, and knew him, but was now at Carmel, and was present when David's messengers came to Nabal, and was privy to what passed: saying, David sent messengers out of... read more

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Samuel 25:5

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Samuel 25:6

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Samuel 25:7

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Samuel 25:8

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Samuel 25:9

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Samuel 25:10

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Samuel 25:11

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Samuel 25:12

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Samuel 25:13

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Samuel 25:14

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