1 Samuel 25:2 - Forerunner Commentary

1 Samuel 25:2

Death of Samuel

1 Then ^aSamuel died; and the Israelites gathered together and ^blamented for him, and buried him at his home in Ramah. And David arose and went down ^cto the Wilderness of Paran.

David and the Wife of Nabal

2 Now there was a man ^ain Maon whose business was in ^bCarmel, and the man was very rich. He had three thousand sheep and a thousand goats. And he was shearing his sheep in Carmel.

3 The name of the man was Nabal, and the name of his wife Abigail. And she was a woman of good understanding and beautiful appearance; but the man was harsh and evil in his doings. He was of the house of ^aCaleb.

4 When David heard in the wilderness that Nabal was ^ashearing his sheep,

5 David sent ten young men; and David said to the young men, “Go up to Carmel, go to Nabal, and greet him in my name.

6 And thus you shall say to him who lives in prosperity: ^a‘Peace be to you, peace to your house, and peace to all that you have!

7 Now I have heard that you have shearers. Your shepherds were with us, and we did not hurt them, ^anor was there anything missing from them all the while they were in Carmel.

8 Ask your young men, and they will tell you. Therefore¹ let my young men find favor in your eyes, for we come on ^aa feast day. Please give whatever comes to your hand to your servants and to your son David.’ ”

9 So when David’s young men came, they spoke to Nabal according to all these words in the name of David, and waited.

10 Then Nabal answered David’s servants, and said, ^a“Who is David, and who is the son of Jesse? There are many servants nowadays who break away each one from his master.

11 ^aShall I then take my bread and my water and my¹ meat that I have killed for my shearers, and give it to men when I do not know where they are from?”

12 So David’s young men turned on their heels and went back; and they came and told him all these words.

13 Then David said to his men, “Every man gird on his sword.” So every man girded on his sword, and David also girded on his sword. And about four hundred men went with David, and two hundred ^astayed with the supplies.

Verse Comparison: 1 Samuel 25:2

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American Standard Version
And there was a man in Maon, whose possessions were in Carmel; and the man was very great, and he had three thousand sheep, and a thousand goats: and he was shearing his sheep in Carmel.

Amplified® Bible
A very rich man was in Maon, whose possessions {and} business were in Carmel. He had 3,000 sheep and 1,000 goats, and he was shearing his sheep in Carmel.

Contemporary English Version
Nabal was a very rich man who lived in Maon. He owned three thousand sheep and a thousand goats, which he kept at Carmel. His wife Abigail was sensible and beautiful, but he was from the Caleb clan and was rough and mean.

Darby English Version
And there was a man at Maon, whose business was at Carmel; and the man was very great, and he had three thousand sheep and a thousand goats; and he was shearing his sheep at Carmel.

Good News Bible
There was a man of the clan of Caleb named Nabal, who was from the town of Maon, and who owned land near the town of Carmel. He was a very rich man, the owner of three thousand sheep and one thousand goats. His wife Abigail was beautiful and intelligent, but he was a mean, bad-tempered man. Nabal was shearing his sheep in Carmel,

King James Version
And there was a man in Maon, whose possessions were in Carmel; and the man was very great, and he had three thousand sheep, and a thousand goats: and he was shearing his sheep in Carmel.

New American Standard Bible
Now {there was} a man in Maon whose business was in Carmel; and the man was very rich, and he had three thousand sheep and a thousand goats. And it came about while he was shearing his sheep in Carmel

New International Version
A certain man in Maon, who had property there at Carmel, was very wealthy. He had a thousand goats and three thousand sheep, which he was shearing in Carmel.

New King James Version
Now there was a man in Maon whose business was in Carmel, and the man was very rich. He had three thousand sheep and a thousand goats. And he was shearing his sheep in Carmel.

N.A.S.B. in E-Prime
Now there lived a man in Maon who had a business in Carmel; and the man grew very rich, and he had three thousand sheep and a thousand goats. And it came about while he sheared his sheep in Carmel

Revised Standard Version
And there was a man in Ma'on, whose business was in Carmel. The man was very rich; he had three thousand sheep and a thousand goats. He was shearing his sheep in Carmel.

Young's Literal Translation
And `there is' a man in Maon, and his work `is' in Carmel; and the man `is' very great, and he hath three thousand sheep, and a thousand goats; and he is shearing his flock in Carmel.

New English Translation
There was a man in Maon whose business was in Carmel. This man was very wealthy;¹ he owned three thousand sheep and a thousand goats. At that time he was shearing his sheep in Carmel.

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