I Samuel 25:1-12 · Bible study
1 Samuel 25:1-12 Commentary: Samuel's Death
Hebrew · 10 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
How Samuel's death signals a transition in Israel and tests David's readiness to trust God rather than seize justice himself.
Research Summary
- Meaning: Samuel's death closes the era of the judges and ushers in a test of David's character, will he trust God's timing or seize justice by his own hand?
- Key words: Nabal ('fool'), shalom ('peace', repeated four times in David's greeting), qasheh ('hard, surly'), and Calebite (ironic, descended from faithful Caleb but acting faithlessly).
- Main debate: The location: 'wilderness of Paran' (Hebrew text) vs 'wilderness of Maon' (Septuagint), with Barnes favouring Maon as geographically coherent.
- Theological theme: Providence and patience, God watches over David, keeping him from bloodguilt and advancing his kingship through the very insult that nearly derails him.
- Best use: A narrative study on how God tests and protects his anointed, and a springboard for discussing wise responses to public humiliation.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
1When Samuel died, all Israel gathered to mourn for him; and they buried him at his home in Ramah. Then David set out and went down to the Wilderness of Paran.
2Now there was a man in Maon whose business was in Carmel. He was a very wealthy man with a thousand goats and three thousand sheep, which he was shearing in Carmel.
3His name was Nabal, and his wife’s name was Abigail. She was an intelligent and beautiful woman, but her husband, a Calebite, was harsh and evil in his dealings.
4While David was in the wilderness, he heard that Nabal was shearing sheep.
5So David sent ten young men and instructed them, “Go up to Nabal at Carmel. Greet him in my name
6and say to him, ‘Long life to you, and peace to you and your house and to all that belongs to you.
7Now I hear that it is time for shearing. When your shepherds were with us, we did not harass them, and nothing of theirs was missing the whole time they were in Carmel.
8Ask your young men, and they will tell you. So let my young men find favor with you, for we have come on the day of a feast. Please give whatever you can afford to your servants and to your son David.’”
9When David’s young men arrived, they relayed all these words to Nabal on behalf of David. Then they waited.
10But Nabal asked them, “Who is David? Who is this son of Jesse? Many servants these days are breaking away from their masters.
11Why should I take my bread and water and the meat I have slaughtered for my shearers, and give them to these men whose origin I do not know?”
12So David’s men turned around and went back, and they relayed to him all these words.
WEB World English Bible 2000
1Samuel died; and all Israel gathered themselves together and mourned for him, and buried him at his house at Ramah. Then David arose and went down to the wilderness of Paran.
2There was a man in Maon whose possessions were in Carmel; and the man was very great. He had three thousand sheep and a thousand goats; and he was shearing his sheep in Carmel.
3Now the name of the man was Nabal; and the name of his wife Abigail. This woman was intelligent and had a beautiful face; but the man was surly and evil in his doings. He was of the house of Caleb.
4David heard in the wilderness that Nabal was shearing his sheep.
5David sent ten young men; and David said to the young men, “Go up to Carmel, and go to Nabal, and greet him in my name.
6Tell him, ‘Long life to you! Peace be to you! Peace be to your house! Peace be to all that you have!
7Now I have heard that you have shearers. Your shepherds have now been with us, and we didn’t harm them. Nothing was missing from them all the time they were in Carmel.
8Ask your young men, and they will tell you. Therefore let the young men find favor in your eyes, for we come on a good day. Please give whatever comes to your hand to your servants and to your son David.’”
9When David’s young men came, they spoke to Nabal all those words in the name of David, and waited.
10Nabal answered David’s servants and said, “Who is David? Who is the son of Jesse? There are many servants who break away from their masters these days.
11Shall I then take my bread, my water, and my meat that I have killed for my shearers, and give it to men who I don’t know where they come from?”
12So David’s young men turned on their way and went back, and came and told him all these words.
KJV King James Version 1769
1And Samuel died; and all the Israelites were gathered together, and lamented him, and buried him in his house at Ramah. And David arose, and went down to the wilderness of Paran.
2And 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.
3Now the name of the man was Nabal; and the name of his wife Abigail: and she was a woman of good understanding, and of a beautiful countenance: but the man was churlish and evil in his doings; and he was of the house of Caleb.
4And David heard in the wilderness that Nabal did shear his sheep.
5And David sent out ten young men, and David said unto the young men, Get you up to Carmel, and go to Nabal, and greet him in my name:
6And thus shall ye say to him that liveth in prosperity, Peace be both to thee, and peace be to thine house, and peace be unto all that thou hast.
7And now I have heard that thou hast shearers: now thy shepherds which were with us, we hurt them not, neither was there ought missing unto them, all the while they were in Carmel.
8Ask thy young men, and they will shew thee. Wherefore let the young men find favour in thine eyes: for we come in a good day: give, I pray thee, whatsoever cometh to thine hand unto thy servants, and to thy son David.
9And when David’s young men came, they spake to Nabal according to all those words in the name of David, and ceased.
10And Nabal answered David’s servants, and said, Who is David? and who is the son of Jesse? there be many servants now a days that break away every man from his master.
11Shall I then take my bread, and my water, and my flesh that I have killed for my shearers, and give it unto men, whom I know not whence they be?
12So David’s young men turned their way, and went again, and came and told him all those sayings.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
1And Samuel died; and all Israel gathered themselves together, and lamented him, and buried him in his house at Ramah. And David arose, and went down to the wilderness of Paran.
2And 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.
3Now the name of the man was Nabal; and the name of his wife Abigail; and the woman was of good understanding, and of a beautiful countenance: but the man was churlish and evil in his doings; and he was of the house of Caleb.
4And David heard in the wilderness that Nabal was shearing his sheep.
5And David sent ten young men, and David said unto the young men, Get you up to Carmel, and go to Nabal, and greet him in my name:
6and thus shall ye say to him that liveth in prosperity, Peace be unto thee, and peace be to thy house, and peace be unto all that thou hast.
7And now I have heard that thou hast shearers: thy shepherds have now been with us, and we did them no hurt, neither was there aught missing unto them, all the while they were in Carmel.
8Ask thy young men, and they will tell thee: wherefore let the young men find favor in thine eyes; for we come in a good day: give, I pray thee, whatsoever cometh to thy hand, unto thy servants, and to thy son David.
9And when David’s young men came, they spake to Nabal according to all those words in the name of David, and ceased.
10And Nabal answered David’s servants, and said, Who is David? and who is the son of Jesse? there are many servants now-a-days that break away every man from his master.
11Shall I then take my bread, and my water, and my flesh that I have killed for my shearers, and give it unto men of whom I know not whence they are?
12So David’s young men turned on their way, and went back, and came and told him according to all these words.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
1And Samuel dieth, and all Israel are gathered, and mourn for him, and bury him in his house, in Ramah; and David riseth and goeth down unto the wilderness of Paran.
2And 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.
3And the name of the man is Nabal, and the name of his wife Abigail, and the woman is of good understanding, and of fair form, and the man is hard and evil in doings; and he is a Calebite.
4And David heareth in the wilderness that Nabal is shearing his flock,
5and David sendeth ten young men, and David saith to the young men, `Go ye up to Carmel, and ye have come in unto Nabal, and asked of him in my name of welfare,
6and said thus: To life! and thou, peace; and thy house, peace; and all that thou hast--peace!
7and, now, I have heard that thou hast shearers; now, the shepherds whom thou hast have been with us, we have not put them to shame, nor hath anything been looked after by them, all the days of their being in Carmel.
8`Ask thy young men, and they declare to thee, and the young men find grace in thine eyes, for on a good day we have come; give, I pray thee, that which thy hand findeth, to thy servants, and to thy son, to David.'
9And the young men of David come in, and speak unto Nabal according to all these words, in the name of David--and rest.
10And Nabal answereth the servants of David and saith, `Who is David, and who the son of Jesse? to-day have servants been multiplied who are breaking away each from his master;
11and I have taken my bread, and my water, and my flesh, which I slaughtered for my shearers, and have given it to men whom I have not known whence they are !'
12And the young men of David turn on their way, and turn back, and come in, and declare to him according to all these words.
Darby Darby Bible 1890
1And Samuel died; and all Israel were gathered together, and lamented him; and they buried him in his house at Ramah. And David arose and went down to the wilderness of Paran.
2And 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.
3And the name of the man was Nabal, and the name of his wife Abigail; and the woman was of good understanding, and of a beautiful countenance; but the man was churlish and evil in his doings; and he was a Calebite.
4And David heard in the wilderness that Nabal was shearing his sheep.
5Then David sent out ten young men; and David said to the young men, Go up to Carmel, and go to Nabal, and greet him in my name.
6And thus shall ye say: Long life [to thee]! and peace be to thee, and peace be to thy house, and peace be to all that thou hast!
7And now I have heard that thou hast shearers; now thy shepherds who were with us, we hurt them not, neither was there aught missed by them, all the while they were in Carmel.
8Ask thy young men, and they will tell thee. Therefore let the young men find favour in thine eyes; for we come in a good day: give, I pray thee, what thy hand may find to thy servants, and to thy son David.
9And David's young men came, and spoke to Nabal according to all those words in the name of David, and ceased.
10And Nabal answered David's servants and said, Who is David? and who is the son of Jesse? there are many servants now-a-days that break away every man from his master.
11And shall I take my bread, and my water, and my flesh which I have killed for my shearers, and give [it] to men whom I know not whence they are?
12And David's young men turned their way, and went back, and came and reported to him according to all those words.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
1And Samuel died, and all Israel was gathered together, and they mourned for him, and buried him in his house in Ramatha. And David rose, and went down into the wilderness of Pharan.
2Now there was a certain man in the wilderness of Maon, and his possessions were in Carmel, and the man was very great: and he had three thousand sheep, and a thousand goats: and it happened that he was shearing his sheep in Carmel.
3Now the name of the man was Nabal: and the name of his wife was Abigail. And she was a prudent and very comely woman: but her husband was churlish, and very bad and ill natured: and he was of the house of Caleb.
4And when David heard in the wilderness, that Nabal was shearing his sheep,
5He sent ten young men, and said to them: Go up to Carmel, and go to Nabal, and salute him in my name with peace.
6And you shall say: Peace be to my brethren, and to thee, and peace to thy house, and peace to all that thou hast.
7I have heard that thy shepherds that were with us in the desert were shearing: we never molested them, neither was there ought missing to them of the flock at any time, all the while they were with us in Carmel.
8Ask thy servants, and they will tell thee. Now therefore let thy servants find favour in thy eyes: for we are come in a good day, whatsoever thy hand shall find give to thy servants, and to thy son David.
9And when David's servants came, they spoke to Nabal all these words in David's name, and then held their peace.
10But Nabal answering the servants of David, said: Who is David? and what is the son of Isai? servants are multiplied now days who flee from their masters.
11Shall I then take my bread, and my water, and the flesh of my cattle, which I have killed for my shearers, and give to men whom I know not whence they are?
12So the servants of David went back their way, and returning came and told him all the words that he said.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · I Samuel 25:1
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators agree this passage marks a pivot in David's life. Samuel's death removes Israel's last great judge and David's most trusted human ally. Keil and Delitzsch observe that the episode shows 'how Jehovah watched over His servant David,' preserving him from rash violence that would have threatened his calling to kingship. The Cambridge Bible notes that sheep-shearing was a festive occasion and that David's request was not extortion but a legitimate claim for protection services rendered. Clarke underscores the reasonableness of David's modest request and the offensiveness of Nabal's refusal. All note the irony that Nabal, the name means 'fool,' as Clarke points out, acts exactly as his name suggests, while Abigail, 'my father is joy,' embodies wisdom. The narrator places this encounter immediately after Samuel's death to test whether David will trust God's timing or take justice into his own hands.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Low
What is clear: Samuel's death closes a major era, and the test of David's character through Nabal's insult is the central drama.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| David's claim on Nabal | All traditions agree David and his men provided real protection to Nabal's shepherds, and that Nabal's refusal was harsh and ungrateful. | Some readers see David's request as a reasonable claim for services rendered; others question whether it bordered on extortion or protection money. The Cambridge Bible explicitly defends David's conduct. |
| Location: Paran vs Maon | All agree the action takes place in the region of Maon and Carmel, in the hill country of Judah. | The Masoretic Text reads 'wilderness of Paran,' but the Septuagint reads 'wilderness of Maon,' which Barnes considers far more probable given the geography. Some English translations adopt Maon. |
| The meaning of 'house of Caleb' | All agree the phrase identifies Nabal's tribal lineage as a descendant of Caleb, the faithful spy from Numbers 13. | Some traditions read 'Calebite' as a tribal marker with deep irony, a descendant of faithful Caleb acting faithlessly. The Septuagint renders it 'dog-like' (kynikos), a pun on Caleb's name, though Clarke and others read it strictly as lineage. |
Historical & Cultural Context
Samuel's death draws all Israel to Ramah for a public mourning. The last time the nation gathered like this was for Moses and Aaron, the Cambridge Bible draws the parallel to Deuteronomy 34:8 and Numbers 20:29. Samuel had anointed both Saul and David, and his voice had guided Israel for decades. With his burial, a hinge swings shut on the era of the judges.
David's response is to go down to the wilderness of Paran, a region associated with Israel's wilderness wandering (Numbers 10:12, 12:16, 13:3). Barnes notes that the Septuagint reads 'Maon' instead of 'Paran,' which fits the geography better since Maon and Carmel lie just a few miles apart in the hill country of Judah. Paran stretches far south toward Sinai, while the action unfolds near Hebron, so Barnes's suggestion that the text may originally have referred to the wilderness of Maon is plausible. Either way, David has moved to a place of scarcity and vulnerability.
Nabal's home is Maon, his business at Carmel, sites mentioned together in Joshua 15:55. He is 'very great,' meaning very rich, with three thousand sheep and a thousand goats. Sheep-shearing was a time of open-handed hospitality (Genesis 38:12-13), a fact that sharpens the sting of Nabal's refusal. The narrator underlines the irony: Nabal is a Calebite, descended from Caleb, the faithful spy who followed God wholeheartedly, yet he is surly and evil in his doings. His wife Abigail, intelligent and beautiful, will become the moral centre of the story.
Textual Notes
The most significant textual variant is in verse 1: the Septuagint reads 'wilderness of Maon' where the Hebrew reads 'wilderness of Paran.' Barnes argues strongly for Maon, noting that Paran lies far south toward Sinai while the action unfolds near Maon and Carmel in Judah. The Hebrew reading may reflect a broader sense of the term 'Paran' or a scribal confusion. No other significant textual issues are noted in the supplied sources.
Reception History
This passage has been read across Christian traditions as a study in providence and patience. Matthew Henry draws from it the lesson that God uses even the insults of foolish people to advance his purposes. Wesley's notes highlight the gracious timing of David's request, 'a good day', and the ingratitude of Nabal's refusal. In Jewish tradition, the story of Abigail is often read at weddings, with her wisdom and courage held up as a model. The contrast between Nabal ('fool') and Abigail ('my father is joy') has made the chapter a favourite for moral instruction about character and discernment. The story also anticipates the New Testament theme of responding to insult with trust in God's justice rather than personal vengeance.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- An era ends: Samuel dies, David descends (v.1). The death of the prophet leaves David without his greatest human supporter and signals a transition. David moves down into the wilderness, a descent that mirrors his circumstances.
- A request refused: David asks, Nabal scorns (vv.2-12). David sends a gracious greeting on a festive day, citing real services rendered. Nabal's answer, 'Who is David?', is calculated contempt, dismissing the future king as a runaway slave.
- A test revealed: Will David seize or wait? The stage is set for David to choose between personal vengeance and trust in God's promise. The passage ends with his young men returning and the full weight of the insult landing.
Five-point outline
- Mourning and movement (v.1). Samuel's funeral gathers the nation; David slips away to Paran. The contrast between public honour and private obscurity frames the chapter.
- Portrait of the players (vv.2-3). Nabal: wealthy, harsh, foolish. Abigail: intelligent, beautiful. The narrator's description prepares us for conflict.
- David's approach (vv.4-8). He sends ten young men with a greeting of triple peace, to Nabal, his house, all he has. He makes his case: we protected your shepherds, nothing was lost, now we come on a good day. Give what your hand finds.
- Nabal's insult (vv.9-11). 'Who is David? Who is the son of Jesse? Many servants break away from their masters these days.' He refuses bread, water, meat, the basics of hospitality. The insult is public and personal.
- David's response begins (v.12). The messengers return and report every word. The stage is set for David to react, and the rest of the chapter will show whether he passes the test.
Illustration hooks
- Working on trust. A contractor does a neighbour a favour, clears a fallen tree, watches their property during vacation. When an opportunity comes to ask for a small return, the neighbour refuses with contempt. The contractor feels the sting of being treated as a stranger after giving real service.
- Festival and famine. A family hosts a lavish Thanksgiving dinner and a relative shows up asking for help with rent. The host makes a public scene, questioning whether the relative even deserves to be called family. The contrast between abundance and stinginess exposes character.
- Your name as destiny. A person with a reputation for being difficult lives up to it every time. People say 'he's true to his name', not because of what his parents called him, but because of how he acts.
Questions your congregation is asking
- Why does this story follow Samuel's death? What does the timing tell us about David's state of mind?
- Was David right to ask for provisions, or was this a shakedown?
- How should we respond when someone publicly humiliates us after we have served them well?
Leading a Discussion
This passage places David at a crossroads. Samuel is gone. David is in the wilderness, vulnerable and far from the throne God promised. Nabal's insult is real and stinging. The question the chapter presses on every reader is the same one it presses on David: when you have been wronged and you have the power to strike back, what do you do?
Discussion questions
- Read verse 1. Why do you think the narrator includes Samuel's death here? How does it affect the mood of the story that opens this chapter?
- Verses 2-3 present Nabal and Abigail side by side. What does each detail about them tell you? Why mention that Nabal is a Calebite?
- David's greeting in verses 6-8 is full of the word 'peace', spoken four times. What does this repetition communicate about David's intention? How does the greeting compare to the message he might have sent if he felt differently?
- In verse 10, Nabal says 'Who is David? Who is the son of Jesse?' What is he really saying here? How does his view of David differ from the way the reader has been taught to see David?
- Nabal calls David's men 'servants who break away from their masters.' Does this description match what we know of David's situation? Why might Nabal choose to frame it this way?
- How does the timing, sheep-shearing, a festive day, make Nabal's refusal worse?
- If you were one of David's young men walking back from Carmel, what would you be thinking? What would you want David to do?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Genesis 14:6 | and the Horites in their Mount Seir, to El Paran, which is by the wilderness. |
| Genesis 21:21 | He lived in the wilderness of Paran. His mother got a wife for him out of the land of Egypt. |
| Genesis 50:11 | When the inhabitants of the land, the Canaanites, saw the mourning in the floor of Atad, they said, “This is a grievous mourning by the Egyptians.” Therefore its name was called Abel Mizraim, which is beyond the Jordan. |
| Numbers 10:12 | The children of Israel went forward on their journeys out of the wilderness of Sinai; and the cloud stayed in the wilderness of Paran. |
| Numbers 12:16 | Afterward the people traveled from Hazeroth, and encamped in the wilderness of Paran. |
| Numbers 13:3 | Moses sent them from the wilderness of Paran according to the commandment of Yahweh. All of them were men who were heads of the children of Israel. |
| Numbers 13:26 | They went and came to Moses, to Aaron, and to all the congregation of the children of Israel, to the wilderness of Paran, to Kadesh; and brought back word to them and to all the congregation. They showed them the fruit of the land. |
| Numbers 20:29 | When all the congregation saw that Aaron was dead, they wept for Aaron thirty days, even all the house of Israel. |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
8 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke highlights the wordplay in Nabal's name, which means "fool" or "base," and notes the Septuagint renders "Calebite" as "doggish man." He emphasizes that David's request was thoroughly reasonable and modest, making Nabal's churlish refusal both unjust and deeply insulting.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes suggests the wilderness of Paran is likely a scribal error for Maon, since the events clearly take place near Maon and Carmel, not far south in Sinai. He notes that shearing sheep was a time of generous hospitality, and the Hebrew phrase for "liveth in prosperity" is obscure, best understood simply as a greeting concerning his life and circumstances.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The Cambridge Bible notes that David’s request to Nabal during sheep-shearing was not extortion but a fair claim for protection services rendered. Samuel’s burial is also clarified: the text says “in his house,” but the commentator explains this means a court or garden, since a house burial would break ceremonial purity laws.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Geneva note highlights the stark contrast between Nabal's churlish and evil nature and his wife Abigail's singular wisdom and beauty. It also points out that Nabal, though from the family of faithful Caleb, arrogantly dismisses David's respectful request and insults him as a runaway slave.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
JFB emphasizes that David's request to Nabal followed the recognized customs of the region: Arab sheiks who protected local flocks from marauders expected a token of gratitude at shearing time. Nabal's harsh refusal was not merely rude but a violation of these established usages, making David's anger understandable within that cultural framework.
Keil & Delitzsch OT Commentary Protestant 1876
Keil-Delitzsch argue that David's wrath at Nabal's refusal was a sinful burst of passion, unworthy of a servant of God. By intending to take vengeance, David would have sinned against the Lord. God preserved him through Abigail's wise and kindly intervention, turning the situation into a source of prosperity.
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange notes that all Israel mourned Samuel not merely for his past leadership but because his ongoing work as prophet and watcher over the kingdom remained profoundly important to the very end. His influence continued through his relationship with Saul and David and his role as head of the prophetic community.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry highlights that the deepest loss in Samuel's death was not his public service but his daily intercession. Samuel prayed for Israel constantly, as chapter 12 shows. With him gone, the nation lost its most faithful advocate before God, far more than a leader or teacher.