I Samuel 25:35 · Bible study
1 Samuel 25:35 Commentary: Receiving Counsel, Choosing Peace
Hebrew · 6 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
David accepts Abigail's gift and grants her request, demonstrating how to receive correction and choose peace over vengeance.
Research Summary
- Meaning: David accepts Abigail’s gift and her plea, replaces wrath with peace.
- Key words: Shalom (peace, wholeness); nasa panim (lift up the face, accept/show favor).
- Main debate: Whether 'accepted thy person' means personal favor or simply granting a petition, commentators agree it is a good sense of granting.
- Theological theme: Peacemaking through humble submission to wise counsel, reflecting God’s own mercy.
- Best use: Teaching on conflict resolution, the value of receiving correction, and the power of a gracious response.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
Then David accepted from her hand what she had brought him, and he said to her, “Go home in peace. See, I have heeded your voice and granted your request.”
WEB World English Bible 2000
So David received from her hand that which she had brought him. Then he said to her, “Go up in peace to your house. Behold, I have listened to your voice and have granted your request.”
KJV King James Version 1769
So David received of her hand that which she had brought him, and said unto her, Go up in peace to thine house; see, I have hearkened to thy voice, and have accepted thy person.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
So David received of her hand that which she had brought him: and he said unto her, Go up in peace to thy house; see, I have hearkened to thy voice, and have accepted thy person.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
And David receiveth from her hand that which she hath brought to him, and to her he hath said, `Go up in peace to thy house; see, I have hearkened to thy voice, and accept thy face.'
Darby Darby Bible 1890
So David received of her hand what she had brought him, and said to her, Go up in peace to thy house; see, I have hearkened to thy voice, and have accepted thy person.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
And David received at her hand all that she had brought him, and said to her: Go in peace into thy house, behold I have heard thy voice, and honoured thy face.
Translations in other languages (10 available)
Y recibió David de su mano lo que le había traído, y díjole: Sube en paz á tu casa, y mira que he oído tu voz, y tenídote respeto.
E recebeu Davi de sua mão o que lhe havia trazido, e disse-lhe: Sobe em paz à tua casa, e olha que ouvi tua voz, e te atendi.
Et David prit de la main d’ Abigaïl ce qu’ elle lui avait apporté, et lui dit: Monte en paix dans ta maison; vois, j’ ai écouté ta voix, et je t’ ai favorablement accueillie.
Also nahm David von ihrer Hand, was sie gebracht hatte und sprach zu ihr: Zieh mit Frieden hinauf in dein Haus; siehe, ich habe deiner Stimme gehorcht und deine Person angesehen.
Toen nam David uit haar hand, wat zij hem gebracht had; en hij zeide tot haar: Trek met vrede op naar uw huis; zie, ik heb naar uw stem gehoord, en heb uw aangezicht aangenomen.
Davide quindi ricevé dalle mani di lei quello ch’essa avea portato, e le disse: “Risali in pace a casa tua; vedi, io ho dato ascolto alla tua voce, e ho avuto riguardo a te”.
A tak przyjął Dawid z ręki jej, co mu była przyniosła, i rzekł do niej: Idź w pokoju do domu twego: otom usłuchał głosu twego, i przyjąłem cię łaskawie.
И принял Давид из рук ее то, что она принесла ему, и сказал ей: иди с миром в дом твой; вот, я послушался голоса твоего и почтил лице твое.
大衛 受了 亞比該 送來的 禮物，就對她 說：「 我聽了 你的話，准了 你的情面，你可以平平安安地 回 家吧！」
Then David took from her hands her offering: and he said to her, Go back to your house in peace; see, I have given ear to your voice, and taken your offering with respect.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · I Samuel 25:35
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators agree this verse shows David's full acceptance of Abigail's intercession. He takes her gift and releases her with a blessing of peace. Matthew Henry calls it 'a wise reprover upon an obedient ear': David not only heeds the correction but thanks God for it. Gill notes that the phrase 'accepted thy person' (Hebrew nasa panim) means to lift up the face, granting favor and making her countenance cheerful. The Cambridge Bible adds that the language echoes God's granting of Lot's request in Genesis 19:21, a deliberate parallel. David's words, 'I have hearkened to your voice', use the verb shama, which carries the sense of both hearing and obeying. By accepting the gift and granting peace, David completes the reversal from vengeance to mercy that Abigail's wisdom set in motion.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Low
What is clear: David accepted Abigail's gift and her plea, turned from vengeance, and sent her home with a blessing of peace.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| David's acceptance of the gift | David took the provisions Abigail brought, showing he was willing to receive her peace offering. | Some see this as purely practical (he needed food); others emphasize it as a symbolic acceptance of her counsel and a gesture of reconciliation. |
| 'I have accepted your person' (nasa panim) | The phrase means to show favor or grant a request, lifting up the petitioner's face. | A few earlier interpreters questioned whether it implied partiality (cf. Job 34:19), but all agree that here it is used positively: David honors Abigail's face/person. |
| Role of Abigail | Abigail's wisdom and courage saved her household and kept David from sin. | Some traditions focus on her as a type of peacemaker; others see her as an example of wise submission to a difficult husband. |
| Peace formula 'Go in peace' | It is a standard blessing of dismissal, here carrying weight of ending the conflict. | Whether this is only a dismissal or also a formal cancellation of David's vengeance is agreed, but some link it to later NT uses (Luke 7:50) where 'go in peace' carries salvific overtones. |
| Connection to Genesis 19:21 | The same formula 'Behold, I have granted your request' appears in Lot's story, indicating divine mercy. | Some see a deliberate parallel to contrast God's mercy with human anger; others read it as a common idiom with no special echo. |
Historical & Cultural Context
The narrative of 1 Samuel 25 places David in the wilderness of Paran after Samuel's death. Nabal, a wealthy but churlish shepherd, refuses David's request for provisions during sheep-shearing. David, insulted and angry, sets out with four hundred armed men to kill every male in Nabal's household. Abigail, Nabal's wise and beautiful wife, intercepts David with a generous gift of food and a speech that rebukes his vengeful intent. She reminds David of God's covenant and warns him against bloodguilt. David stops, blesses God for sending her, and calls her discretion blessed.
Verse 35 is the climax: David receives Abigail's gift (the present she brought, which Gill notes was 'for a prince'), then dismisses her with a blessing of peace. The phrase 'go up in peace' (le shalom) was a standard farewell but here carries weight, it formally cancels the threat of violence. David's words 'I have listened to your voice' (shamati be kolekh) use the same verb used of obeying God. By accepting her person (literally 'lifting up her face'), David treats her as an honored petitioner rather than an enemy's wife. The scene models how timely wisdom can turn back rash anger.
Textual Notes
The consulted sources note no significant textual variants for 1 Samuel 25:35. The word-for-word differences across English translations ('accepted thy person' vs. 'granted your request', 'behold' vs. 'see') reflect translational choices for the Hebrew nasa panim and re'eh, both of which are clear in meaning. The Septuagint and Latin traditions preserve the same sense of a favorable response.
Reception History
This verse has been used throughout church history as a model of receiving correction. Early monastic writers cited Abigail's approach as a pattern for confronting a brother in sin with wisdom and gentleness. In the Reformation, Matthew Henry's commentary made much of David's thankfulness for the reproof, calling it 'an obedient ear.' Preachers often pair the verse with Proverbs 25:12 (a wise reprover is like gold earrings) to emphasize the value of godly counsel. In modern sermon collections, the narrative of David and Abigail is frequently used to teach conflict resolution and the power of a wise woman to defuse violence. The phrase 'go in peace' echoes in Christian liturgy and in Jesus' own words, connecting the Old Testament peacemaking to the gospel's offer of reconciliation.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- David takes the gift. Receiving is an act of grace, he accepts Abigail's provision and her words.
- David grants peace. He replaces his threat of bloodshed with a blessing of wholeness (shalom).
- David acknowledges the messenger. He honors Abigail's voice and her face, showing that wise correction can come from unexpected sources.
Five-point outline
- Prevention of sin: Abigail's intervention stops David from shedding innocent blood (v.33).
- God's provision: The gift meets David's physical need, and the counsel meets his spiritual need.
- Power of a gentle answer: Abigail's respectful but direct speech turns away wrath (Prov. 15:1).
- Humility in leadership: David, a king-in-waiting, submits to correction from a woman he could have ignored.
- Peace as a choice: David deliberately speaks shalom over Abigail, rejecting vengeance for blessing.
Illustration hooks
- A church member feels wronged and plans to confront someone angrily, then a friend offers a calm, wiser perspective that changes the course of the conversation.
- A manager receives critical feedback from a junior employee and, instead of dismissing it, thanks them and changes their approach.
- A parent is about to punish a child in anger, then the child's quiet explanation shows a misunderstanding, and the punishment turns into teaching.
Questions your congregation is asking
- How do I know when to speak up like Abigail and when to stay silent?
- What does it look like to 'receive a person's face' in everyday relationships?
- Can a peacemaking effort ever be one-sided, what if the other person refuses to listen?
Leading a Discussion
This verse shows the conclusion of a fast-moving conflict. David was ready to kill; Abigail brought wisdom and gifts. He accepted both. The result: peace instead of bloodshed, and David's character strengthened. As you discuss, notice how David's words echo God's words to Lot (Gen. 19:21) and later reappear in Jesus' blessing, 'Go in peace' (Luke 7:50).
Discussion questions
- What does David's willingness to receive Abigail's gift tell you about his state of mind at this moment? (Read vv.32, 35.)
- How does David's phrase 'I have listened to your voice' differ from simply hearing her words?
- Why does David send Abigail home 'in peace' rather than asking her to stay or to lead him to Nabal?
- What does the Hebrew phrase nasa panim ('lift up the face') reveal about how David regarded Abigail's request?
- Compare this scene with other biblical peacemaking moments (e.g., Jacob and Esau, Joseph and his brothers). What patterns do you see?
- When have you had to receive correction from someone you did not expect? What helped you accept it?
- How can your small group become a place where people feel safe to offer and receive wise counsel like Abigail's?
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 19:21 | He said to him, “Behold, I have granted your request concerning this thing also, that I will not overthrow the city of which you have spoken. |
| I Samuel 20:42 | Jonathan said to David, “Go in peace, because we have both sworn in Yahweh’s name, saying, ‘Yahweh is between me and you, and between my offspring and your offspring, forever.’” He arose and departed; and Jonathan went into the city. |
| II Samuel 15:9 | The king said to him, “Go in peace.” So he arose and went to Hebron. |
| II Kings 5:19 | He said to him, “Go in peace.” So he departed from him a little way. |
| Job 34:19 | He doesn’t respect the persons of princes, nor respect the rich more than the poor, for they all are the work of his hands. |
| Luke 7:50 | He said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you. Go in peace.” |
| Luke 8:48 | He said to her, “Daughter, cheer up. Your faith has made you well. Go in peace.” |
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
6 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The Cambridge Bible points out that the phrase "accepted thy person" is used here in a positive sense, meaning "I have granted your petition," whereas the same expression elsewhere carries a negative connotation of partiality. The note draws a comparison to Genesis 19:21, where a similar gracious acceptance is indicated.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
Then Dauid receiued of her hande that which she had brought him, and said to her, Goe vp in peace to thine house: beholde, I haue heard thy voyce, and haue graunted thy petition.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill highlights that David received not only Abigail's gift but also her person, meaning he accepted her counsel and granted her request. He forgave the offense, lifted her spirits, and promised to help her in the future whenever she might ask.
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange stresses that David's planned revenge against Nabal was a serious sin, driven by his excitable temperament and a dangerous impulse to take justice into his own hands. God's providence, through Abigail's intervention, saved David from blood-guilt and from acting against divine order, leading David to praise God for mercifully preventing his sin.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry celebrates David's rare response to correction: he thanks God for sending Abigail to prevent his sin, then thanks her for the reproof itself. Most people merely endure a rebuke, but David praises the one who gave it, treating wise counsel as a kindness worth blessing.
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Wesley explains that God's acceptance of a person is shown not by words but by the concrete act of granting their request. The granting itself is the proof of favor.