I Samuel 25:36 · Bible study
1 Samuel 25:36 Commentary: Abigail's Prudent Silence
Hebrew · 7 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Why did Abigail wait until morning to tell Nabal about David?
Research Summary
- Meaning: Abigail withholds news of her intervention from the drunken Nabal until morning, showing that wisdom knows the right moment to speak.
- Key words: mish'teh (feast/banquet), shikor (drunk/drunkard), nagad (to tell/report), tov (merry/good; here of the heart).
- Main debate: None significant; all commentators affirm the prudence of her silence. A minor question is whether silence could ever be complicit, but the text presents it as wise.
- Theological theme: Discretion is not weakness; right timing is essential to communicating truth; excess dulls the conscience.
- Best use: Teaching on practical wisdom in marriage, leadership, and confronting sin; also a caution about the dangers of drunkenness.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
When Abigail returned to Nabal, there he was in the house, holding a feast fit for a king, in high spirits and very drunk. So she told him nothing until morning light.
WEB World English Bible 2000
Abigail came to Nabal; and behold, he held a feast in his house like the feast of a king. Nabal’s heart was merry within him, for he was very drunk. Therefore she told him nothing until the morning light.
KJV King James Version 1769
And Abigail came to Nabal; and, behold, he held a feast in his house, like the feast of a king; and Nabal’s heart was merry within him, for he was very drunken: wherefore she told him nothing, less or more, until the morning light.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
And Abigail came to Nabal; and, behold, he held a feast in his house, like the feast of a king; and Nabal’s heart was merry within him, for he was very drunken: wherefore she told him nothing, less or more, until the morning light.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
And Abigail cometh in unto Nabal, and lo, he hath a banquet in his house, like a banquet of the king, and the heart of Nabal is glad within him, and he is drunk unto excess, and she hath not declared to him anything, less or more, till the light of the morning.
Darby Darby Bible 1890
And Abigail came to Nabal; and behold, he held a feast in his house, like the feast of a king; and Nabal's heart was merry within him, for he was drunken to excess; so she told him nothing, less or more, until the morning light.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
And Abigail came to Nabal: and behold he had a feast in his house, like the feast of a king: and Nabal's heart was merry, for he was very drunk: and she told him nothing less or more until morning.
Translations in other languages (10 available)
Y Abigail se vino á Nabal, y he aquí que él tenía banquete en su casa como banquete de rey: y el corazón de Nabal estaba alegre en él, y estaba muy borracho; por lo que ella no le declaró poco ni mucho, hasta que vino el día siguiente|strong="H0216, H1242".
E Abigail se veio a Nabal, e eis que ele tinha banquete em sua casa como banquete de rei: e o coração de Nabal estava alegre nele, e estava muito embriagado; pelo que ela não lhe declarou pouco nem muito, até que veio o dia seguinte.
Abigaïl arriva auprès de Nabal. Et voici, il faisait dans sa maison un festin comme un festin de roi; il avait le cœur joyeux, et il était complètement dans l’ ivresse. Elle ne lui dit aucune chose, petite ou grande, jusqu’ à la lumière du matin.
Da aber Abigail zu Nabal kam, siehe, da hatte er ein Mahl zugerichtet in seinem Hause wie eines Königs Mahl, und sein Herz war guter Dinge bei ihm selbst, und er war sehr trunken. Sie aber sagte ihm nichts, weder klein noch groß bis an den lichten Morgen.
Toen nu Abigail tot Nabal kwam, ziet, zo had hij een maaltijd in zijn huis, als eens konings maaltijd; en het hart van Nabal was vrolijk op denzelven, en hij was zeer dronken; daarom gaf zij hem niet een woord, klein noch groot, te kennen, tot aan het morgenlicht.
Ed Abigail venne da Nabal; ed ecco ch’egli faceva banchetto in casa sua; banchetto da re. Nabal aveva il cuore allegro, perch’era ebbro fuor di modo; ond’ella non gli fece sapere alcuna cosa, piccola o grande, fino allo spuntar del giorno.
Tedy się wróciła Abigail do Nabala; a on miał ucztę w domu swoim, jako ucztę królewską, a serce Nabalowe było wesołe w nim, a był pijany bardzo; i nie oznajmiła mu najmniejszej rzeczy aż do poranku.
И пришла Авигея к Навалу, и вот, у него пир в доме его, как пир царский, и сердце Навала было весело; он же был очень пьян; и не сказала ему ни слова, ни большого, ни малого, до утра.
亞比該 到 拿八那裡，見 他 在家裡 設擺筵席，如同王 的筵席；拿八 快樂 大 醉。亞比該無論大 小 事 都沒有 告訴 他，就等到 次日早晨。
And Abigail went back to Nabal; and he was feasting in his house like a king; and Nabal's heart was full of joy, for he had taken much wine; so she said nothing to him till dawn came.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · I Samuel 25:36
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators across traditions agree that Abigail's decision to wait until morning to tell Nabal about her meeting with David was an act of prudence, not deception. Gill observes that Nabal was 'incapable of attending to what she should say,' having been 'bereaved of his reason by drink.' Wesley concurs, noting that Nabal's 'reason and conscience were both asleep,' making admonition pointless. Matthew Henry simply remarks that she 'told nothing because he was very drunken.' The Cambridge Bible adds that his feast 'like the feast of a king' sets the scene of extravagant self-indulgence. All see Nabal's drunkenness as blocking any meaningful communication. The silence is not duplicity; it is waiting for a moment when truth can be heard. This resonates with Proverbs 20:1, wine leads to mockery and unsteadiness. Abigail's restraint embodies the wisdom that recognizes timing matters as much as truth. The text quietly invites us to ask when we speak hard words, and whether we wait for sober hearts.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Low
What is clear: Abigail withheld the news because Nabal was too drunk to understand, and her timing reflects discernment, not deceit.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Abigail's wisdom in waiting | All commentators affirm that her decision to wait until morning was prudent, not deceptive. | Little to no disagreement in the supplied sources; the silence is seen as necessary because Nabal was incapable of receiving information. |
| Nabal's character | Consensus holds that Nabal was a 'fool' (his name), churlish, and that his drunkenness exemplifies his folly. | No significant debate; some (e.g., Gill) note his covetousness leading to profuse feasting, while others (Matthew Henry) focus on his being 'twice dead'. |
| Significance of the feast | The feast is described as royal in scale, indicating Nabal's wealth and his desire to display status. | The Cambridge Bible links it to shearing customs; the degree of excess (beyond normal celebration) is noted but not disputed. |
| Role of divine justice | Nabal's subsequent death is understood as God's judgment, delivered after the truth reaches him. | Some (e.g., Lange) emphasize the sequence: shock then divine striking; others (Matthew Henry) call it 'thrice dead', drunk, smitten, buried. No disagreement on God's agency. |
| Warnings about drunkenness | The verse is consistently read as a caution against alcohol's ability to suppress reason and expose folly. | The debate is not about this text but about broader biblical teaching on alcohol; within this passage, all see drunkenness negatively. |
Historical & Cultural Context
The sheep-shearing season was a time of celebration and generous hospitality in ancient Israel. M Masters would feast their workers, and Nabal, for all his churlish reputation, staged an event on a scale that the narrator compares to 'a feast of the king' (Cambridge Bible cross-references 2 Samuel 13:23, where Absalom's shearing feast also involved royal display). The phrase 'like the feast of the king' highlights both opulence and a claim to status, perhaps Nabal's grasping for importance after his wealth increased. Yet the feast quickly becomes a scene of excess: Nabal's heart was 'very good within him' (the Hebrew idiom for merry, from tov), but the text immediately qualifies it: 'for he was very drunken' (shikor 'ad m'od). The word shikor denotes a drunkard, not a moderate drinker.
In a culture where the head of the household was expected to protect and provide, Nabal sprawls incapacitated. Abigail, by contrast, had just acted decisively to avert bloodshed. The 'morning light' (or haboker) carries overtones of a fresh start, the lexicon notes its figurative use 'of bright joy after night of distress' (H1242). She withholds the full story until daylight, when Nabal's senses are restored. This timing respects both his dignity and the gravity of her news. Ellicott suggests that Abigail had absorbed the teaching of the prophetic schools, which called for self-control and faithfulness. Her silence is not passive; it is a calculated pause to ensure the truth lands on ground prepared to receive it.
Wine is a mocker and beer is a brawler. Whoever is led astray by them is not wise.
— Proverbs 20:1 (WEB)
Textual Notes
The consulted sources, Matthew Henry, Gill, Wesley, Cambridge Bible, and others, note no significant textual variants for 1 Samuel 25:36. The Hebrew text is stable across the Masoretic tradition, and the English versions (KJV, ASV, BSB, YLT, Darby, Douay) all render the same sense. The phrase 'less or more' (KJV, ASV) or 'anything, less or more' (YLT) reflects the Hebrew idiom koton v'gadol, literally 'small or great', meaning not even a hint.
Reception History
Within the history of interpretation, this verse has not been a major locus of doctrinal controversy, but it has served consistently as a moral example. Early Jewish tradition (reflected in the Talmud, b. Megillah 14a) praised Abigail's wisdom and contrasted her with her foolish husband. In the Christian tradition, John Chrysostom referenced the story to illustrate the dangers of drunkenness and the virtue of discreet timing. During the Reformation, Protestant commentators such as Matthew Henry and John Wesley used the passage to warn against excess and to commend marital prudence, especially the wife's role in preventing harm. The verse has also appeared in collections of 'wise women of the Bible' and is often cited in sermons on discernment in relationships. Though not a prooftext for major doctrines, its place in the David narrative has been treasured as a model of calm, timely action in the face of foolish opposition.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- The scene of excess, Nabal's feast 'like a feast of a king' shows misplaced priorities. He celebrates his wealth alone, unaware of the danger David posed. Drunkenness blinds him to reality.
- The wisdom of delay, Abigail sees that Nabal cannot process what happened. She chooses silence, not as deception, but as readiness. Proverbs warns against speaking to a fool in his folly (Prov 26:4).
- The sobering morning, When wine leaves him, the truth strikes. Nabal's heart 'dies within him.' The same truth, given at the wrong time, would have been wasted or provoked rage. Abigail's patience gives the word its full weight.
Five-point outline
- Abigail returns from averting disaster to find a household in revelry.
- The contrast: one person has faced danger and responsibility; another is drunk on foolish luxury.
- She discerns that the moment is wrong for the hard truth, she speaks no word 'less or more' (the Hebrew phrase for not even a hint).
- Morning comes; she tells everything. Nabal's shock shows he could now grasp it.
- God's justice follows, but the point remains: timing is part of truthful love.
Illustration hooks
- A parent who discovers a teenager's serious mistake while the teen is upset or high. Waiting until morning, when the teen is calm, changes the outcome of the conversation.
- An argument overheard at a party, one person is clearly drunk, and the other says 'let's talk tomorrow.' Everyone instinctively knows that is wise.
- Holding a difficult medical report until the patient is rested and stable, not blurting it out in an emergency room.
Questions your congregation is asking
- Does this passage mean I should never confront someone who has been drinking, or are there exceptions (immediate danger, etc.)?
- How can I tell if I am waiting wisely or just avoiding a hard conversation?
- What does this story say about the line between celebration and excess? Is all alcohol use condemned here?
Leading a Discussion
This verse sits at the hinge of a larger narrative about grace, revenge, and the sovereignty of God. Abigail has just disarmed a furious David. Now she returns to a husband who is oblivious to the danger she averted. Her choice to wait until morning is a concrete act of wisdom, one the Bible honors without comment, letting her actions speak. As your group studies this moment, notice how timing changes the way truth is received.
Discussion questions
- Read verse 36 carefully: what details does the writer give about Nabal's condition? Why do you think he includes the comparison to a king's feast?
- Twice the story emphasizes that Abigail told Nabal 'nothing' (v. 19 and v. 36). What does this repetition suggest about her judgment?
- How would the scene have changed if she had burst in and announced everything while he was drunk? Imagine the possible outcomes.
- The Hebrew phrase for 'very drunk' is literally 'drunk to muchness' (shikor 'ad m'od). Why does the writer underline the degree of his intoxication?
- In what situations is it wise to delay telling a hard truth? When might silence be wrong?
- Nabal's heart dies when he hears the news, then God strikes him (vv. 37, 38). Do you think Abigail's timing played any part in his response? Why or why not?
- Think of a time you had to deliver difficult news. How did timing affect the outcome? What does this story teach you about waiting on God's timing for justice?
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)
| I Samuel 25:19 | She said to her young men, “Go on before me. Behold, I am coming after you.” But she didn’t tell her husband, Nabal. |
| II Samuel 13:23 | After two full years, Absalom had sheep shearers in Baal Hazor, which is beside Ephraim; and Absalom invited all the king’s sons. |
| II Samuel 13:28 | Absalom commanded his servants, saying, “Mark now, when Amnon’s heart is merry with wine; and when I tell you, ‘Strike Amnon,’ then kill him. Don’t be afraid. Haven’t I commanded you? Be courageous, and be valiant!” |
| I Kings 20:16 | They went out at noon. But Ben Hadad was drinking himself drunk in the pavilions, he and the kings, the thirty-two kings who helped him. |
| Esther 1:3 | in the third year of his reign, he made a feast for all his princes and his servants; the army of Persia and Media, the nobles and princes of the provinces being before him. |
| Esther 1:7 | They gave them drinks in golden vessels of various kinds, including royal wine in abundance, according to the bounty of the king. |
| Psalms 112:5 | It is well with the man who deals graciously and lends. He will maintain his cause in judgment. |
| Proverbs 20:1 | Wine is a mocker and beer is a brawler. Whoever is led astray by them is not wise. |
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
7 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The commentator observes that Nabal's sheep-shearing feast was described as being on the scale of a king's banquet, highlighting its extravagant luxury. This detail underscores the lavishness of Nabal's celebration, which stands in stark contrast to his later harsh treatment of David.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Geneva note highlights Abigail's practical wisdom: she waits until Nabal is sober before telling him anything. Speaking to a drunken man would have been pointless and dangerous. The morning brings clarity, so she chooses that moment instead.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill highlights Abigail's prudence in waiting until morning to tell Nabal about her meeting with David. Finding him drunk and merry at his lavish feast, she wisely said nothing, knowing he was incapable of understanding the danger she had just averted for their entire household.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
JFB points out that even a notoriously stingy man like Nabal threw a lavish, king-like feast during sheep-shearing. The season was always a time of great joy, with masters expected to generously entertain their shepherds, a custom still seen among modern Arabs.
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange sees Abigail as an instrument of the prophetic Spirit, speaking to David like a prophet. Her intervention restrains him from the grave sin of taking revenge into his own hands. She redirects his focus to his future calling as Israel's
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry notes that Nabal suffers a threefold death: dead drunk, his heart dying within him, and finally struck by God. This illustrates his point that God's temporary preservation of the wicked only reserves them for a heavier stroke of divine judgment later.
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Wesley notes a striking contradiction in this man: he is at once miserly and wasteful, driven by both greed and reckless spending. His reason and conscience are entirely numb, making him unable to hear any warning or correction.