The Meaning of 1 Samuel 25:14 Explained

1 Samuel 25:14

KJV: But one of the young men told Abigail, Nabal's wife, saying, Behold, David sent messengers out of the wilderness to salute our master; and he railed on them.

YLT: And to Abigail wife of Nabal hath one young man of the youths declared, saying, 'Lo, David hath sent messengers out of the wilderness to bless our lord, and he flieth upon them;

Darby: And one of Nabal's young men told Abigail, Nabal's wife, saying, Behold, David sent messengers out of the wilderness to bless our master; and he has insulted them.

ASV: But one of the young men told Abigail, Nabal's wife, saying, Behold, David sent messengers out of the wilderness to salute our master; and he railed at them.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

But one  of the young men  told  Abigail,  Nabal's  wife,  saying,  Behold, David  sent  messengers  out of the wilderness  to salute  our master;  and he railed  on them. 

What does 1 Samuel 25:14 Mean?

Context Summary

1 Samuel 25:2-17 - A Rich Man's Churlishness
This Carmel was a city in the mountains of Judah, ten miles south of Hebron. See Joshua 15:55. Though a descendant of Caleb, Nabal had none of that hero's spirit. He had great wealth, but little wit. Today the Arab tribe which guards the shepherd or caravan, or restrains itself from plundering, expects some acknowledgment. It was unfair that the rich sheep-master should take all the advantage and make no return, and altogether too bad to cap injustice with a coarse jest. Nabal's shepherds were quite explicit in their testimony to the benefits they had received, 1 Samuel 25:7; 1 Samuel 25:15-16. His jibes and churlishness justified the general estimate entertained by those who knew him best.
For David to take the sword to avenge the insult stands out in striking contrast to Him who, "when He was reviled, reviled not again." Revenge for an insult where one has personally suffered has no place in Christ's teaching, and is separated by a whole heaven from the magisterial use of the sword referred to in Romans 13:4. In after-years, David must have been very thankful for the interposition, through Abigail, of God's grace that arrested his hand. See Romans 12:17. [source]

Chapter Summary: 1 Samuel 25

1  Samuel dies
2  David in Paran sends to Nabal
10  Provoked by Nabal's rudeness, he minds to destroy him
14  Abigail understanding thereof
18  takes a present
23  and by her wisdom
32  pacifies David
36  Nabal hearing thereof, dies
39  David takes Abigail and Ahinoam to be his wives
44  Michal is given to Phalti

What do the individual words in 1 Samuel 25:14 mean?

And Abigail wife of Nabal told of the young men one of the young men saying Look sent David messengers from the wilderness to greet - our master and he reviled them
וְלַאֲבִיגַ֙יִל֙ אֵ֣שֶׁת נָבָ֔ל הִגִּ֧יד נַֽעַר־ אֶחָ֛ד מֵהַנְּעָרִ֖ים לֵאמֹ֑ר הִנֵּ֣ה שָׁלַח֩ דָּוִ֨ד מַלְאָכִ֧ים ׀ מֵֽהַמִּדְבָּ֛ר לְבָרֵ֥ךְ אֶת־ אֲדֹנֵ֖ינוּ וַיָּ֥עַט בָּהֶֽם

וְלַאֲבִיגַ֙יִל֙  And  Abigail 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l, Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: אֲבִיגַיִל  
Sense: wife of Nabal, then of David.
אֵ֣שֶׁת  wife 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: אִשָּׁה  
Sense: woman, wife, female.
נָבָ֔ל  of  Nabal 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: נָבָל  
Sense: a man of Carmel who spurned David’s messengers, then died of shock when he realised it might cause his death; his case was pleaded by his wife Abigail who became David’s wife after his death.
הִגִּ֧יד  told 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: נָגַד  
Sense: to be conspicuous, tell, make known.
נַֽעַר־  of  the  young  men 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: נַעַר  
Sense: a boy, lad, servant, youth, retainer.
אֶחָ֛ד  one 
Parse: Number, masculine singular
Root: אֶחָד  
Sense: one (number).
מֵהַנְּעָרִ֖ים  of  the  young  men 
Parse: Preposition-m, Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: נַעַר  
Sense: a boy, lad, servant, youth, retainer.
לֵאמֹ֑ר  saying 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
הִנֵּ֣ה  Look 
Parse: Interjection
Root: הִנֵּה  
Sense: behold, lo, see, if.
שָׁלַח֩  sent 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: שָׁלַח  
Sense: to send, send away, let go, stretch out.
דָּוִ֨ד  David 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: דָּוִד  
Sense: youngest son of Jesse and second king of Israel.
מַלְאָכִ֧ים ׀  messengers 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: מַלְאָךְ  
Sense: messenger, representative.
מֵֽהַמִּדְבָּ֛ר  from  the  wilderness 
Parse: Preposition-m, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: מִדְבָּר 
Sense: wilderness.
לְבָרֵ֥ךְ  to  greet 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Piel, Infinitive construct
Root: בָּרַךְ 
Sense: to bless, kneel.
אֶת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
אֲדֹנֵ֖ינוּ  our  master 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, first person common plural
Root: אָדֹון  
Sense: firm, strong, lord, master.
וַיָּ֥עַט  and  he  reviled 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: עִיט 
Sense: to scream, shriek.

What are the major concepts related to 1 Samuel 25:14?

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