The Meaning of 1 Samuel 25:26 Explained

1 Samuel 25:26

KJV: Now therefore, my lord, as the LORD liveth, and as thy soul liveth, seeing the LORD hath withholden thee from coming to shed blood, and from avenging thyself with thine own hand, now let thine enemies, and they that seek evil to my lord, be as Nabal.

YLT: and now, my lord, Jehovah liveth, and thy soul liveth, in that Jehovah hath withheld thee from coming in with blood, and to save thy hand to thee -- now let thine enemies be as Nabal, even those seeking evil unto my lord.

Darby: And now, my lord, as Jehovah liveth, and as thy soul liveth, seeing Jehovah has restrained thee from coming with bloodshed, and from avenging thyself with thine own hand, now let thine enemies, and they that seek evil to my lord, be as Nabal.

ASV: Now therefore, my lord, as Jehovah liveth, and as thy soul liveth, seeing Jehovah hath withholden thee from bloodguiltiness, and from avenging thyself with thine own hand, now therefore let thine enemies, and them that seek evil to my lord, be as Nabal.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Now therefore, my lord,  [as] the LORD  liveth,  and [as] thy soul  liveth,  seeing the LORD  hath withholden  thee from coming  to [shed] blood,  and from avenging  thyself with thine own hand,  now let thine enemies,  and they that seek  evil  to my lord,  be as Nabal. 

What does 1 Samuel 25:26 Mean?

Context Summary

1 Samuel 25:18-31 - A Wise Woman's Plea
What a contrast between the sordid Nabal and his beautiful wife-as lovely in disposition as in face! What a terrible trial for such a woman to be united with a man of whom his servant did not hesitate to speak to his wife in the words of 1 Samuel 25:17! With what admirable tact did Abigail treat the whole situation! She did not talk to her husband while he was drunk; she took the matter in hand without a moment's delay and marshaled her arguments with commendable sagacity.
It is a blessed partnership when husband and wife are so united that they are animated by a common purpose; but where this is not the case, let not the evil disposition of the one hinder the devotion and grace of the other. In the home-life, as in redemption, where sin abounds, grace should much more abound, that where the former reigns unto death, the latter may reign in life, Romans 5:21. Never let the difficulties of your home lead you to abdicate your throne. Do not step down to the level of your circumstances, but lift these to your own high calling in Jesus Christ. "Be not conformed,"¦ be transformed," Romans 12:1-2. [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 25:26 mean?

Therefore now my lord [as] lives Yahweh and [as] lives your soul since has held you back Yahweh from coming to bloodshed and from avenging with your own hand yourself and then let be as Nabal Your enemies and those who seek for my lord harm
וְעַתָּ֣ה אֲדֹנִ֗י חַי־ יְהוָ֤ה וְחֵֽי־ נַפְשְׁךָ֙ אֲשֶׁ֨ר מְנָעֲךָ֤ יְהוָה֙ מִבּ֣וֹא בְדָמִ֔ים וְהוֹשֵׁ֥עַ יָדְךָ֖ לָ֑ךְ וְעַתָּ֗ה יִֽהְי֤וּ כְנָבָל֙ אֹיְבֶ֔יךָ וְהַֽמְבַקְשִׁ֥ים אֶל־ אֲדֹנִ֖י רָעָֽה

וְעַתָּ֣ה  Therefore  now 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Adverb
Root: עַתָּה  
Sense: now.
אֲדֹנִ֗י  my  lord 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, first person common singular
Root: אָדֹון  
Sense: firm, strong, lord, master.
חַי־  [as]  lives 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: חַי 
Sense: living, alive.
יְהוָ֤ה  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
וְחֵֽי־  and  [as]  lives 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: חַי 
Sense: living, alive.
נַפְשְׁךָ֙  your  soul 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, second person masculine singular
Root: נֶפֶשׁ  
Sense: soul, self, life, creature, person, appetite, mind, living being, desire, emotion, passion.
אֲשֶׁ֨ר  since 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
מְנָעֲךָ֤  has  held  you  back 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular, second person masculine singular
Root: מָנַע  
Sense: to withhold, hold back, keep back, refrain, deny, keep restrain, hinder.
יְהוָה֙  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
מִבּ֣וֹא  from  coming 
Parse: Preposition-m, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: בֹּוא 
Sense: to go in, enter, come, go, come in.
בְדָמִ֔ים  to  bloodshed 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine plural
Root: דָּם  
Sense: blood.
וְהוֹשֵׁ֥עַ  and  from  avenging 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Infinitive absolute
Root: יָשַׁע 
Sense: to save, be saved, be delivered.
יָדְךָ֖  with  your  own  hand 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, second person masculine singular
Root: יָד  
Sense: hand.
לָ֑ךְ  yourself 
Parse: Preposition, second person feminine singular
וְעַתָּ֗ה  and  then 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Adverb
Root: עַתָּה  
Sense: now.
יִֽהְי֤וּ  let  be 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: אֶהְיֶה 
Sense: to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out.
כְנָבָל֙  as  Nabal 
Parse: Preposition-k, 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.
אֹיְבֶ֔יךָ  Your  enemies 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine plural construct, second person masculine singular
Root: אֹיֵב  
Sense: (Qal) enemy.
וְהַֽמְבַקְשִׁ֥ים  and  those  who  seek 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Article, Verb, Piel, Participle, masculine plural
Root: בָּקַשׁ  
Sense: to seek, require, desire, exact, request.
אֲדֹנִ֖י  my  lord 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, first person common singular
Root: אָדֹון  
Sense: firm, strong, lord, master.
רָעָֽה  harm 
Parse: Adjective, feminine singular
Root: רַע 
Sense: bad, evil.