The Meaning of 1 Samuel 25:29 Explained

1 Samuel 25:29

KJV: Yet a man is risen to pursue thee, and to seek thy soul: but the soul of my lord shall be bound in the bundle of life with the LORD thy God; and the souls of thine enemies, them shall he sling out, as out of the middle of a sling.

YLT: And man riseth to pursue thee and to seek thy soul, and the soul of my lord hath been bound in the bundle of life with Jehovah thy God; as to the soul of thine enemies, He doth sling them out in the midst of the hollow of the sling.

Darby: And if a man is risen up to pursue thee and to seek thy life, the soul of my lord shall be bound in the bundle of the living with Jehovah thy God; and the souls of thine enemies, them shall he sling out from the hollow of the sling.

ASV: And though men be risen up to pursue thee, and to seek thy soul, yet the soul of my lord shall be bound in the bundle of life with Jehovah thy God; and the souls of thine enemies, them shall he sling out, as from the hollow of a sling.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Yet a man  is risen  to pursue  thee, and to seek  thy soul:  but the soul  of my lord  shall be bound  in the bundle  of life  with the LORD  thy God;  and the souls  of thine enemies,  them shall he sling out,  [as out] of the middle  of a sling. 

What does 1 Samuel 25:29 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 25:29 mean?

And yet has risen a man to pursue you and seek - your life but shall be the life of my lord bound in the bundle of the living with Yahweh your God and the lives of your enemies He shall sling out of the middle [as [from] the pocket of a sling
וַיָּ֤קָם אָדָם֙ לִרְדָפְךָ֔ וּלְבַקֵּ֖שׁ אֶת־ נַפְשֶׁ֑ךָ וְֽהָיְתָה֩ נֶ֨פֶשׁ אֲדֹנִ֜י צְרוּרָ֣ה ׀ בִּצְר֣וֹר הַחַיִּ֗ים אֵ֚ת יְהוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֶ֔יךָ וְאֵ֨ת נֶ֤פֶשׁ אֹיְבֶ֙יךָ֙ יְקַלְּעֶ֔נָּה בְּת֖וֹךְ כַּ֥ף הַקָּֽלַע

וַיָּ֤קָם  And  yet  has  risen 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: קוּם 
Sense: to rise, arise, stand, rise up, stand up.
אָדָם֙  a  man 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: אָדָם 
Sense: man, mankind.
לִרְדָפְךָ֔  to  pursue  you 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct, second person masculine singular
Root: רָדַף  
Sense: to be behind, follow after, pursue, persecute, run after.
וּלְבַקֵּ֖שׁ  and  seek 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l, Verb, Piel, Infinitive construct
Root: בָּקַשׁ  
Sense: to seek, require, desire, exact, request.
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.
נַפְשֶׁ֑ךָ  your  life 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, second person masculine singular
Root: נֶפֶשׁ  
Sense: soul, self, life, creature, person, appetite, mind, living being, desire, emotion, passion.
וְֽהָיְתָה֩  but  shall  be 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, third person feminine singular
Root: אֶהְיֶה 
Sense: to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out.
נֶ֨פֶשׁ  the  life 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: נֶפֶשׁ  
Sense: soul, self, life, creature, person, appetite, mind, living being, desire, emotion, passion.
אֲדֹנִ֜י  of  my  lord 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, first person common singular
Root: אָדֹון  
Sense: firm, strong, lord, master.
צְרוּרָ֣ה ׀  bound 
Parse: Verb, Qal, QalPassParticiple, feminine singular
Root: צָרַר 
Sense: to bind, be narrow, be in distress, make narrow, cause distress, besiege, be straitened, be bound.
בִּצְר֣וֹר  in  the  bundle 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: צְרֹור 
Sense: bundle, parcel, pouch, bag (as packed).
הַחַיִּ֗ים  of  the  living 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: חַי 
Sense: living, alive.
יְהוָ֣ה  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
אֱלֹהֶ֔יךָ  your  God 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, second person masculine singular
Root: אֱלֹהִים  
Sense: (plural).
נֶ֤פֶשׁ  the  lives 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: נֶפֶשׁ  
Sense: soul, self, life, creature, person, appetite, mind, living being, desire, emotion, passion.
אֹיְבֶ֙יךָ֙  of  your  enemies 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine plural construct, second person masculine singular
Root: אֹיֵב  
Sense: (Qal) enemy.
יְקַלְּעֶ֔נָּה  He  shall  sling  out 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Imperfect, third person masculine singular, third person feminine singular
Root: קָלַע 
Sense: to sling, hurl forth.
בְּת֖וֹךְ  of  the  middle 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: תָּוֶךְ  
Sense: midst, middle.
כַּ֥ף  [as  [from]  the  pocket 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: כַּף  
Sense: palm, hand, sole, palm of the hand, hollow or flat of the hand.
הַקָּֽלַע  of  a  sling 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: קֶלַע 
Sense: sling, slingstones.