The Meaning of 1 Samuel 25:37 Explained

1 Samuel 25:37

KJV: But it came to pass in the morning, when the wine was gone out of Nabal, and his wife had told him these things, that his heart died within him, and he became as a stone.

YLT: And it cometh to pass in the morning, when the wine is gone out from Nabal, that his wife declareth to him these things, and his heart dieth within him, and he hath been as a stone.

Darby: And it came to pass in the morning, when the wine was gone out of Nabal, that his wife told him these things; and his heart died within him, and he became as a stone.

ASV: And it came to pass in the morning, when the wine was gone out of Nabal, that his wife told him these things, and his heart died within him, and he became as a stone.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

But it came to pass in the morning,  when the wine  was gone out  of Nabal,  and his wife  had told  him these things,  that his heart  died  within  him, and he became [as] a stone. 

What does 1 Samuel 25:37 Mean?

Context Summary

1 Samuel 25:32-44 - The End Of Selfish Indulgence
The lowly obeisance of this beautiful woman at the young soldier's feet, her frank confession of the injustice done him, her thankfulness that he had been withheld from hasty vengeance, her appreciation of his desire to fight only as a soldier of the Lord, brought David back to his best self.
What a revelation is here given of the agencies by which God seeks to turn us from our evil ways! And, above all, those that enter our lives as sweet human ministries are those arresting influences of the Holy Spirit, pleading with us, striving against our passion and selfishness, and calling us to a nobler, better life. Blessed Spirit, come down more often by the covert of the hill, and stay us in our mad career. Let us not press past thee to take our own wild way, and we shall review thy gracious arrest with ceaseless gratitude.
The idyll ended happily. Nabal died in an apoplectic fit, caused by his debauch and anger. Then David made proposals of marriage to the woman to whom he owed so much, and she gracefully but humbly accepted, declaring herself unworthy. 1 Samuel 25:35 is our Lord's answer to every soul that casts itself upon Him, and every such soul becomes married to Him, when the former husband is dead. See Romans 7:4. [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 25:37 mean?

So it was in the morning when had gone the wine from Nabal and had told him his wife - things these and died his heart within him and he became [like] a stone
וַיְהִ֣י בַבֹּ֗קֶר בְּצֵ֤את הַיַּ֙יִן֙ מִנָּבָ֔ל וַתַּגֶּד־ ל֣וֹ אִשְׁתּ֔וֹ אֶת־ הַדְּבָרִ֖ים הָאֵ֑לֶּה וַיָּ֤מָת לִבּוֹ֙ בְּקִרְבּ֔וֹ וְה֖וּא הָיָ֥ה לְאָֽבֶן

וַיְהִ֣י  So  it  was 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אֶהְיֶה 
Sense: to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out.
בַבֹּ֗קֶר  in  the  morning 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: בֹּקֶר 
Sense: morning, break of day.
בְּצֵ֤את  when  had  gone 
Parse: Preposition-b, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: יׄוצֵאת 
Sense: to go out, come out, exit, go forth.
הַיַּ֙יִן֙  the  wine 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: יַיִן  
Sense: wine.
מִנָּבָ֔ל  from  Nabal 
Parse: Preposition-m, 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.
וַתַּגֶּד־  and  had  told 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Consecutive imperfect, third person feminine singular
Root: נָגַד  
Sense: to be conspicuous, tell, make known.
אִשְׁתּ֔וֹ  his  wife 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: אִשָּׁה  
Sense: woman, wife, female.
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.
הַדְּבָרִ֖ים  things 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: דָּבָר  
Sense: speech, word, speaking, thing.
הָאֵ֑לֶּה  these 
Parse: Article, Pronoun, common plural
Root: אֵהֶל 
Sense: these.
וַיָּ֤מָת  and  died 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: מוּת  
Sense: to die, kill, have one executed.
לִבּוֹ֙  his  heart 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: לֵב 
Sense: inner man, mind, will, heart, understanding.
בְּקִרְבּ֔וֹ  within  him 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: קֶרֶב  
Sense: midst, among, inner part, middle.
וְה֖וּא  and  he 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Pronoun, third person masculine singular
Root: הוּא 
Sense: he, she, it.
הָיָ֥ה  became 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אֶהְיֶה 
Sense: to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out.
לְאָֽבֶן  [like]  a  stone 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, feminine singular
Root: אֶבֶן  
Sense: stone (large or small).