1 Samuel

1 Samuel 25:14–17

14Meanwhile, one of Nabal’s young men informed Nabal’s wife Abigail, “Look, David sent messengers from the wilderness to greet our master, but he screamed at them. 15Yet these men were very good to us. When we were in the field, we were not harassed, and nothing of ours went missing the whole time we lived among them. 16They were a wall around us, both day and night, the whole time we were herding our sheep near them. 17Now consider carefully what you must do, because disaster looms over our master and all his household. For he is such a scoundrel that nobody can speak to him!”

Read all of 1 Samuel 25

Word by word

Each English word or phrase beside the Hebrew it translates, in the order of the English. Choose a number to open that word’s study.

1 Samuel 25:14

EnglishHebrewSounds likeGrammarWord study
Meanwhileאֶחָ֛ד’e·ḥāḏNumber - masculine singularH259 one
oneאֶחָ֛ד’e·ḥāḏNumber - masculine singularH259 one
of Nabal’sנַֽעַר־na·‘ar-Noun - masculine singularH5288 a shaking, scattering
young menמֵהַנְּעָרִ֖יםmê·han·nə·‘ā·rîmPreposition-m, Article; Noun - masculine pluralH5288 a shaking, scattering
informedהִגִּ֧ידhig·gîḏVerb - Hifil - Perfect - third person masculine singularH5046 be conspicuous
Nabal’sנָבָ֔לnā·ḇālNoun - proper - masculine singularH5037 Nabal
wifeאֵ֣שֶׁת’ê·šeṯNoun - feminine singular constructH802 woman, wife, female
Abigailוְלַאֲבִיגַ֙יִל֙wə·la·’ă·ḇî·ḡa·yilConjunctive waw, Preposition-l; Noun - proper - feminine singularH26 Abigail, Abigal
Lookהִנֵּ֣הhin·nêhInterjectionH2009 lo! behold!
Davidדָּוִ֨דdā·wiḏNoun - proper - masculine singularH1732 David
sentשָׁלַח֩šā·laḥVerb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singularH7971 send
messengersמַלְאָכִ֧ים׀mal·’ā·ḵîmNoun - masculine pluralH4397 messenger
from the wildernessמֵֽהַמִּדְבָּ֛רmê·ham·miḏ·bārPreposition-m, Article; Noun - masculine singularH4057 mouth
to greetלְבָרֵ֥ךְlə·ḇā·rêḵPreposition-l; Verb - Piel - Infinitive constructH1288 kneel, bless
our masterאֲדֹנֵ֖ינוּ’ă·ḏō·nê·nūNoun - masculine plural construct; first person common pluralH113 lord
but he screamedוַיָּ֥עַטway·yā·‘aṭConjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singularH5860 scream, shriek
at themבָּהֶֽם׃bā·hemPreposition; third person masculine plural

1 Samuel 25:15

EnglishHebrewSounds likeGrammarWord study
Yet these menוְהָ֣אֲנָשִׁ֔יםwə·hā·’ă·nā·šîmConjunctive waw, Article; Noun - masculine pluralH582 man, mankind
were veryמְאֹ֑דmə·’ōḏAdverbH3966 muchness, force, abundance, exceedingly
goodטֹבִ֥יםṭō·ḇîmAdjective - masculine pluralH2896 pleasant, agreeable, good
to usלָ֖נוּlā·nūPreposition; first person common plural
When we wereבִּֽהְיוֹתֵ֖נוּbih·yō·w·ṯê·nūPreposition-b; Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct; first person common pluralH1961 fall out, come to pass, become, be
in the fieldבַּשָּׂדֶֽה׃baś·śā·ḏehPreposition-b, Article; Noun - masculine singularH7704 id.
we were notוְלֹ֤אwə·lōConjunctive waw; Adverb - Negative particleH3808 not
harassedהָכְלַ֙מְנוּ֙hā·ḵə·lam·nūVerb - Hofal - Perfect - first person common pluralH3637 be humiliated
and nothingוְלֹֽא־wə·lō-Conjunctive waw; Adverb - Negative particleH3808 not
of ours went missingפָקַ֣דְנוּp̄ā·qaḏ·nūVerb - Qal - Perfect - first person common pluralH6485 attend to, visit, muster, appoint
the wholeכָּל־kāl-Noun - masculine singular constructH3605 the whole, all
timeיְמֵי֙yə·mêNoun - masculine plural constructH3117 day
we livedהִתְהַלַּ֣כְנוּhiṯ·hal·laḵ·nūVerb - Hitpael - Perfect - first person common pluralH1980 go, come, walk
among themאִתָּ֔ם’it·tāmPreposition; third person masculine pluralH854 with

1 Samuel 25:16

EnglishHebrewSounds likeGrammarWord study
They wereהָי֣וּhā·yūVerb - Qal - Perfect - third person common pluralH1961 fall out, come to pass, become, be
a wallחוֹמָה֙ḥō·w·māhNoun - feminine singularH2346 wall
around usעָלֵ֔ינוּ‘ā·lê·nūPreposition; first person common pluralH5921 height
bothגַּם־gam-ConjunctionH1571 also, moreover, yea
dayיוֹמָ֑םyō·w·māmAdverbH3119 daytime, by day
andגַּם־gam-ConjunctionH1571 also, moreover, yea
nightלַ֖יְלָהlay·lāhNoun - masculine singularH3915 twist, night, adversity
the wholeכָּל־kāl-Noun - masculine singular constructH3605 the whole, all
timeיְמֵ֛יyə·mêNoun - masculine plural constructH3117 day
we wereהֱיוֹתֵ֥נוּhĕ·yō·w·ṯê·nūVerb - Qal - Infinitive construct; first person common pluralH1961 fall out, come to pass, become, be
herdingרֹעִ֥יםrō·‘îmVerb - Qal - Participle - masculine pluralH7462 pasture, tend, graze
our sheepהַצֹּֽאן׃haṣ·ṣōnArticle; Noun - common singularH6629 small cattle, sheep and goats, flock, flocks
near themעִמָּ֖ם‘im·māmPreposition; third person masculine pluralH5973 with

1 Samuel 25:17

EnglishHebrewSounds likeGrammarWord study
Nowוְעַתָּ֗הwə·‘at·tāhConjunctive waw; AdverbH6258 now
consider carefullyדְּעִ֤יdə·‘îVerb - Qal - Imperative - feminine singularH3045 know
whatמַֽה־mah-InterrogativeH4100 what? how? aught
you must doתַּעֲשִׂ֔יta·‘ă·śîVerb - Qal - Imperfect - second person feminine singularH6213 do, make
becauseכִּֽי־kî-ConjunctionH3588 burning, branding
disasterהָרָעָ֛הhā·rā·‘āhArticle; Adjective - feminine singularH7451 bad, evil
loomsכָלְתָ֧הḵā·lə·ṯāhVerb - Qal - Perfect - third person feminine singularH3615 be complete, at an end, finished, accomplished, spent
overאֶל־’el-PrepositionH413 motion to
our masterאֲדֹנֵ֖ינוּ’ă·ḏō·nê·nūNoun - masculine plural construct; first person common pluralH113 lord
andוְעַ֣לwə·‘alConjunctive waw; PrepositionH5921 height
allכָּל־kāl-Noun - masculine singular constructH3605 the whole, all
his householdבֵּית֑וֹbê·ṯōwNoun - masculine singular construct; third person masculine singularH1004 house
For heוְהוּא֙wə·hūConjunctive waw; Pronoun - third person masculine singularH1931 he, she
a scoundrelבְּלִיַּ֔עַלbə·lî·ya·‘alNoun - masculine singularH1100 worthlessness
that nobody can speakמִדַּבֵּ֖רmid·dab·bêrPreposition-m; Verb - Piel - Infinitive constructH1696 speak
to himאֵלָֽיו׃’ê·lāwPreposition; third person masculine singularH413 motion to

Cross-references

Other passages that speak to the same thing. Point at one to read it.

1 Samuel 25:15 1 Samuel 25:21 · 1 Samuel 25:7

1 Samuel 25:16 Job 1:10 · Exodus 14:22 · Zechariah 2:5

1 Samuel 25:17 1 Samuel 20:7 · Deuteronomy 13:13

Cross-references from OpenBible.info, used under CC BY 4.0. The best-supported references for each verse are shown.

Scripture text: Berean Standard Bible.