Bible Strands
1 Samuel 25:14
Meanwhile, 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.
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — An unnamed young man of Nabal’s household speaks to Nabal’s wife Abigail. This report occurs immediately after David mobilized four hundred armed men to confront Nabal following his refusal to provide hospitality.
The words — The text highlights הִגִּ֧יד (hi.Gid) = he told and נַֽעַר (na.'ar) = young man. These terms establish the messenger’s identity and the direct transmission of the report to Abigail.
The thread — The narrative of messengers and greetings reappears in 1 Samuel 13:10, where Saul goes out to greet Samuel after completing a burnt offering, and in Mark 15:29, where passersby heap abuse on Jesus while shaking their heads.
Why it lands — The passage requires the reader to track how a single refusal to acknowledge a guest right triggers armed mobilization and forces a third party to intervene. It demands recognition that political and military consequences often follow directly from broken social contracts.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
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.
Cross-references
- 1 Samuel 13:10 Just as he finished offering the burnt offering, Samuel arrived, and Saul went out to greet him.
- Mark 15:29 And those who passed by heaped abuse on Him, shaking their heads and saying, “Aha! You who are going to destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days,