Bible Strands
1 Samuel 25:19
and said to her young men, “Go ahead of me. I will be right behind you.” But she did not tell her husband Nabal.
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — Abigail speaks to her servants, instructing them to lead the procession with the provisions while she follows. She deliberately withholds this plan from her husband Nabal at this moment. The words — עִבְרוּ ('ivru) means "pass on" or "go ahead," directing the servants to lead the procession. וּ/לְ/אִישָׁהּ (u./le./'isha.h) literally translates to "and to her husband," marking the specific person she excludes from the information. The thread — The text explicitly records her strategic concealment, which parallels Jacob’s tactic of sending gifts ahead in Genesis 32:16 and Genesis 32:20. It stands in contrast to the complete transparency and trust described in Proverbs 31:11. Why it lands — The verse states a calculated decision to act without spousal consultation when immediate action is required. It asks the reader to observe how strategic silence functions as a practical tool in crisis management.
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
And she said unto her servants, Go on before me; behold, I come after you. But she told not her husband Nabal.
Cross-references
- Genesis 32:20 You are also to say, ‘Look, your servant Jacob is right behind us.’” For he thought, “I will appease Esau with the gift that is going before me. After that I can face him, and perhaps he will accept me.”
- Genesis 32:16 He entrusted them to his servants in separate herds and told them, “Go on ahead of me, and keep some distance between the herds.”
- Proverbs 31:11 The heart of her husband trusts in her, and he lacks nothing of value.
- Proverbs 31:27 She watches over the affairs of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness.