Bible Strands
1 Samuel 25:22
May God punish David, and ever so severely, if I let one male belonging to Nabal survive until morning.”
Berean Standard Bible
Follow its threads on the canvas →
Study note
Setting — David addresses his men, declaring a vow to slaughter every male in Nabal’s household by morning after Nabal’s refusal to provide provisions. The words — The Hebrew phrase יַעֲשֶׂה אֱלֹהִים (ya'aseh Elohim, "may God do") paired with וְכֹה יֹסִיף (ve-koh yosif, "and thus may he add") establishes a formal imprecation. The thread — This exact oath structure appears in 1 Samuel 3:17, 1 Samuel 20:13, and 1 Kings 14:10 to bind a speaker to a promise under threat of divine retribution. Why it lands — The text records David’s sworn threat of total annihilation, presenting the raw declaration before any narrative intervention or moral evaluation of his anger.
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
So and more also do God unto the enemies of David, if I leave of all that pertain to him by the morning light any that pisseth against the wall.
Cross-references
- 1 Samuel 3:17 “What was the message He gave you?” Eli asked. “Do not hide it from me. May God punish you, and ever so severely, if you hide from me anything He said to you.”
- 1 Samuel 20:13 But if my father intends to bring evil on you, then may the LORD punish me, and ever so severely, if I do not tell you and send you on your way in safety. May the LORD be with you, just as He has been with my father.
- 1 Kings 14:10 Because of all this, behold, I am bringing disaster on the house of Jeroboam: I will cut off from Jeroboam every male, both slave and free, in Israel; I will burn up the house of Jeroboam as one burns up dung until it is gone!
- 1 Kings 21:21 This is what the LORD says: ‘I will bring calamity on you and consume your descendants; I will cut off from Ahab every male in Israel, both slave and free.
- Ruth 1:17 Where you die, I will die, and there I will be buried. May the LORD punish me, and ever so severely, if anything but death separates you and me.”
- 1 Samuel 14:44 And Saul declared, “May God punish me, and ever so severely, if you, Jonathan, do not surely die!”
- 1 Samuel 20:16 So Jonathan made a covenant with the house of David, saying, “May the LORD hold David’s enemies accountable.”
- 1 Kings 16:11 As soon as Zimri began to reign and was seated on the throne, he struck down the entire household of Baasha. He did not leave a single male, whether a kinsman or friend.
- 2 Kings 9:8 The whole house of Ahab will perish, and I will cut off from Ahab every male, both slave and free, in Israel.