1 Samuel 25 10

1 Samuel 25:10 kjv

And Nabal answered David's servants, and said, Who is David? and who is the son of Jesse? there be many servants now a days that break away every man from his master.

1 Samuel 25:10 nkjv

Then Nabal answered David's servants, and said, "Who is David, and who is the son of Jesse? There are many servants nowadays who break away each one from his master.

1 Samuel 25:10 niv

Nabal answered David's servants, "Who is this David? Who is this son of Jesse? Many servants are breaking away from their masters these days.

1 Samuel 25:10 esv

And Nabal answered David's servants, "Who is David? Who is the son of Jesse? There are many servants these days who are breaking away from their masters.

1 Samuel 25:10 nlt

"Who is this fellow David?" Nabal sneered to the young men. "Who does this son of Jesse think he is? There are lots of servants these days who run away from their masters.

1 Samuel 25 verses

1 Samuel 25 10 Meaning

Nabal's answer to David's messengers was an utter dismissal, insult, and challenge to David's identity and authority. He questioned David's legitimate status and disparaged his lineage by calling him "son of Jesse." Nabal characterized David's followers as common, runaway servants who had disloyalty broken away from their masters, implicitly labeling David as a rebellious leader of outlaws. This statement revealed Nabal's proud, arrogant, and foolish character, completely disrespecting David, who had provided protection to Nabal's shepherds, and deeply offending the future king of Israel.

1 Samuel 25 10 Context

Chapter 25 opens with the death of Samuel, a significant prophetic figure. David is living in the Wilderness of Paran with his loyal band of 600 men. Nabal, a very wealthy man with extensive flocks in Maon and Carmel (Judah), is having his sheep shearing festival, a time of feasting and generosity. David, having provided unasked-for protection for Nabal's shepherds and flocks in the past from raiders, sends ten young men to respectfully request provisions from Nabal as a gesture of goodwill and hospitality. David frames his request humbly, recognizing Nabal's wealth and status. Verse 10 is Nabal's sharp and contemptuous reply, setting the stage for David's intense anger and initial plan of destructive revenge, which is only averted by the timely intervention of Nabal's wife, Abigail. Nabal's insult is particularly egregious because it rejects the basic hospitality expected in the ancient Near East, especially from one who has implicitly provided a valuable service (protection). Historically, David was a well-known military leader, and Nabal's feigned ignorance was a deliberate insult.

1 Samuel 25 10 Word analysis

• And Nabal (וַיַּעַן נָבָל, wayyaʿan Nabal):
  • Nabal (נָבָל, Nabal): The very name means "fool" or "senseless." This verse personifies his character; his words directly reflect his namesake, fulfilling its meaning. The irony is pronounced and deliberate within the biblical narrative. It suggests a moral depravity and spiritual blindness, not just intellectual deficiency.
• answered (וַיַּעַן, wayyaʿan): Simply "responded" or "replied." However, given the context, it carries a sense of an aggressive, challenging counter-statement, not merely an informative reply.
• David's servants (עַבְדֵי דָוִד, ʿavde David): These were David's personal representatives. Insulting the messengers was a direct insult to their sender. This disrespect violated established social codes.
• and said (וַיֹּאמֶר, wayyōʾmer): Introduces the direct speech, highlighting the audacious content.
• Who is David? (מִי דָוִד, mi Dawid): A rhetorical question meant to belittle and dismiss. It implies, "He's a nobody," despite David's fame as a slayer of Goliath and commander under Saul. This challenges David's identity and any perceived claim he might have. It denies his legitimacy, even though he was the anointed king in waiting.
• and who is the son of Jesse? (וּמִי בֶן־יִשַׁי, u mi ben Yishai): This further condescends, reducing David to his humble Bethlehem origins rather than acknowledging his rise, military prowess, or divine anointing. It’s an intentional dig at his common background, similar to how Nathanael first asked about Jesus, "Can anything good come out of Nazareth?" (Jn 1:46), but here used maliciously.
• There are many servants (רַבִּים הַעֲבָדִים, rabbim haʿavadim): Nabal generalizes, implying David's followers are just a common phenomenon. This demeans David's loyal, growing company.
• nowadays (הַיּוֹם, hayyōm): "Today" or "in these days." It points to a perceived contemporary issue or decline in social order, making Nabal sound like a jaded observer of societal breakdown, rationalizing his disdain.
• who break away (הַפּרְצִים, happoretzim): From the verb פּרץ (parats), meaning "to break forth, break through, burst out." Here, it connotes desertion, rebellion, or acting unruly and without restraint. Nabal labels David and his men as runaway slaves or rebellious outlaws, devoid of true allegiance or lawful status. This is a severe criminal accusation in the ancient world.
• each one from his master (אִישׁ מֵאֲדֹנָיו, ish me'adonaw): Reinforces the accusation that David's men are not under proper authority. By suggesting David's men deserted "their masters," Nabal denies David's status as their legitimate leader or as a legitimate master in his own right, implicitly asserting only he is a true master.

Words-group analysis:

• "Who is David? and who is the son of Jesse?": This double question demonstrates Nabal's profound contempt. It's a deliberate rhetorical tactic to diminish David, stripping him of any honor or recognized standing. It denies his past achievements and his emerging leadership.
• "There are many servants nowadays who break away each one from his master.": This is Nabal's cynical interpretation of David's loyal following. He paints David's company not as dedicated warriors loyal to an anointed leader, but as mere rabble—runaway slaves or desperate individuals escaping responsibility. This not only insults David's men but also directly challenges David's emerging status as a military commander and, more profoundly, his divinely appointed kingship. It is a fundamental misjudgment of David's character and mission.

1 Samuel 25 10 Bonus section

Nabal's attitude is a micro-example of the world's ignorance and rejection of God's chosen ones. His inability to see David's true status—not just a warrior but God's anointed for future kingship—foreshadows humanity's broader blindness to Christ. Just as Nabal disdained the "son of Jesse," many failed to recognize Jesus, the "Son of David," during His earthly ministry, questioning His authority and dismissing His humble origins. This verse thus also serves as a polemic against reliance on human perception of wealth and status rather than on God's divine anointing and plan, showing how such pride can lead to fatal misjudgment.

1 Samuel 25 10 Commentary

1 Samuel 25:10 encapsulates Nabal's character and his grave misjudgment. His contemptuous words are not just a refusal but a deliberate provocation, questioning David's identity and portraying him as a renegade leader of outlaws. This insolent response reflects the spiritual blindness of one named "Fool." Nabal's wealth had apparently fostered immense pride and self-importance, blinding him to the honor David's request actually afforded him (recognition from a future king). This foolish pride violated cultural norms of hospitality and respect, directly affronting an individual protected by God. Nabal's disregard for David, the "son of Jesse" whom God had chosen, illustrates the biblical theme that God raises the humble and opposes the proud. Nabal’s scorn not only invited divine judgment upon himself but also tested David’s self-control and reliance on God’s justice rather than his own vengeance. His cynicism regarding loyalty (breaking away from masters) starkly contrasts with David's developing and fiercely loyal following, rooted in God's covenant.