1 Samuel 25 26

1 Samuel 25:26 kjv

Now therefore, my lord, as the LORD liveth, and as thy soul liveth, seeing the LORD hath withholden thee from coming to shed blood, and from avenging thyself with thine own hand, now let thine enemies, and they that seek evil to my lord, be as Nabal.

1 Samuel 25:26 nkjv

Now therefore, my lord, as the LORD lives and as your soul lives, since the LORD has held you back from coming to bloodshed and from avenging yourself with your own hand, now then, let your enemies and those who seek harm for my lord be as Nabal.

1 Samuel 25:26 niv

And now, my lord, as surely as the LORD your God lives and as you live, since the LORD has kept you from bloodshed and from avenging yourself with your own hands, may your enemies and all who are intent on harming my lord be like Nabal.

1 Samuel 25:26 esv

Now then, my lord, as the LORD lives, and as your soul lives, because the LORD has restrained you from bloodguilt and from saving with your own hand, now then let your enemies and those who seek to do evil to my lord be as Nabal.

1 Samuel 25:26 nlt

"Now, my lord, as surely as the LORD lives and you yourself live, since the LORD has kept you from murdering and taking vengeance into your own hands, let all your enemies and those who try to harm you be as cursed as Nabal is.

1 Samuel 25 verses

1 Samuel 25 26 Meaning

Abigail appeals to David through a solemn double oath, emphasizing God's active involvement in restraining David from spilling innocent blood and from taking personal vengeance. She implies that God has prevented David from a wrongful act and wishes that any future enemies or those who seek harm against David meet a fate similar to Nabal’s, which was divinely orchestrated and swiftly executed. Her words are a plea for David to recognize God's providence and trust in divine justice rather than human retribution.

1 Samuel 25 26 Context

This verse is found within a pivotal narrative in 1 Samuel 25. David, while hiding from Saul, leads a band of 600 men. Having provided protection for Nabal's shepherds in Carmel, David sends his young men to request provisions from Nabal during sheep-shearing, a time of feasting. Nabal, a rich but ill-tempered man whose name means "fool," insultingly refuses David's reasonable request, scorning David's status as an outlaw. Enraged, David vows to destroy Nabal and every male in his household. Abigail, Nabal's wise and discerning wife, hears of her husband's foolishness and secretly gathers generous provisions, taking them to David herself. This verse is the powerful crescendo of her appeal to David. She seeks to dissuade David from taking revenge, recognizing his potential future as king and the blemish an act of unwarranted bloodshed would leave on his character and kingship. Historically, blood revenge was a strong social custom, but also one regulated by divine law (e.g., cities of refuge). Abigail reminds David of a higher law—God's ultimate justice and His role in restraining humans.

1 Samuel 25 26 Word analysis

• Now therefore: Connects her preceding actions and argument to a decisive plea.
• my lord: Abigail's humble and respectful address to David, recognizing his leadership and authority, despite his current outlaw status.
• as the LORD lives: (Hebrew: Chai Yahweh - חַי־יְהוָה) A solemn and binding oath, appealing to the living God as witness and guarantee of her words. This lends ultimate gravity and truthfulness to her statement. It's an affirmation of God's active presence and sovereignty.
• and as your soul lives: (Hebrew: ve-Chai naphsh’kha - וְחֵי נַפְשֶׁךָ) A parallel oath, swearing by David's very existence. This underscores the profound significance she places on David's life, his reputation, and his future. It also makes the oath personally binding for David.
• seeing the LORD has restrained you: (Hebrew: asher mena'akha Yahweh - אֲשֶׁר מְנָעֲךָ יְהוָה) Mena'akha means "held back," "restrained," or "withheld." This is the core of her theological argument. Abigail asserts God's direct, providential intervention to prevent David from committing this sin. It emphasizes divine grace in preventing a wrongful act.
• from coming to bloodshed: (Hebrew: mi-bo'a be-dam - מִבֹּא בְדָמִים) Lit. "from entering into blood," signifying bloodshed and incurring bloodguilt. It highlights the serious nature of David's intended act as taking innocent life.
• and from avenging yourself with your own hand: (Hebrew: ve-le-hoshi'a le-kha yadekha - וּלְהוֹשִׁיעַ יָדֶךָ לָּךְ) Lit. "and to save your hand for yourself." This phrase refers to David taking matters into his own hands for personal retribution, usurping God's role in justice. It contrasts divine providence with human self-redress.
• now then let your enemies: Implies a wish or an imprecation for justice against David's adversaries. It's a prayer for God to deal with them.
• and those who seek harm to my lord: Expands on "enemies," referring to those who maliciously plot against David's well-being or success.
• be as Nabal: This is the specific curse/imprecation. She wishes that David's future adversaries would suffer the same swift, divinely appointed fate and humiliating end that awaits Nabal due to his folly and insult. It connects Nabal's deserved judgment to the justice she hopes for David's enemies.

• "as the LORD lives and as your soul lives": This double oath is extremely potent. It foregrounds God's active reality and David's precious life, establishing a profound solemnity and truthfulness to Abigail's plea. It is not mere rhetoric but a deeply felt, covenantal invocation.
• "the LORD has restrained you from coming to bloodshed and from avenging yourself with your own hand": This phrase attributes David's current restraint not to Abigail's direct intervention, but to God's prior providential work. She subtly highlights God's sovereignty over human actions and urges David to align himself with God's will, which is to leave retribution to Him. This prevents David from making a mistake that could jeopardize his future kingship.
• "let your enemies and those who seek harm to my lord be as Nabal": This powerful imprecation serves two purposes: first, it diverts David's wrath from Nabal (whom God will deal with) to David's actual enemies; second, it appeals to David's long-term goal of being king, where God would vindicate him and judge his foes, rather than him having to take the law into his own hands. It offers divine retribution as a better alternative to personal revenge.

1 Samuel 25 26 Bonus section

Abigail's wisdom in this passage highlights her role as a prophetic voice in David's life. She does not just prevent David from a sin, but also implicitly reaffirms his destiny as king by stating, "the LORD has restrained you." This implies divine foresight and protection for God's anointed one. Her plea for David to rely on God's judgment prefigures the New Testament principle for believers to "never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God" (Rom 12:19). Her wisdom serves as a counter-example to Nabal's foolishness and represents a person who understands God's working in human affairs. The very fact that God intervened by restraining David (via Abigail's inspired words) emphasizes the importance of patience and trust in divine timing and justice, even when provoked.

1 Samuel 25 26 Commentary

In 1 Samuel 25:26, Abigail demonstrates profound spiritual discernment by appealing to God's active providence. She reminds David that the delay in his personal vengeance against Nabal is not accidental but a divine restraint (chasak). This implies that God, knowing David's future as king, is protecting him from a significant sin that would bring bloodguilt upon his house. Her double oath, swearing by the lives of both Yahweh and David, underscores the absolute gravity of her plea. She articulates a theology where divine justice, rather than human vengeance, is the proper response to wickedness. By wishing Nabal's fate upon David's enemies, she both affirms the just consequences of Nabal's foolishness and encourages David to entrust his vindication to God, who would justly deal with his adversaries without David needing to soil his hands. This act of intercession protects David's character, preserves his conscience, and ensures that his future reign would not begin tainted by rash, unholy vengeance.