1 Samuel 25:41
in 1 Samuel 25She arose, then bowed facedown and said, “Here is your maidservant, ready to serve and to wash the feet of my lord’s servants.”
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And she arose, and bowed herself with her face to the earth, and said, Behold, thy handmaid is a servant to wash the feet of the servants of my lord.
KJV
And she arose, and bowed herself on her face to the earth, and said, Behold, let thine handmaid be a servant to wash the feet of the servants of my lord.
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This verse in 1 Samuel 25
Commentary
6 notes on this verseThis site's exposition
David has sent us to take you as his wife
on 1 Samuel 25:40-42
Abigail answers David's proposal in the posture she took before him, bowing facedown and offering to wash the feet of his servants. She rides to him at once with five of her maidens and becomes his wife. Barnes notes that nothing in the narrative suggests unbecoming haste on either side.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
David had two wives, Ahinoam the Jezreelite, and Abigail, whom he took later. The first was somewhat severe, the other full of mercy and graciousness, a kindly and generous soul who saw the Father with face unveiled, gazing on his glory. She received that heavenly dew of the grace of the Father, as her name is interpreted.
The Medieval Church1 voice
Rising, she worshipped prostrate on the ground, etc. Rising to the exercise of good work, the synagogue of believers of those times first gives an indication of its belief by worshipping Christ as God; then it promises to wash its earthly works polluted by impurity …
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
And she arose, and bowed herself on her face to the earth,....
The loss is the more grievous at this juncture when Saul has grown so outrageous and David is driven from his country; never more need of Samuel than now, yet now he is removed. We will hope that the Israelites lamented Samuel's death the more bitterly because they remembered against themselves their own sin and folly in rejecting him and desiring a king.
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
the Lord hath returned the wickedness of Nabal upon his own head--If this was an expression of pleasure, and David's vindictive feelings were gratified by the intelligence of Nabal's death, it was an instance of human infirmity which we may lament; but perhaps he referred to the unmerited reproach (1Sa 25:10, 11), and the contempt of God implied in it.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase
The words behind it
12 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַתָּ֕קָם | vatakom | and she arose | H6965 → | 628 times |
| וַתִּשְׁתַּ֥חוּ | vatishtachu | and she bowed down | H7812 → | 172 times |
| אַפַּ֖יִם | ʾapayim | face | H639 → | 276 times |
| אָ֑רְצָה | ʾaretzah | [the] ground towards | H776 → | 2504 times |
| וַתֹּ֗אמֶר | vatomer | and she said | H559 → | 5305 times |
| הִנֵּ֤ה | hineh | here! | H2009 → | 843 times |
| אֲמָֽתְךָ֙ | ʾamatekha | maidservant your | H519 → | 56 times |
| לְשִׁפְחָ֔ה | leshifchah | to a maid | H8198 → | 63 times |
| לִרְחֹ֕ץ | lirchotz | to wash | H7364 → | |
| רַגְלֵ֖י | raglei | [the] feet of | H7272 → | 247 times |
| עַבְדֵ֥י | ʾavdei | [the] servants of | H5650 → | 799 times |
| אֲדֹנִֽי׃ | ʾadoni | lord my | H113 → | 333 times |
וַתָּ֕קָםand she arose
vatakomH6965 →628 times
וַתִּשְׁתַּ֥חוּand she bowed down
vatishtachuH7812 →172 times
אַפַּ֖יִםface
ʾapayimH639 →276 times
אָ֑רְצָה[the] ground towards
ʾaretzahH776 →2504 times
וַתֹּ֗אמֶרand she said
vatomerH559 →5305 times
הִנֵּ֤הhere!
hinehH2009 →843 times
אֲמָֽתְךָ֙maidservant your
ʾamatekhaH519 →56 times
לְשִׁפְחָ֔הto a maid
leshifchahH8198 →63 times
לִרְחֹ֕ץto wash
lirchotzH7364 →
רַגְלֵ֖י[the] feet of
ragleiH7272 →247 times
עַבְדֵ֥י[the] servants of
ʾavdeiH5650 →799 times
אֲדֹנִֽי׃lord my
ʾadoniH113 →333 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Proverbs 15:33The fear of the LORD is the instruction of wisdom, and humility comes before honor.
it leads to
- Proverbs 18:12
Before his downfall a man’s heart is proud, but humility comes before honor.
- 1 Peter 5:5
Young men, in the same way, submit yourselves to your elders. And all of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”
- Proverbs 1:7
The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline.
- Psalms 34:11
Come, children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the LORD.
- James 4:10
Humble yourselves before the Lord, and He will exalt you.
- Proverbs 18:12
Through
Ruth 2:10At this, she fell on her face, bowing low to the ground, and said to him, “Why have I found such favor in your eyes that you should take notice of me, even though…
it leads to
- 1 Samuel 25:23
When Abigail saw David, she quickly got off the donkey, fell facedown, and bowed before him.
- 1 Samuel 25:23
Through
1 Timothy 5:10and well known for good deeds such as bringing up children, entertaining strangers, washing the feet of the saints, imparting relief to the afflicted, and devoting herself to every good work.
it leads to
- 1 Timothy 6:18
Instruct them to do good, to be rich in good works, and to be generous and ready to share,
- Titus 3:8
This saying is trustworthy. And I want you to emphasize these things, so that those who have believed God will take care to devote themselves to good deeds. These things are excellent and profitable…
- 1 Timothy 6:18
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About 1 Samuel
This page draws on Albert Barnes, Notes on the Old Testament; Ambrose of Milan, Letter 34; Bede, Commentary on Samuel; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.