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1 Samuel 25:17

in 1 Samuel 25

Now consider carefully what you must do, because disaster looms over our master and all his household. For he is such a scoundrel that nobody can speak to him!”

BSB

The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾

ASV

Now therefore know and consider what thou wilt do; for evil is determined against our master, and against all his house: for he is such a worthless fellow, that one cannot speak to him.

KJV

Now therefore know and consider what thou wilt do; for evil is determined against our master, and against all his household: for he is such a son of Belial, that a man cannot speak to him.

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This verse in 1 Samuel 25

Commentary

5 notes on this verse

This site's exposition

he railed on them

on 1 Samuel 25:14-17

An unnamed servant goes around Nabal to warn Abigail, because evil is determined against the whole household and Nabal is such a son of Belial that a man cannot speak to him. Belial, worthless one, is the word the narrator used for the sons of Eli at 2:12, and Scripture uses it again for Sheba's rebellion at 2 Sam 20:1 and in David's own last words for the thorns burned rather than handled at 2 Sam 23:6. The servant's account, a wall unto us both by night and day, repeats what David's own men had already claimed, confirming to Abigail that the danger to her house is real and that David's men have kept faith with it.

This site's exposition

Now consider carefully what you must do

The servant brings the decision to Abigail and leaves it with her, a measure of the trust the household placed in her judgment. Matthew Henry reads the next verse as her answer. It was no time to linger when the whole house stood in danger.

The record, by era

The Medieval Church1 voice

A commentator

Bede

Commentary on Samuel · Written before 735.

proposed

Wherefore consider and reflect upon what you do, because, etc. I have explained, he says, what benefit and grace the faith of Christ has, and how great a hardness our leaders have shown in resisting it. Wherefore consider and reflect upon, by what order you …

The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices

A commentator

Matthew Henry

1662–1714

Commentary on the Whole Bible (1710)

proposed

Nabal is his name, and folly is with him: but I thine handmaid saw not the young men of my lord, whom thou didst send. 26 Now therefore, my lord, as the L ORD liveth, and as thy soul liveth, seeing the L ORD 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.

quarantine:scripture (2026-07-29) — scripture-overlap:95%@v25-26

Now therefore know and consider what thou wilt do,....

The words behind it

18 Hebrew words

Every 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.

  • וְעַתָּ֗הand now

    veatahH6258 →433 times

  • דְּעִ֤יknow

    deiH3045 →945 times

  • וּרְאִי֙and see

    ureiH7200 →1300 times

  • מַֽה־what?

    mah-H4100 →752 times

  • תַּעֲשִׂ֔יwill you do

    taasiH6213 →2628 times

  • כִּֽי־for

    ki-H3588 →4482 times

  • כָלְתָ֧הit has been determined

    khaltahH3615 →208 times

  • הָרָעָ֛ה<the> evil

    haraahH7451 →662 times

  • אֶל־against

    ʾel-H413 →5510 times

  • אֲדֹנֵ֖ינוּmaster<s> our

    ʾadoneinuH113 →333 times

  • וְעַ֣לand on

    vealH5921 →5755 times

  • כָּל־all

    kol-H3605 →5413 times

  • בֵּית֑וֹhousehold his

    beitoH1004 →2046 times

  • וְהוּא֙and he

    vehu'H1931 →1879 times

  • בֶּן־[is] a son of

    ben-H1121 →4930 times

  • בְּלִיַּ֔עַלworthlessness

    beliyaalH1100 →27 times

  • מִדַּבֵּ֖רfrom speaking

    midaberH1696 →1141 times

  • אֵלָֽיו׃to him

    ʾelavH413 →5510 times

A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.

Related verses

18 in all, six open

The number beside each verse is how many compiled reference works tie it to this one. The strongest six stand open.

1 Samuel 25:25My lord should pay no attention to this scoundrel Nabal, for he lives up to his name: His name means Fool, and folly accompanies him. I, your servant, did not see my lord’s young men whom you sent.5 worksDeuteronomy 13:13that wicked men have arisen from among you and have led the people of their city astray, saying, “Let us go and serve other gods” (which you have not known),4 works1 Samuel 20:7If he says, ‘Good,’ then your servant is safe, but if he is enraged, you will know he has evil intentions.4 works1 Samuel 25:3His name was Nabal, and his wife’s name was Abigail. She was an intelligent and beautiful woman, but her husband, a Calebite, was harsh and evil in his dealings.4 worksProverbs 18:23The poor man pleads for mercy, but the rich man answers harshly.3 worksProverbs 16:27A worthless man digs up evil, and his speech is like a scorching fire.3 works
The other 12 cross-references, with their words ▾
1 Kings 21:13And the two scoundrels came in and sat opposite Naboth, and these men testified against him before the people, saying, “Naboth has cursed both God and the king!” So they took him outside the city and stoned him to death.2 works1 Kings 21:10But seat two scoundrels opposite him and have them testify, ‘You have cursed both God and the king!’ Then take him out and stone him to death.”2 worksEsther 7:7In his fury, the king arose from drinking his wine and went to the palace garden, while Haman stayed behind to beg Queen Esther for his life, for he realized that the king was planning a terrible fate for him.2 works1 Samuel 2:12Now the sons of Eli were wicked men; they had no regard for the LORD2 works2 Samuel 23:6–7But the worthless are all like thorns raked aside, for they can never be gathered by hand.2 worksJudges 19:22While they were enjoying themselves, suddenly the wicked men of the city surrounded the house. Pounding on the door, they said to the old man who owned the house, “Bring out the man who came to your house, so we can have relations with him!”2 works1 Samuel 20:9“Never!” Jonathan replied. “If I ever found out that my father had evil intentions against you, would I not tell you?”2 works2 Chronicles 13:7Then worthless and wicked men gathered around him to resist Rehoboam son of Solomon when he was young, inexperienced, and unable to resist them.2 works2 Chronicles 25:16While he was still speaking, the king asked, “Have we made you the counselor to the king? Stop! Why be struck down?” So the prophet stopped, but he said, “I know that God has determined to destroy you, because you have done this and have not heeded my advice.”2 works2 Kings 5:13–14Naaman’s servants, however, approached him and said, “My father, if the prophet had told you to do some great thing, would you not have done it? How much more, then, when he tells you, ‘Wash and be cleansed’?”2 works1 Samuel 20:32–33“Why must he be put to death?” Jonathan replied. “What has he done?”2 worksLuke 10:6If a man of peace is there, your peace will rest on him; if not, it will return to you.2 works

The walk

8 stops

Each 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

    1 Kings 21:10

    But seat two scoundrels opposite him and have them testify, ‘You have cursed both God and the king!’ Then take him out and stone him to death.”

    it leads to

    • Exodus 22:28

      You must not blaspheme God or curse the ruler of your people.

    • Acts 6:11

      Then they prompted some men to say, “We heard Stephen speak words of blasphemy against Moses and against God.”

    • Leviticus 24:15–16

      And you are to tell the Israelites, ‘If anyone curses his God, he shall bear the consequences of his sin.

  • Through

    Deuteronomy 13:13

    that wicked men have arisen from among you and have led the people of their city astray, saying, “Let us go and serve other gods” (which you have not known),

    it leads to

    • 1 John 2:19

      They went out from us, but they did not belong to us. For if they had belonged to us, they would have remained with us. But their departure made it clear that none of…

    • 2 Corinthians 6:15

      What harmony is there between Christ and Belial? Or what does a believer have in common with an unbeliever?

    • Deuteronomy 13:2

      and if the sign or wonder he has spoken to you comes about, but he says, “Let us follow other gods (which you have not known) and let us worship them,”

    • Deuteronomy 13:6

      If your very own brother, or your son or daughter, or the wife you embrace, or your closest friend secretly entices you, saying, “Let us go and worship other gods” (which neither you nor…

  • Through

    1 Kings 21:13

    And the two scoundrels came in and sat opposite Naboth, and these men testified against him before the people, saying, “Naboth has cursed both God and the king!” So they took him outside the…

    it leads to

    • 2 Kings 9:26

      ‘As surely as I saw the blood of Naboth and the blood of his sons yesterday, declares the LORD, so will I repay you on this plot of ground, declares the LORD.’ Now then,…

Where this verse is studied

On this page

Studies1

About 1 Samuel

David Slays Goliath, Gustave Doré, 1866. Public domain.
David Slays Goliath, Gustave Doré, 1866. Public domain.
1 Samuel: the study guide →Read 1 Samuel 25 →

This page draws on Albert Barnes, Notes on the Old Testament; Bede, Commentary on Samuel; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.

Read on in 1 Samuel 25 →