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1 Samuel 25:18

in 1 Samuel 25

Then Abigail hurried and took two hundred loaves of bread, two skins of wine, five butchered sheep, five seahs of roasted grain, a hundred clusters of raisins, and two hundred cakes of figs. She loaded them on donkeys

BSB

The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾

ASV

Then Abigail made haste, and took two hundred loaves, and two bottles of wine, and five sheep ready dressed, and five measures of parched grain, and a hundred clusters of raisins, and two hundred cakes of figs, and laid them on asses.

KJV

Then Abigail made haste, and took two hundred loaves, and two bottles of wine, and five sheep ready dressed, and five measures of parched corn, and an hundred clusters of raisins, and two hundred cakes of figs, and laid them on asses.

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This verse in 1 Samuel 25

Commentary

7 notes on this verse

A commentator

Adam Clarke

1762–1832

Commentary on the Bible · Written before 1832.

Took two hundred loaves - The Eastern bread is ordinarily both thin and small; and answers to our cakes. Two bottles of wine - That is, two goat-skins full. The hide is pulled off the animal without ripping up; the places where the legs, etc., were are sewed up, and then the skin appears one large bag. This is properly the Scripture and Eastern bottle. There is one such before me. Five sheep - Not one sheep to one hundred men. Clusters of raisins - Raisins dried in the sun. Cakes of figs - Figs cured, and then pressed together.

This site's exposition

took two hundred loaves

on 1 Samuel 25:18-19

Abigail moves at once, loading donkeys with two hundred loaves, two skins of wine, dressed sheep, parched corn, raisins and fig cakes, a store large enough to answer four hundred hungry men without asking Nabal's leave. She sends the gift ahead and tells her husband nothing, acting on her own judgment in a household where the master cannot be reasoned with. Matthew Henry reads the size of the gift as wisdom answering folly, for a gift pacifies anger, and Abigail loses nothing of her house by giving generously what Nabal had refused meanly.

The record, by era

The Medieval Church1 voice

A commentator

Bede

Commentary on Samuel · Written before 735.

proposed

Abigail then hurried and took two hundred loaves, etc. Motivated by the preaching of the apostles, the Synagogue hastened to be reconciled to Christ, whom she recognized had been offended by her leaders, and brought her listeners, who had already been instructed in the letter …

The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices

A commentator

Matthew Henry

1662–1714

Commentary on the Whole Bible (1710)

Nabal grudged them water, but she took two bottles ( casks or rundlets ) of wine, loaded her asses with these provisions, and sent them before; for a gift pacifieth anger, Prov. xxi. Jacob thus pacified Esau. When the instruments of the churl are evil, the liberal devises liberal things, and loses nothing by it; for by liberal things shall he stand, Isa. xxxii.
Then Abigail made haste,....

A commentator

Matthew Henry

1662–1714

Commentary on the Whole Bible (1710)

proposed

It was no time to trifle or linger when all was in danger. Those that desire conditions of peace must send when the enemy is yet a great way off, Luke xiv.

The Nineteenth Century1 voice

Two bottles - Rather, “two skins,” each of which would contain many gallons. These leather vessels varied in size according to the skin they were made of, and the use they were to be put to. The smaller and more portable kind, which may not improperly be called bottles, were made of the skin of a kid: larger ones of the skin of a he-goat. The Arabs invariably to this day carry their milk, water, etc., in such leather vessels. One skin of wine was a handsome present from Ziba, sufficient for David’s household 2Sa 16:1. The provisions were all ready to Abigail’s hand, having been provided for the sheep-shearing feast.

The words behind it

21 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.

  • וַתְּמַהֵ֣רand she made haste

    vatemaherH4116 →68 times

  • אֲבִיגַ֡יִלAbigail

    ʾavogayilH26 →17 times

  • וַתִּקַּח֩and she took

    vatikachH3947 →966 times

  • מָאתַ֨יִםtwo hundred

    matayimH3967 →581 times

  • לֶ֜חֶםbread[s]

    lechemH3899 →298 times

  • וּשְׁנַ֣יִםand two

    ushenayimH8147 →768 times

  • נִבְלֵי־jars of

    nivlei-H5035 →38 times

  • יַ֗יִןwine

    yayinH3196 →141 times

  • וְחָמֵ֨שׁand five

    vechameshH2568 →343 times

  • צֹ֤אןsheep

    tzonH6629 →274 times

  • עֲשׂוּיֹת֙prepared

    asavotH6213 →2628 times

  • וְחָמֵ֤שׁand five

    vechameshH2568 →343 times

  • סְאִים֙seahs of

    seimH5429 →

  • קָלִ֔יroasted grain

    kaliH7039 →

  • וּמֵאָ֥הand a hundred

    umeahH3967 →581 times

  • צִמֻּקִ֖יםbunches of raisins

    tzimukimH6778 →

  • וּמָאתַ֣יִםand two hundred

    umatayimH3967 →581 times

  • דְּבֵלִ֑יםfig cakes

    develimH1690 →

  • וַתָּ֖שֶׂםand she put [them]

    vatasemH7760 →584 times

  • עַל־on

    ʾal-H5921 →5755 times

  • הַחֲמֹרִֽים׃the donkeys

    hachamorimH2543 →96 times

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

Related verses

16 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 Chronicles 12:40And their neighbors from as far away as Issachar, Zebulun, and Naphtali came bringing food on donkeys, camels, mules, and oxen—abundant supplies of flour, fig cakes and raisin cakes, wine and oil, oxen and sheep. Indeed, there was joy in Israel.6 works2 Samuel 16:1When David had gone a little beyond the summit, Ziba the servant of Mephibosheth was there to meet him. He had a pair of saddled donkeys loaded with two hundred loaves of bread, a hundred clusters of raisins, a hundred summer fruits, and a skin of wine.5 works1 Samuel 17:17One day Jesse said to his son David, “Take this ephah of roasted grain and these ten loaves of bread for your brothers and hurry to their camp.4 worksProverbs 18:16A man’s gift opens doors for him, and brings him before great men.3 worksProverbs 6:4–5Allow no sleep to your eyes or slumber to your eyelids.3 worksMatthew 5:25Reconcile quickly with your adversary, while you are still on the way to court. Otherwise, he may hand you over to the judge, and the judge may hand you over to the officer, and you may be thrown into prison.3 works
The other 10 cross-references, with their words ▾
Numbers 16:46–48Moses said to Aaron, “Take your censer, place fire from the altar in it, and add incense. Go quickly to the congregation and make atonement for them, because wrath has come out from the LORD; the plague has begun.”2 worksProverbs 21:14A gift in secret soothes anger, and a covert bribe pacifies great wrath.2 works2 Samuel 17:28–29They brought beds, basins, and earthen vessels, as well as wheat, barley, flour, roasted grain, beans, lentils,2 works1 Samuel 25:34Otherwise, as surely as the LORD, the God of Israel, lives, who has restrained me from harming you, if you had not come quickly to meet me, then surely no male belonging to Nabal would have been left alive by morning light.”2 worksGenesis 32:13–20Jacob spent the night there, and from what he had brought with him, he selected a gift for his brother Esau:2 worksGenesis 43:11–14Then their father Israel said to them, “If it must be so, then do this: Put some of the best products of the land in your packs and carry them down as a gift for the man—a little balm and a little honey, spices and myrrh, pistachios and almonds.2 works1 Samuel 16:20And Jesse took a donkey loaded with bread, a skin of wine, and one young goat, and sent them to Saul with his son David.2 worksJudges 1:15“Give me a blessing,” she answered. “Since you have given me land in the Negev, give me springs of water as well.” So Caleb gave her both the upper and lower springs.2 worksJudges 8:5So Gideon said to the men of Succoth, “Please give my troops some bread, for they are exhausted, and I am still pursuing Zebah and Zalmunna, the kings of Midian.”2 worksRuth 2:14At mealtime Boaz said to her, “Come over here; have some bread and dip it into the vinegar sauce.” So she sat down beside the harvesters, and he offered her roasted grain, and she ate and was satisfied and had some left over.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

    Matthew 5:25

    Reconcile quickly with your adversary, while you are still on the way to court. Otherwise, he may hand you over to the judge, and the judge may hand you over to the officer, and…

    it leads to

    • Luke 12:58–59

      Make every effort to reconcile with your adversary while you are on your way to the magistrate. Otherwise, he may drag you off to the judge, and the judge may hand you over to…

    • Proverbs 25:8

      do not bring hastily to court. Otherwise, what will you do in the end when your neighbor puts you to shame?

    • Hebrews 3:13

      But exhort one another daily, as long as it is called today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness.

    • Luke 14:31–32

      Or what king on his way to war with another king will not first sit down and consider whether he can engage with ten thousand men the one coming against him with twenty thousand?

    • Isaiah 55:6–7

      Seek the LORD while He may be found; call on Him while He is near.

  • Through

    Proverbs 18:16

    A man’s gift opens doors for him, and brings him before great men.

    it leads to

    • Proverbs 19:6

      Many seek the favor of the prince, and everyone is a friend of the gift giver.

    • Genesis 43:11

      Then their father Israel said to them, “If it must be so, then do this: Put some of the best products of the land in your packs and carry them down as a gift…

    • Genesis 33:10

      But Jacob insisted, “No, please! If I have found favor in your sight, then receive this gift from my hand. For indeed, I have seen your face, and it is like seeing the face…

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 Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); 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 →