1 Samuel 25:37
in 1 Samuel 25In the morning when Nabal was sober, his wife told him about these events, and his heart failed within him and he became like a stone.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And it came to pass in the morning, when the wine was gone out of Nabal, that his wife told him these things, and his heart died within him, and he became as a stone.
KJV
But it came to pass in the morning, when the wine was gone out of Nabal, and his wife had told him these things, that his heart died within him, and he became as a stone.
⋯
This verse in 1 Samuel 25
Commentary
9 notes on this verseA commentator
Gregory the DialogistThe Book of Pastoral Rule, Part 3, Chapter 16 · Written before 604.
But to a mind that is drunk with fury every right thing that is said appears wrong. Whence to Nabal when he was drunk Abigail laudably kept silence about his fault, but, when he had digested his wine, as laudably told him of it. For he could for this reason perceive the evil he had done, that he did not hear of it when drunk.
This site's exposition
like the feast of a king
on 1 Samuel 25:36-38
Abigail returns to find Nabal holding a feast fit for a king, merry and very drunk, and she tells him nothing of what she had done until morning, waiting until he is capable of hearing it. When the wine is gone out of him and she tells him, his heart died within him, and he became as a stone, and Albert Barnes reads the description as a stroke brought on by the shock, from which he lay senseless ten days before the Lord struck him and he died. John Wesley notes that an oath sworn to commit sin is annulled by not performing it rather than kept by performing it, so it is Abigail's gift that answers David's oath, not the Lord's later stroke on Nabal, which comes after the danger has already passed.
This site's exposition
he became like a stone
The heart that was in high spirits at night becomes like a stone by morning, and Matthew Henry sets the two verses side by side. John Wesley reads it as horror at a danger past. He compares a rider who learns at dawn that he crossed a broken bridge in the dark.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening4 voices
From coming, &c. - Which I had sworn to do. Hereby it plainly appears, that oaths whereby men bind themselves to any sin, are null and void: and as it was a sin to make them; so it is adding sin to sin to perform them.
His heart died - He fainted away through the fear and horror of so great a mischief though it was past. As one, who having in the night galloped over a narrow plank, laid upon a broken bridge, over a deep river; when in the morning he came to review it, was struck dead with the horror of the danger he had been in.
But it came to pass in the morning, when the wine was gone out of Nabal,....
His heart over-night merry with wine, next morning heavy as a stone; so deceitful are carnal pleasures, so transient the laughter of the fool. The end of that mirth is heaviness. Drunkards are sometimes sad when they reflect upon their own folly.
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
He became as a stone - Probably his violent anger at hearing it brought on a fit of apoplexy to which he was disposed by the drunken revel of the night before. After lying senseless for ten days he died.
1 more voice on this verse
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
His heart died within him, and he became as a stone - He was thunderstruck, and was so terrified at the apprehension of what he had escaped, that the fear overcame his mind, he became insensible to all things around him, probably refused all kinds of nourishment, and died in ten days.
The words behind it
17 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיְהִ֣י | vayhi | and it was | H1961 → | 3559 times |
| בַבֹּ֗קֶר | vaboker | in the morning | H1242 → | 214 times |
| בְּצֵ֤את | betzet | when had gone out | H3318 → | 1067 times |
| הַיַּ֙יִן֙ | haiyayin | the wine | H3196 → | 141 times |
| מִנָּבָ֔ל | minaval | from Nabal | H5037 → | 22 times |
| וַתַּגֶּד־ | vataged- | and she told | H5046 → | 370 times |
| ל֣וֹ | lo | to <the> him | ||
| אִשְׁתּ֔וֹ | ʾishto | wife his | H802 → | 781 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| הַדְּבָרִ֖ים | hadevarim | the things | H1697 → | 1440 times |
| הָאֵ֑לֶּה | haeleh | <the> these | H428 → | 746 times |
| וַיָּ֤מָת | vaiyamot | and it died | H4191 → | 839 times |
| לִבּוֹ֙ | libo | heart his | H3820 → | 595 times |
| בְּקִרְבּ֔וֹ | bekirbo | in inward part[s] his | H7130 → | 227 times |
| וְה֖וּא | vehu' | and he | H1931 → | 1879 times |
| הָיָ֥ה | hayah | he became | H1961 → | 3559 times |
| לְאָֽבֶן׃ | leaven | <into> stone | H68 → | 273 times |
וַיְהִ֣יand it was
vayhiH1961 →3559 times
בַבֹּ֗קֶרin the morning
vabokerH1242 →214 times
בְּצֵ֤אתwhen had gone out
betzetH3318 →1067 times
הַיַּ֙יִן֙the wine
haiyayinH3196 →141 times
מִנָּבָ֔לfrom Nabal
minavalH5037 →22 times
וַתַּגֶּד־and she told
vataged-H5046 →370 times
ל֣וֹto <the> him
lo
אִשְׁתּ֔וֹwife his
ʾishtoH802 →781 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
הַדְּבָרִ֖יםthe things
hadevarimH1697 →1440 times
הָאֵ֑לֶּה<the> these
haelehH428 →746 times
וַיָּ֤מָתand it died
vaiyamotH4191 →839 times
לִבּוֹ֙heart his
liboH3820 →595 times
בְּקִרְבּ֔וֹin inward part[s] his
bekirboH7130 →227 times
וְה֖וּאand he
vehu'H1931 →1879 times
הָיָ֥הhe became
hayahH1961 →3559 times
לְאָֽבֶן׃<into> stone
leavenH68 →273 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
Deuteronomy 28:28The LORD will afflict you with madness, blindness, and confusion of mind,
it leads to
- 2 Thessalonians 2:9–11
The coming of the lawless one will be accompanied by the working of Satan, with every kind of power, sign, and false wonder,
- Isaiah 19:11–17
The princes of Zoan are mere fools; Pharaoh’s wise counselors give senseless advice. How can you say to Pharaoh, “I am one of the wise, a son of eastern kings”?
- 1 Samuel 16:14
After the Spirit of the LORD had departed from Saul, a spirit of distress from the LORD began to torment him.
- Isaiah 6:9–10
And He replied: “Go and tell this people, ‘Be ever hearing, but never understanding; be ever seeing, but never perceiving.’
- 2 Thessalonians 2:9–11
Through
1 Samuel 25:22May God punish David, and ever so severely, if I let one of Nabal’s men survive until morning.”
it leads to
- 1 Samuel 3:17
“What was the message He gave you?” Eli asked. “Do not hide it from me. May God punish you, and ever so severely, if you hide from me anything He said to you.”
- 1 Samuel 20:13
But if my father intends to bring evil on you, then may the LORD punish me, and ever so severely, if I do not tell you and send you on your way in safety.…
- 1 Kings 14:10
Because of all this, behold, I am bringing disaster on the house of Jeroboam: I will cut off from Jeroboam every male, both slave and free, in Israel; I will burn up the house…
- 1 Kings 21:21
This is what the LORD says: ‘I will bring calamity on you and consume your descendants; I will cut off from Ahab every male in Israel, both slave and free.
- 1 Samuel 3:17
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies1
About 1 Samuel
Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes on the Old Testament; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Gregory the Dialogist, The Book of Pastoral Rule, Part 3, Chapter 16; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.