1 Samuel 25:42
in 1 Samuel 25So Abigail hurried and got on a donkey, and attended by five of her maidens, she followed David’s messengers and became his wife.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And Abigail hasted, and arose, and rode upon an ass, with five damsels of hers that followed her; and she went after the messengers of David, and became his wife.
KJV
And Abigail hasted, and arose, and rode upon an ass, with five damsels of hers that went after her; and she went after the messengers of David, and became his wife.
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This verse in 1 Samuel 25
Commentary
7 notes on this verse(2.) Because she believed he would, in due time, be a very great man. She married him in faith, not questioning but that, though now he had not a house of his own that he durst bring her to, yet God's promise go him would at length be fulfilled. Thus those who join themselves to Christ must be willing now to suffer with him, believing that hereafter they shall reign with him.
This 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
And she rode upon an ass, etc. Following the messengers of the Lord's word, the faithful synagogue, the closer it comes to receiving His gifts, the more surely it recognizes its own foolishness, slowness, and impurity. This can also be rightly understood of each faithful …
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
And Abigail hasted and arose,....
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
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַתְּמַהֵ֞ר | vatemaher | and she made haste | H4116 → | 68 times |
| וַתָּ֣קָם | vatakom | and she arose | H6965 → | 628 times |
| אֲבִיגַ֗יִל | ʾavigayil | Abigail | H26 → | 17 times |
| וַתִּרְכַּב֙ | vatirkav | and she rode | H7392 → | 78 times |
| עַֽל־ | ʾal- | on | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| הַחֲמ֔וֹר | hachamor | the donkey | H2543 → | 96 times |
| וְחָמֵשׁ֙ | vechamesh | and five | H2568 → | 343 times |
| נַעֲרֹתֶ֔יהָ | naaroteiha | maids her | H5291 → | |
| הַהֹלְכ֖וֹת | haholekhot | who walked | H1980 → | 1546 times |
| לְרַגְלָ֑הּ | leraglah | to foot her | H7272 → | 247 times |
| וַתֵּ֗לֶךְ | vatelekh | and she went | H1980 → | 1546 times |
| אַֽחֲרֵי֙ | ʾacharei | after | H310 → | 715 times |
| מַלְאֲכֵ֣י | malakhei | [the] messengers of | H4397 → | 213 times |
| דָוִ֔ד | david | David | H1732 → | 999 times |
| וַתְּהִי־ | vatehi- | and she became | H1961 → | 3559 times |
| ל֖וֹ | lo | of him | ||
| לְאִשָּֽׁה׃ | leishah | <into> a wife | H802 → | 781 times |
וַתְּמַהֵ֞רand she made haste
vatemaherH4116 →68 times
וַתָּ֣קָםand she arose
vatakomH6965 →628 times
אֲבִיגַ֗יִלAbigail
ʾavigayilH26 →17 times
וַתִּרְכַּב֙and she rode
vatirkavH7392 →78 times
עַֽל־on
ʾal-H5921 →5755 times
הַחֲמ֔וֹרthe donkey
hachamorH2543 →96 times
וְחָמֵשׁ֙and five
vechameshH2568 →343 times
נַעֲרֹתֶ֔יהָmaids her
naaroteihaH5291 →
הַהֹלְכ֖וֹתwho walked
haholekhotH1980 →1546 times
לְרַגְלָ֑הּto foot her
leraglahH7272 →247 times
וַתֵּ֗לֶךְand she went
vatelekhH1980 →1546 times
אַֽחֲרֵי֙after
ʾachareiH310 →715 times
מַלְאֲכֵ֣י[the] messengers of
malakheiH4397 →213 times
דָוִ֔דDavid
davidH1732 →999 times
וַתְּהִי־and she became
vatehi-H1961 →3559 times
ל֖וֹof him
lo
לְאִשָּֽׁה׃<into> a wife
leishahH802 →781 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
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 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.