1 Samuel 25:21
19 and said to her young men, “Go ahead of me. I will be right behind you.” But she did not tell her husband Nabal.
20 As Abigail came riding her donkey into a mountain ravine, she saw David and his men coming down toward her, and she met them.
Now David had just finished saying, “In vain I have protected all that belonged to this man in the wilderness. Nothing that belongs to him has gone missing, yet he has paid me back evil for good.
22 May God punish David, and ever so severely, if I let one of Nabal’s men survive until morning.”
23 When Abigail saw David, she quickly got off the donkey, fell facedown, and bowed before him.
Here the Bible tells a story about someone else. Ask yourself what it can say to us today. Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.
Compare
- BSB
- Now David had just finished saying, “In vain I have protected all that belonged to this man in the wilderness. Nothing that belongs to him has gone missing, yet he has paid me back evil for good.
- KJV
- Now David had said, Surely in vain have I kept all that this fellow hath in the wilderness, so that nothing was missed of all that pertained unto him: and he hath requited me evil for good.
- WEB
- Now David had said, “Surely in vain I have kept all that this fellow has in the wilderness, so that nothing was missed of all that pertained to him. He has returned me evil for good.
- ASV
- Now David had said, Surely in vain have I kept all that this fellow hath in the wilderness, so that nothing was missed of all that pertained unto him: and he hath returned me evil for good.
- DARBY
- Now David had said, Surely, in vain have I kept all that this [man] had in the wilderness, so that nothing was missed of all that was his; and he has requited me evil for good.
- BLB
- And David had said, “Surely in vain I have kept all that was unto this one in the wilderness, and not anything was missed of all that [was] unto him. And he has repaid me evil for good.
- ÅB
- Men David hadde sagt: Til ingen nytte har jeg vernet om alt det denne mann hadde i ørkenen, så det ikke er kommet bort noe av alt det som tilhørte ham; men han har gjengjeldt meg godt med ondt.
- OTB
- Nå hadde David sagt, "Det var sannelig forgjeves at jeg beskyttet alt denne mannen har i ørkenen, slik at ingenting ble savnet av alt som tilhørte ham; og han har gjengjeldt meg ondt for godt.
- B1930
- Men David hadde sagt: Til ingen nytte har jeg vernet om alt det denne mann hadde i ørkenen, så det ikke er kommet bort noget av alt det som tilhørte ham; men han har gjengjeldt mig godt med ondt.
Study notes (Tyndale)
Original text and word study
Cross references
Proverbs 17:13
If anyone returns evil for good, evil will never leave his house.
Read in contextEphesians 4:26
“Be angry, yet do not sin.” Do not let the sun set upon your anger,
Read in contextRomans 12:21
Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
Read in contextEphesians 4:31
Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, outcry and slander, along with every form of malice.
Read in context1 Peter 2:20–23
How is it to your credit if you are beaten for doing wrong and you endure it? But if you suffer for doing good and you endure it, this is commendable before God.
Read in context1 Thessalonians 5:15
Make sure that no one repays evil for evil. Always pursue what is good for one another and for all people.
Read in context1 Peter 3:17
For it is better, if it is God’s will, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil.
Read in contextPsalms 109:3–5
They surround me with hateful words and attack me without cause.
Read in context