1 Samuel 25 · Verse 10

1 Samuel 25:10

And Nabal answered David’s servants, and said, Who is David? and who is the son of Jesse? there be many servants now a days that break away every man from his master.
1 Samuel 25:10, King James Version

1 Samuel 25:10 in other translations

BSBBut Nabal asked them, “Who is David? Who is this son of Jesse? Many servants these days are breaking away from their masters.
WEBNabal answered David’s servants and said, “Who is David? Who is the son of Jesse? There are many servants who break away from their masters these days.
ASVAnd Nabal answered David’s servants, and said, Who is David? and who is the son of Jesse? there are many servants now-a-days that break away every man from his master.
YLTAnd Nabal answereth the servants of David and saith, ‘Who is David, and who the son of Jesse? to-day have servants been multiplied who are breaking away each from his master;
DARBYAnd Nabal answered David's servants and said, Who is David? and who is the son of Jesse? there are many servants now-a-days that break away every man from his master.
BBEAnd Nabal gave them his answer and said, Who is David? who is the son of Jesse? there are a number of servants in these days running away from their masters.
WebsterAnd Nabal answered David's servants, and said, Who is David? and who is the son of Jesse? there are many servants in these days that break away every man from his master.

What does 1 Samuel 25:10 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on 1 Samuel 25:10-12
10-12. Nabal answered David's servants, ... Who is David? &c.--Nabal's answer seems to indicate that the country was at the time in a loose and disorderly state. David's own good conduct, however, as well as the important services rendered by him and his men, were readily attested by Nabal's servants. The preparations of David to chastise his insolent language and ungrateful requital are exactly what would be done in the present day by Arab chiefs, who protect the cattle of the large and wealthy sheep masters from the attacks of the marauding border tribes or wild beasts. Their protection creates a claim for some kind of tribute, in the shape of supplies of food and necessaries, which is usually given with great good will and gratitude; but when withheld, is enforced as a right. Nabal's refusal, therefore, was a violation of the established usages of the place.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 10 Who is David? - Nabal's answer shows the surliness of his disposition. It was unjust to refuse so reasonable a request; and the manner of the refusal was highly insulting. It is true what his own servants said of him, He is such a son of Belial that one cannot speak to him, 1Sam 25:17.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on 1 Samuel 25:2-11

We should not have heard of Nabal, if nothing had passed between him and David. Observe his name, Nabal, "A fool;" so it signifies. Riches make men look great in the eye of the world; but to one that takes right views, Nabal looked very mean. He had no honour or honesty; he was churlish, cross, and ill-humoured; evil in his doings, hard and oppressive; a man that cared not what fraud and violence he used in getting…

Read the full comment on 1 Samuel 25:2-11 →

1 Samuel 25:10 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

וַיַּ֨עַןvai.Ya.'anand he answeredH6030
נָבָ֜לna.ValNabalH5037
אֶת\־'et-<obj.>H853
עַבְדֵ֤י'av.Dei[the] servants ofH5650
דָוִד֙da.VidDavidH1732
וַיֹּ֔אמֶרvai.Yo.merand he saidH559
מִ֥יmiwho?H4310
דָוִ֖דda.Vid[is] DavidH1732
וּמִ֣יu.Miand who?H4310
בֶן\־ven-[is] [the] son ofH1121
יִשָׁ֑יyi.ShaiJesseH3448
הַיּוֹם֙hai.yOmthis dayH3117
רַבּ֣וּra.Buthey are manyH7231
עֲבָדִ֔ים'a.va.DimservantsH5650
הַמִּתְפָּ֣רְצִ֔יםha.mit.Pa.re.Tzimwho break awayH6555
אִ֖ישׁ'isheach oneH376
מִפְּנֵ֥יmi.pe.Neifrom beforeH6440
אֲדֹנָֽיו\׃'a.do.Navmaster<s> hisH113

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for 1 Samuel 25:10

  • Judges 9:28

    And Gaal the son of Ebed said, Who is Abimelech, and who is Shechem, that we should serve him? is not he the son of Jerubbaal? and Zebul his officer? serve the men of Hamor the father of Shechem: for why should we serve him?

  • Psalms 73:7-8

    Their eyes stand out with fatness: they have more than heart could wish. They are corrupt, and speak wickedly concerning oppression: they speak loftily.

  • 2 Samuel 20:1

    And there happened to be there a man of Belial, whose name was Sheba, the son of Bichri, a Benjamite: and he blew a trumpet, and said, We have no part in David, neither have we inheritance in the son of Jesse: every man to his tents, O Israel.

  • Isaiah 32:7

    The instruments also of the churl are evil: he deviseth wicked devices to destroy the poor with lying words, even when the needy speaketh right.

  • Isaiah 32:5

    The vile person shall be no more called liberal, nor the churl said to be bountiful.

  • Psalms 123:3-4

    Have mercy upon us, O Lord, have mercy upon us: for we are exceedingly filled with contempt. Our soul is exceedingly filled with the scorning of those that are at ease, and with the contempt of the proud.

  • 1 Samuel 22:7-8

    Then Saul said unto his servants that stood about him, Hear now, ye Benjamites; will the son of Jesse give every one of you fields and vineyards, and make you all captains of thousands, and captains of hundreds; That all of you have conspired against me, and there is none that sheweth me that my son hath made a league with the son of Jesse, and there is none of you that is sorry for me, or sheweth unto me that my son hath stirred up my servant against me, to lie in wait, as at this day?

  • 1 Kings 12:16

    So when all Israel saw that the king hearkened not unto them, the people answered the king, saying, What portion have we in David? neither have we inheritance in the son of Jesse: to your tents, O Israel: now see to thine own house, David. So Israel departed unto their tents.

  • 1 Samuel 22:2

    And every one that was in distress, and every one that was in debt, and every one that was discontented, gathered themselves unto him; and he became a captain over them: and there were with him about four hundred men.

  • Exodus 5:2

    And Pharaoh said, Who is the Lord, that I should obey his voice to let Israel go? I know not the Lord, neither will I let Israel go.

  • Ecclesiastes 7:10

    Say not thou, What is the cause that the former days were better than these? for thou dost not enquire wisely concerning this.

  • 1 Samuel 20:30

    Then Saul’s anger was kindled against Jonathan, and he said unto him, Thou son of the perverse rebellious woman, do not I know that thou hast chosen the son of Jesse to thine own confusion, and unto the confusion of thy mother’s nakedness?

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Who is David.
20:30; 22:7,8; Ex 5:2; Jud 9:28; 2Sa 20:1; 1Ki 12:16; Ps 73:7,8
Ps 123:3,4; Isa 32:5,7
there be.
22:2; Ec 7:10

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • 1 Samuel 25:9

    And when David’s young men came, they spake to Nabal according to all those words in the name of David, and ceased.

  • 1 Samuel 25:10

    And Nabal answered David’s servants, and said, Who is David? and who is the son of Jesse? there be many servants now a days that break away every man from his master.

  • 1 Samuel 25:11

    Shall I then take my bread, and my water, and my flesh that I have killed for my shearers, and give it unto men, whom I know not whence they be?

Read all of 1 Samuel 25

1 Samuel 25:10 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Y Nabal respondió á los criados de David, y dijo: ¿Quién es David? ¿y quién es el hijo de Isaí? Muchos siervos hay hoy que se huyen de sus señores.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Et Nabal répondit aux serviteurs de David, et dit: Qui est David? Et qui est le fils d’Isaï? Aujourd’hui ils sont nombreux les serviteurs qui se sauvent chacun de son maître.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Aber Nabal antwortete den Knechten Davids und sprach: Wer ist David, und wer der Sohn Isais? Heutzutage sind der Knechte viele, die davonlaufen, ein jeder seinem Herrn.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Respondens autem Nabal pueris David, ait: Quis est David? et quis est filius Isai? hodie increverunt servi qui fugiunt dominos suos.