1 Samuel 25 · Verse 11

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?
1 Samuel 25:11, King James Version

1 Samuel 25:11 in other translations

BSBWhy should I take my bread and water and the meat I have slaughtered for my shearers, and give them to these men whose origin I do not know?”
WEBShall I then take my bread, my water, and my meat that I have killed for my shearers, and give it to men who I don’t know where they come from?”
ASVShall I then take my bread, and my water, and my flesh that I have killed for my shearers, and give it unto men of whom I know not whence they are?
YLTand I have taken my bread, and my water, and my flesh, which I slaughtered for my shearers, and have given it to men whom I have not known whence they are!'
DARBYAnd shall I take my bread, and my water, and my flesh which I have killed for my shearers, and give it to men whom I know not whence they are?
BBEAm I to take my bread and my wine and the meat I have got ready for my wool-cutters and give it to men coming from I have no idea where?
WebsterShall I then take my bread, and my water, and my flesh that I have killed for my shearers, and give it to men, whom I know not whence they are?

What does 1 Samuel 25:11 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…

Read the full comment on 1 Samuel 25:10-12 →

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 25:11 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.

וְלָקַחְתִּ֤יve.la.kach.Tiand will I takeH3947
אֶת\־'et-<obj.>H853
לַחְמִי֙lach.Mibread myH3899
וְאֶת\־ve.'Etand <obj.>H853
מֵימַ֔יmei.Maiwater myH4325
וְאֵת֙ve.'Etand <obj.>H853
טִבְחָתִ֔יtiv.cha.Tislaughter myH2878
אֲשֶׁ֥ר'a.SherwhichH834
טָבַ֖חְתִּיta.Vach.tiI have slaughteredH2873
לְגֹֽזְזָ֑יle.go.ze.Zaifor shearers myH1494
וְנָֽתַתִּי֙ve.na.ta.Tiand will I give [them]H5414
לַֽאֲנָשִׁ֔יםla.'a.na.Shimto menH582
אֲשֶׁר֙'a.SherwhoH834
לֹ֣אlo'notH3808
יָדַ֔עְתִּיya.Da'.tiI knowH3045
אֵ֥י'eiwhere?H335
מִזֶּ֖הmi.Zehfrom thisH2088
הֵֽמָּה\׃He.mah[are] theyH1992

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

Cross references for 1 Samuel 25:11

  • Judges 8:6

    And the princes of Succoth said, Are the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna now in thine hand, that we should give bread unto thine army?

  • Galatians 6:10

    As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.

  • Deuteronomy 8:17

    And thou say in thine heart, My power and the might of mine hand hath gotten me this wealth.

  • 1 Samuel 24:13

    As saith the proverb of the ancients, Wickedness proceedeth from the wicked: but mine hand shall not be upon thee.

  • 1 Samuel 25:14-15

    But one of the young men told Abigail, Nabal’s wife, saying, Behold, David sent messengers out of the wilderness to salute our master; and he railed on them. But the men were very good unto us, and we were not hurt, neither missed we any thing, as long as we were conversant with them, when we were in the fields:

  • Ecclesiastes 11:1-2

    Cast thy bread upon the waters: for thou shalt find it after many days. Give a portion to seven, and also to eight; for thou knowest not what evil shall be upon the earth.

  • 2 Corinthians 6:9

    As unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and, behold, we live; as chastened, and not killed;

  • 1 Peter 4:9

    Use hospitality one to another without grudging.

  • John 9:29-30

    We know that God spake unto Moses: as for this fellow, we know not from whence he is. The man answered and said unto them, Why herein is a marvellous thing, that ye know not from whence he is, and yet he hath opened mine eyes.

  • 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.

  • Job 31:17

    Or have eaten my morsel myself alone, and the fatherless hath not eaten thereof;

  • 1 Samuel 25:3

    Now the name of the man was Nabal; and the name of his wife Abigail: and she was a woman of good understanding, and of a beautiful countenance: but the man was churlish and evil in his doings; and he was of the house of Caleb.

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Shall I then.
3; 24:13; De 8:17; Jud 8:6; Job 31:17; Ps 73:7,8; 1Pe 4:9
flesh. Heb. slaughter. give it.
Ec 11:1,2; Ga 6:10
whom.
14,15; Joh 9:29,30; 2Co 6:9

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

Context

  • 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?

  • 1 Samuel 25:12

    So David’s young men turned their way, and went again, and came and told him all those sayings.

Read all of 1 Samuel 25

1 Samuel 25:11 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909
¿He de tomar yo ahora mi pan, mi agua, y mi víctima que he preparado para mis esquiladores, y la daré á hombres que no sé de dónde son?
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885
Et je prendrais mon pain et mon eau, et ma viande que j’ai tuée pour mes tondeurs, et je les donnerais à des hommes dont je ne sais d’où ils sont?
German
Elberfelder 1871
Und ich sollte mein Brot und mein Wasser nehmen und mein Geschlachtetes, das ich für meine Scherer geschlachtet habe, und es Männern geben, von denen ich nicht weiß, woher sie sind?
Latin
Clementine Vulgate
Tollam ergo panes meos, et aquas meas, et carnes pecorum quæ occidi tonsoribus meis, et dabo viris quos nescio unde sint?