1 Samuel 25 · Verse 4

1 Samuel 25:4

And David heard in the wilderness that Nabal did shear his sheep.
1 Samuel 25:4, King James Version

1 Samuel 25:4 in other translations

BSBWhile David was in the wilderness, he heard that Nabal was shearing sheep.
WEBDavid heard in the wilderness that Nabal was shearing his sheep.
ASVAnd David heard in the wilderness that Nabal was shearing his sheep.
YLTAnd David heareth in the wilderness that Nabal is shearing his flock,
DARBYAnd David heard in the wilderness that Nabal was shearing his sheep.
BBEAnd David had word in the waste land that Nabal was cutting the wool of his sheep.
WebsterAnd David heard in the wilderness that Nabal was shearing his sheep.

What does 1 Samuel 25:4 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on 1 Samuel 25:4-9
4-9. Nabal did shear his sheep, and David sent out ten young men, &c.--David and his men lurked in these deserts, associating with the herdsmen and shepherds of Nabal and others and doing them good offices, probably in return for information and supplies obtained through them. Hence when Nabal held his annual sheep-shearing in Carmel, David felt himself entitled to share in the festival and sent a message, recounting his own services and asking for a present. "In all these particulars we were deeply struck with the truth and strength of the biblical description of manners and customs almost identically the same as they exist at the present day. On such a festive occasion, near a town or village, even in our own time, an Arab sheik of the neighboring desert would hardly fail to put in a word either in person or by message; and his message, both in form and substance, would be only a transcript of that of David" [Robinson]. 1Sa 25:10-13. The Churlish Answer Provokes Him.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · 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 25:4 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.

וַיִּשְׁמַ֥עvai.yish.Ma'and he heardH8085
דָּוִ֖דda.VidDavidH1732
בַּמִּדְבָּ֑רba.mid.Barin the wildernessH4057
כִּֽי\־ki-thatH3588
גֹזֵ֥זgo.Zez[was] shearingH1494
נָבָ֖לna.ValNabalH5037
אֶת\־'et-<obj.>H853
צֹאנֽוֹ\׃tzo.Nosheep hisH6629

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

Cross references for 1 Samuel 25:4

  • 2 Samuel 13:23

    And it came to pass after two full years, that Absalom had sheepshearers in Baal–hazor, which is beside Ephraim: and Absalom invited all the king’s sons.

  • Genesis 38:13

    And it was told Tamar, saying, Behold thy father in law goeth up to Timnath to shear his sheep.

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
did shear.
Ge 38:13; 2Sa 13:23

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

Context

  • 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.

  • 1 Samuel 25:4

    And David heard in the wilderness that Nabal did shear his sheep.

  • 1 Samuel 25:5

    And David sent out ten young men, and David said unto the young men, Get you up to Carmel, and go to Nabal, and greet him in my name:

Read all of 1 Samuel 25

1 Samuel 25:4 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Y oyó David en el desierto que Nabal esquilaba sus ovejas.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Et David apprit dans le désert que Nabal tondait ses moutons.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Und David hörte in der Wüste, daß Nabal seine Schafe schor.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Cum ergo audisset David in deserto quod tonderet Nabal gregem suum,