1tc The LXX reads “Maon” here instead of “Paran,” perhaps because the following account of Nabal is said to be in Maon (v. 2). This reading is followed by a number of English versions (e.g., NAB, NIV, NCV, NLT). The MT, however, reads “Paran,” a location which would parallel this portion of David’s life with that of the nation Israel which also spent time in Paran (Num 10:12). Also, the desert of Paran was on the southern border of Judah’s territory and would be the most isolated location for hiding from Saul. 2tn Heb “great.” 3sn The name נָבָל (Nabal) means “foolish” or “senseless” in Hebrew, and as an adjective the word is used especially of persons who have no perception of ethical or religious claims. It is an apt name for this character, who certainly typifies such behavior. 4tn Heb “good of insight”; KJV “of good understanding”; NAB, NIV, TEV “intelligent”; NRSV “clever.” 5tn Heb “David”; for stylistic reasons the pronoun has been used in the translation. 6tn Or “young men.” 7tn Heb “and David said to the young men.” 8tn Heb “and inquire concerning him in my name in regard to peace.” 9tc The text is difficult here. The MT and most of the early versions support the reading לֶחָי (lekhai, “to life,” or “to the one who lives”). Some of the older English versions (KJV, ASV; cf. NKJV) took the expression to mean “to him who lives (in prosperity),” but this translation requires reading a good deal into the words. While the expression could have the sense of “Long life to you!” (cf. NIV, NJPS) or perhaps “Good luck to you!” this seems somewhat redundant in light of the salutation that follows in the context. The Latin Vulgate has fratribus meis (“to my brothers”), which suggests that Jerome understood the Hebrew word to have an alef that is absent in the MT (i.e., לֶאֱחָי, le’ekhay). Jerome’s plural, however, remains a problem, since in the context David is addressing a single individual, namely Nabal, and not a group. However, it is likely that the Vulgate witnesses to a consonantal Hebrew text that is to be preferred here, especially if the word were to be revocalized as a singular rather than a plural. While it is impossible to be certain about this reading, the present translation essentially follows the Vulgate in reading “my brother” (so also NJB; cf. NAB, RSV, NRSV). 10tc The translation follows many medieval Hebrew mss in reading בָּאנוּ (ba’nu, “we have come”) rather than the MT’s בָּנוּ (banu, “we have built”). 11tn This refers to the ten servants sent by David. 12tn Heb “whatever your hand will find.” 13tn Heb “him”; the referent (David) has been specified in the translation for clarity. 14tn Heb “bless.” 15tn Heb “all the days we walked about with them when we were.” 16tn Heb “all his house” (so ASV, NRSV); NAB, NLT “his whole family.” 17tn Heb “he is a son of worthlessness.” 18tn Heb “skins.” 19sn The seah was a dry measure equal to one-third of an ephah, or not quite eleven quarts. 20tn Heb “said.” 21tc Heb “Thus God will do to the enemies of David and thus he will add.” Most of the Old Greek ms tradition has simply “David,” with no reference to his enemies. In OT imprecations such as the one found in v. 22 it is common for the speaker to direct malediction toward himself as an indication of the seriousness with which he regards the matter at hand. In other words, the speaker invites on himself dire consequences if he fails to fulfill the matter expressed in the oath. However, in the situation alluded to in v. 22 the threat actually does not come to fruition due to the effectiveness of Abigail’s appeal to David in behalf of her husband Nabal. Instead, David is placated through Abigail’s intervention. It therefore seems likely that the reference to “the enemies of David” in the MT of v. 22 is the result of a scribal attempt to deliver David from the implied consequences of this oath. The present translation follows the LXX rather than the MT here. 22tn Heb “one who urinates against a wall” (also in v. 34); KJV “any that pisseth against the wall.” 23tn Heb “and foolishness is with him.” 24tn Heb “my lord’s servants, whom you sent.” 25tn Heb “blessing.” 26tn Heb “are walking at the feet of.” 27tn Cf. KJV, NAB, NIV, NRSV “bundle”; NLT “treasure pouch.” 28tn Heb “according to all which he spoke, the good concerning you.” 29tn Heb “appoint.” 30tn Heb “and this will not be for you for staggering and for stumbling of the heart of my lord.” 31tn Heb “and the Lord will do well for my lord.” 32tn Heb “blessed” (also in vv. 33, 39). 33tn Heb “blessed.” 34tn Heb “up.” 35tn Heb “your voice.” 36tn Heb “I have lifted up your face.” 37tn Heb “and the heart of Nabal was good upon him”; NASB, NRSV “Nabal’s heart was merry within him”; NIV “he was in high spirits”; NCV, TEV “was in a good mood”; CEV “was very drunk and feeling good.” 38tn Heb “and she did not tell him a thing, small or large.” 39tn Heb “when the wine had gone out from Nabal.” 40tn Heb “and his heart died within him and he became a stone.” Cf. TEV, NLT “stroke”; CEV “heart attack.” For an alternative interpretation than that presented above, see Marjorie O’Rourke Boyle, “The Law of the Heart: The Death of a Fool (1 Samuel 25),” JBL 120 (2001): 401-27, who argues that a medical diagnosis is not necessary here. Instead, the passage makes a connection between the heart and the law; Nabal dies for his lawlessness. 41tn Heb “who has argued the case of my insult from the hand of Nabal.” 42tn Heb “his servant he has held back from evil, and the evil of Nabal the Lord has turned back on his head.” 43tn Heb “Here is your maidservant, for a lowly servant to wash.” 44tn Heb “going at her feet.” 45tn Heb “taken.”
1tc The LXX reads “Maon” here instead of “Paran,” perhaps because the following account of Nabal is said to be in Maon (v. 2). This reading is followed by a number of English versions (e.g., NAB, NIV, NCV, NLT). The MT, however, reads “Paran,” a location which would parallel this portion of David’s life with that of the nation Israel which also spent time in Paran (Num 10:12). Also, the desert of Paran was on the southern border of Judah’s territory and would be the most isolated location for hiding from Saul.
2tn Heb “great.”
3sn The name נָבָל (Nabal) means “foolish” or “senseless” in Hebrew, and as an adjective the word is used especially of persons who have no perception of ethical or religious claims. It is an apt name for this character, who certainly typifies such behavior.
4tn Heb “good of insight”; KJV “of good understanding”; NAB, NIV, TEV “intelligent”; NRSV “clever.”
5tn Heb “David”; for stylistic reasons the pronoun has been used in the translation.
6tn Or “young men.”
7tn Heb “and David said to the young men.”
8tn Heb “and inquire concerning him in my name in regard to peace.”
9tc The text is difficult here. The MT and most of the early versions support the reading לֶחָי (lekhai, “to life,” or “to the one who lives”). Some of the older English versions (KJV, ASV; cf. NKJV) took the expression to mean “to him who lives (in prosperity),” but this translation requires reading a good deal into the words. While the expression could have the sense of “Long life to you!” (cf. NIV, NJPS) or perhaps “Good luck to you!” this seems somewhat redundant in light of the salutation that follows in the context. The Latin Vulgate has fratribus meis (“to my brothers”), which suggests that Jerome understood the Hebrew word to have an alef that is absent in the MT (i.e., לֶאֱחָי, le’ekhay). Jerome’s plural, however, remains a problem, since in the context David is addressing a single individual, namely Nabal, and not a group. However, it is likely that the Vulgate witnesses to a consonantal Hebrew text that is to be preferred here, especially if the word were to be revocalized as a singular rather than a plural. While it is impossible to be certain about this reading, the present translation essentially follows the Vulgate in reading “my brother” (so also NJB; cf. NAB, RSV, NRSV).
10tc The translation follows many medieval Hebrew mss in reading בָּאנוּ (ba’nu, “we have come”) rather than the MT’s בָּנוּ (banu, “we have built”).
11tn This refers to the ten servants sent by David.
12tn Heb “whatever your hand will find.”
13tn Heb “him”; the referent (David) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
14tn Heb “bless.”
15tn Heb “all the days we walked about with them when we were.”
16tn Heb “all his house” (so ASV, NRSV); NAB, NLT “his whole family.”
17tn Heb “he is a son of worthlessness.”
18tn Heb “skins.”
19sn The seah was a dry measure equal to one-third of an ephah, or not quite eleven quarts.
20tn Heb “said.”
21tc Heb “Thus God will do to the enemies of David and thus he will add.” Most of the Old Greek ms tradition has simply “David,” with no reference to his enemies. In OT imprecations such as the one found in v. 22 it is common for the speaker to direct malediction toward himself as an indication of the seriousness with which he regards the matter at hand. In other words, the speaker invites on himself dire consequences if he fails to fulfill the matter expressed in the oath. However, in the situation alluded to in v. 22 the threat actually does not come to fruition due to the effectiveness of Abigail’s appeal to David in behalf of her husband Nabal. Instead, David is placated through Abigail’s intervention. It therefore seems likely that the reference to “the enemies of David” in the MT of v. 22 is the result of a scribal attempt to deliver David from the implied consequences of this oath. The present translation follows the LXX rather than the MT here.
22tn Heb “one who urinates against a wall” (also in v. 34); KJV “any that pisseth against the wall.”
23tn Heb “and foolishness is with him.”
24tn Heb “my lord’s servants, whom you sent.”
25tn Heb “blessing.”
26tn Heb “are walking at the feet of.”
27tn Cf. KJV, NAB, NIV, NRSV “bundle”; NLT “treasure pouch.”
28tn Heb “according to all which he spoke, the good concerning you.”
29tn Heb “appoint.”
30tn Heb “and this will not be for you for staggering and for stumbling of the heart of my lord.”
31tn Heb “and the Lord will do well for my lord.”
32tn Heb “blessed” (also in vv. 33, 39).
33tn Heb “blessed.”
34tn Heb “up.”
35tn Heb “your voice.”
36tn Heb “I have lifted up your face.”
37tn Heb “and the heart of Nabal was good upon him”; NASB, NRSV “Nabal’s heart was merry within him”; NIV “he was in high spirits”; NCV, TEV “was in a good mood”; CEV “was very drunk and feeling good.”
38tn Heb “and she did not tell him a thing, small or large.”
39tn Heb “when the wine had gone out from Nabal.”
40tn Heb “and his heart died within him and he became a stone.” Cf. TEV, NLT “stroke”; CEV “heart attack.” For an alternative interpretation than that presented above, see Marjorie O’Rourke Boyle, “The Law of the Heart: The Death of a Fool (1 Samuel 25),” JBL 120 (2001): 401-27, who argues that a medical diagnosis is not necessary here. Instead, the passage makes a connection between the heart and the law; Nabal dies for his lawlessness.
41tn Heb “who has argued the case of my insult from the hand of Nabal.”
42tn Heb “his servant he has held back from evil, and the evil of Nabal the Lord has turned back on his head.”
43tn Heb “Here is your maidservant, for a lowly servant to wash.”
44tn Heb “going at her feet.”
45tn Heb “taken.”