Translation commentary on 1 Samuel 25:2 - 25:3

Revised Standard Version follows the order of the Hebrew in verses 2-3 in introducing Nabal to the reader. Good News Translation has restructured these verses in a manner that is more natural in English style. Translators in other languages should examine their own traditional stories to determine at what point the name and family affiliation of the main character is introduced. It is often found that such information comes much earlier than in the Hebrew account here. If this is the case, it will be necessary to restructure and combine verses 2 and 3 as Good News Translation has done. Regarding the meaning of the name Nabal, see verse 25.

The location of Maon is mentioned in 23.24; it was the town in which Nabal lived. Carmel, which was mentioned in 15.12, was the name of a nearby town in which Nabal owned property.

The word translated business is found earlier in 1 Samuel, where it is rendered “deeds” (8.8; 19.4) and “matter” (20.19). It comes from a verb having a very general meaning, “to do” or “to make.” This noun has a wide range of meanings depending on the context. Here the basic meaning is “business” or “occupation.” Nabal’s occupation was raising sheep, and it seems correct to assume that, since he raised so many sheep in Carmel, he probably owned land there. For this reason some translations render this Hebrew noun as “property” (New Revised Standard Version, Revised English Bible, New American Bible) or “land” (Good News Translation, New Century Version).

The original readers would have recognized that Nabal’s name in Hebrew means “foolish,” and indeed the significance of the name becomes clear as the story develops (see especially verse 25). That Nabal was churlish and ill-behaved fits well with his name. The Hebrew adjective translated churlish comes from a root meaning “to be hard,” “to be severe.” Ill-behaved is more literally “bad [or, evil] of deeds.” Other renderings of these two adjectives include “surly and mean” (New Revised Standard Version and Revised English Bible), “harsh and ungenerous” (New American Bible), and “a hard man and an evildoer” (New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh). Nabal was also very rich, literally “very great.”

Shearing his sheep: in languages that have no special, technical term for shearing, Contemporary English Version provides a possible model, since it speaks of him having his servants “cut the wool from his sheep” throughout this passage.

Abigail will become one of David’s wives, after Nabal’s death (verses 38-42). She is described in terms that contrast sharply with Nabal. The reversal of the characteristics good understanding and beautiful in Good News Translation and Revised English Bible may reflect the priorities of some elements in the culture for which these translations were produced, but few other English versions change the order of the Hebrew text.

A Calebite: that is, a descendent of Caleb, one of the twelve Israelite men whom Moses sent to spy out the Promised Land (see Num 13.6). The Calebites lived in the region south of Hebron. The Masoretic Text reads “as his heart” (Calibu), but a note in the margin says that the text should read “a Calebite.” The difference in Hebrew between “Calebite” and “as his heart” consists of one small change in the last consonant of the one Hebrew word.

The Hebrew word for dog is very similar to the name Calebite, and Hertzberg suggests that Nabal is being described in a negative manner as “like a dog.” So Hertzberg translates as follows: “but the man was churlish and ill-behaved—a real Calebbite dog.” The Hebrew readers may well have understood the name Calebite as a play on words with the noun “dog,” but translators should not try to reproduce this.

Quoted with permission from Omanson, Roger L. and Ellington, John E. A Handbook on the First and Second Books of Samuel, Volume 1. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2001. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

Translation commentary on 1 Samuel 25:4

Instead of repeating that Nabal was shearing his sheep from verse 2, Good News Translation uses the summary form “about it.” This is even more reasonable since verses 2 and 3 have been restructured so that this information comes at the very end of 2-3 in Good News Translation.

Quoted with permission from Omanson, Roger L. and Ellington, John E. A Handbook on the First and Second Books of Samuel, Volume 1. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2001. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

Translation commentary on 1 Samuel 25:5

So: the common Hebrew conjunction is rightly translated to show the logical connection between David’s learning that Nabal was in the area and his sending the ten men to find him. Another way of showing this relationship is to follow the model of New Jerusalem Bible and New American Bible, which make a temporal relative clause of verse 4 instead of a separate sentence. New Jerusalem Bible, for example, says “When David heard … he sent ten men….” But the transition word so will be better in many languages.

David’s words to his young men are cited in a direct quotation in verses 5-8. Within this quotation is a second quotation, consisting of the words that the young men are to say to Nabal in verses 6b-8. Good News Translation changes the first quotation into an indirect quotation in order to avoid an embedded quotation. This model will be helpful to other languages as well.

Throughout this section, both the young men who are with David and the young men who serve Nabal are called young men. Translators need to ensure that in the following verses it is clear when the reference is to David’s men and when the reference is to Nabal’s men (see, for example, verse 14).

Greet him: see the comments on 10.4.

In my name: that is, “for me.” But if indirect discourse is used, it may be more natural to say “for him.”

Quoted with permission from Omanson, Roger L. and Ellington, John E. A Handbook on the First and Second Books of Samuel, Volume 1. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2001. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

Translation commentary on 1 Samuel 25:6

In the Hebrew text verses 5b-8 report the words of David in direct speech. Good News Translation changes the overall quotation to indirect speech. While the words spoken by David’s messengers are direct discourse, they speak about David in the third person rather than as in Revised Standard Version, where the servants speak as if David were speaking, in the first person.

And thus you shall salute him: the meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain. Literally “And you shall say thus to life.” New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh and Fox translate rather literally in this manner: “Say as follows: ‘To life!’ ” But such a translation will have little or no meaning in most languages. Critique Textuelle de l’Ancien Testament gives a {B} rating to the Masoretic Text and states that “thus to life [or, thus for the next year]” is an idiomatic expression for wishing one well in the next year. If the Hebrew is to be translated meaningfully, perhaps Revised English Bible provides the best model: “All good wishes for the year ahead!” See also New International Version, “Say to him, ‘Long life to you!’ ”

Rather than trying to make sense of the Hebrew, some translations follow theVulgate, which says at the very beginning of the words of the messengers “To my brothers and to you, peace.” In Hebrew the word translated “to my brother” and the word rendered “to life” are spelled almost the same. New American Bible says “Say to him, ‘Peace be with you, my brother….’ ” Similarly New Jerusalem Bible says “And this is what you are to say to my brother.” So also La Bible Pléiade, Osty-Trinquet, and Klein. Good News Translation‘s “my friend” is apparently a dynamic rendering of this same text.

Anchor Bible finds the Hebrew too difficult to be the original text. On the assumption that the text originally said something like “And say, thus David says,” Anchor Bible translates as follows, using ellipses dots to show that something is missing: “and say, ‘Thus […]: May you have peace!’ ” The Revised English Bible model shown above may be a good one to follow.

Peace: the Hebrew term means not only absence of war but also prosperity and well-being. Revised English Bible says “Prosperity to yourself.” The end of the verse, peace be to all that you have, is literally “and all which to you peace.” New American Bible understands these words to refer to people, “and with all who belong to you,” but the Hebrew seems more naturally to refer to all that Nabal owns. David is wishing prosperity and well-being not only for Nabal and his family but also for his fields and his animals. Moffatt reads “may you prosper, may your household and all your belongings prosper!”

Your house: as often in the Old Testament, this means “your household” (Revised English Bible) or “your family” (New Jerusalem Bible).

Quoted with permission from Omanson, Roger L. and Ellington, John E. A Handbook on the First and Second Books of Samuel, Volume 1. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2001. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

Translation commentary on 1 Samuel 25:7

That you have shearers is not intended to focus on the fact that there are workers whose occupation is that of shearing and who belong to Nabal. Rather the emphasis is on the fact that the people doing this work were active at the time and working for Nabal. So it will be better to translate using a present continuous [or, progressive] tense in most cases. This may be translated “that your men are shearing sheep” or “that your shearers are at work.”

The writer does not make clear in this verse in what sense Nabal’s shepherds had been with David’s men. But verses 15-16 suggest that the shepherds were working near where David and his men were staying. There is no suggestion that the shepherds had joined David’s band of warriors.

And they missed nothing: literally “and nothing was lacking [or, missing] to them.” In this context the sense of these words is that David and his men did not steal anything from Nabal’s shepherds. Some other ways of expressing this idea are “we stole nothing from them” (New Century Version) or “nor did they lose anything” (Anchor Bible).

Quoted with permission from Omanson, Roger L. and Ellington, John E. A Handbook on the First and Second Books of Samuel, Volume 1. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2001. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

Translation commentary on 1 Samuel 25:8

The truth of the claims made to Nabal may be verified by his questioning his own men. Another way of saying this may be “If you ask your own people, they will confirm it for you.”

Therefore: the transition word used here links the previous peaceful coexistence of David and Nabal’s men to the request about to be made. But the underlying Hebrew has only the ordinary conjunction, which is frequently translated “and” or left untranslated. This explains the absence of any transition word in Good News Translation and several other modern English versions. A stronger transition word, translated for in Revised Standard Version, joins the request with the statement that David’s men have come on a festive occasion.

Find favor in your eyes: see the comments on 1.18.

A feast day: literally “a good day.” The same idiom occurs in Est 8.17; 9.19, 22 for a time of celebrating and festival. New American Bible renders this “a festival time.” New Jerusalem Bible says “coming as we do on a festival.” While “a good day” is probably an idiom here, it is possible to understand these words in a nonidiomatic way. Revised English Bible, for example, reads “this is an auspicious [favorable] day with us.” Most likely the reference is not to one of the fixed religious festivals. Rather, this was a time of celebration as Nabal had prepared a special meal for his sheep shearers (verse 11). Anchor Bible translates this “since we have come at a special time.”

Pray, give: in Hebrew a particle of entreaty or urgency follows the verb give. See the comments on 2.36. Here the element of politeness may be reflected in translation by using a word like “please” (New Jerusalem Bible, Contemporary English Version, New Revised Standard Version).

To your servants and to your son David: David’s messengers speak about themselves in the third person. As a sign of courtesy and respect to Nabal, who is wealthy and probably older than David, David is referred to as the son of Nabal. The words “your dear friend David” in Good News Translation seem to suggest intimacy of relationship rather than respect.

The following is suggested as a possible model for the last part of this verse, showing proper respect and avoiding the dangers of a literal rendering:

• “… Please give whatever you can afford to us and to our master David, since we are all your servants.”

Quoted with permission from Omanson, Roger L. and Ellington, John E. A Handbook on the First and Second Books of Samuel, Volume 1. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2001. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

Translation commentary on 1 Samuel 25:9

Young men: see the comments at verse 5.

All this: literally “all these words,” referring to the message from David included in verses 6-8.

In the name of David: that is, “for David.” See the comments on in my name at verse 5.

Then they waited: New Century Version takes this to mean that “Nabal insulted them,” probably by making them wait. The Septuagint connects this verb with the beginning of verse 10 and says “Nabal leaped up and answered David’s young men.” Anchor Bible translates “he behaved arrogantly,” based indirectly on the Septuagint and evidence from the Dead Sea Scrolls. Klein likewise has “he reacted arrogantly.” It is quite possible that the Masoretic Text contains an error here, but since there is so little direct support for the proposed correction of the Masoretic Text, translators are urged to follow Revised Standard Version and Good News Translation here.

If a language requires an indirect object for the verb “wait,” it will be possible to adopt the model of Contemporary English Version: “waited for Nabal’s answer.”

Quoted with permission from Omanson, Roger L. and Ellington, John E. A Handbook on the First and Second Books of Samuel, Volume 1. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2001. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

Translation commentary on 1 Samuel 25:10

Based on the idea of waiting found in the previous verse, Good News Translation adds the word “finally” to modify the verb answered.

The two questions Who is David? and Who is the son of Jesse? both refer to David. Nabal is not so much asking who David is. Rather his questions are a way of belittling David, a famous leader in Saul’s army. Parola Del Signore: La Bibbia in Lingua Corrente says “Who is David? The son of Jesse? I don’t know him.” A better translation, however, is “Who does this son of Jesse think he is?” (New Living Translation). In some cases the ironic character of Nabal’s words may be conveyed by adding a demonstrative pronoun as New International Version does “Who is this David? Who is this son of Jesse?”

Servants: the Hebrew term rendered servants in Revised Standard Version covers a wide range of meanings (compare 16.15). Here the word “slave” seems preferable (Good News Translation, New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh, and Revised English Bible). But this does represent the same word as that translated servants in verse 8. And perhaps Nabal intentionally uses the same word as David’s men had just spoken. The verb translated breaking away means simply “to run away.” The reference is to slaves who are running away from their owners in order to gain freedom.

Quoted with permission from Omanson, Roger L. and Ellington, John E. A Handbook on the First and Second Books of Samuel, Volume 1. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2001. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .