Now David had said, Surely in vain have I kept all that this fellow hath in the wilderness, so that nothing was missed of all that pertained unto him: and he hath requited me evil for good.
Parallel translations
- WEB Now David had said, “Surely in vain I have kept all that this fellow has in the wilderness, so that nothing was missed of all that pertained to him. He has returned me evil for good.
- BSB Now David had just finished saying, “In vain I have protected all that belonged to this man in the wilderness. Nothing that belongs to him has gone missing, yet he has paid me back evil for good.
- NKJV Now David had said, “Surely in vain I have protected all that this fellow has in the wilderness, so that nothing was missed of all that belongs to him. And he has repaid me evil for good.
- NASB Now David had said, “It is certainly for nothing that I have guarded everything that this man has in the wilderness, so that nothing has gone missing of all that belonged to him! For he has returned me evil for good.
- NLT David had just been saying, “A lot of good it did to help this fellow. We protected his flocks in the wilderness, and nothing he owned was lost or stolen. But he has repaid me evil for good.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
David recalls his unrewarded kindness, complaining that Nabal returned evil for good. His resentment fuels his vengeful intent.
Overview
David rehearses how he guarded Nabal's property in the wilderness only to be repaid with insult. His bitter reasoning justifies, in his own mind, the violent revenge he is set upon. The verse lays bare the wounded pride driving David toward sin and underscores how badly he needs the restraining word Abigail will bring.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 16
- Prov 17:13Whoso rewardeth evil for good, evil shall not depart from his house.
- Rom 12:21Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.
- Eph 4:31Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice:
- Eph 4:26Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath:
- 1 Pet 2:20–23For what glory is it, if, when ye be buffeted for your faults, ye shall take it patiently? but if, when ye do well, and suffer for it, ye take it patiently, this is acceptable with God.
- 1 Th 5:15See that none render evil for evil unto any man; but ever follow that which is good, both among yourselves, and to all men.
- 1 Pet 3:17For it is better, if the will of God be so, that ye suffer for well doing, than for evil doing.
- Ps 37:8Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: fret not thyself in any wise to do evil.
- 1 Pet 3:9Not rendering evil for evil, or railing for railing: but contrariwise blessing; knowing that ye are thereunto called, that ye should inherit a blessing.
- Ps 35:12They rewarded me evil for good to the spoiling of my soul.
- 1 Sam 25:13And David said unto his men, Gird ye on every man his sword. And they girded on every man his sword; and David also girded on his sword: and there went up after David about four hundred men; and two hundred abode by the stuff.
- Job 30:8They were children of fools, yea, children of base men: they were viler than the earth.
- Gen 44:4And when they were gone out of the city, and not yet far off, Joseph said unto his steward, Up, follow after the men; and when thou dost overtake them, say unto them, Wherefore have ye rewarded evil for good?
- Jer 18:20Shall evil be recompensed for good? for they have digged a pit for my soul. Remember that I stood before thee to speak good for them, and to turn away thy wrath from them.
- Ps 38:20They also that render evil for good are mine adversaries; because I follow the thing that good is.
- Ps 109:3–5They compassed me about also with words of hatred; and fought against me without a cause.
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Christ at the center
The rise of the anointed king after Israel's failed first choice points to the true Anointed One (Messiah means 'anointed'), the shepherd-king after God's own heart from Bethlehem.
How 1 Samuel 25:21 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
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