May God do so to the enemies of David, and more so, if by morning I leave alive as much as one male of any who belong to him.”
Parallel translations
- WEB God do so to the enemies of David, and more also, if I leave of all that belongs to him by the morning light so much as one who urinates on a wall.”
- KJV So and more also do God unto the enemies of David, if I leave of all that pertain to him by the morning light any that pisseth against the wall.
- BSB May God punish David, and ever so severely, if I let one of Nabal’s men survive until morning.”
- NKJV May God do so, and more also, to the enemies of David, if I leave one male of all who belong to him by morning light.”
- NLT May God strike me and kill me if even one man of his household is still alive tomorrow morning!”
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 vows in anger to kill every male of Nabal's household by morning. His rash oath would have made him guilty of bloodshed.
Overview
David swears a severe curse on himself if he leaves a single male of Nabal's house alive by dawn. This vengeful oath, sworn in fury, threatens to stain him with innocent blood and personal revenge. The intensity of David's vow magnifies the mercy of God in sending Abigail to keep him from a sin that would have shadowed his reign.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 9
- 1 Sam 20:13Yahweh do so to Jonathan, and more also, should it please my father to do you evil, if I don’t disclose it to you, and send you away, that you may go in peace. May Yahweh be with you, as he has been with my father.
- 1 Kgs 14:10therefore, behold, I will bring evil on the house of Jeroboam, and will cut off from Jeroboam everyone who urinates on a wall, he who is shut up and he who is left at large in Israel, and will utterly sweep away the house of Jeroboam, as a man sweeps away dung, until it is all gone.
- 1 Sam 3:17He said, “What is the thing that he has spoken to you? Please don’t hide it from me. God do so to you, and more also, if you hide anything from me of all the things that he spoke to you.”
- 1 Kgs 21:21Behold, I will bring evil on you, and will utterly sweep you away and will cut off from Ahab everyone who urinates against a wall, and him who is shut up and him who is left at large in Israel.
- 2 Kgs 9:8For the whole house of Ahab will perish. I will cut off from Ahab everyone who urinates against a wall, both him who is shut up and him who is left at large in Israel.
- 1 Kgs 16:11When he began to reign, as soon as he sat on his throne, he attacked all the house of Baasha. He didn’t leave him a single one who urinates on a wall among his relatives or his friends.
- 1 Sam 20:16So Jonathan made a covenant with David’s house, saying, “Yahweh will require it at the hand of David’s enemies.”
- 1 Sam 14:44Saul said, “God do so and more also; for you shall surely die, Jonathan.”
- Ruth 1:17Where you die, I will die, and there I will be buried. May Yahweh do so to me, and more also, if anything but death parts you and me.”
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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 25:22 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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