Blessed is your discretion, and blessed are you, who have kept me today from blood guiltiness, and from avenging myself with my own hand.
Parallel translations
- KJV And blessed be thy advice, and blessed be thou, which hast kept me this day from coming to shed blood, and from avenging myself with mine own hand.
- BSB Blessed is your discernment, and blessed are you, because today you kept me from bloodshed and from avenging myself by my own hand.
- NKJV And blessed is your advice and blessed are you, because you have kept me this day from coming to bloodshed and from avenging myself with my own hand.
- NASB and blessed be your discernment, and blessed be you, who have kept me this day from bloodshed and from avenging myself by my own hand.
- NLT Thank God for your good sense! Bless you for keeping me from murder and from carrying out vengeance with my own hands.
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 blesses Abigail's discretion for keeping him from bloodshed and self-vengeance. He gratefully credits her wisdom with restraining his sin.
Overview
David commends Abigail's good judgment and herself, thanking her for holding him back from blood-guilt and from avenging himself. He openly admits he had been on the brink of grave wrong. The verse honors godly wisdom as a means of grace and shows the humility of a leader who receives rebuke and praises the one who delivered it.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 10
- 1 Sam 25:26Now therefore, my lord, as Yahweh lives, and as your soul lives, since Yahweh has withheld you from blood guiltiness, and from avenging yourself with your own hand, now therefore let your enemies, and those who seek evil to my lord, be as Nabal.
- Prov 28:23One who rebukes a man will afterward find more favor than one who flatters with the tongue.
- Prov 9:9Instruct a wise man, and he will be still wiser. Teach a righteous man, and he will increase in learning.
- Ps 141:5Let the righteous strike me, it is kindness; let him reprove me, it is like oil on the head; don’t let my head refuse it; Yet my prayer is always against evil deeds.
- Prov 27:21The crucible is for silver, and the furnace for gold; but man is refined by his praise.
- Prov 25:12As an earring of gold, and an ornament of fine gold, so is a wise reprover to an obedient ear.
- Prov 17:10A rebuke enters deeper into one who has understanding than a hundred lashes into a fool.
- 1 Sam 26:9–10David said to Abishai, “Don’t destroy him; for who can stretch out his hand against Yahweh’s anointed, and be guiltless?”
- 1 Sam 24:19For if a man finds his enemy, will he let him go away unharmed? Therefore may Yahweh reward you good for that which you have done to me today.
- 1 Sam 25:31that this shall be no grief to you, nor offense of heart to my lord, either that you have shed blood without cause, or that my lord has avenged himself. When Yahweh has dealt well with my lord, then remember your servant.”
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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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 25:33 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
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.