1 Samuel 25:7

7 and, now, I have heard that thou hast shearers; now, the shepherds whom thou hast have been with us, we have not put them to shame, nor hath anything been looked after by them, all the days of their being in Carmel.

1 Samuel 25:7 Meaning and Commentary

1 Samuel 25:7

And now I have heard that thou hast shearers
Men employed in shearing his sheep, which was a time of feasting and gladness, and therefore David sent his young men to him at this time with his compliments upon it; and in order to obtain what he intended by this message to him, he observes the favours he and his men had done to his servants, and the advantages which they had received from them:

now thy shepherds which were with us;
feeding their sheep near the wilderness of Paran, which was not far from Carmel and Maon:

we hurt them not;
by taking any of their sheep and lambs from them, or by abusing, beating them, or giving them ill language; or "did not put them to shame" ^F24, by denying them anything they asked of them, which was in their power to grant, nor mocked and scoffed at them, and jeered them on account of their occupation:

neither was there ought missing unto them;
they did not steal a sheep or lamb from them, as was common for soldiers to do; nor did they suffer any of the Arabs, that dwelt in the wilderness of Paran, to rob them, who lived upon plunder, or any of the wild beasts to hurt them, as much as in them lay; so careful were they of them, and were a wall unto them by night and day, as Nabal's servants owned, ( 1 Samuel 25:16 ) ; and this was the case,

all the while they were in Carmel;
or in the fields, ( 1 Samuel 25:15 ) ; which were joining to the wilderness of Paran.

---

FOOTNOTES:

F24 (Mwnmlkh al) "non affecimus verccundia eos", Montanus; so some in Vatablus.

1 Samuel 25:7 In-Context

5 and David sendeth ten young men, and David saith to the young men, `Go ye up to Carmel, and ye have come in unto Nabal, and asked of him in my name of welfare,

6 and said thus: To life! and thou, peace; and thy house, peace; and all that thou hast -- peace!

7 and, now, I have heard that thou hast shearers; now, the shepherds whom thou hast have been with us, we have not put them to shame, nor hath anything been looked after by them, all the days of their being in Carmel.

8 `Ask thy young men, and they declare to thee, and the young men find grace in thine eyes, for on a good day we have come; give, I pray thee, that which thy hand findeth, to thy servants, and to thy son, to David.'

9 And the young men of David come in, and speak unto Nabal according to all these words, in the name of David -- and rest.