1 Samuel 25:14

14 But one of the young men told Abigail, Nabal's wife, saying, Behold, David sent messengers out of the wilderness to salute our master; and he railed[a] on them.

1 Samuel 25:14 Meaning and Commentary

1 Samuel 25:14

But one of the young men told Abigail, Nabal's wife
Not one of David's young men, as what follows shows, but one of Nabal's young men or servants, one of those David directs him to for the truth of what he said, ( 1 Samuel 25:8 ) ; this was one of those that had been employed in feeding sheep in the wilderness, where David was, and knew him, but was now at Carmel, and was present when David's messengers came to Nabal, and was privy to what passed:

saying, David sent messengers out of the wilderness to salute our
master;
in a very kind and handsome manner, to ask of his peace and welfare, and to wish him all happiness and prosperity; or "masters" F25 master and mistress, including both Nabal and Abigail:

and he railed on them;
gave them very abusive language, represented David and his men as a parcel of scoundrels, fugitives, and runaway servants, ( 1 Samuel 25:10 1 Samuel 25:11 ) ; or "he flew at them" F26; or "upon" them, in great wrath and fury, calling them hard names, bidding them begone about their business; the allusion is to a ravenous bird, which will fly at persons when it apprehends its young in any danger.


FOOTNOTES:

F25 (wnynda) "dominus nostros", Malvenda.
F26 (Mhb jeyw) "et involavit in eos", Coccei Lex. col. 607.

1 Samuel 25:14 In-Context

12 So David's young men turned their way, and went again, and came and told him all those sayings.
13 And 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.
14 But one of the young men told Abigail, Nabal's wife, saying, Behold, David sent messengers out of the wilderness to salute our master; and he railed on them.
15 But the men were very good unto us, and we were not hurt, neither missed we any thing, as long as we were conversant with them, when we were in the fields:
16 They were a wall unto us both by night and day, all the while we were with them keeping the sheep.

Footnotes 1

  • [a]. railed...: Heb. flew upon them
The King James Version is in the public domain.