1 Samuel 25:11

11 I have bread and water, and I have meat that I killed for my servants who cut the wool. But I won't give it to men I don't know."

1 Samuel 25:11 Meaning and Commentary

1 Samuel 25:11

Shall I then take my bread, and my water
Which include all food and liquors, everything eatable and drinkable; and "water" may be particularly mentioned, because very scarce in the wilderness, and so precious; though the Septuagint version has "wine" instead of "water":

and my flesh which I have killed for my shearers;
whether oxen, or sheep, or lambs, as there might be of each sort, for an entertainment made on such an occasion:

and give [it] unto men whom I know not whence they [be]?
which is another argument Abarbinel makes use of that he meant not David, but his men only, because he did not know who and from whence they were.

1 Samuel 25:11 In-Context

9 When David's men arrived, they gave the message to Nabal, but Nabal insulted them.

10 He answered them, "Who is David? Who is this son of Jesse? Many slaves are running away from their masters today!

11 I have bread and water, and I have meat that I killed for my servants who cut the wool. But I won't give it to men I don't know."

12 David's men went back and told him all Nabal had said.

13 Then David said to them, "Put on your swords!" So they put on their swords, and David put on his also. About four hundred men went with David, but two hundred men stayed with the supplies.