Shmuel Alef 25:16

16 They were a chomah (wall) unto us both by lailah gam yomam (night and day), all the while we were with them shepherding hatzon.

Shmuel Alef 25:16 Meaning and Commentary

1 Samuel 25:16

They were a wall unto us both by night and day
Protecting and defending them against the Philistines, who, as they robbed the threshing floors of Keilah, would have plundered the flocks of Nabal; or it may be rather against the incursions of the Arabs in the wilderness of Paran, the posterity of Ishmael, who lived by plunder, and against the wild beasts of the desert, who otherwise would have carried off many of their sheep and lambs, by night or by day:

all the while we were with them keeping the sheep;
all which showed how reasonable it was that Nabal should have used them well, and given them a portion of his entertainment at his sheep shearing; for had it not been for them, he would not have had so many sheep to shear as he had.

Shmuel Alef 25:16 In-Context

14 But one of the ne’arim told Avigal, eshet Naval, saying, Hinei, Dovid sent malachim out of the midbar to put a brocha on adoneinu; and he drove them off.

15 But the anashim were tovim unto us, and we were not hurt, neither missed we any thing, as long as we accompanied them, when we were in the sadeh;

16 They were a chomah (wall) unto us both by lailah gam yomam (night and day), all the while we were with them shepherding hatzon.

17 Now therefore know and consider what thou wilt do; for ra’ah is determined against adoneinu, and against all his bais; for he is such a ben Beliyaal, that a man cannot speak to him.

18 Then Avigal made haste, and took two hundred lechem, and two skins of yayin, and five tzon ready cooked, and five measures of roasted grain, and a hundred raisin cakes, and two hundred pressed figs, and laid them on chamorim (donkeys).