1 Samuel 25:7

7 I have heard that thy shepherds, that were with us in desert, have shorn thy flocks; we were never dis-easeful to them, neither any time anything of the flock failed to them, in all the time in which they were with us in Carmel; (I have heard that thy shepherds, who were with us in the wilderness, have clipped thy flocks; we never threatened them, nor at any time did anything of theirs go missing, in all the time when they were with us 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 he sent ten young men, and said to them, Go ye up into Carmel, and ye shall come to Nabal, and ye shall greet him of my name peaceably (and ye shall give him a friendly greeting in my name);

6 and ye shall say thus (and so ye shall say), Peace be to my brethren and to thee, and peace be to thine house, and peace be to all things, whatever thou hast.

7 I have heard that thy shepherds, that were with us in desert, have shorn thy flocks; we were never dis-easeful to them, neither any time anything of the flock failed to them, in all the time in which they were with us in Carmel; (I have heard that thy shepherds, who were with us in the wilderness, have clipped thy flocks; we never threatened them, nor at any time did anything of theirs go missing, in all the time when they were with us in Carmel;)

8 ask thy young men, and they shall show to thee. Now therefore thy young men find grace in thine eyes; for in a good day we come to thee; whatever thing thine hand findeth, or (it) pleaseth to thee, give it to thy servants, and to thy son David. (ask thy young men, and they shall tell thee. And so now let my young men find favour in thine eyes, for we come to thee on a good day; and whatever thing that thy hand findeth, or it pleaseth thee, give it to thy servants, and to thy son David.)

9 And when the young men of David had come, they spake to Nabal all these words in the name of David, and held [their] peace (and then they were silent).