1 Samuel 25:3

Douay-Rheims Bible

Now the name of the man was Nabal: and the name of his wife was Abigail. And she was a prudent and very comely woman: but her husband was churlish, and very bad and ill natured: and he was of the house of Caleb.

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
The man’s name was Nabal, and his wife’s name, Abigail. The woman was intelligent and beautiful, but the man, a Calebite, was harsh and evil in his dealings.

Hebrew Names Version
Now the name of the man was Naval; and the name of his wife Avigayil; and the woman was of good understanding, and of a beautiful face: but the man was churlish and evil in his doings; and he was of the house of Kalev.

King James Version
Now the name of the man was Nabal; and the name of his wife Abigail: and she was a woman of good understanding, and of a beautiful countenance: but the man was churlish and evil in his doings; and he was of the house of Caleb.

Lexham English Bible
The name of the man was Nabal, and the name of his wife was Abigail. Now the woman was wise and beautiful, but the man was stubborn and mean, and he was as his heart.

English Standard Version
Now the name of the man was Nabal, and the name of his wife Abigail. The woman was discerning and beautiful, but the man was harsh and badly behaved; he was a Calebite.

New Century Version
His name was Nabal, and he was a descendant of Caleb. His wife was named Abigail. She was wise and beautiful, but Nabal was cruel and mean.

New English Translation
The man's name was Nabal, and his wife's name was Abigail. She was both wise and beautiful, but the man was harsh and his deeds were evil. He was a Calebite.

Amplified Bible
(now the man's name was Nabal and his wife's name was Abigail. She was intelligent and beautiful in appearance, but the man was harsh and evil in his dealings; he was a Calebite).

New American Standard Bible
(now the man's name was Nabal, and his wife's name was Abigail. And the woman was intelligent and beautiful in appearance, but the man was harsh and evil in his dealings, and he was a Calebite),

Geneva Bible (1587)
The name also of the man was Nabal, and the name of his wife Abigail, & she was a woman of singular wisdome, and beautifull, but the man was churlish, and euil conditioned, and was of the familie of Caleb.

Legacy Standard Bible
(now the man's name was Nabal, and his wife's name was Abigail. And the woman was good in insight and beautiful in appearance, but the man was harsh and evil in his dealings, and he was a Calebite),

Complete Jewish Bible
The man's name was Naval, and his wife was named Avigayil. The woman was intelligent and attractive, but the man was surly and mean in his actions; he belonged to the clan of Kalev.

Darby Translation
And the name of the man was Nabal, and the name of his wife Abigail; and the woman was of good understanding, and of a beautiful countenance; but the man was churlish and evil in his doings; and he was a Calebite.

Easy-to-Read Version
This man's name was Nabal. He was from Caleb's family. Nabal's wife was named Abigail. She was a wise and beautiful woman, but Nabal was a mean and cruel man.

George Lamsa Translation
Now the name of the man was Nabal; and the name of his wife was Abigail; and she was a beautiful woman, and of a beautiful countenance; but the man Nabal was harsh and evil in his doings, and like a dog.

Literal Translation
And the man's name was Nabal, and his wife's name, Abigail. And the woman was of good understanding, and beautiful of form. And the man was cruel and evil in his dealings. And He was of Caleb.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
and his name was Nabal, but his wyues name was Abigail, and she was a woman of good vnderstondinge, & bewtyfull of face. But the man was harde, and wicked in his doynges, and was one of Caleb.

American Standard Version
Now the name of the man was Nabal; and the name of his wife Abigail; and the woman was of good understanding, and of a beautiful countenance: but the man was churlish and evil in his doings; and he was of the house of Caleb.

Bible in Basic English
Now this man was named Nabal, and his wife's name was Abigail: she was a woman of good sense and pleasing looks: but the man was cruel and evil in his ways; he was of the family of Caleb.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
The name of the man was Nabal, and the name of his wyfe was Abigail, and she was a woman of a singuler wysedome, and beautifull: But the man was churlishe, and of shrewde conditions, & was of the kinred of Caleb.

JPS Old Testament (1917)
Now the name of the man was Nabal; and the name of his wife Abigail; and the woman was of good understanding, and of a beautiful form; but the man was churlish and evil in his doings; and he was of the house of Caleb.

King James Version (1611)
Now the name of the man was Nabal, and the name of his wife, Abigail: and shee was a woman of good vnderstanding, and of a beautifull countenance: but the man was churlish and euill in his doings, and hee was of the house of Caleb.

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And the man’s name was Nabal, and his wife’s name was Abigaia: and his wife was of good understanding and very beautiful in person: but the man was harsh, and evil in his doings, and the man was churlish.

English Revised Version
Now the name of the man was Nabal; and the name of his wife Abigail: and the woman was of good understanding, and of a beautiful countenance: but the man was churlish and evil in his doings; and he was of the house of Caleb.

Berean Standard Bible
His name was Nabal, and his wife's name was Abigail. She was an intelligent and beautiful woman, but her husband, a Calebite, was harsh and evil in his dealings.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Forsothe the name of that man was Nabal, and the name of his wijf was Abigail; and thilke womman was moost prudent and fair; forsothe hir hosebond was hard and ful wickid and malicious; sotheli he was of the kyn of Caleph.

Young's Literal Translation
And the name of the man [is] Nabal, and the name of his wife Abigail, and the woman [is] of good understanding, and of fair form, and the man [is] hard and evil [in] doings; and he [is] a Calebite.

Update Bible Version
Now the name of the man was Nabal; and the name of his wife Abigail; and the woman was of good understanding, and of a beautiful countenance: but the man was harsh and evil in his doings; and he was of the house of Caleb.

Webster's Bible Translation
Now the name of the man [was] Nabal; and the name of his wife Abigail: and [she was] a woman of good understanding, and of a beautiful countenance: but the man [was] churlish and evil in his doings; and he [was] of the house of Caleb.

World English Bible
Now the name of the man was Nabal; and the name of his wife Abigail; and the woman was of good understanding, and of a beautiful face: but the man was churlish and evil in his doings; and he was of the house of Caleb.

New King James Version
The name of the man was Nabal, and the name of his wife Abigail. And she was a woman of good understanding and beautiful appearance; but the man was harsh and evil in his doings. He was of the house of Caleb.

New Living Translation
This man's name was Nabal, and his wife, Abigail, was a sensible and beautiful woman. But Nabal, a descendant of Caleb, was crude and mean in all his dealings.

New Life Bible
The man's name was Nabal, and his wife's name was Abigail. The woman was of good understanding and beautiful. But the man was bad and sinful in his ways. He was a Calebite.

New Revised Standard
Now the name of the man was Nabal, and the name of his wife Abigail. The woman was clever and beautiful, but the man was surly and mean; he was a Calebite.

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Now, the name of the man, was Nabal, and, the name of his wife, Abigail, - and, the woman, was of good understanding, and of beautiful figure, - but, the man, was unfeeling and of evil practices, and he was a Calebite.

Revised Standard Version
Now the name of the man was Nabal, and the name of his wife Ab'igail. The woman was of good understanding and beautiful, but the man was churlish and ill-behaved; he was a Calebite.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
(now the man's name was Nabal, and his wife's name was Abigail. And the woman was intelligent and beautiful in appearance, but the man was harsh and evil in his dealings, and he was a Calebite),

Contextual Overview

² Now there was a certain man in the wilderness of Maon, and his possessions were in Carmel, and the man was very great: and he had three thousand sheep, and a thousand goats: and it happened that he was shearing his sheep in Carmel. ³ Now the name of the man was Nabal: and the name of his wife was Abigail. And she was a prudent and very comely woman: but her husband was churlish, and very bad and ill natured: and he was of the house of Caleb. ⁴ And when David heard in the wilderness, that Nabal was shearing his sheep, ⁵ He sent ten young men, and said to them: Go up to Carmel, and go to Nabal, and salute him in my name with peace. ⁶ And you shall say: Peace be to my brethren, and to thee, and peace to thy house, and peace to all that thou hast. ⁷ I have heard that thy shepherds that were with us in the desert were shearing: we never molested them, neither was there ought missing to them of the flock at any time, all the while they were with us in Carmel. ⁸ Ask thy servants, and they will tell thee. Now therefore let thy servants find favour in thy eyes: for we are come in a good day, whatsoever thy hand shall find give to thy servants, and to thy son David. ⁹ And when David’s servants came, they spoke to Nabal all these words in David’s name, and then held their peace. ¹⁰ But Nabal answering the servants of David, said: Who is David? and what is the son of Isai? servants are multiplied now days who flee from their masters. ¹¹ Shall I then take my bread, and my water, and the flesh of my cattle, which I have killed for my shearers, and give to men whom I know not whence they are?

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

good: Proverbs 14:1, Proverbs 31:26, Proverbs 31:30, Proverbs 31:31

was churlish: 1 Samuel 25:10, 1 Samuel 25:11, 1 Samuel 25:17, Psalms 10:3, Isaiah 32:5-7

and he was: Wehoo calibbee, literally, "and he was a Calebite;" but as the word cailev signifies a dog, the Septuagint has understood it as implying a man of canine disposition, and translated it, ךבי בםטסשנןע ךץםיךןע, "and he was a doggish man." It is understood in the same way by the Syriac and Arabic.

Reciprocal: 1 Samuel 27:3 - with his two 2 Samuel 3:3 - Abigail 2 Samuel 20:16 - General Esther 1:11 - fair to look on Proverbs 11:29 - that Proverbs 30:22 - a fool

Cross-References

2 Samuel 2:9
And made him king over Galaad, and over Gessuri, and over Jezrahel, and over Ephraim, and over Benjamin, and over all Israel.

1 Kings 10:1
And the queen of Saba having heard of the fame of Solomon in the name of the Lord, came to try him with hard questions.

Job 6:19
Consider the paths of Thema, the ways of Saba, and wait a little while.

Psalms 72:10
(71-10) The kings of Tharsis and the islands shall offer presents: the kings of the Arabians and of Saba shall bring gifts:

Jeremiah 25:23
And Dedan, and Thema, and Buz, and all that have their hair cut round.

Jeremiah 49:8
Flee and turn your backs, go down into the deep hole, ye inhabitants of Dedan: for I have brought the destruction of Esau upon him, the time of his visitation.

Ezekiel 25:13
Therefore thus saith the Lord God: I will stretch forth my hand upon Edom, and will take away out of it man and beast, and will make it desolate from the south: and they that are in Dedan shall fall by the sword.

Ezekiel 27:6
They have cut thy oars out of the oaks of Basan: and they have made thee benches of Indian ivory and cabins with things brought from the islands of Italy.

Ezekiel 27:20
The men of Dedan were thy merchants in tapestry for seats.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Now the name of the man [was] Nabal,.... Which signifies a "fool"; one would think his parents should not give him this name, though it is a name proper enough to men in common; and Kimchi thinks this was a nickname, which men gave him agreeably to his genius and conduct, and which is not improbable:

and the name of his wife Abigail; which signifies "my father's joy", he delighting in her for her wit and beauty, as follows:

and [she was] a woman of good understanding, and of a beautiful countenance; she was not only of a good understanding in things natural, civil, and domestic, but in things spiritual, as her speech to David shows, and which, with her external form, completed her character, and greatly recommended her; which is the character Aelianus u gives of Aspasia, wise and fair:

but the man [was] churlish and evil in his doings; morose and ill natured in the temper and disposition of his mind, and wicked in his conversation, and fraudulent and oppressive in his dealings with men:

and he [was] of the house of Caleb; or he was a Calebite w, a descendant of that great and good man Caleb the son of Jephunneh; which was an aggravation of his wickedness, that he should be the degenerate plant of such a noble vine: some interpret it, he was as his heart, as his heart was bad, so was he; some men, their outside is better than their inside; but this man was no hypocrite, he was as bad outwardly as he was inwardly: the word "Caleb" sometimes signifies a dog; hence the Septuagint version renders it, a doggish man, a cynic; and to the same purpose are the Syriac and Arabic versions; and so some Jewish writers interpret it; but the Targum, Jarchi, and Kimchi, supply it as we do, that he was of the house or family of Caleb, and so of the tribe of Judah, as David was.

u Var. Hist. l. 12. c. 1. w כלבו "keri" כלבי "Calibita", Pagninus, Montanus; "Calebita" Tigurine version, Junius & Tremcilius, Piscator.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 1 Samuel 25:3. The name of the man was Nabal — The word נבל nabal signifies to be foolish, base, or villanous; and hence the Latin word nebulo, knave, is supposed to be derived.

The name of his wife Abigail — The joy or exultation of my father. A woman of sense and beauty, married to the boor mentioned above, probably because he was rich. Many women have been thus sacrificed.

Of the house of Caleb — והוא כלבי vehu Chalibbi, "he was a Calebite." But as the word caleb signifies a dog, the Septuagint have understood it as implying a man of a canine disposition, and translate it thus, και ὁ ανθρωπος κυνικος, he was a doggish man. It is understood in the same way by the Syriac and Arabic.