1 Samuel 25:10

Good News Translation

and Nabal finally answered, "David? Who is he? I've never heard of him! The country is full of runaway slaves nowadays!

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
Nabal asked them, “Who is David? Who is Jesse’s son? Many slaves these days are running away from their masters.

Hebrew Names Version
Naval answered David's servants, and said, Who is David? and who is the son of Yishai? there are many servants now-a-days who break away every man from his master.

King James Version
And Nabal answered David's servants, and said, Who is David? and who is the son of Jesse? there be many servants now a days that break away every man from his master.

Lexham English Bible
But Nabal answered David's servants and said, "Who is David? And who is the son of Jesse? Today, there are many servants breaking away from the presence of their masters.

English Standard Version
And Nabal answered David's servants, "Who is David? Who is the son of Jesse? There are many servants these days who are breaking away from their masters.

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

New English Translation
But Nabal responded to David's servants, "Who is David, and who is this son of Jesse? This is a time when many servants are breaking away from their masters!

Amplified Bible
But Nabal answered David's servants and said, "Who is David? And who is the son of Jesse? There are many servants today, each of whom is breaking away from his master.

New American Standard Bible
But Nabal answered David's servants and said, "Who is David? And who is the son of Jesse? There are many servants today who are each breaking away from his master.

Geneva Bible (1587)
Then Nabal answered Dauids seruantes, & sayd, Who is Dauid? and who is the sonne of Ishai? there be many seruantes nowe a dayes, that breake away euery man from his master.

Legacy Standard Bible
But Nabal answered David's servants and said, "Who is David? And who is the son of Jesse? There are many servants today who are each breaking away from his master.

Contemporary English Version
This is what he said: Who does this David think he is? That son of Jesse is just one more slave on the run from his master, and there are too many of them these days.

Complete Jewish Bible
Naval answered David's servants, "Who is David? Who is the son of Yishai? There are many servants nowadays running away from their masters.

Darby Translation
And Nabal answered David's servants and said, Who is David? and who is the son of Jesse? there are many servants now-a-days that break away every man from his master.

Easy-to-Read Version
but Nabal said, "Who is David? Who is this son of Jesse? There are many slaves who have run away from their masters these days.

George Lamsa Translation
And Nabal answered Davids servants, and said, Who is David? And who is the son of Jesse? There are many servants today who have broken away every man from his master.

Literal Translation
And Nabal answered David's servants and said, Who is David, and who the son of Jesse? The servants have multiplied today who have broken away from his master.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
But Nabal answered Dauids seruauntes, & sayde: What is he yt Dauid? & who is the sonne of Isai? There are many seruauntes now yt runne awaye from their masters.

American Standard Version
And Nabal answered David's servants, and said, Who is David? and who is the son of Jesse? there are many servants now-a-days that break away every man from his master.

Bible in Basic English
And Nabal gave them his answer and said, Who is David? who is the son of Jesse? there are a number of servants in these days running away from their masters.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
And Nabal aunswered Dauids seruauntes, and said: Who is Dauid? and who is ye sonne of Isai? There is plentie of seruauntes now a dayes that breake away euery man from his maister.

JPS Old Testament (1917)
And Nabal answered David's servants, and said: 'Who is David? and who is the son of Jesse? there are many servants now-a-days that break away every man from his master;

King James Version (1611)
And Nabal answered Dauids seruants, and said, Who is Dauid? and who is the sonne of Iesse? There bee many seruants now a daies that breake away euery man from his master.

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And Nabal sprang up, and answered the servants of David, and said, Who is David? and who is the son of Jessae? Now-a-days there is abundance of servants who depart every one from his master.

English Revised Version
And Nabal answered David’s servants, and said, Who is David? and who is the son of Jesse? there be many servants now a days that break away every man from his master.

Berean Standard Bible
But Nabal asked them, "Who is David? Who is this son of Jesse? Many servants these days are breaking away from their masters.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Forsoth Nabal answeride to the children of Dauid, and seide, Who is Dauith? and who is the sone of Isai? To dai seruauntis encreesiden that fleen her lords.

Young's Literal Translation
And Nabal answereth the servants of David and saith, `Who [is] David, and who the son of Jesse? to-day have servants been multiplied who are breaking away each from his master;

Update Bible Version
And Nabal answered David's slaves, and said, Who is David? and who is the son of Jesse? there are many slaves now-a-days that break away every man from his master.

Webster's Bible Translation
And Nabal answered David's servants, and said, Who [is] David? and who [is] the son of Jesse? there are many servants in these days that break away every man from his master.

World English Bible
Nabal answered David's servants, and said, Who is David? and who is the son of Jesse? there are many servants now-a-days who break away every man from his master.

New King James Version
Then Nabal answered David's servants, and said, "Who is David, and who is the son of Jesse? There are many servants nowadays who break away each one from his master.

New Living Translation
"Who is this fellow David?" Nabal sneered to the young men. "Who does this son of Jesse think he is? There are lots of servants these days who run away from their masters.

New Life Bible
But Nabal answered David's servants, "Who is David? Who is the son of Jesse? There are many servants these days who are leaving their owners.

New Revised Standard
But Nabal answered David's servants, "Who is David? Who is the son of Jesse? There are many servants today who are breaking away from their masters.

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Then Nabal answered the servants of David, and said, Who is David? And who is the son of Jesse? Nowadays, many are the servants that have broken away, every one from the presence of his lord:

Douay-Rheims Bible
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.

Revised Standard Version
And Nabal answered David's servants, "Who is David? Who is the son of Jesse? There are many servants nowadays who are breaking away from their masters.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
But Nabal answered David's servants and said, "Who is David? And who is the son of Jesse? There are many servants today who are each breaking away from his master.

Contextual Overview

²There was a man of the clan of Caleb named Nabal, who was from the town of Maon, and who owned land near the town of Carmel. He was a very rich man, the owner of three thousand sheep and one thousand goats. His wife Abigail was beautiful and intelligent, but he was a mean, bad-tempered man. Nabal was shearing his sheep in Carmel, ⁴ and David, who was in the wilderness, heard about it, ⁵ so he sent ten young men with orders to go to Carmel, find Nabal, and give him his greetings. ⁶ He instructed them to say to Nabal: "David sends you greetings, my friend, with his best wishes for you, your family, and all that is yours. ⁷ He heard that you were shearing your sheep, and he wants you to know that your shepherds have been with us and we did not harm them. Nothing that belonged to them was stolen all the time they were at Carmel. ⁸ Just ask them, and they will tell you. We have come on a feast day, and David asks you to receive us kindly. Please give what you can to us your servants and to your dear friend David." ⁹ David's men delivered this message to Nabal in David's name. Then they waited there, ¹⁰ and Nabal finally answered, "David? Who is he? I've never heard of him! The country is full of runaway slaves nowadays! ¹¹ I'm not going to take my bread and water, and the animals I have butchered for my sheepshearers, and give them to people who come from I don't know where!"

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Who is David: 1 Samuel 20:30, 1 Samuel 22:7, 1 Samuel 22:8, Exodus 5:2, Judges 9:28, 2 Samuel 20:1, 1 Kings 12:16, Psalms 73:7, Psalms 73:8, Psalms 123:3, Psalms 123:4, Isaiah 32:5, Isaiah 32:7

there be: 1 Samuel 22:2, Ecclesiastes 7:10

Reciprocal: Judges 8:6 - General Judges 12:4 - fugitives 1 Samuel 20:10 - answer thee 1 Samuel 20:27 - the son 1 Samuel 25:3 - was churlish 1 Kings 12:13 - answered 2 Chronicles 10:13 - answered Psalms 35:11 - False witnesses Psalms 64:6 - search Psalms 119:22 - Remove Proverbs 13:16 - a fool Proverbs 15:1 - grievous Proverbs 18:23 - rich Proverbs 30:22 - a fool Ecclesiastes 10:13 - beginning Isaiah 32:6 - the vile James 4:12 - who

Cross-References

Genesis 23:16
Abraham agreed and weighed out the amount that Ephron had mentioned in the hearing of the people—four hundred pieces of silver, according to the standard weights used by the merchants.

Genesis 49:31
That is where they buried Abraham and his wife Sarah; that is where they buried Isaac and his wife Rebecca; and that is where I buried Leah.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And Nabal answered David's servants, and said,.... In a very haughty manner, in great wrath, just as churlish covetous persons do, when they do not care to give what is asked of them:

who [is] David? and who [is] the son of Jesse; his two questions, which relate to the same person, do not well agree together, since by both he would suggest as if he knew not the person they came from, and whose name they made use of: had he stopped at the first question, it might have gone so, but his second question betrays him, and plainly shows he did know him, though he speaks with contempt of him, calling him "the son of Jesse", as Saul often did, 1 Samuel 20:27. Abarbinel, of all interpreters, is of opinion only, that Nabal did not say this disrespectfully of David, and to his dishonour; he knew he was the Lord's anointed, and the king's son-in-law; but the sense, according to him, is, "who [is] David? and who [is] the son of Jesse?" are they not one man? but though he is the son of Jesse, and prides himself saying, I shall be king, I should not regard that, but would send him corn, and bread, and food, as much as is needful for his own use; but what can I do when there are so many servants? for they are six hundred of them, and they are too many to relieve:

there be many servants nowadays that break away every man from his master; which words also the same writer thinks have no reference to David, only to his men; but they seem plainly to strike at David himself, and suggest that he had revolted from and rebelled against Saul his master, as well as received and protected fugitives and renegades, such as fled from their masters and from their creditors; see 1 Samuel 22:2.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 1 Samuel 25:10. Who is David? — Nabal's answer shows the surliness of his disposition. It was unjust to refuse so reasonable a request; and the manner of the refusal was highly insulting. It is true what his own servants said of him, He is such a son of Belial that one cannot speak to him, 1 Samuel 25:17.