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Tuesday, July 22nd, 2025
the Week of Proper 11 / Ordinary 16
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Good News Translation

1 Samuel 25:29

If anyone should attack you and try to kill you, the Lord your God will keep you safe, as someone guards a precious treasure. As for your enemies, however, he will throw them away, as someone hurls stones with a sling.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Decision;   Diplomacy;   Fig;   Intercession;   Nabal;   Obsequiousness;   Prudence;   Tact;   Wife;   Thompson Chain Reference - Slings;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Prudence;   Revenge;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Samuel;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Abigail;   Carmel;   Wife;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Disease;   Charles Buck Theological Dictionary - Prayer;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Armour;   Bag;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Abigail;   Arms;   Sling;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Bag;   Carmel;   Maid, Maiden;   Samuel, Books of;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Bag, Purse, Wallet;   Bundle;   David;   Gift, Giving;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - Book of Life;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Abigail ;   Carmel ;   Handmaid, Handmaiden;   Nabal ;   The Hawker's Poor Man's Concordance And Dictionary - Abigail;   Nabal;   Wilson's Dictionary of Bible Types - Bound;   Bundle;   Sling;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Armor;   Bag;   Bought (1);   Bundle;   Life;   Kitto Biblical Cyclopedia - Abigail;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Dumah;   Hazkarat Neshamot;   Immortality of the Soul;   Invocation;   Life;   Midrash Haggadah;   Paradise;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
“Someone is pursuing you and intends to take your life. My lord’s life is tucked safely in the place where the Lord your God protects the living, but he is flinging away your enemies’ lives like stones from a sling.
Hebrew Names Version
Though men be risen up to pursue you, and to seek your soul, yet the soul of my lord shall be bound in the bundle of life with the LORD your God; and the souls of your enemies, them shall he sling out, as from the hollow of a sling.
King James Version
Yet a man is risen to pursue thee, and to seek thy soul: but the soul of my lord shall be bound in the bundle of life with the Lord thy God; and the souls of thine enemies, them shall he sling out, as out of the middle of a sling.
Lexham English Bible
Should a man arise to pursue you and to seek your life, may the life of my lord be wrapped in the pouch of the living with Yahweh your God. But as for the life of your enemy, he will sling it from within the pocket of the sling!
English Standard Version
If men rise up to pursue you and to seek your life, the life of my lord shall be bound in the bundle of the living in the care of the Lord your God. And the lives of your enemies he shall sling out as from the hollow of a sling.
New Century Version
Someone might chase you to kill you, but the Lord your God will keep you alive. He will throw away your enemies' lives as he would throw a stone from a sling.
New English Translation
When someone sets out to chase you and to take your life, the life of my lord will be wrapped securely in the bag of the living by the Lord your God. But he will sling away the lives of your enemies from the sling's pocket!
Amplified Bible
"Should anyone rise up to pursue you and to seek your life, then the life of my lord will be bound in the [precious] bundle of the living with the LORD your God; but the lives of your enemies—those He will hurl out as from the center of a sling.
New American Standard Bible
"Should anyone rise up to pursue you and to seek your life, then the life of my lord shall be bound in the bundle of the living with the LORD your God; but the lives of your enemies He will sling out as from the hollow of a sling.
Geneva Bible (1587)
Yet a man hath risen vp to persecute thee, and to seeke thy soule, but the soule of my lorde shall be bounde in the bundel of life with the Lord thy God: & the soule of thine enemies shal God cast out, as out of the middle of a sling.
Legacy Standard Bible
And should anyone rise up to pursue you and to seek your life, then the life of my lord shall be bound in the bundle of the living with Yahweh your God; but the lives of your enemies He will sling out as from the hollow of a sling.
Contemporary English Version
The Lord your God will keep you safe when your enemies try to kill you. But he will snatch away their lives quicker than you can throw a rock from a sling.
Complete Jewish Bible
Even if someone comes along searching for you and seeking your life, your life will be bound in the bundle of life with Adonai your God. But the lives of your enemies he will fling away as if from the pouch of a slingshot.
Darby Translation
And if a man is risen up to pursue thee and to seek thy life, the soul of my lord shall be bound in the bundle of the living with Jehovah thy God; and the souls of thine enemies, them shall he sling out from the hollow of the sling.
Easy-to-Read Version
If someone chases you to kill you, the Lord your God will save your life. But he will throw away your enemies like a stone from a sling.
George Lamsa Translation
Yet a man is resolved to pursue you and to seek your life; but the life of my lord is bound in the bundle of life with the LORD your God; but the lives of your enemies the LORD shall throw out of a sling.
Literal Translation
And if a man rises up to pursue you and to seek your soul, the soul of my lord will be bound up in the bundle of life with Jehovah your God; and the souls of your enemies, He shall sling them from the hollow of the sling.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
And yf eny man ryse vp to persecute ye, and to laye wayte for thy soule, then shal the soule of my lorde be bounde in the bundell of ye lyuynge, euen with the LORDE thy God. But ye soule of thine enemies shalbe turned backe wt the slynge.
American Standard Version
And though men be risen up to pursue thee, and to seek thy soul, yet the soul of my lord shall be bound in the bundle of life with Jehovah thy God; and the souls of thine enemies, them shall he sling out, as from the hollow of a sling.
Bible in Basic English
And though a man has taken up arms against you, putting your life in danger, still the soul of my lord will be kept safe among the band of the living with the Lord your God; and the souls of those who are against you he will send violently away from him, like stones from a bag.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
And yet a man hath rysen to persecute thee, and to seeke thy soule: but the soule of my Lorde shall be bound in the bundel of the lyuyng with the Lord thy God, and the soules of thy enemies shall God cast out, euen as out of the middle of a slyng.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
And though man be risen up to pursue thee, and to seek thy soul, yet the soul of my lord shall be bound in the bundle of life with the LORD thy God; and the souls of thine enemies, them shall he sling out, as from the hollow of a sling.
King James Version (1611)
Yet a man is risen to pursue thee, and to seeke thy soule: but the soule of my lord shall be bound in the bundle of life with the Lord thy God, and the soules of thine enemies, them shall he sling out, as out of the middle of a sling.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And if a man shall rise up persecuting thee and seeking thy life, yet shall the life of my lord be bound up in the bundle of life with the Lord God, and thou shalt whirl the life of thine enemies as in the midst of a sling.
English Revised Version
And though man be risen up to pursue thee, and to seek thy soul, yet the soul of my lord shall be bound in the bundle of life with the LORD thy God; and the souls of thine enemies, them shall he sling out, as from the hollow of a sling.
Berean Standard Bible
And should someone pursue you and seek your life, then the life of my lord will be bound securely by the LORD your God in the bundle of the living. But He shall fling away the lives of your enemies like stones from a sling.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
For if a man risith ony tyme, and pursueth thee, and sekith thi lijf, the lijf of my lord schal be kept as in a bundel of lyuynge trees, at thi Lord God; forsothe the soule of thin enemyes schal be hurlid round aboute as in feersnesse, and sercle of a slynge.
Young's Literal Translation
And man riseth to pursue thee and to seek thy soul, and the soul of my lord hath been bound in the bundle of life with Jehovah thy God; as to the soul of thine enemies, He doth sling them out in the midst of the hollow of the sling.
Update Bible Version
And though man rises up to pursue you, and to seek your soul, yet the soul of my lord shall be bound in the bundle of life with Yahweh your God; and the souls of your enemies, he shall sling them out, as from the hollow of a sling.
Webster's Bible Translation
Yet a man hath risen to pursue thee, and to seek thy soul: but the soul of my lord shall be bound in the bundle of life with the LORD thy God; and the souls of thy enemies, them shall he sling out, [as from] the middle of a sling.
World English Bible
Though men be risen up to pursue you, and to seek your soul, yet the soul of my lord shall be bound in the bundle of life with Yahweh your God; and the souls of your enemies, them shall he sling out, as from the hollow of a sling.
New King James Version
Yet a man has risen to pursue you and seek your life, but the life of my lord shall be bound in the bundle of the living with the LORD your God; and the lives of your enemies He shall sling out, as from the pocket of a sling.
New Living Translation
"Even when you are chased by those who seek to kill you, your life is safe in the care of the Lord your God, secure in his treasure pouch! But the lives of your enemies will disappear like stones shot from a sling!
New Life Bible
If men rise up to come after you and try to kill you, then the life of my lord will be taken care of by the Lord your God. But He will throw away the lives of those who hate you, as a rock is thrown from a sling.
New Revised Standard
If anyone should rise up to pursue you and to seek your life, the life of my lord shall be bound in the bundle of the living under the care of the Lord your God; but the lives of your enemies he shall sling out as from the hollow of a sling.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
yea, though there hath arisen a sun of earth to pursue thee, and to seek thy life, yet shall the life of my lord be bound up in the bundle of the living, with Yahweh thy God, but, as for the life of thine enemies, he shall sling it out with the middle of the hollow of the sling.
Douay-Rheims Bible
For if a man at any time shall rise, and persecute thee, and seek thy life, the soul of my lord shall be kept, as in the bundle of the living, with the Lord thy God: but the souls of thy enemies shall be whirled, as with the violence and whirling of a sling.
Revised Standard Version
If men rise up to pursue you and to seek your life, the life of my lord shall be bound in the bundle of the living in the care of the LORD your God; and the lives of your enemies he shall sling out as from the hollow of a sling.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
"Should anyone rise up to pursue you and to seek your life, then the life of my lord shall be bound in the bundle of the living with the LORD your God; but the lives of your enemies He will sling out as from the hollow of a sling.

Contextual Overview

18 Abigail quickly gathered two hundred loaves of bread, two leather bags full of wine, five roasted sheep, two bushels of roasted grain, a hundred bunches of raisins, and two hundred cakes of dried figs, and loaded them on donkeys. 19 Then she said to the servants, "You go on ahead and I will follow you." But she said nothing to her husband. 20 She was riding her donkey around a bend on a hillside when suddenly she met David and his men coming toward her. 21 David had been thinking, "Why did I ever protect that fellow's property out here in the wilderness? Not a thing that belonged to him was stolen, and this is how he pays me back for the help I gave him! 22 May God strike me dead if I don't kill every last one of those men before morning!" 23 When Abigail saw David, she quickly dismounted and threw herself on the ground 24 at David's feet, and said to him, "Please, sir, listen to me! Let me take the blame. 25 Please, don't pay any attention to Nabal, that good-for-nothing! He is exactly what his name means—a fool! I wasn't there when your servants arrived, sir. 26 It is the Lord who has kept you from taking revenge and killing your enemies. And now I swear to you by the living Lord that your enemies and all who want to harm you will be punished like Nabal. 27 Please, sir, accept this present I have brought you, and give it to your men.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

bound: The metaphors in this verse are derived from the consideration, that things of value are collected together, and often tied up in bundles, like sheaves of corn, to prevent their being scattered and lost, and that whatever is put into a sling is not intended to be preserved, but to be thrown away. 1 Samuel 2:9, Genesis 15:1, Deuteronomy 33:29, Psalms 66:9, Psalms 116:15, Malachi 3:17, Matthew 10:29, Matthew 10:30

with the Lord: John 10:27-30, John 14:19, John 17:21, John 17:23, Colossians 3:3, Colossians 3:4, 1 Peter 1:5

sling out: Jeremiah 10:18

as out of the middle of a sling: Heb. in the midst of the bow of a sling

Reciprocal: Genesis 44:30 - his life Judges 20:16 - sling stones 1 Samuel 26:20 - let not my 2 Samuel 4:8 - sought 2 Samuel 22:1 - and out 1 Kings 1:36 - the Lord 1 Chronicles 12:18 - thy God Psalms 5:10 - let Psalms 7:4 - without Psalms 17:7 - savest Psalms 21:8 - General Psalms 26:9 - Gather not Psalms 63:9 - seek Psalms 118:13 - General Psalms 124:7 - Our soul Psalms 143:12 - of thy mercy Proverbs 24:12 - that keepeth Lamentations 3:52 - without Matthew 13:30 - and bind Luke 21:18 - General John 6:39 - I should Acts 17:28 - in him

Cross-References

Genesis 25:4
The sons of Midian were Ephah, Epher, Hanoch, Abida, and Eldaah. All these were Keturah's descendants.
Genesis 25:5
Abraham left everything he owned to Isaac;
Genesis 25:30
and said to Jacob, "I'm starving; give me some of that red stuff." (That is why he was named Edom.)
Genesis 25:31
Jacob answered, "I will give it to you if you give me your rights as the first-born son."
1 Samuel 14:28
But one of the men told him, "We are all weak from hunger, but your father threatened us and said, ‘A curse be on anyone who eats any food today.'"
1 Samuel 14:31
That day the Israelites defeated the Philistines, fighting all the way from Michmash to Aijalon. By this time the Israelites were very weak from hunger,
Proverbs 13:25
The righteous have enough to eat, but the wicked are always hungry.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Yet a man is risen to pursue thee, and to seek thy soul,.... His life, to take it away, meaning Saul, whom she chose not to name, because he was king:

but the soul of my lord shall be bound up in the bundle of life with the Lord thy God; should be dear unto the Lord, precious in his esteem, and be carefully preserved by him, among other his chosen ones, and should be safe with him, in his hands, and under his care and keeping; the Jews refer this to eternal life in the world to come, and the safety and security of his soul hereafter; so the Targum,

"the soul of my lord shall be treasured up in the treasury of eternal life, before the Lord thy God:''

hence they speak of the souls of the righteous being laid up under the throne of glory e, in proof of which they produce this text; and so Maimonides f understands it of what should be after death, see Revelation 6:9;

and the souls of thine enemies, them shall he sling out, [as out] of the middle of a sling; that is, remove them swiftly and suddenly, and with force, out of the world, as a stone is slung out of the middle of a sling; see Jeremiah 10:18.

e T. Bab. Sabbat, fol. 152. 2. f Moreh Nevochim, par. 1. c. 41.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

In the bundle - Rather, “the bag,” in which anything precious, or important to be preserved, was put, and the bag was then tied up (compare Genesis 42:35).

The souls ... shall he sling out - The comparison is especially appropriate as addressed to David, whose feat with his sling was so celebrated 1 Samuel 17:49.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 1 Samuel 25:29. Shall be bound in the bundle of life — Thy life shall be precious in the sight of the Lord: it shall be found in the bundle of life; it shall be supported by Him who is the Spring and Fountain of life, and ever be found united to those who are most favoured by the Almighty.

Them shall he sling out — Far from being bound and kept together in union with the Fountain of life, he will cast them off from himself as a stone is cast out from a sling. This betokens both force and violence.


 
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