The Meaning of 1 Samuel 25:21 Explained

1 Samuel 25:21

KJV: Now David had said, Surely in vain have I kept all that this fellow hath in the wilderness, so that nothing was missed of all that pertained unto him: and he hath requited me evil for good.

YLT: And David said, 'Only, in vain I have kept all that this one hath in the wilderness, and nothing hath been looked after of all that he hath, and he turneth back to me evil for good;

Darby: Now David had said, Surely, in vain have I kept all that this man had in the wilderness, so that nothing was missed of all that was his; and he has requited me evil for good.

ASV: Now David had said, Surely in vain have I kept all that this fellow hath in the wilderness, so that nothing was missed of all that pertained unto him: and he hath returned me evil for good.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Now David  had said,  Surely in vain  have I kept  all that this  [fellow] hath in the wilderness,  so that nothing  was missed  of all that [pertained] unto him: and he hath requited  me evil  for good. 

What does 1 Samuel 25:21 Mean?

Context Summary

1 Samuel 25:18-31 - A Wise Woman's Plea
What a contrast between the sordid Nabal and his beautiful wife-as lovely in disposition as in face! What a terrible trial for such a woman to be united with a man of whom his servant did not hesitate to speak to his wife in the words of 1 Samuel 25:17! With what admirable tact did Abigail treat the whole situation! She did not talk to her husband while he was drunk; she took the matter in hand without a moment's delay and marshaled her arguments with commendable sagacity.
It is a blessed partnership when husband and wife are so united that they are animated by a common purpose; but where this is not the case, let not the evil disposition of the one hinder the devotion and grace of the other. In the home-life, as in redemption, where sin abounds, grace should much more abound, that where the former reigns unto death, the latter may reign in life, Romans 5:21. Never let the difficulties of your home lead you to abdicate your throne. Do not step down to the level of your circumstances, but lift these to your own high calling in Jesus Christ. "Be not conformed,"¦ be transformed," Romans 12:1-2. [source]

Chapter Summary: 1 Samuel 25

1  Samuel dies
2  David in Paran sends to Nabal
10  Provoked by Nabal's rudeness, he minds to destroy him
14  Abigail understanding thereof
18  takes a present
23  and by her wisdom
32  pacifies David
36  Nabal hearing thereof, dies
39  David takes Abigail and Ahinoam to be his wives
44  Michal is given to Phalti

What do the individual words in 1 Samuel 25:21 mean?

Now David had said surely in vain I have protected - all that this [fellow has] in the wilderness so that nothing was missed of all that [belongs] to him nothing and he has repaid me evil for good
וְדָוִ֣ד אָמַ֗ר אַךְ֩ לַשֶּׁ֨קֶר שָׁמַ֜רְתִּי אֶֽת־ כָּל־ אֲשֶׁ֤ר לָזֶה֙ בַּמִּדְבָּ֔ר וְלֹא־ נִפְקַ֥ד מִכָּל־ אֲשֶׁר־ ל֖וֹ מְא֑וּמָה וַיָּֽשֶׁב־ לִ֥י רָעָ֖ה תַּ֥חַת טוֹבָֽה

וְדָוִ֣ד  Now  David 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: דָּוִד  
Sense: youngest son of Jesse and second king of Israel.
אָמַ֗ר  had  said 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
אַךְ֩  surely 
Parse: Adverb
Root: אַךְ  
Sense: indeed, surely (emphatic).
לַשֶּׁ֨קֶר  in  vain 
Parse: Preposition-l, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: שֶׁקֶר  
Sense: lie, deception, disappointment, falsehood.
שָׁמַ֜רְתִּי  I  have  protected 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, first person common singular
Root: שָׁמַר  
Sense: to keep, guard, observe, give heed.
אֶֽת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
אֲשֶׁ֤ר  that 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
לָזֶה֙  this  [fellow  has] 
Parse: Preposition-l, Pronoun, masculine singular
Root: זֶה  
Sense: this, this one, here, which, this … that, the one … the other, another, such.
בַּמִּדְבָּ֔ר  in  the  wilderness 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: מִדְבָּר 
Sense: wilderness.
וְלֹא־  so  that  nothing 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Adverb, Negative particle
Root: הֲלֹא 
Sense: not, no.
נִפְקַ֥ד  was  missed 
Parse: Verb, Nifal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: פָּקַד 
Sense: to attend to, muster, number, reckon, visit, punish, appoint, look after, care for.
מִכָּל־  of  all 
Parse: Preposition-m, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: כֹּל  
Sense: all, the whole.
אֲשֶׁר־  that 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
ל֖וֹ  [belongs]  to  him 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine singular
מְא֑וּמָה  nothing 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: מְאוּמָה  
Sense: anything.
וַיָּֽשֶׁב־  and  he  has  repaid 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: שׁוּב  
Sense: to return, turn back.
לִ֥י  me 
Parse: Preposition, first person common singular
רָעָ֖ה  evil 
Parse: Adjective, feminine singular
Root: רַע 
Sense: bad, evil.
טוֹבָֽה  good 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: טָבַב 
Sense: good, pleasant, agreeable.