1 Samuel 25:37-39

25:37 In the morning, when Nabal was sober, ¹  his wife told him about these matters. He had a stroke and was paralyzed. ²  25:38 After about ten days the Lord struck Nabal down and he died.

25:39 When David heard that Nabal had died, he said, “Praised be the Lord who has vindicated me and avenged the insult that I suffered from Nabal! ³  The Lord has kept his servant from doing evil, and he has repaid Nabal for his evil deeds.” ⁴  Then David sent word to Abigail and asked her to become his wife.

[25:37]  ¹ tn Heb “when the wine had gone out from Nabal.”

[25:37]  ² tn Heb “and his heart died within him and he became a stone.” Cf. TEV, NLT “stroke”; CEV “heart attack.” For an alternative interpretation than that presented above, see Marjorie O’Rourke Boyle, “The Law of the Heart: The Death of a Fool (1 Samuel 25),” JBL 120 (2001): 401-27, who argues that a medical diagnosis is not necessary here. Instead, the passage makes a connection between the heart and the law; Nabal dies for his lawlessness.

[25:39]  ³ tn Heb “who has argued the case of my insult from the hand of Nabal.”

[25:39]  ⁴ tn Heb “his servant he has held back from evil, and the evil of Nabal the Lord has turned back on his head.”