1 Samuel 28:5

28:5 When Saul saw the camp of the Philistines, he was absolutely terrified. ¹ 

1 Samuel 25:37

25:37 In the morning, when Nabal was sober, ²  his wife told him about these matters. He had a stroke and was paralyzed. ³ 

1 Samuel 4:13

4:13 When he arrived in Shiloh, Eli was sitting in his chair watching by the side of ⁴  the road, for he was very worried ⁵  about the ark of God. As the man entered the city to give his report, ⁶  the whole city cried out.

1 Samuel 25:25

25:25 My lord should not pay attention to this wicked man Nabal. He simply lives up to his name! His name means ‘fool,’ and he is indeed foolish! ⁷  But I, your servant, did not see the servants my lord sent. ⁸ 

1 Samuel 27:1

David Aligns Himself with the Philistines

27:1 David thought to himself, ⁹  “One of these days I’m going to be swept away by the hand of Saul! There is nothing better for me than to escape to the land of the Philistines. Then Saul will despair of searching for me through all the territory of Israel and I will escape from his hand.”

[28:5]  ¹ tn Heb “he was afraid, and his heart was very terrified.”

[25:37]  ² tn Heb “when the wine had gone out from Nabal.”

[25:37]  ³ 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.

[4:13]  ³ tc Read with many medieval Hebrew mss, the Qere, and much versional evidence יַד (yad, “hand”) rather than MT יַךְ (yakh).

[4:13]  ⁴ tn Heb “his heart was trembling.”

[4:13]  ⁵ tn Heb “and the man came to report in the city.”

[25:25]  ⁴ tn Heb “and foolishness is with him.”

[25:25]  ⁵ tn Heb “my lord’s servants, whom you sent.”

[27:1]  ⁵ tn Heb “said to his heart.”