1 Samuel 25:10
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Nabal's dismissive questions, "Who is David? Who is the son of Jesse?" aren't just rhetorical; they deliberately minimize David's identity and reputation. He frames David's followers as mere runaway slaves, stripping away any sense of loyalty or divine purpose from their movement.
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.
English Standard Version (ESV)
David, a fugitive from King Saul, hears that Nabal, a wealthy but ill-tempered man, is shearing his sheep and decides to send some of his men to request provisions. Nabal, however, is utterly unimpressed and dismissive, scoffing at David's authority and accusing him of being a runaway servant. This insolent refusal, delivered with such contempt, directly provokes David's wrath and sets the stage for a violent confrontation that Abigail must intervene to prevent.
Ever felt completely overlooked or dismissed by someone important? Nabal’s insult to David cuts deep, revealing a dangerous attitude.
Nabal’s response isn't just a simple 'no.' It's dripping with contempt.
The Sound of Disrespect
He deliberately doesn't acknowledge David's reputation or leadership. By asking, 'Who is David?' and 'Who is the son of Jesse?', he's basically saying, 'You're nobody to me.' This is calculated disrespect aimed at undermining David’s very identity and standing.
The Danger of Dismissal
This kind of arrogance blinds people to God's purposes. Nabal is so caught up in his own wealth and status that he can’t see the rising king in front of him. His dismissive words are a direct challenge to the man God has chosen, setting the stage for serious trouble.
Why would Nabal mockingly bring up David's father? It reveals a deeper insult and a spiritual blindness.
Nabal’s insult, 'Who is the son of Jesse?', is a deliberate jab at David's lineage and perceived humble origins.
A Stain on His Name
In that culture, lineage mattered greatly. By referencing Jesse, an ordinary farmer, Nabal was attempting to remind everyone (and himself) that David wasn't from a prominent royal line like Saul. He was trying to paint David as an upstart, an outsider, not someone of noble birth worthy of respect or assistance.
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Ignoring God's Anointing
This line of attack shows Nabal's utter disregard for God's anointing on David. God had chosen David, the 'son of Jesse,' to be king. Nabal's focus is entirely on earthly status and perceived lack of pedigree, completely missing the divine appointment that made David significant.
Understand the original words
adon · Hebrew Noun
A person who possesses authority over others, typically in a social or labor-based hierarchy. It denotes one who has the right to command, provide for, or judge those under his care.
Nabal’s insolence highlights the precariousness of David's position as a fugitive leader, whose legitimacy is not yet recognized by all, even as he operates with a growing following and begins to exert influence.
c. 1030 BC
Saul Anoints David
Samuel the prophet secretly anoints the young shepherd David as the future king of Israel, unbeknownst to King Saul.
c. 1025 BC
David and Goliath
David, a young shepherd boy, famously defeats the Philistine giant Goliath, gaining significant popularity and recognition among the Israelites.
c. 1020 BC
David Flees Saul
King Saul, consumed by jealousy, attempts to kill David. David is forced to flee and lives as a fugitive, gathering a band of loyal followers.
c. 1015 BC
David in the Wilderness
David and his men live in various wilderness areas, often protecting local communities and sheepherders from raiders, including the Amalekites and Philistines.
c. 1012 BC— this verse
Nabal's Sheepshearing Festival
Nabal, a wealthy landowner in Maon, holds his annual festival celebrating the end of the sheepshearing season, a time of feasting and generosity.
c. 1012 BC
David's Men Are Repulsed
David, hearing of Nabal's feast, sends emissaries to request provisions. Nabal rudely dismisses David and his followers, questioning his legitimacy as a leader.
This Psalm echoes Nabal's foolishness, calling the one who says 'there is no God' a 'fool'. Nabal's arrogant dismissal of David, whom God had anointed, shows a similar lack of understanding and fear of the Lord.
Proverbs 1:7The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction. Nabal's response is a textbook example of foolishness, despising the authority and reputation of David, a man known to be favored by God.
Proverbs 26:4-5These verses advise answering a fool according to his folly, lest he be wise in his own eyes, and not answering a fool, lest he be like him. David's initial impulse to retaliate against Nabal shows the danger of responding in kind to such insolence.
Galatians 6:7Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. For whatever one sows, one will reap. Nabal's insult and refusal to offer provisions to David and his men was a sowing of disrespect and injustice, which ultimately led to his downfall.
Nabal's dismissive questions, "Who is David? Who is the son of Jesse?" aren't just rhetorical; they deliberately minimize David's identity and reputation. He frames David's followers as mere runaway slaves, stripping away any sense of loyalty or divine purpose from their movement.
David, a fugitive from King Saul, hears that Nabal, a wealthy but ill-tempered man, is shearing his sheep and decides to send some of his men to request provisions. Nabal, however, is utterly unimpressed and dismissive, scoffing at David's authority and accusing him of being a runaway servant. This insolent refusal, delivered with such contempt, directly provokes David's wrath and sets the stage for a violent confrontation that Abigail must intervene to prevent.
David, a fugitive from King Saul, hears that Nabal, a wealthy but ill-tempered man, is shearing his sheep and decides to send some of his men to request provisions. Nabal, however, is utterly unimpressed and dismissive, scoffing at David's authority and accusing him of being a runaway servant. This insolent refusal, delivered with such contempt, directly provokes David's wrath and sets the stage for a violent confrontation that Abigail must intervene to prevent.
"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." — Nabal's dismissive questions, "Who is David? Who is the son of Jesse?" aren't just rhetorical; they deliberately minimize David's identity and reputation. He frames David's followers as mere runaway…
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Last reviewed October 2026
