1 Samuel 25:10Nabal answered David's servants, and said, "Who is David? Who is the son of Jesse? There are many servants who break away from their masters these days.
The setting
Carmel, Israel (~1020 BC). Nabal, surrounded by his wealth and workers during profitable shearing time, looks down on the fugitive David with contempt.
The emotion here: arrogant contempt mixed with fear of losing wealth
The original word
mi (מִי) — who? Used dismissively, like saying 'David who?'
Why it matters
Nabal was a Calebite, descended from Caleb who conquered this very land 400 years earlier
Read with care
What most readers miss in 1 Samuel 25:10
Nabal calls David a 'runaway servant' — the ultimate insult to a future king
Common misconceptionPeople think Nabal was just rude, but he was actually terrified of giving away food during uncertain times and used insults to justify his selfishness.
The thread continues
Verses that echo 1 Samuel 25:10
Bible Genome reading
1 Samuel 25:10 — Bible Genome reading
Emotional genome
1 Samuel 25:10 comes from the book of 1 Samuel, written during the United Kingdom period. These words are attributed to Nabal. The dominant emotion in this verse is angry, with a comfort power of 10% and a tone that is commanding. It belongs to the dialogue genre of biblical literature. Key themes include pride, contempt. Notable phrases: Who is David?; son of Jesse.
Emotionally similar
Verses that meet the same angry
“Beat your plowshares into swords, and your pruning hooks into spears. Let the weak say, 'I am strong.'”
— Joel 3:10
“You blind guides, who strain out a gnat, and swallow a camel!”
— Matthew 23:24
“Listen to this word, you cows of Bashan, who are on the mountain of Samaria, who oppress the poor, who crush the needy, who tell their husba…”
— Amos 4:1
“I hate, I despise your feasts, and I can't stand your solemn assemblies.”
— Amos 5:21
“Your eyes shall not pity; life shall go for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.”
— Deuteronomy 19:21
Your reflection
What does 1 Samuel 25:10 mean to you, today?
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