1 Samuel 2:5

2:5 Those who are well-fed hire themselves out to earn food,

but the hungry no longer lack.

Even ¹  the barren woman gives birth to seven, ² 

but the one with many children withers away. ³ 

1 Samuel 25:35

25:35 Then David took from her hand what she had brought to him. He said to her, “Go back ⁴  to your home in peace. Be assured that I have listened to you ⁵  and responded favorably.” ⁶ 

1 Samuel 25:42

25:42 Then Abigail quickly went and mounted her donkey, with five of her female servants accompanying her. ⁷  She followed David’s messengers and became his wife.

1 Samuel 27:3

27:3 David settled with Achish in Gath, along with his men and their families. ⁸  David had with him his two wives, Ahinoam the Jezreelite and Abigail the Carmelite, Nabal’s widow.

[2:5]  ¹ tc Against BHS but with the MT, the preposition (עַד, ’ad) should be taken with what follows rather than with what precedes. For this sense of the preposition see Job 25:5.

[2:5]  ² sn The number seven is used here in an ideal sense. Elsewhere in the OT having seven children is evidence of fertility as a result of God’s blessing on the family. See, for example, Jer 15:9, Ruth 4:15.

[2:5]  ³ tn Or “languishes.”

[25:35]  ⁴ tn Heb “up.”

[25:35]  ⁵ tn Heb “your voice.”

[25:35]  ⁶ tn Heb “I have lifted up your face.”

[25:42]  ⁷ tn Heb “going at her feet.”

[27:3]  ⁸ tn Heb “a man and his house.”