---
title: 1 Samuel 25:39 (JPS 1917) — And when David heard that Nabal was dead, he said: 'Blessed be the L… · tree and pragmatics
description: And when David heard that Nabal was dead, he said: 'Blessed be the LORD, that hath pleaded the cause of my reproach from the hand of Nabal, and hath kept back His servant from evil; and the evil-doing of Nabal hath the LORD returned upon his own head.' And David sent and spoke concerning Abigail, to
---

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# 1 Samuel 25:39 · JPS 1917

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
And when David heard that Nabal was dead, he said: 'Blessed be the LORD, that hath pleaded the cause of my reproach from the hand of Nabal, and hath kept back His servant from evil; and the evil-doing of Nabal hath the LORD returned upon his own head.' And David sent and spoke concerning Abigail, to take her to him to wife.

<!-- .vintro -->
**Who acts:** David, Nabal, LORD, evil doing · **What happens:** hear, be, say, plead, keep back, return · **To what, where:** cause, hand, servant, evil, Abigail, lord · **Speech:** someone speaks here

<!-- .vabout -->
This is 1 Samuel 25:39 · JPS 1917 in the English of the Jewish Publication Society's 1917 translation, from Mova's open Bible corpus. The page gives the sentence's syntax tree — a dependency tree in the style of Universal Dependencies, parsed by Mova and checked by a teacher model — and its pragmatics clause by clause: who acts (David, Nabal, LORD, evil doing), what happens, when and where, as Mova's frames read it. The original of the verse links back to its own tree and to the Targum.

## The tree {#tree}

```conllu
# sent_id = jps:1SA:761
# text = And when David heard that Nabal was dead, he said: 'Blessed be the LORD, that hath pleaded the cause of my reproach from the hand of Nabal, and hath kept back His servant from evil; and the evil-doing of Nabal hath the LORD returned upon his own head.' And David sent and spoke concerning Abigail, to take her to him to wife.
1	And	and	CCONJ	CC	_	11	cc	_	_
2	when	when	SCONJ	WRB	_	4	mark	_	_
3	David	David	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	4	nsubj	_	_
4	heard	hear	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	11	advcl	_	_
5	that	that	SCONJ	IN	_	8	mark	_	_
6	Nabal	Nabal	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	8	nsubj	_	_
7	was	be	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	8	cop	_	_
8	dead	dead	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	4	ccomp	_	_
9	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	4	punct	_	_
10	he	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	11	nsubj	_	_
11	said	say	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
12	:	:	PUNCT	:	_	14	punct	_	_
13	'	'	PUNCT	``	_	14	punct	_	_
14	Blessed	bless	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	11	ccomp	_	_
15	be	be	AUX	VB	VerbForm=Inf	14	cop	_	_
16	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	17	det	_	_
17	LORD	LORD	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	14	nsubj	_	_
18	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	21	punct	_	_
19	that	that	PRON	WDT	PronType=Rel	21	nsubj	_	_
20	hath	have	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Style=Arch|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	21	aux	_	_
21	pleaded	plead	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part	17	acl:relcl	_	_
22	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	23	det	_	_
23	cause	cause	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	21	obj	_	_
24	of	of	ADP	IN	_	26	case	_	_
25	my	my	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Number=Sing|Person=1|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	26	nmod:poss	_	_
26	reproach	reproach	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	23	nmod	_	_
27	from	from	ADP	IN	_	29	case	_	_
28	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	29	det	_	_
29	hand	hand	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	21	obl	_	_
30	of	of	ADP	IN	_	31	case	_	_
31	Nabal	Nabal	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	29	nmod	_	_
32	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	35	punct	_	_
33	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	35	cc	_	_
34	hath	have	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Style=Arch|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	35	aux	_	_
35	kept	keep	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part	21	conj	_	_
36	back	back	ADV	RB	_	35	advmod	_	_
37	His	his	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	38	nmod:poss	_	_
38	servant	servant	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	35	obj	_	_
39	from	from	ADP	IN	_	40	case	_	_
40	evil	evil	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	35	obl	_	_
41	;	;	PUNCT	:	_	52	punct	_	_
42	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	52	cc	_	_
43	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	46	det	_	_
44	evil	evil	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	46	compound	_	_
45	-	-	PUNCT	HYPH	_	44	punct	_	_
46	doing	doing	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	52	nsubj	_	_
47	of	of	ADP	IN	_	48	case	_	_
48	Nabal	Nabal	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	46	nmod	_	_
49	hath	have	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Style=Arch|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	52	aux	_	_
50	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	51	det	_	_
51	LORD	LORD	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	52	nsubj	_	_
52	returned	return	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part	14	conj	_	_
53	upon	upon	ADP	IN	_	56	case	_	_
54	his	his	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	56	nmod:poss	_	_
55	own	own	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	56	amod	_	_
56	head	head	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	52	obl	_	_
57	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	11	punct	_	_
58	'	'	PUNCT	''	_	11	punct	_	_
59	And	and	CCONJ	CC	_	61	cc	_	_
60	David	David	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	61	nsubj	_	_
61	sent	send	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	11	conj	_	_
62	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	63	cc	_	_
63	spoke	speak	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	61	conj	_	_
64	concerning	concern	VERB	IN	VerbForm=Ger	65	case	_	_
65	Abigail	Abigail	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	63	obl	_	_
66	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	68	punct	_	_
67	to	to	PART	TO	_	68	mark	_	_
68	take	take	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	63	advcl	_	_
69	her	she	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Gender=Fem|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	68	obj	_	_
70	to	to	ADP	IN	_	71	case	_	_
71	him	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	68	obl	_	_
72	to	to	ADP	IN	_	73	case	_	_
73	wife	wife	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	68	obl	_	_
74	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	11	punct	_	_
```

## Pragmatics {#pragmatics}

<!-- sa -->
- form: statement
- act: narrate
- voice: narrator
- polarity: pos
- teacher: changed polarity=pos, act=narrate, voice=narrator

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **hear** | past | David |  |  |  |  |  | vn see-30.1-1-1 «NP V PP.stimulus»: agent=Experiencer |
| 2 | **is** | past | Nabal |  |  |  |  | dead *property* | tree rules |
| 3 | **say** *speech: assert* | past | David |  |  |  |  |  | vn say-37.7-1-1 «NP V that S»: agent=Agent |
| 4 | **is** | infinitive | the LORD |  |  |  |  | bless *property* | tree rules |
| 5 | **plead** *speech: request* | present · perfect | the LORD | the cause of my reproach |  | the hand of Nabal |  |  | tree rules |
| 6 | **keep back** | present · perfect | the LORD *not said here* | lord's servant |  | evil |  |  | vn forbid-64.4 «NP V NP PP.theme»: agent=Causer servant=Beneficiary from evil=Eventuality |
| 7 | **return** | present · perfect | the evil doing of Nabal |  |  |  |  | upon lord's own head | vn escape-51.1-1 «NP V»: agent=Theme |
| 8 | **send** | past | David |  |  |  |  |  | vn confine-92-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent |
| 9 | **speak** *speech: other* | past | David *not said here* |  |  |  |  | concern Abigail | vn talk-37.5 «NP V»: agent=Agent |
| 10 | **concern** |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | vn amuse-31.1 «NP V ADV-Middle»: agent=Experiencer |
| 11 | **take** | to-infinitive | David *not said here* | Abigail | lord |  |  | to wife | vn bring-11.3 «NP V NP PP.destination»: agent=Agent she=Theme to he=Destination |
| 12 | **cause** |  |  | my reproach |  |  |  |  | nom cause «event transitive»: of=patient |

<!-- .note -->
One row per clause the reader finds. «not said here»: a role filled from the clause above. «roles by»: a VerbNet class and frame when one fits the verb, else the reader's rules on the tree.

## The Hebrew of this verse {#hebrew}

<!-- .vhe dir=rtl lang=hbo -->
וַיִּשְׁמַ֣ע דָּוִד֮ כִּ֣י מֵ֣ת נָבָל֒ וַיֹּ֡אמֶר בָּר֣וּךְ יְהוָ֡ה אֲשֶׁ֣ר רָב֩ אֶת־רִ֨יב חֶרְפָּתִ֜י מִיַּ֣ד נָבָ֗ל וְאֶת־עַבְדּוֹ֙ חָשַׂ֣ךְ מֵֽרָעָ֔ה וְאֵת֙ רָעַ֣ת נָבָ֔ל הֵשִׁ֥יב יְהוָ֖ה בְּרֹאשׁ֑וֹ וַיִּשְׁלַ֤ח דָּוִד֙ וַיְדַבֵּ֣ר בַּאֲבִיגַ֔יִל לְקַחְתָּ֥הּ ל֖וֹ לְאִשָּֽׁה׃

[1 Samuel 25:39: the Hebrew tree, its pragmatics and Targum Jonathan →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/neviim/1SA.25.39/)

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**Source.** The Holy Scriptures according to the Masoretic Text, Jewish Publication Society, 1917, from eBible.org: public domain. Sentence `jps:1SA:761` of Mova's parse database.

**The tree and the speech act** come from Mova's cycle: the small model's draft, read by a large model as teacher, passed by Mova's gates (Elamur Cosmic License). **The frames** are read from the tree by Mova's frames reader (`prag`) when this page is built, the chapter read in order, so a pronoun may be resolved from an earlier sentence of the chapter.

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