What Does 1 Samuel 25:21 Mean?

“Now David”

david, the youngest son of jesse

“had said”

to say (used with great latitude)

a particle of affirmation, surely; hence (by limitation) only

“Surely in vain”

an untruth; by implication, a sham (often adverbial)

“have I kept”

properly, to hedge about (as with thorns), i.e., guard; generally, to protect, attend to, etc

properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely)

properly, the whole; hence, all, any or every (in the singular only, but often in a plural sense)

who, which, what, that; also (as an adverb and a conjunction) when, where, how, because, in order that, etc

“all that this”

the masculine demonstrative pronoun, this or that

“fellow hath in the wilderness”

a pasture (i.e., open field, whither cattle are driven); by implication, a desert

not (the simple or abs. negation); by implication, no; often used with other particles

“was missed”

to visit (with friendly or hostile intent); by analogy, to oversee, muster, charge, care for, miss, deposit, etc

properly, the whole; hence, all, any or every (in the singular only, but often in a plural sense)

who, which, what, that; also (as an adverb and a conjunction) when, where, how, because, in order that, etc

“so that nothing”

properly, a speck or point, i.e., (by implication) something; with negative, nothing

“of all that pertained unto him and he hath requited”

to turn back (hence, away) transitively or intransitively, literally or figuratively (not necessarily with the idea of return to the starting point);

“me evil”

bad or (as noun) evil (natural or moral)

the bottom (as depressed); only adverbially, below (often with prepositional prefix underneath), in lieu of, etc

“for good”

good (as an adjective) in the widest sense; used likewise as a noun, both in the masculine and the feminine, the singular and the plural (good, a good