And translates the conjunction and verb traditionally rendered “And it came to pass.”

When the wine had gone out of Nabal: many languages will have an idiom to express the meaning of these words. Compare the following in English: “when the wine had worn off” (Revised English Bible) and “when Nabal had become sober” (New American Bible). Or one may simply say “In the morning he was not drunk” (New Century Version). There may be a play on words in the Hebrew, since the consonants in the name Nabal are the same as those in the word “skin [of wine].” The wording may have conjured up images of wine dripping out of a wineskin. But such wordplay is notoriously difficult to capture in another language.

These things refers to the events that had taken place the day before with regard to David. This presumably included Abigail’s preparation of gifts for David and her encounter with him, followed by his gracious acceptance of the gifts and of her request. All this may be summed up as “everything that had happened” (Contemporary English Version), or possibly “all about her meeting with David.”

His heart died within him, and he became as a stone: this does not mean that Nabal died, for verse 38 says that he lived for ten more days. This was more like having a stroke or the sudden beginning of some other serious illness (Contemporary English Version “had a heart attack”) that eventually leads to death. Good News Translation expresses the sense clearly. Revised English Bible provides a dynamic translation that is rather different from that in Good News Translation, though the meaning is the same: “he had a seizure and lay there like a log.”

Quoted with permission from Omanson, Roger L. and Ellington, John E. A Handbook on the First and Second Books of Samuel, Volume 1. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2001. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .