And she said unto her servants, Go on before me; behold, I come after you. But she told not her husband Nabal.

And she said unto her young men, Go on before me; behold, I come after you. But she told not her husband Nabal.

And she said to her servants: Go before me: behold I will follow after you: but she told not her husband Nabal.

And she saith to her young men, 'Pass over before me; lo, after you I am coming;' and to her husband Nabal she hath not declared it;

And she said to her young men, Go on in front of me and I will come after you. But she said nothing to her husband Nabal.

And she said to her servants: "Go before me. Behold, I will follow after your back." But she did not reveal it to her husband, Nabal.

And she said unto her servants, Go on before me; behold, I come after you. But she told not her (g) husband Nabal.
(g) Because she knew his crooked nature, that he would rather die than agree to her enterprise.

And she said to her servants, go on before me,.... With the present, the sight of which she wisely considered would in a great measure pacify David, and prepare him to hear patiently what she had to say to him:
behold, I come after you; signifying it would not be long before she came up to them, and overtook them:
but she told not her husband Nabal; neither the danger he and his family were in through his conduct, nor the preparations she had made to prevent it; knowing his perverse and obstinate disposition, that it would take up too much time to reason with him, and persuade him, and bring him into proper measures; and which may be observed to excuse the conduct of Abigail in doing what she did, and taking and disposing of her husband's gods, without his knowledge and leave; the case required haste, and it was done to preserve him and his family from imminent ruin; and besides, he might not be in a fit condition to be spoken to, being drunk with passion, or with wine, or both, see 1-Samuel 25:36; and no doubt she was directed by the Spirit of God to do what she did; and this being an extraordinary case, is not to be drawn into an example.

she said unto her servants, Go on before me; behold, I come after you--People in the East always try to produce an effect by their presents, loading on several beasts what might be easily carried by one, and bringing them forward, article by article, in succession. Abigail not only sent her servants in this way, but resolved to go in person, following her present, as is commonly done, to watch the impression which her munificence would produce.