וַיְהִ֣י בַבֹּ֗קֶר בְּצֵ֤את הַיַּ֙יִן֙ מִנָּבָ֔ל וַתַּגֶּד־ל֣וֹ אִשְׁתּ֔וֹ אֶת־הַדְּבָרִ֖ים הָאֵ֑לֶּה וַיָּ֤מָת לִבּוֹ֙ בְּקִרְבּ֔וֹ וְה֖וּא הָיָ֥ה לְאָֽבֶן׃
E avvenne che al mattino, quando il vino fu uscito da Nabal, sua moglie gli riferì queste cose; allora il cuore gli venne meno dentro il petto ed egli rimase come una pietra.
Guide for the Perplexed
Mavet signifies “death” and “severe illness,” as in “His heart died (va-yamot) within him, and he became as a stone” (1 Sam. 25:37), that is, his illness was severe. For this reason it is stated concerning the son of the woman of Zarephath, “And his sickness was so sore, that there was no breath left in him” (1 Kings 17:17). The simple expression va-yamoth would have given the idea that he was very ill, near death, like Nabal when he heard what had taken place.