2025-01-19 1 Samuel 25
01-19-2025 1 Samuel 25:14-25:44
David was angry because Nabal had exploited him, so he called down God’s judgment on his enemies
It can be argued here that David was responding in undue anger. Tsumura says David had “lost control” of his feelings and needed “God’s gracious intervention” to keep him from violence (Tsumura, The First Book of Samuel, 585). Baldwin concurs, saying that although David spared Saul, in the case of Nabal he had “no second thought about incurring blood-guilt”
She admits that he is a scoundrel and that he deserves to die. To reinforce her point Abigail makes a play on her husband’s name, which sounds like the Hebrew word meaning “fool.” (The name itself likely derived from a word meaning “noble,” or perhaps his real name was suppressed and “Nabal” was used because of the character of the man.) In spite of his wealth, no one has anything good to say about him, least of all his wife.
Abigail met David in one of the Bible’s great male-female encounters. Before David opened his mouth, the smart and beautiful woman had dismounted her donkey and fell on her face at his feet. The first words she spoke were, On me alone, my lord, be the blame (v. 24). Then she wisely asked for permission to speak. Her words are some of the wisest words in Scripture. Her words in vv. 24–31 are the longest recorded speech by a woman in the OT (though see the song of Deborah and Barak in Jdg 5). She explained to David that her husband’s name summed up who he was. Nabal (“fool”) was his name, and folly was in him (v. 25).
When Abigail returns home she finds Nabal very drunk. At sheepshearing time drunkenness and partying were common, and Nabal has enjoyed it to the hilt.
The next morning Abigail tells him about her meeting with David, after which Nabal suffers a stroke or perhaps a heart attack. About ten days later he dies.
David interprets Nabal’s death as the Lord’s judgment for mistreating him and probably many other people as well (25:36–44). The realization that the Lord has upheld his cause against Nabal gives David the confidence that God will decide the dispute with Saul in his favor also.
The death of Nabal also releases Abigail from marriage and gives David the freedom to take her as his wife. From David’s standpoint, marriage to the widow of a prominent citizen of Judah will help him politically, and a new wife is compensation for the loss of Michal,
David not only acquired a good wife, but he also got possession of all of Nabal’s wealth and property, which was situated near Hebron where David later established his royal residence
He had already taken Ahinoam as his wife, since she is always named before Abigail (27:3; 30:5; 2 Sam. 2:2).
Michal, whom Saul has given to another man to weaken David’s claim to the throne. David never accepts Saul’s imposed divorce, however, and later takes Michal back as his wife (2 Sam. 3:13–16).