David, Nabal and Abigail

1 Samuel 25 CSB

1 Samuel died, and all Israel assembled to mourn for him, and they buried him by his home in Ramah. David then went down to the Wilderness of Paran.

The author places an aside here in the narrative of David - Samuel had died.

Samuel’s death meant the loss of a national resource and marked the end of an era in Israelite history.

All of Israel came together to mourn Samuel - again this may not literally be every person in Israel but at least representatives of each tribe. I would imagine that even if they didn’t make the journey to Ramah all of Israel spent time honoring the loss of Samuel (I think about JFK or Elvis and how the whole nation seemed after those losses).

Samuel was buried in Ramah where he lived.

It would seem even David and his men came to honor Samuel as the author says, “David then went down…” indicates that David was there at the funeral and then went into the Wilderness.

Why the Wilderness of Paran - David’s life is being presented as a parallel to the history of Israel - think about the nation that was oppressed under a tyrant ruler then escaped (a couple of times through God’s deliverance), led by God in his movements and ending up in the same Wilderness of Paran.

This is also the most isolated location within Judah (David’s homeland) so it was good for hiding from Saul.

1 Samuel 25 CSB

2 A man in Maon had a business in Carmel; he was a very rich man with three thousand sheep and one thousand goats and was shearing his sheep in Carmel. 3 The man’s name was Nabal, and his wife’s name, Abigail. The woman was intelligent and beautiful, but the man, a Calebite, was harsh and evil in his dealings. 4 While David was in the wilderness, he heard that Nabal was shearing sheep, 5 so David sent ten young men instructing them, “Go up to Carmel, and when you come to Nabal, greet him in my name. 6 Then say this: ‘Long life to you, and peace to you, peace to your family, and peace to all that is yours. 7 I hear that you are shearing. When your shepherds were with us, we did not harass them, and nothing of theirs was missing the whole time they were in Carmel. 8 Ask your young men, and they will tell you. So let my young men find favor with you, for we have come on a feast day. Please give whatever you have on hand to your servants and to your son David.’ ”

The narrative of Nabal, Abigail and David is another example of how God delivered David but this time from potential sin.

Carmel is a place previously mentioned in connection with a monument Saul built to himself.

Nabal is a very wealthy Calebite. Nabal means (intellectually and/or ethically) foolish. He was from an esteemed family in Judah that was apparently responsible for the of David’s hometown of Bethlehem. He was most likely a relative of Davids.

He was not an honorable man and verse 3 describes him as “harsh and evil in his dealings”

Nabal was married to Abigail which means my father is joy - she is described as intelligent and beautiful - talk about opposites.

Interesting note - the same root word for “intelligent” used here is the sone one used previously to describe David - this lays a foundation for future connections that will arise between these two.

Nabal was out shearing his sheep - this was done twice a year in the spring and early fall.

David heard about him being there so he sent some men and instructed them to do three things…

First they were to extend a blessing to Nabal and his household - wishing “long life” and “peace or good health” to him and his family. Spoiler alert - Nabal, ironically would be denied both because of how he treats the one who sent the blessing.

Second, they were to remind or possibly inform Nabal that David and his men protected his servants and flock. They didn’t mistreat them of take anything of theirs for protecting them.

Third, they were to request and unspecified but appropriate gift in return for that protection. David did not ask for too much only what he could give. He also calls himself “your son David” this is to emphasize the amicable relationship David believed to exist between them.

1 Samuel 25 CSB

9 David’s young men went and said all these things to Nabal on David’s behalf, and they waited. 10 Nabal asked them, “Who is David? Who is Jesse’s son? Many slaves these days are running away from their masters. 11 Am I supposed to take my bread, my water, and my meat that I butchered for my shearers and give them to these men? I don’t know where they are from.” 12 David’s young men retraced their steps. When they returned to him, they reported all these words. 13 He said to his men, “All of you, put on your swords!” So each man put on his sword, and David also put on his sword. About four hundred men followed David while two hundred stayed with the supplies.

David’s men took the message to Nabal and needless to say he responded in a manner consistent with being harsh and mean.

David is probably the most known person in Israel but Nabal responds, “Who is David? Who is Jesse’s son? He dismissed David outright.

Nabal even called David’s men a band of rogue slaves - he was implying that David and his men were individuals who had abandoned those charged with their care and as such he felt no obligation to share.

It is interesting to note that Nabal’s speech contains eight first-person references (I, my) - a clear indication the writer is emphasizing the wealthy man’s sinful self-centeredness.

The men returned to David empty handed and when they told David Nabal’s reply was instant and heated. Get your swords…

David took 2/3 of his men and he was going after Nabal to get revenge.

1 Samuel 25 CSB

14 One of Nabal’s young men informed Abigail, Nabal’s wife, “Look, David sent messengers from the wilderness to greet our master, but he screamed at them. 15 The men treated us very well. When we were in the field, we weren’t harassed and nothing of ours was missing the whole time we were living among them. 16 They were a wall around us, both day and night, the entire time we were with them herding the sheep. 17 Now consider carefully what you should do, because there is certain to be trouble for our master and his entire family. He is such a worthless fool nobody can talk to him!” 18 Abigail hurried, taking two hundred loaves of bread, two clay jars of wine, five butchered sheep, a bushel of roasted grain, one hundred clusters of raisins, and two hundred cakes of pressed figs, and loaded them on donkeys. 19 Then she said to her male servants, “Go ahead of me. I will be right behind you.” But she did not tell her husband, Nabal. 20 As she rode the donkey down a mountain pass hidden from view, she saw David and his men coming toward her and met them. 21 David had just said, “I guarded everything that belonged to this man in the wilderness for nothing. He was not missing anything, yet he paid me back evil for good. 22 May God punish me and do so severely if I let any of his males survive until morning.”

One of Nabal’s men went and told Abigail about how well David and his men treated them and how horrible Nabal treated David. No matter what your station in life you can always stand up and do the right thing.

I am guessing that Abigail has had to smooth things over for her husband before based on the fact that the servant went to her. Another good indication is that the servant calls his master a “worthless fool nobody can talk to” - this is usually something a servant wouldn’t get away with unless she shared the sentiment based on previous experience.

Abigail wasted no time getting the supplies together, though not enough to feed David and his men for any length of time it was a sizable token of appreciation.

She sent the servants ahead of her while she took a more hidden route to meet David.

Abigail’s initiative and independence were certainly rare for a married woman in the ancient near East. In this case it was downright scandalous, since it entailed a clandestine meeting with one of her husband’s enemies.

As Abigail rode her donkey she came into contact with David and his men heading toward Nabal.

David was venting to his men about the situation - this is actually the bitterest recorded declaration coming from David’s lips in 1st and 2nd Samuel.

David did 3 things - 1. He evaluated the efforts he put forth to protect Nabal’s property to be useless, 2. He analyzed his interaction with Nabal as being a matter of “good” being paid back with “evil” and 3. He vowed to kill every “male who belonged to Nabal.

David even made an oath bringing God into it… sounds a little like Saul. The good news is that the vow was not taken in the Lord’s name nor was it stated in such a way as to bring judgment on himself in case the vow was broken.

1 Samuel 25 CSB

23 When Abigail saw David, she quickly got off the donkey and knelt down with her face to the ground and paid homage to David. 24 She knelt at his feet and said, “The guilt is mine, my lord, but please let your servant speak to you directly. Listen to the words of your servant. 25 My lord should pay no attention to this worthless fool Nabal, for he lives up to his name: His name means ‘stupid,’ and stupidity is all he knows. I, your servant, didn’t see my lord’s young men whom you sent. 26 Now my lord, as surely as the Lord lives and as you yourself live—it is the Lord who kept you from participating in bloodshed and avenging yourself by your own hand—may your enemies and those who intend to harm my lord be like Nabal. 27 Let this gift your servant has brought to my lord be given to the young men who follow my lord. 28 Please forgive your servant’s offense, for the Lord is certain to make a lasting dynasty for my lord because he fights the Lord’s battles. Throughout your life, may evil not be found in you. 29 “Someone is pursuing you and intends to take your life. My lord’s life is tucked safely in the place where the Lord your God protects the living, but he is flinging away your enemies’ lives like stones from a sling. 30 When the Lord does for my lord all the good he promised you and appoints you ruler over Israel, 31 there will not be remorse or a troubled conscience for my lord because of needless bloodshed or my lord’s revenge. And when the Lord does good things for my lord, may you remember me your servant.”

Abigail’s encounter with David is one of the most remarkable female-initiated encounters between a man and a woman in the Bible.

She quickly got off the donkey and bowed down before David with her face to the ground - this self-abasing expression of deep respect was immediately followed by a nonverbal plea for mercy as she “knelt at his feet.” It was after these actions it was then that Abigail finally spoke.

This is the longest speech by a woman in the Old Testament (153 Hebrew words).

She did three remarkable things: 1. she successfully interceded on behalf of her husband, 2. show prophetically revealed David’s destiny as the founder of a dynasty and vanquisher of enemies, 3. she prevented David from bringing judgment down on himself through and egregious violation of the Torah.

Her words begin with a confession of “sin” - she accepted blame for David’s mistreatment by a member of he clan.

No one knows you like your wife… Abigail pulls no punches - she calls Nabal a “worthless fool”, and“stupid”.

Her response implies that since she knew these facts about her husband she should have been more watchful to protect her husband from himself.

Abigail states that “it is the Lord who kept you from participating in bloodshed and avenging yourself” - her words apply directly to the current situation but also serve to remind David of his treatment of Saul.

Nabal had violated the Torah and wronged David. Nevertheless, the Torah reserved for the Lord alone the right to avenge wrong in this case.

She presented David with the gift of supplies - first she admits wrong and then she offers restitution for the wrong done. Then she asks forgiveness.

Her plea is structured by foretelling David’s future as king and offering him the opportunity to rule without “remorse” or a “troubled conscience” for needlessly shedding blood in revenge.

One of the most unusual parts of her speech is where she asks David to “remember her” or literally “to act favorably on behalf of” The only favor David could have done for another man’s wife was to grant special privileges for her children.

One of the most noteworthy aspects of her speech is her repeated use of the term “my lord” - Her fourteen uses of the term are both ironic and prophetic since the word also means “my husband”.

1 Samuel 25 CSB

32 Then David said to Abigail, “Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, who sent you to meet me today! 33 May your discernment be blessed, and may you be blessed. Today you kept me from participating in bloodshed and avenging myself by my own hand. 34 Otherwise, as surely as the Lord God of Israel lives, who prevented me from harming you, if you had not come quickly to meet me, Nabal wouldn’t have had any males left by morning light.” 35 Then David accepted what she had brought him and said, “Go home in peace. See, I have heard what you said and have granted your request.” 36 Then Abigail went to Nabal, and there he was in his house, holding a feast fit for a king. Nabal’s heart was cheerful, and he was very drunk, so she didn’t say anything to him until morning light. 37 In the morning when Nabal sobered up, his wife told him about these events. His heart died and he became a stone. 38 About ten days later, the Lord struck Nabal dead.

David responds with a threefold beatitude with each element beginning with the word “blessed” - Blessed be the Lord… Blessed be your discernment… may you be blessed.

If Abigail had not been willing to violate the social expectations placed on her by assuming responsibility, giving away family goods and acting as prophet and theologian then not one male would have been left alive.

We again have another contrast between David and Saul - David spared the clan of those who offended him, but Saul wiped the clan out that offended him.

David blesses Abigail and send her home accepting the gift she brought.

While Abigail was out trying to save her household Nabal was at home having a party - the party would not necessarily be out of the ordinary because they traditionally had a banquet after the sheep shearing - I remember after working all day going to the house and the farmers wife had prepared a huge meal for all us who had been throwing hay or picking tobacco.

By adding that the feast was “fit for a king” the author deliberately ties Nabal to Saul. Both were socially powerful individuals who were members of wealthy families, both benefitted from David’s actions, yet both acted hostilely against David. The ties do not stop there - both had female family members who married David and acted to help him avoid a personal catastrophe, both had their lives spared by David and as we will see later, both died under God’s judgment.

Abigail have great news for Nabal but she could not share it because he was too drunk.

The next morning when he was sober Abigail told him about what she had done and the outcome.

“His heart dies and he became a stone” - literally, his heart/mind/intellect/emotions died inside him. In todays terms, he probably had a stroke that left him in a coma.

Verse 38 lets us know that it wasn’t coincidence or some random medical issue but “the Lord struck Nabal dead” after 10 days.

1 Samuel 25 CSB

39 When David heard that Nabal was dead, he said, “Blessed be the Lord who championed my cause against Nabal’s insults and restrained his servant from doing evil. The Lord brought Nabal’s evil deeds back on his own head.” Then David sent messengers to speak to Abigail about marrying him. 40 When David’s servants came to Abigail at Carmel, they said to her, “David sent us to bring you to him as a wife.” 41 She stood up, paid homage with her face to the ground, and said, “Here I am, your servant, a slave to wash the feet of my lord’s servants.” 42 Then Abigail got up quickly, and with her five female servants accompanying her, rode on the donkey following David’s messengers. And so she became his wife. 43 David also married Ahinoam (akh-ee-NO-am) of Jezreel, and the two of them became his wives. 44 But Saul gave his daughter Michal, David’s wife, to Palti son of Laish, who was from Gallim.

We can learn from David’s response to the news of Nabal’s death. David didn’t rejoice in the death of Nabal, instead he worshipped the Lord for His actions as judge and arbiter in human disputes and that the Lord saved him from doing something evil as well.

David was so impressed with Abigail’s actions that he sent men to her so she could become his wife.

In today’s context this would be a little quick. The reality is that as a female she had no rights after her husband died - the only child attributed to Abigail was also David’s.

It is unclear but David may be acting as a kinsmen redeemer in this situation - typically the oldest male relative would have done this but in the absence of such a person David may have stepped in.

Abigail humbly accepted the proposal - she and her 5 servants left with David’s messengers. This may be where the custom of the bride going out to meet the groom comes from (also the concept bridesmaids).

David was first married to Michal but Saul gave her to another indicating that Saul made her divorce or she asked for a divorce from David sometime after her made up threat on her life - We also see that David married Ahinoam at some point and now he is married to Abigail.