Session 4 Abigail: Intervening Faith
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Intro
Intro
Society today encourages us to “live and let live” and “mind our own business”., yet as Christians we cannot sit idly by while evil is at work ().
17 So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin.
Abigail is a testament to such action.
Look at ;
2 And there was a man in Maon whose business was in Carmel. The man was very rich; he had three thousand sheep and a thousand goats. He was shearing his sheep in Carmel. 3 Now the name of the man was Nabal, and the name of his wife Abigail. The woman was discerning and beautiful, but the man was harsh and badly behaved; he was a Calebite.
Abigail, whose name combines the Hebrew words for “father” (אָב, av) and “joy” (גיל, gyl)
In the Biblical period, Carmel was both politically and economically important. Its political importance derived from its strategic position as part of the defense system of the Judean wilderness, and its economic importance was based on its suitability to animal breeding.
The Connection of Carmel
The Connection of Carmel
Go back to
12 And Samuel rose early to meet Saul in the morning. And it was told Samuel, “Saul came to Carmel, and behold, he set up a monument for himself and turned and passed on and went down to Gilgal.”
In the aftermath of his battle against the Amalekites, Saul had raised a monument to himself at the town of Carmel. In so doing, he had laid claim to sovereignty over the area. This fact, perhaps along with some sense of indebtedness to Saul for expelling the Amalekites, may have contributed to Nabal’s utter disregard for David.
Meaning of Nabal’s name
Meaning of Nabal’s name
The name “Calebite” may indicate that Nabal is a descendant of Caleb, one of the faithful spies () whose inheritance was in the area of Hebron, where this story takes place.
The name “Calebite” may indicate that Nabal is a descendant of Caleb, one of the faithful spies () whose inheritance was in the area of Hebron, where this story takes place.
Quite possibly—in view of the genealogical information in , which links the settlement of Bethlehem with the descendants of Caleb (see especially , , )—Nabal the Calebite was a kinsman of David, making David’s request of him all the more reasonable.
The name Nabal means “foolish” or “boorish”.
Nabal’s wife Abigail is a different woman from David’s sister Abigail (), who married a different man, Ithra (Jether) the Ishmaelite (; ).
16 And their sisters were Zeruiah and Abigail. The sons of Zeruiah: Abishai, Joab, and Asahel, three. 17 Abigail bore Amasa, and the father of Amasa was Jether the Ishmaelite.
25 Now Absalom had set Amasa over the army instead of Joab. Amasa was the son of a man named Ithra the Ishmaelite, who had married Abigal the daughter of Nahash, sister of Zeruiah, Joab’s mother.
17 Abigail bore Amasa, and the father of Amasa was Jether the Ishmaelite.
Go to 1 Samuel 25:14-17
14 But one of the young men told Abigail, Nabal’s wife, “Behold, David sent messengers out of the wilderness to greet our master, and he railed at them. 15 Yet the men were very good to us, and we suffered no harm, and we did not miss anything when we were in the fields, as long as we went with them. 16 They were a wall to us both by night and by day, all the while we were with them keeping the sheep. 17 Now therefore know this and consider what you should do, for harm is determined against our master and against all his house, and he is such a worthless man that one cannot speak to him.”
What qualities do we look for in another if we go to them for advice or with a concern?
25:3 Means “fool.”
Most translations render the Hebrew phrase used here as “he was a Calebite,” but some translate “he was as his heart.” There is a difference between what is written in the Hebrew and how it has traditionally been read. “As his heart” is what is written, and “Calebite” is how it is traditionally read.
The name “Calebite” may indicate that Nabal is a descendant of Caleb, one of the faithful spies (Num 13–14) whose inheritance was in the area of Hebron, where this story takes place (Josh 14:13–14; 15:13). Also, since the Hebrew name Caleb (kalev) sounds similar to the Hebrew word for “dog” (kelev), this may be a play on words that indicates both Nabal’s ancestry and his churlish character—dogs were viewed negatively in ancient Israel.
Abigail was discerning (v.3), which indicates she would not make rash judgments. Same as us - we should listen and contemplate our actions.
25:3 Calebite. Since the time of the Israelite conquest and settlement of the Negev, Hebron was associated with the hero Caleb (Jos 14:13–15; Jdg 1:20). Quite possibly—in view of the genealogical information in 1Ch 2:18–55, which links the settlement of Bethlehem with the descendants of Caleb (see especially 1Ch 2:19, 50–51, 54)—Nabal the Calebite was a kinsman of David, making David’s request of him all the more reasonable.
25:3 The name Nabal means “foolish” or “boorish” (see v. 25). It appears to be his real name, but since it is unlikely that someone would be given a name with that meaning, its origin may have been another Hebrew word that is now unknown. Calebite may mean a descendant of Caleb, one of the scouts who was willing to enter Canaan (Num. 14:6–7) and who was given the land around Hebron (Josh. 14:6–14). Thus it would mean that Nabal was prominent both by wealth and by descent. Nabal’s wife Abigail is a different woman from David’s sister Abigail (1 Chron. 2:16–17), who married a different man, Ithra (Jether) the Ishmaelite (2 Sam. 17:25; 1 Chron. 2:17). David will later marry Nabal’s wife Abigail (1 Sam. 25:42).
25:14–17. One of the young men told Abigail how Nabal had scorned David’s men. He used a meaningful metaphor to communicate to her how David’s men protected them: they were a wall to us both by night and by day (v. 16). The young man called Nabal a worthless man (lit., “a son of Belial”; see the comments on 2:12).
How does verse 16 further illustrate God’s favor was no longer with Saul?
Those who remain sided with Saul such as Nabal are painted in a negative light
Night and day they were a wall around us. With these words, one of Nabal’s servants explicitly confirmed to Abigail that David’s claim to have safeguarded Nabal’s flocks was true. For this service, Nabal’s servants had as much reason to be grateful to David as Nabal himself.
Let’s move to
23 When Abigail saw David, she hurried and got down from the donkey and fell before David on her face and bowed to the ground. 24 She fell at his feet and said, “On me alone, my lord, be the guilt. Please let your servant speak in your ears, and hear the words of your servant. 25 Let not my lord regard this worthless fellow, Nabal, for as his name is, so is he. Nabal is his name, and folly is with him. But I your servant did not see the young men of my lord, whom you sent. 26 Now then, my lord, as the Lord lives, and as your soul lives, because the Lord has restrained you from bloodguilt and from saving with your own hand, now then let your enemies and those who seek to do evil to my lord be as Nabal. 27 And now let this present that your servant has brought to my lord be given to the young men who follow my lord. 28 Please forgive the trespass of your servant. For the Lord will certainly make my lord a sure house, because my lord is fighting the battles of the Lord, and evil shall not be found in you so long as you live.
How did she approach David?
In complete humility.
In complete humility.
She wisely asked for permission to speak. Her words are some of the wisest words in Scripture. 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).
She calms him.
She calms him.
Abigail first calms David’s anger. She says, On me alone … be the guilt, i.e., “If you kill anybody, kill me,” but then explains why he should not kill her: he can hardly kill a woman traveling alone who humbly presents him with provisions!
25:3 Means “fool.”
Most translations render the Hebrew phrase used here as “he was a Calebite,” but some translate “he was as his heart.” There is a difference between what is written in the Hebrew and how it has traditionally been read. “As his heart” is what is written, and “Calebite” is how it is traditionally read.
The name “Calebite” may indicate that Nabal is a descendant of Caleb, one of the faithful spies () whose inheritance was in the area of Hebron, where this story takes place (; ). Also, since the Hebrew name Caleb (kalev) sounds similar to the Hebrew word for “dog” (kelev), this may be a play on words that indicates both Nabal’s ancestry and his churlish character—dogs were viewed negatively in ancient Israel.
She prevented David from shedding blood, not from physical harm, but from a bruised ego.
25:3 Calebite. Since the time of the Israelite conquest and settlement of the Negev, Hebron was associated with the hero Caleb (; ). Quite possibly—in view of the genealogical information in , which links the settlement of Bethlehem with the descendants of Caleb (see especially , , )—Nabal the Calebite was a kinsman of David, making David’s request of him all the more reasonable.
25:3 The name Nabal means “foolish” or “boorish” (see v. 25). It appears to be his real name, but since it is unlikely that someone would be given a name with that meaning, its origin may have been another Hebrew word that is now unknown. Calebite may mean a descendant of Caleb, one of the scouts who was willing to enter Canaan () and who was given the land around Hebron (). Thus it would mean that Nabal was prominent both by wealth and by descent. Nabal’s wife Abigail is a different woman from David’s sister Abigail (), who married a different man, Ithra (Jether) the Ishmaelite (; ). David will later marry Nabal’s wife Abigail ().
Abigail first calms David’s anger. She says, On me alone … be the guilt, i.e., “If you kill anybody, kill me,” but then explains why he should not kill her: he can hardly kill a woman traveling alone who humbly presents him with provisions!
Abigail first calms David’s anger. She says, On me alone … be the guilt, i.e., “If you kill anybody, kill me,” but then explains why he should not kill her: he can hardly kill a woman traveling alone who humbly presents him with provisions!
She reasons with him.
She reasons with him.
assuming that he has already agreed with her (the Lord has restrained you; v. 26).
Assuming that he has already agreed with her (the Lord has restrained you; v. 26).
Abigail reminded David of the Lord’s providential work in his life, noting that the Lord had restrained him from shedding blood. She was probably referring to David’s having spared Saul’s life in the cave.
In complete humility. She wisely asked for permission to speak. Her words are some of the wisest words in Scripture. 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).
She reminded him that vengeance is the Lord’s (v. 26), a lesson David learned in chap. 24, one that would be reinforced in chap. 26, and one that he was in the process of learning under different circumstances in this chapter.
25:26–31. Abigail reminded David of the Lord’s providential work in his life, noting that the Lord had restrained him from shedding blood. She was probably referring to David’s having spared Saul’s life in the cave. She reminded him that vengeance is the Lord’s (v. 26), a lesson David learned in chap. 24, one that would be reinforced in chap. 26, and one that he was in the process of learning under different circumstances in this chapter. Not to take vengeance on the king is one thing, but it is altogether another test of godly resolve not to take vengeance on a fool who has held one in contempt.
Not to take vengeance on the king is one thing, but it is altogether another test of godly resolve not to take vengeance on a fool who has held one in contempt.
She asks forgiveness.
She asks forgiveness.
Abigail asked that the gift (lit., “blessing”), she brought be given to the young men who accompany my lord (v. 27; lit., “who walk at the feet of my lord”). She then asked David for forgiveness of her transgression even though her husband was in the wrong.
25:3 Means “fool.”
Most translations render the Hebrew phrase used here as “he was a Calebite,” but some translate “he was as his heart.” There is a difference between what is written in the Hebrew and how it has traditionally been read. “As his heart” is what is written, and “Calebite” is how it is traditionally read.
The name “Calebite” may indicate that Nabal is a descendant of Caleb, one of the faithful spies () whose inheritance was in the area of Hebron, where this story takes place (; ). Also, since the Hebrew name Caleb (kalev) sounds similar to the Hebrew word for “dog” (kelev), this may be a play on words that indicates both Nabal’s ancestry and his churlish character—dogs were viewed negatively in ancient Israel.
25:3 Calebite. Since the time of the Israelite conquest and settlement of the Negev, Hebron was associated with the hero Caleb (; ). Quite possibly—in view of the genealogical information in , which links the settlement of Bethlehem with the descendants of Caleb (see especially , , )—Nabal the Calebite was a kinsman of David, making David’s request of him all the more reasonable.
25:3 The name Nabal means “foolish” or “boorish” (see v. 25). It appears to be his real name, but since it is unlikely that someone would be given a name with that meaning, its origin may have been another Hebrew word that is now unknown. Calebite may mean a descendant of Caleb, one of the scouts who was willing to enter Canaan () and who was given the land around Hebron (). Thus it would mean that Nabal was prominent both by wealth and by descent. Nabal’s wife Abigail is a different woman from David’s sister Abigail (), who married a different man, Ithra (Jether) the Ishmaelite (; ). David will later marry Nabal’s wife Abigail ().
25:2 Carmel. Not to be confused with Mount Carmel, a mountain range along the coast to the northwest of Samaria, the town of Carmel with which Nabal was identified lay just about a mile (1.5 kilometers) north of Maon and some eight miles (almost 13 kilometers) southeast of Hebron. In the Biblical period, Carmel was both politically and economically important. Its political importance derived from its strategic position as part of the defense system of the Judean wilderness, and its economic importance was based on its suitability to animal breeding. In the aftermath of his battle against the Amalekites, Saul had raised a monument to himself at the town of Carmel (see note on 15:12). In so doing, he had laid claim to sovereignty over the area. This fact, perhaps along with some sense of indebtedness to Saul for expelling the Amalekites, may have contributed to Nabal’s utter disregard for David (vv. 10–11).
25:3 Means “fool.”
Most translations render the Hebrew phrase used here as “he was a Calebite,” but some translate “he was as his heart.” There is a difference between what is written in the Hebrew and how it has traditionally been read. “As his heart” is what is written, and “Calebite” is how it is traditionally read.
The name “Calebite” may indicate that Nabal is a descendant of Caleb, one of the faithful spies () whose inheritance was in the area of Hebron, where this story takes place (; ). Also, since the Hebrew name Caleb (kalev) sounds similar to the Hebrew word for “dog” (kelev), this may be a play on words that indicates both Nabal’s ancestry and his churlish character—dogs were viewed negatively in ancient Israel.
25:3 Calebite. Since the time of the Israelite conquest and settlement of the Negev, Hebron was associated with the hero Caleb (; ). Quite possibly—in view of the genealogical information in , which links the settlement of Bethlehem with the descendants of Caleb (see especially , , )—Nabal the Calebite was a kinsman of David, making David’s request of him all the more reasonable.
25:3 The name Nabal means “foolish” or “boorish” (see v. 25). It appears to be his real name, but since it is unlikely that someone would be given a name with that meaning, its origin may have been another Hebrew word that is now unknown. Calebite may mean a descendant of Caleb, one of the scouts who was willing to enter Canaan () and who was given the land around Hebron (). Thus it would mean that Nabal was prominent both by wealth and by descent. Nabal’s wife Abigail is a different woman from David’s sister Abigail (), who married a different man, Ithra (Jether) the Ishmaelite (; ). David will later marry Nabal’s wife Abigail ().
Finish with
1 Now Samuel died. And all Israel assembled and mourned for him, and they buried him in his house at Ramah.
Then David rose and went down to the wilderness of Paran. 2 And there was a man in Maon whose business was in Carmel. The man was very rich; he had three thousand sheep and a thousand goats. He was shearing his sheep in Carmel. 3 Now the name of the man was Nabal, and the name of his wife Abigail. The woman was discerning and beautiful, but the man was harsh and badly behaved; he was a Calebite. 4 David heard in the wilderness that Nabal was shearing his sheep. 5 So David sent ten young men. And David said to the young men, “Go up to Carmel, and go to Nabal and greet him in my name. 6 And thus you shall greet him: ‘Peace be to you, and peace be to your house, and peace be to all that you have. 7 I hear that you have shearers. Now your shepherds have been with us, and we did them no harm, and they missed nothing all the time they were in Carmel. 8 Ask your young men, and they will tell you. Therefore let my young men find favor in your eyes, for we come on a feast day. Please give whatever you have at hand to your servants and to your son David.’ ”
9 When David’s young men came, they said all this to Nabal in the name of David, and then they waited. 10 And Nabal answered David’s servants, “Who is David? Who is the son of Jesse? There are many servants these days who are breaking away from their masters. 11 Shall I take my bread and my water and my meat that I have killed for my shearers and give it to men who come from I do not know where?” 12 So David’s young men turned away and came back and told him all this. 13 And David said to his men, “Every man strap on his sword!” And every man of them strapped on his sword. David also strapped on his sword. And about four hundred men went up after David, while two hundred remained with the baggage.
14 But one of the young men told Abigail, Nabal’s wife, “Behold, David sent messengers out of the wilderness to greet our master, and he railed at them. 15 Yet the men were very good to us, and we suffered no harm, and we did not miss anything when we were in the fields, as long as we went with them. 16 They were a wall to us both by night and by day, all the while we were with them keeping the sheep. 17 Now therefore know this and consider what you should do, for harm is determined against our master and against all his house, and he is such a worthless man that one cannot speak to him.”
18 Then Abigail made haste and took two hundred loaves and two skins of wine and five sheep already prepared and five seahs of parched grain and a hundred clusters of raisins and two hundred cakes of figs, and laid them on donkeys. 19 And she said to her young men, “Go on before me; behold, I come after you.” But she did not tell her husband Nabal. 20 And as she rode on the donkey and came down under cover of the mountain, behold, David and his men came down toward her, and she met them. 21 Now David had said, “Surely in vain have I guarded all that this fellow has in the wilderness, so that nothing was missed of all that belonged to him, and he has returned me evil for good. 22 God do so to the enemies of David and more also, if by morning I leave so much as one male of all who belong to him.”
23 When Abigail saw David, she hurried and got down from the donkey and fell before David on her face and bowed to the ground. 24 She fell at his feet and said, “On me alone, my lord, be the guilt. Please let your servant speak in your ears, and hear the words of your servant. 25 Let not my lord regard this worthless fellow, Nabal, for as his name is, so is he. Nabal is his name, and folly is with him. But I your servant did not see the young men of my lord, whom you sent. 26 Now then, my lord, as the Lord lives, and as your soul lives, because the Lord has restrained you from bloodguilt and from saving with your own hand, now then let your enemies and those who seek to do evil to my lord be as Nabal. 27 And now let this present that your servant has brought to my lord be given to the young men who follow my lord. 28 Please forgive the trespass of your servant. For the Lord will certainly make my lord a sure house, because my lord is fighting the battles of the Lord, and evil shall not be found in you so long as you live. 29 If men rise up to pursue you and to seek your life, the life of my lord shall be bound in the bundle of the living in the care of the Lord your God. And the lives of your enemies he shall sling out as from the hollow of a sling. 30 And when the Lord has done to my lord according to all the good that he has spoken concerning you and has appointed you prince over Israel, 31 my lord shall have no cause of grief or pangs of conscience for having shed blood without cause or for my lord working salvation himself. And when the Lord has dealt well with my lord, then remember your servant.”
32 And David said to Abigail, “Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, who sent you this day to meet me! 33 Blessed be your discretion, and blessed be you, who have kept me this day from bloodguilt and from working salvation with my own hand! 34 For as surely as the Lord, the God of Israel, lives, who has restrained me from hurting you, unless you had hurried and come to meet me, truly by morning there had not been left to Nabal so much as one male.” 35 Then David received from her hand what she had brought him. And he said to her, “Go up in peace to your house. See, I have obeyed your voice, and I have granted your petition.”
36 And Abigail came to Nabal, and behold, he was holding a feast in his house, like the feast of a king. And Nabal’s heart was merry within him, for he was very drunk. So she told him nothing at all until the morning light. 37 In the morning, when the wine had gone out of Nabal, his wife told him these things, and his heart died within him, and he became as a stone. 38 And about ten days later the Lord struck Nabal, and he died.
39 When David heard that Nabal was dead, he said, “Blessed be the Lord who has avenged the insult I received at the hand of Nabal, and has kept back his servant from wrongdoing. The Lord has returned the evil of Nabal on his own head.” Then David sent and spoke to Abigail, to take her as his wife. 40 When the servants of David came to Abigail at Carmel, they said to her, “David has sent us to you to take you to him as his wife.” 41 And she rose and bowed with her face to the ground and said, “Behold, your handmaid is a servant to wash the feet of the servants of my lord.” 42 And Abigail hurried and rose and mounted a donkey, and her five young women attended her. She followed the messengers of David and became his wife.
43 David also took Ahinoam of Jezreel, and both of them became his wives. 44 Saul had given Michal his daughter, David’s wife, to Palti the son of Laish, who was of Gallim.
32 And David said to Abigail, “Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, who sent you this day to meet me! 33 Blessed be your discretion, and blessed be you, who have kept me this day from bloodguilt and from working salvation with my own hand! 34 For as surely as the Lord, the God of Israel, lives, who has restrained me from hurting you, unless you had hurried and come to meet me, truly by morning there had not been left to Nabal so much as one male.” 35 Then David received from her hand what she had brought him. And he said to her, “Go up in peace to your house. See, I have obeyed your voice, and I have granted your petition.”
What does David do here that we can all hope to recognize in our own lives?
David recognized that the Lord providentially sent Abigail to keep him from avenging himself. Of credit to David is that he listened to Abigail and granted her request. Her intervention demonstrated that she was a wise woman.
David, having calmed down, agrees with Abigail completely and thanks the Lord and her. In his restraint about shedding the blood of fellow Israelites, David shows himself more qualified than Saul to be king. Giving up vengeance
Compare David’s vow in to the vow of Jephthah in and that of Herod in . What did David do differently?
22 God do so to the enemies of David and more also, if by morning I leave so much as one male of all who belong to him.”
30 And Jephthah made a vow to the Lord and said, “If you will give the Ammonites into my hand, 31 then whatever comes out from the doors of my house to meet me when I return in peace from the Ammonites shall be the Lord’s, and I will offer it up for a burnt offering.”
7 so that he promised with an oath to give her whatever she might ask. 8 Prompted by her mother, she said, “Give me the head of John the Baptist here on a platter.” 9 And the king was sorry, but because of his oaths and his guests he commanded it to be given.
He broke the vow. If one vows to sin, however, it is better in the eyes of the Lord to break the vow than to commit the sin vowed.
25:35 Go up in peace to your house. This is more than just a conventional greeting. David is telling Abigail that her household is safe.
What can we learn from this lesson?
A humble attitude is more effective in resolving conflict than a haughty spirit
A righteous and wise person will listen to counsel of another to discern if the Lord is speaking through him or her.
Epilogue
Epilogue
Etymology
, figures prominently in 1 Sam 25. First Samuel 25:3 describes her as a “discerning and beautiful” (ESV) woman, in contrast to her husband, Nabal, who was “harsh and badly behaved” (ESV). Nabal’s name reflects his character, as it derives from the word meaning “fool” or “boor.”
The Lord strikes Nabal 10 days later, and he dies (1 Sam 25:38). Upon learning of Nabal’s death, David proposes marriage to Abigail, who immediately accepts. As wife of David, Abigail becomes part of an ever-changing harem. First Samuel 25:43 notes that in addition to Abigail, “David also took Ahinoam of Jezreel, and both of them became his wife” (ESV). The only other mention of Abigail in the biblical text is 2 Sam 3:3, which records that she bore Chileab.
In 1 Samuel 25, the wealthy Nabal refuses David’s request for food and insults both David and his entourage. In response, David orders his men to arm themselves. Abigail intervenes and succeeds in stopping David from killing Nabal in retaliation. Her conciliatory words manage both to placate David and separate herself from Nabal’s rash deeds. David praises Abigail for her intervention, declaring, “Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, who sent you this day to meet me! Blessed be your discretion, and blessed be you, who have kept me this day from bloodguilt and from working salvation with my own hand!” (1 Sam 25:32–33 ESV).
Nonetheless, the Lord strikes Nabal 10 days later, and he dies (1 Sam 25:38). Upon learning of Nabal’s death, David proposes marriage to Abigail, who immediately accepts. As wife of David, Abigail becomes part of an ever-changing harem. First Samuel 25:43 notes that in addition to Abigail, “David also took Ahinoam of Jezreel, and both of them became his wife” (ESV). The only other mention of Abigail in the biblical text is 2 Sam 3:3, which records that she bore a son to David (see also 1 Chr 3:1).