1st SAMUEL
CHAPTER 25
The Story of Nabal and Abigail
The Story of Nabal and Abigail
Contents
Samuel Dies
Chapter 25 begins with the death of Samuel
1 Then Samuel died; and all
Israel gathered together and mourned for him, and buried him at his house in
Ramah. And David arose and went down to the wilderness of Paran.
“buried him at his house”
Other translations say “in his house” kjv, which tend to be
confusing. The ESV gives us a clearer
translation.
The house referred to here was a sepulcher –a stone
structure resembling a house. This
burial chamber would have been located close to the dwelling house perhaps in a
garden.
Where is the wilderness of Paran?
Introduction of Nabal and Abigail
2 Now there was a man in Maon
whose business was in Carmel; and the man was very rich, and he had three
thousand sheep and a thousand goats. And it came about while he was shearing
his sheep in Carmel 3 (now the man’s name was Nabal, and his wife’s name was
Abigail. And the woman was intelligent and beautiful in appearance, but the man
was harsh and evil in his dealings, and he was a Calebite), 4 that David heard
in the wilderness that Nabal was shearing his sheep.
Where was Maon located?
A town in the mountain of Judah named along with Carmel and
Ziph (Joshua 15:55). [5]
(3) Nabal was of the same tribe as David. Some translations
say he was of the house of Caleb, a word used here as a descriptive noun
meaning “dog” or described as being snappish like a dog. Hence, we get a picture of a man who would
snap at others like a dog. [1]
Nabal by all descriptions was an ill-tempered man who was
known to be dishonest in business. All
though wealthy in earthly possessions failed to build heavenly treasures.
We have learned from Lord Jesus that heavenly treasures
(good works) are of more lasting value than earthly perishable possessions
(Matthew 6:19-21).
With the reported size of Nabal’s flocks, we can safely
assume that the shearing of his sheep was a big deal. He probably enlisted the help of many people
in this endeavor.
5 So David sent ten young men;
and David said to the young men, “Go up to Carmel, visit Nabal and greet him in
my name; 6 and thus you shall say, ‘Have a long life, peace be to you, and
peace be to your house, and peace be to all that you have.
Although not stated here, David may have sent the ten men as
opposed to just one messenger, perhaps to help Nabal with the shearing.
7 ‘Now I have heard that you
have shearers; now your shepherds have been with us and we have not insulted
them, nor have they missed anything all the days they were in Carmel.
Sheepherders living and working in that area would know
where to find fresh water. David and his
men probably sought out these shepherds to obtain food and locations of clean
water. In return, David and his men
offered protection and other services to the flock tenders. This symbiotic relationship may have given
David the inside track on Nabal’s festive shearing event.
David concludes his message to Nabal by ensuring him that
neither he nor his men dealt dishonestly with the sheep-herders, and treated
them with dignity. David stored up
goodwill with Nabal.
8 ‘Ask your young men and they
will tell you. Therefore let my young men find favor in your eyes, for we have
come on a festive day. Please give whatever you find at hand to your servants
and to your son David.’”
David recounted all that he had done for Nabal’s shepherds;
as a sign that he had earned an audience with Nabal, at the shearing festival.
David identifies himself as a son of Nabal. Does this mean that David was related by
birth to Nabal?
I could find no direct link between David and Nabal. Perhaps David was saying he had served Nabal
as a son helps his father.
9 When David’s young men came,
they spoke to Nabal according to all these words in David’s name; then they
waited. 10 But Nabal answered David’s
servants and said, “Who is David? And who is the son of Jesse? There are many
servants today who are each breaking away from his master.
True to form Nabal was caustic and disrespectful of
David. He knew who David was and his
relationship to King Saul.
Knowing these things Nabal acted as though he did not know
David. Natal relegated David as a
servant who had run away from the house of Saul.
11 “Shall I then take my bread
and my water and my meat that I have slaughtered for my shearers, and give it
to men whose origin I do not know?” 12
So David’s young men retraced their way and went back; and they came and told
him according to all these words.
Nabal response to David’s emissaries was rude and did not
comply with hospitality customary of the inhabitance of that area.
David’s messengers returned to David’s camp (V12).
13 David said to his men, “Each
of you gird on his sword.” So each man girded on his sword. And David also
girded on his sword, and about four hundred men went up behind David while two
hundred stayed with the baggage.
David makes plans to war against Nabal. David's vengeance seemed to be
inevitable. David left 200 men to guard
the camp supplies while David’s of 400 prepared to march.
14 But one of the young men told
Abigail, Nabal’s wife, saying, “Behold, David sent messengers from the
wilderness to greet our master, and he scorned them.
We can assume at this point that it was one of Nabal’s
herdsman who approached Abigail. He was
undoubtedly dismayed by the way his master treated these men sent by David.
Abigail was well aware of her husband’s temperament and was
not overwhelmed by the words this young man said to her.
Nabal had not offered hospitality but rather a rude brush
off, which may have offended the shepherd who David had befriended.
15 “Yet the men were very good
to us, and we were not insulted, nor did we miss anything as long as we went
about with them, while we were in the fields.
16 “They were a wall to us both by night and by day, all the time we
were with them tending the sheep. 17
“Now therefore, know and consider what you should do, for evil is plotted
against our master and against all his household; and he is such a worthless
man that no one can speak to him.”
This shepherd of Nabal knew Abigail’s gracious temperament
which was in contrast to her husband, Nabal.
The shepherd was fearful of what David might do in response to the rude
behavior of Nabal. The shepherd knew of
David’s army because David had offered protection asking only for food and
water in return. David could have taken
what he needed. We cannot be sure
whether ulterior motives or kindness dictated David's actions.
Abigail’s actions were quick and decisive (V 18-29)
Abigail Intercedes
18 Then Abigail hurried and took
two hundred loaves of bread and two jugs of wine and five sheep already
prepared and five measures of roasted grain and a hundred clusters of raisins
and two hundred cakes of figs, and loaded them on donkeys. 19 She said to her young men, “Go on before
me; behold, I am coming after you.” But she did not tell her husband Nabal.
Abigail sent her servants with food and drink to meet
David. I believe she sent sun-dried
dates, figs, and other sun-dried foods.
The sun-dried fruits were rich in sugar and would have provided David’s
men much needed energy. She also sent
meat and sun-dried corn. The meat was
prepared (cooked) and was ready to eat.
Cooked meat will last much longer in the elements than raw meat.
Abigail was to follow after her servants, believing David’s
army would stop and eat and she would be able to speak with him. This single act of kindness was not done out
of love or respect for her husband, this act of hospitality is the action her husband
should have taken. She believed her
actions would save her household.
20 It came about as she was
riding on her donkey and coming down by the hidden part of the mountain, that
behold, David and his men were coming down toward her; so she met them.
21 Now David had said, “Surely in vain I have guarded all that this man has in the wilderness, so that nothing was missed of all that belonged to him; and he has returned me evil for good.
22 “May God do so to the enemies of David, and more also, if by morning I leave as much as one male of any who belong to him.”
21 Now David had said, “Surely in vain I have guarded all that this man has in the wilderness, so that nothing was missed of all that belonged to him; and he has returned me evil for good.
22 “May God do so to the enemies of David, and more also, if by morning I leave as much as one male of any who belong to him.”
David was understandably angry at the way he and his men had
been treated by Nabal (V21). David had
been good to Nabal’s herdsmen, and now he was being repaid with evil. However, having received the petition of
Abigail by way of her hospitality, David was in a more receptive mood.
I believe the actions of Abigail was being directed by the
Lord, who saw David’s anger and did not want him to take vengeance on Nabal’s
house (see also verse 26).
Once again we see God intercedes in the affairs of men for
His good purpose. David would not take
vengeance on Nabal; however, as we will see God judged Nabal and found him
guilty.
Deliverance from anger is not an easy task. If we allow our rage to dictate our action,
we are assuming that which should be left to God. Jesus is our intercessor with the
Father. Knowing this is it too much for
Him to ask us to trust him to judge those who trespass against us?
23 When Abigail saw David, she
hurried and dismounted from her donkey, and fell on her face before David and
bowed herself to the ground.
24 She fell at his feet and said, “On me alone, my lord, be the blame. And please let your maidservant speak to you, and listen to the words of your maidservant.
24 She fell at his feet and said, “On me alone, my lord, be the blame. And please let your maidservant speak to you, and listen to the words of your maidservant.
Even though Abigail was the wife of a wealthy and affluent
man, she humbled herself before David.
Abigail’s first action was to prostrate herself at the feet
of David. She was submitting herself to
his authority by showing respectful humility.
Abigail shouldered the blame for the disrespectful acts of
her husband. She wanted to plead her
case before David; once again not on her husband’s behalf, but for the honor
and safety of her household.
25 “Please do not let my lord
pay attention to this worthless man, Nabal, for as his name is, so is he. Nabal
is his name and folly is with him; but I your maidservant did not see the young
men of my lord whom you sent.
“In Israeli, the name Nabal means - fool senseless. The
name Nabal originated as an Israeli name. The name Nabal is most often used as
a boy name or male name. Israeli Name Meaning - fool senseless.” [2]
Abigail does not hesitate in showing the contempt she has
for her husband. Wisely Abigail first
took the unwarranted blame for the actions of her husband and now she states
she, unlike her husband, would have extended hospitality as she was now doing.
26 “Now therefore, my lord, as
the Lord lives, and as your soul lives, since the Lord has restrained you from
shedding blood, and from avenging yourself by your own hand, now then let your
enemies and those who seek evil against my lord, be as Nabal.
David listened intently to Abigail as she pleaded her
case. I believe David was moved by
Abigail attending to him. David thought
the Lord sent Abigail to him to intercede and change his angry heart (ref verse
32).
We all know unchecked anger is a danger to us and those who
love us. Jesus, who concord death, can
also redirect anger in us to a useful end.
David Powlison writes “Actually;
God has a different way for you to deal with your anger. He knows well
that stuffing your anger deep inside is destructive. And just learning tricks
for keeping calm never discovers the purpose for which God designed anger.
Anger needs to be acknowledged and expressed in a positive way, as a form of
doing what is good and right.” [3]
27 “Now let this gift which your
maidservant has brought to my lord be given to the young men who accompany my
lord. 28 “Please forgive the
transgression of your maidservant; for the Lord will certainly make for my lord
an enduring house, because my lord is fighting the battles of the Lord, and
evil will not be found in you all your days.
29 “Should anyone rise up to pursue you and to seek your life, then the
life of my lord shall be bound in the bundle of the living with the Lord your
God; but the lives of your enemies He will sling out as from the hollow of a
sling. 30 “And when the Lord does for my
lord according to all the good that He has spoken concerning you, and appoints
you ruler over Israel, 31 this will not cause grief or a troubled heart to my
lord, both by having shed blood without cause and by my lord having avenged
himself. When the Lord deals well with my lord, then remember your
maidservant.”
Abigail completes her plea with a reminder for David. She reminds David that the Lord is with him
and that He would protect David from his enemies. Without actually saying it, Abigail was
telling David that the Lord would avenge him.
Abigail was telling David, subtly to give up his quest for vengeance and
trust in the Lord.
From time to time in our lives, we need to have human
intercession as was the case with David.
We need a friend or loved one to remind us that we are children of the
Lord and as such are in His hands. The
pastor or elders are a good source for human spiritual guidance. As spiritual guides in the church, the pastor
and elders will listen, pray and give sound spiritual advice.
32 Then David said to Abigail,
“Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, who sent you this day to meet me, 33 and
blessed be your discernment, and blessed be you, who have kept me this day from
bloodshed and from avenging myself by my own hand. 34
“Nevertheless, as the Lord God of Israel lives, who has restrained me
from harming you, unless you had come quickly to meet me, surely there would
not have been left to Nabal until the morning light as much as one male.”
David thanked Abigail for changing his vengeful mind. Her reminder was well received by David
(V35). David realized that because of
her intercession his hands would be clean and there would not be a sinful act
of murder connected to his name or that of his house.
“The Hebrew word for “murder” literally means “the
intentional, premeditated killing of another person with malice.” [4] David
would have had malice behind his desire to kill Nabal, and therefore, Abigail
kept him from sinning.
35 So David received from her
hand what she had brought him and said to her, “Go up to your house in peace.
See, I have listened to you and granted your request.” 36 Then 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 did not tell him anything at all until the
morning light.
Nabal was oblivious to the actions of his wife,
Abigail. Abigail realized it would be a
futile task to talk with her drunkard husband.
If you have ever tried to talk sensibly to a person who is inebriated,
you can empathize with Abigail. It would
be like shoveling water with a pitchfork.
37 But in the morning, when the
wine had gone out of Nabal, his wife told him these things, and his heart died
within him so that he became as a stone.
38 About ten days later, the Lord struck Nabal and he died.
38 About ten days later, the Lord struck Nabal and he died.
The Lord struck Nabal with what appears to be a massive
stroke, leaving him paralyzed looking like a dead person. This condition lasted for ten days before the
Lord finally struck Nabal down.
David Marries Abigail
39 When David heard that Nabal
was dead, he said, “Blessed be the Lord, who has pleaded the cause of my
reproach from the hand of Nabal and has kept back His servant from evil. The
Lord has also returned the evildoing of Nabal on his own head.” Then David sent
a proposal to Abigail, to take her as his wife.
40 When the servants of David came to Abigail at Carmel, they spoke to her, saying, “David has sent us to you to take you as his wife.”
40 When the servants of David came to Abigail at Carmel, they spoke to her, saying, “David has sent us to you to take you as his wife.”
David could now see quite clearly how God would adjudicate
justice and that Abigail was instrumental in making David realize that fact.
Abigail was not only quite beautiful and intelligent but
also now very wealthy. We cannot say at
this point if her wealth is the reason David chose to marry her.
There are three schools of thought regarding David marrying
two women.
41 She arose and bowed with her
face to the ground and said, “Behold, your maidservant is a maid to wash the
feet of my lord’s servants.”
42 Then Abigail quickly arose, and rode on a donkey, with her five maidens who attended her; and she followed the messengers of David and became his wife.
43 David had also taken Ahinoam of Jezreel, and they both became his wives.
44 Now Saul had given Michal his daughter, David’s wife, to Palti the son of Laish, who was from Gallim.
42 Then Abigail quickly arose, and rode on a donkey, with her five maidens who attended her; and she followed the messengers of David and became his wife.
43 David had also taken Ahinoam of Jezreel, and they both became his wives.
44 Now Saul had given Michal his daughter, David’s wife, to Palti the son of Laish, who was from Gallim.
We know David was separated from Michal for quite some
time. We know Saul wanted to have David
put to death. We will learn Saul
dissolve the marriage between his daughter and David. (See verse 44)
CLASS DISCUSSION
David’s choice to
marry Abigail leaves us with four questions that beg for answers.
1. Did the king have the right to dissolve Michal’s
marriage?
2. Did David know of
Saul’s actions regarding Michal?
3. Would David have
married Abigail regardless?
4. Does God condone
polygamy, if not why?
As for David, we will see him take multiple wives for no
other reason than to satisfy his lust.
It is possible David wanted Abigail as his wife regardless of his
marital status (see the last two verses of this chapter).
I think we can safely assume that even in David’s era God’s
desire for a man was to have one wife and cleave only unto her. There are several references to the natural
order of a marriage between one man and one woman in scripture (Genesis
2:22-24).
Shortly after the fall of Adam and Eve, we see men taking
multiple wives. Genesis four tells us about Cain's son Lamech who took two
wives.
As we study Old Testament scripture, we will see numerous
instances where men in authority took many wives. For those who want to know more about the
biblical occurrence of polygamy; the following reference is provided: Let us reason ministries.
I believe David would have married Abigail regardless of his
marital status. Therefore whether or not
he David of Saul’s actions is irrelevant.
Records show numerous men took more than one wife; I believe
God permitted for a while but did not condone it. In fact, these polygamous marriages ended in
disaster.
CITATIONS AND REFERENCES
[1] Bible study tools;
https://www.biblestudytools.com/commentaries/jamieson-fausset-brown/1-samuel/1-samuel-25.html
(Date accessed 01/08/18)
www.meaning-of-names.com/israeli-names/nabal.asp
(accessed 01/09/18)
[3] URL: http://www.familylife.com/articles/topics/life-issues/challenges/mental-and-emotional-issues/dealing-with-your-anger; Dealing With Your Anger – FamilyLife; Date accessed:
January 09, 2018
[4] http://coldcasechristianity.com/2013/the-difference-between-killing-and-murdering/;
Cold Case Christianity; Article Title The Difference Between Killing and
Murdering; Published May 15, 2014; Date Accessed January 09, 2018
[5] http://bibleatlas.org/maon.htm; Bible Map:
Maon; Date Accessed: January 10, 2018
