1 Samuel Chapter 25 Part One (Verses 1-22)

DAVID, NABAL AND ABIGAIL

A. David's anger at Nabal
1. (1 Sam 25:1) Samuel, the great prophet and judge over Israel, dies
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.

And Samuel died: At this time period, namely about the time when Saul and David meet at Engedi, Samuel dies. For a long time, Samuel had lived apart from the royal court and was alienated from the king he had anointed. Since Moses, none so great as Samuel had arisen.

Briefly, the review his work: his influence had in great measure restored the Law of Moses to the people. Before this time, the words and traditions which Moses had given at Sinai, had been almost forgotten. For a long period of time, no great leader had sprung up. Great confusion and following the ways of the surrounding tribes, Israel became separated from God's ways and became enveloped in the ways of the surrounding heathen. But Samuel, brought to life again the dying traditions of God and taught them to the lost Israelites. He restored the forgotten laws of Moses, and by the creation of an earthly monarchy, he united the twelve tribes of Israel into one nation. From Dan to Beersheba there was but one ruler over them. His greatest work was the foundation of the Prophetic Schools, in which men were trained and educated to become teachers and guides of the people.

Samuel's heritage lived on in a remarkable way. In 1 Chronicles 9:22, it suggests that Samuel laid the foundation for the organization of the Levites for the service of the sanctuary which was completed by David and Solomon. In 1 Chronicles 26:27-28, it says Samuel began to collect the treasures for the building of the temple in Solomon's day. In 2 Chronicles 35:18, it says that Samuel remembered the Passover. In Hebrews 11:33, Samuel is mentioned in God's "Hall of Faith".

All Israel gathered together: A public mourning was held such as the one held for Moses. ("So the sons of Israel wept for Moses in the plains of Moab thirty days; then the days of weeping and mourning for Moses came to an end" Deuteronomy 34:8.) The whole nation met to honor Samuel, who for approximately 80 years had been a prophet, judge and counselor of the king.

And David arose: It is interesting to note that when Samuel dies, then the text says, "David arose." God is always raising up people to serve Him. When one servant dies, there is always another to step in and continue serving God.

The wilderness of Paran: This is a general name for a tract of land which is located south of Israel. It lies between the wilderness of Shur on the west, Edom of the east and the wilderness of Sinai on the south. It was the abode of Ishmael. ("He lived in the wilderness of Paran, and his mother took a wife for him from the land of Egypt" Genesis 21:12.) Paran was also the scene of the wanderings of the Israelites and was the place from which the spies were sent out to search out the land of Canaan. ("'Send out for yourself men so that they may spy out the land of Canaan, which I am going to give to the sons of Israel; you shall send a man from each of their fathers' tribes, every one a leader among them.' So Moses sent them from the wilderness of Paran at the command of the LORD, all of them who were heads of the sons of Israel" Numbers 13:2-3.)


2. (1 Sam 25:2-4) A man named Nabal, his wife and his character
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 (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), that David heard in the wilderness that Nabal was shearing his sheep.

Maon: Maon was located in the hill country of Judah. The Carmel mentioned here is not the famous Mount Carmel in the north, but located about a mile from Maon.

The man was very rich: The wealthy lord was a descendant of Caleb, the friend and comrade of Joshua. At the time of the conquest of Canaan, Caleb obtained vast possessions in the valley of Hebron and in the south of Judah. The exact number of livestock included in the text is probably to enhance the malice of his reply to David when he asked him for some return for the protection his armed bands afforded to his livestock in their pasture on the edge of the desert.

Shearing his sheep in Carmel: This was the "harvest time" for a sheep rancher. Because it was like a harvest, by ancient traditions, sheep shearing was a time of lavish hospitality toward others. The sheep shearing was usually accompanied with large feasts which had enough food and drink to liberally share with others.

Nabal: The word Nabal means fool. It is associated with the word naval, which means to fade away. In the ancient culture of Israel, names were often associated with a person's character. We do not know if Nabal was his given name or if it was a nickname he acquired. The word nabal is used in Psalm 14:1: "For the choir director. A Psalm of David. The fool (nabal) has said in his heart, 'There is no God.' They are corrupt, they have committed abominable deeds; there is no one who does good."

Abigail: Abigail means the one who is the cause of joy or the joy of her father. Abigail, with her attentiveness and beautiful countenance, is in sharp contrast with the coarse, ill-willed man who was her husband. We can wonder how Abigail ever became matched with a man such as Nabal. Perhaps it was an arranged marriage or perhaps she chose the marriage, hoping Nabal would change over time.


3. (1 Sam 25:5-9) David asks for compensation for his valuable service to Nabal
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; 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. 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. 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.'" When David's young men came, they spoke to Nabal according to all these words in David's name; then they waited.

David sent ten young men: The large number of men sent to Nabal shows honor and respect to Nabal.

Plesae give whatever you find at hand to your servants and your son David: David makes his request because he had performed a valuable service for Nabal. David and his men protected Nabal's livestock at a time when Philistine raids were common. To our ears, it may sound as though David was trying to scam Nabal, but this was not the case at all. David and his men performed a worthy service to Nabal, and they expect to be compensated for it.

David did right in this because he waited until he heard that Nabal was shearing his sheep. David protected Nabal's shepherds and flocks for a long time, but he did not expect to be compensated until Nabal made money at the time of sheep shearing. Moreover, David was very polite to Nabal. David sent messengers with a greeting full of warmth and kindness (Peace be to you) so that Nabal would not give out of fear and intimidation. David was very careful and patient with Nabal, giving Nabal an itemized receipt for services rendered (Your shepherds have been with us...nor have they missed anything...ask your young men and they will tell you.). David also reminds Nabal of the traditions of generosity which surround the sheep shearing time of year (We have come on a festive day). David did not demand any specific payment from Nabal. He simply left it up to Nabal's generosity (Please give whatever you find at hand).

To your son David: "Your son" is an expressive title used out of reverence. David recognizes his youth to Nabal's seniority and acknowledges Nabal's superiority over David's life as an outlaw.


4. (1 Sam 25:10-12) Nabal's reply to David's request
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. 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?"

Who is David? And who is the son of Jesse?: Nabal's two questions relate to the same person, David. If Nabal would not have known who David was (although that would have been very unlikely considering David's widespread fame throughout Israel), he would have stopped at the first question, since David's servants referred to David by name. However, Nabal's second question betrays that Nabal plainly knew who David was.

There are many servants today who are each breaking away from his master: This insult indicates that Nabal was a supporter of Saul, and thus, Nabal was not a supporter of David. It was the report of these words, no doubt, which so enraged David. Nabal most likely would not have spoken such rude words to David had David been present at Maon. But since David was with his men some distance from Maon, Nabal was freely able to vent his feelings without restraint. David was a mere slave who had run away from his master.

Shall I then take my bread...my water...my meat...my shearers, and give it: Nabal shows what an ungenerous man he is. He looks at everything as his, instead of the LORD'S. True generosity does not think, "This is mine, and I will share it with you." It thinks, "All that I have belongs to the LORD, and you may have some also."


5. (1 Sam 25:13) David reacts to Nabal's insulting response
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 men stayed with the baggage.

David said to his men, "Each of you gird on his sword.": David receives Nabal response exactly the way Nabal intended it to be received--with great insult. But Nabal is not dealing with a weak man. No, Nabal is dealing with a great soldier and warrior. David was ready to fight. We do not wonder why David was ready to fight because Nabal had provoked him so greatly. But this is not a high moment for David. He is not responding the way the LORD would have him respond to an insult or an attack.

When we are insulted, the LORD would have us bear it with love and kindness, returning evil with good. This is high ground which is often very hard to walk on. Jesus says, "You have heard that it was said, 'An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.' But I tell you not to resist an evil person. But whoever slaps you on your right check, turn the other to him also." (Matthew 5:38-39)

We see that David does not show Nabal the same kindness and patience that he showed to Saul. In just the previous chapter, we saw how David spared Saul's life when not only Saul insulted David, but when he actually attacked him and tried to kill him. David was able to be kind and patient to Saul, but it seems to have been harder for him to do it towards someone he had not yet met.

About four hundred men went up behind David: David is not coming to Nabal just to make a statement but to wipe him out. David arms himself and his men to inflict great punishment on Nabal. Two hundred men are left behind to watch the baggage, but they are also left behind to serve as reinforcements. If the battle heated up, two hundred men in reserve were available to David at his calling. Most of us would have responded to Nabal just as David did. Our sympathies might be with David, but our hearts and obedience must be with God.


B. Abigail intercedes between David and Nabal

1. (1 Sam 25:14-17) Abigail hears of how Nabal responded to David
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. 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. They were a wall to us both by night and by day, all the time we were with them tending the sheep. 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."

But one of the young men told Abigail: The servant of Nabal, no doubt was accustomed to his master's wild displays of temper, heard the insulting words which Nabal spoke to David's messengers. Nabal servant was probably well aware of the fierce warriors David and his followers were. The servant, rightly so, feared the death of Nabal and his entire household. It seems since this servant came to Abigail, Abigail probably had acted as a peacemaker in previous altercations between Nabal and his neighbors.

The men were very good to us: Nabal's servant evidently was a servant who went out with the livestock into the pastures. The servant shows great respect to David and his men. The servant's words bear weighty testimony to the admirable discipline and the kind actions of David and his men. In a time when lawlessness and pillage would have been excusable, David and his men show the utmost hospitality to Nabal's shepherds and livestock.

He is such a worthless man: The literal Hebrew is "such a son of Belial." Belial was not a proper name, although it subsequently became known as one. It simply signifies a bad, wicked, worthless person. So willful and obstinate was Nabal that his servants dared not to try to reason with him, but instead, they appealed to Abigail.


2. (1 Sam 25:18-20) Abigail prepares a present for David and his men
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. She said to her young men, "Go on before me; behold, I am coming after you." But she did not tell her husband Nabal. 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.

Abigail hurried: Since Abigail was a woman of good understanding, she knew that time was of the essence. She knew that something had to be done quickly, or she and her household would see the wrath of David and his men.

Five measures of roasted grain: Roasted grain was a delicacy. Compared to the other food items given, the roasted grain accounts for relatively a small quantity.

Two hundred loaves of bread...two jugs of wine..five sheep already prepared...one hundred clusters of raisins: David had simply and politely asked Nabal for fair payment for services rendered, but Nabal refused. Now, Abigail is doing what Nabal should have done in the first place but did not do. The fact that Abigail was able to gather so much food so quickly shows how wealthy Nabal was. If this much food was on hand, it makes Nabal's ungenerous reply to David all the worse.

Two jugs of wine: Each jug could hold many gallons of liquid. Depending on the type of animal skin used, the vessels varied in size. (One jug of wine was a generous gift from Ziba and was sufficient for David's household (2 Samuel 16:1).)

Coming down by the hidden part of the mountain: This probably signifies a hollow between two peaks of the mountains. Thus, each of the advancing parties would have come down the mountain. Abigail would have approached on one side, and David and his men would be on the other side. They would ultimately meet in the hollow between the two mountains.


3. (1 Sam 25:21-22) David vows to massacre Nabal and his entire household
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 evil for good. 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."

Now David had said: This verse and the following (verse 22) must be understood as a kind of parenthesis in the narrative. They express what David felt, and, as it were, his justification in his own mind for the violent and vengeful act he was about to carry out. The argument was Nabal had returned evil for good. For a long time, David and his men had guarded faithfully Nabal's animals and had preserved them. Now, when David was asking for a small favor in return, the heartless Nabal repaid him by insulting David.

May God do so to the enemies of David: In the usual oath formula, the swearer invokes divine vengeance on himself or upon the person charged. It is believed the original text reads, "May God do so to David" which is supported by the Septuagint. "The enemies of David" may possibly be an euphemism introduced by a corrector of the text who was unwilling to let David invoke vengeance on himself for an oath which he later breaks.

If by morning I leave as much as one male of any who belong to him: This makes David's intentions clear: he plans to massacre Nabal and all the males of his household. This was the expected reaction; Nabal's own servants expected it according to 1 Samuel 25:17. But God was calling David to go farther than what the world might expect. David had so wonderfully resisted the temptation to take vengeance against Saul in 1 Samuel 24. But here, it seems, that he will fail when a similar temptation comes again. This reminds us that we need to be constantly on guard.