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Texts -- 1 Samuel 25:20-44 (NET)

Context
25:20 Riding on her donkey , she went down under cover of the mountain . David and his men were coming down to meet her, and she encountered them. 25:21 Now David had been thinking , “In vain I guarded everything that belonged to this man in the desert . I didn’t take anything from him. But he has repaid my good with evil . 25:22 God will severely punish David , if I leave alive until morning even one male from all those who belong to him!” 25:23 When Abigail saw David , she got down quickly from the donkey , threw herself down before David , and bowed to the ground . 25:24 Falling at his feet , she said , “My lord , I accept all the guilt ! But please let your female servant speak with my lord! Please listen to the words of your servant ! 25:25 My lord should not pay attention to this wicked man Nabal . He simply lives up to his name ! His name means ‘fool ,’ and he is indeed foolish ! But I , your servant , did not see the servants my lord sent . 25:26 “Now , my lord , as surely as the Lord lives and as surely as you live , it is the Lord who has kept you from shedding blood and taking matters into your own hands . Now may your enemies and those who seek to harm my lord be like Nabal . 25:27 Now let this present that your servant has brought to my lord be given to the servants who follow my lord . 25:28 Please forgive the sin of your servant , for the Lord will certainly establish the house of my lord , because my lord fights the battles of the Lord . May no evil be found in you all your days ! 25:29 When someone sets out to chase you and to take your life , the life of my lord will be wrapped securely in the bag of the living by the Lord your God . But he will sling away the lives of your enemies from the sling’s pocket ! 25:30 The Lord will do for my lord everything that he promised you, and he will make you a leader over Israel . 25:31 Your conscience will not be overwhelmed with guilt for having poured out innocent blood and for having taken matters into your own hands. When the Lord has granted my lord success , please remember your servant .” 25:32 Then David said to Abigail , “Praised be the Lord , the God of Israel , who has sent you this day to meet me! 25:33 Praised be your good judgment ! May you yourself be rewarded for having prevented me this day from shedding blood and taking matters into my own hands ! 25:34 Otherwise, as surely as the Lord , the God of Israel , lives – he who has prevented me from harming you– if you had not come so quickly to meet me, by morning’s light not even one male belonging to Nabal would have remained alive!” 25:35 Then David took from her hand what she had brought to him. He said to her, “Go back to your home in peace . Be assured that I have listened to you and responded favorably .” 25:36 When Abigail went back to Nabal , he was holding a banquet in his house like that of the king . Nabal was having a good time and was very intoxicated . She told him absolutely nothing until morning’s light . 25:37 In the morning , when Nabal was sober , his wife told him about these matters . He had a stroke and was paralyzed . 25:38 After about ten days the Lord struck Nabal down and he died . 25:39 When David heard that Nabal had died , he said , “Praised be the Lord who has vindicated me and avenged the insult that I suffered from Nabal ! The Lord has kept his servant from doing evil , and he has repaid Nabal for his evil deeds .” Then David sent word to Abigail and asked her to become his wife . 25:40 So the servants of David went to Abigail at Carmel and said to her, “David has sent us to you to bring you back to be his wife .” 25:41 She arose , bowed her face toward the ground , and said , “Your female servant , like a lowly servant , will wash the feet of the servants of my lord .” 25:42 Then Abigail quickly went and mounted her donkey , with five of her female servants accompanying her. She followed David’s messengers and became his wife . 25:43 David had also married Ahinoam from Jezreel ; the two of them became his wives . 25:44 (Now Saul had given his daughter Michal , David’s wife , to Paltiel son of Laish , who was from Gallim .)

Pericope

NET
  • 1Sa 25:2-44 -- David Marries Abigail the Widow of Nabal

Bible Dictionary

  • David

    [ebd] beloved, the eighth and youngest son of Jesse, a citizen of Bethlehem. His father seems to have been a man in humble life. His mother's name is not recorded. Some think she was the Nahash of 2 Sam. 17:25. As to his personal ...
    [isbe] DAVID - da'-vid (dawidh, or dawidh, "beloved"; Daueid, also in New Testament, Dauid, Dabid; see Thayer's Lexicon): I. NAME AND GENEALOGY II. EARLY YEARS 1. Shepherd 2. Slinger 3. Harpist 4. Poet 5. Psalmist 6. Tribesman III....
    [smith] (well-beloved), the son of Jesse. His life may be divided into three portions: His youth before his introduction to the court of Saul; His relations with Saul; His reign. The early life of David contains in many important re...
    [nave] DAVID 1. King of Israel. Genealogy of, Ruth 4:18-22; 1 Sam. 16:11; 17:12; 1 Chr. 2:3-15; Matt. 1:1-6; Luke 3:31-38. A shepherd, 1 Sam. 16:11. Kills a lion and a bear, 1 Sam. 17:34-36. Anointed king, while a youth, by the ...

  • Nabal

    [ebd] foolish, a descendant of Caleb who dwelt at Maon (1 Sam. 25), the modern Main, 7 miles south-east of Hebron. He was "very great, and he had 3,000 sheep and 1,000 goats...but the man was churlish and evil in his doings." Duri...
    [isbe] NABAL - na'-bal (nabhal, "foolish" or "wicked"; Nabal): A wealthy man of Maon in the highlands of Judah, not far from Hebron, owner of many sheep and goats which he pastured around Carmel in the same district. He was a churl...
    [smith] (fool) was a sheepmaster on the confines of Judea and the desert, in that part of the country which bore from its great conqueror the name of Caleb. (1 Samuel 25:3; 30:14) (B.C. about 1055.) His residence was on the southe...
    [nave] NABAL, husband of Abigail. History of, 1 Sam. 25:2-38.

  • Abigail

    [ebd] father (i.e., "leader") of the dance, or "of joy." (1.) The sister of David, and wife of Jether an Ishmaelite (1 Chr. 2:16,17). She was the mother of Amasa (2 Sam. 17:25). (2.) The wife of the churlish Nabal, who dwelt in th...
    [nave] ABIGAIL 1. Nabal's wife. Her wisdom and tact, and marriage to David, 1 Sam. 25; 27:3; 2 Sam. 2:2. Mother of Chileab by David, 2 Sam. 3:3; 1 Chr. 3:1. Taken captive and rescued by David, 1 Sam. 30:1-18. 2. Sister of David,...

  • CARMEL

    [ebd] a park; generally with the article, "the park." (1.) A prominent headland of Central Palestine, consisting of several connected hills extending from the plain of Esdraelon to the sea, a distance of some 12 miles or more. At ...
    [isbe] CARMEL - kar'-mel (karmel, or, with article, ha-karmel, "fruit garden"; Josephus, ho Karmelos, Karmelion oros): (1) A beautifully wooded mountain range running for about 13 miles in a south-easterly direction from the promon...
    [smith] (fruitful place or park). A mountain which forms one of the most striking and characteristic features of the country of Palestine. It is a noble ridge, the only headland of lower and central Palestine, and forms its southern...

  • ARMY

    [isbe] ARMY - ar'-mi (chayil, "army," tsabha', "host," ma`arakhah, "army in battle array" gedhudh, "troop"): 1. The First Campaign of History 2. In the Wilderness 3. The Times after the Conquest 4. In the Early Monarchy 5. From the...

  • ZEBAH AND ZALMUNNA

    [isbe] ZEBAH AND ZALMUNNA - ze'-ba (zebhach, "victim"), zal-mun'-a (tsalmunna`, "protection refused"): Two Midianite kings or chiefs whom Gideon slew (Jdg 8:4-21; Ps 83:11 (Hebrew text, verse 12)). The name zebhach (Zebee) is very ...

  • SAMUEL, BOOKS OF

    [isbe] SAMUEL, BOOKS OF - || I. PLACE OF THE BOOKS OF SAMUEL IN THE HEBREW CANON II. CONTENTS OF THE BOOKS AND PERIOD OF TIME COVERED BY THE HISTORY III. SUMMARY AND ANALYSIS 1. Life of Samuel (1 Samuel 1 through 15) 2. Reign and D...

  • RACAL

    [isbe] RACAL - ra'-kal (rakhal, "trader"): A place in Judah, enumerated among "the places where David himself and his men were wont to haunt," to the elders of which he sent a share of his spoils (1 Sam 30:29). The Septuagint readi...

  • Wife

    [nave] WIFE Called Desire of the Eyes, Ezek. 24:16. Help, Gen. 2:18, 20. Fruitful Vine, Psa. 128:3. The judgment denounced against Eve, Gen. 3:16. Relation of, to husband, Gen. 2:18, 23, 24; 1 Cor. 11:3-12. Domestic duties of,...

  • Tact

    [nave] TACT Prov. 15:1; 25:15. In preaching, 1 Cor. 9:19-22; 2 Cor. 12:6. Of Gideon, Judg. 8:1-3. Of Saul, in managing malcontents, 1 Sam. 10:27; 11:7, 12-15. Nabal's wife, Abigail, 1 Sam. 25:18-37. In David's popular methods:...

  • Decision

    [nave] DECISION. Deut. 30:19; Josh. 23:8. Josh. 24:15; 1 Sam. 12:20; 1 Kin. 18:21; Psa. 37:34; Psa. 69:13; Prov. 4:25-27; Isa. 50:7; Matt. 24:13 Mark 13:13; Matt. 10:22. Matt. 25:23; Luke 7:23 Matt. 11:6. John 8:31; John 15:4, 5, ...

  • Fig

    [nave] FIG Common to Palestine, Num. 13:23; Deut. 8:8; to Egypt, Psa. 105:33. Employed as a remedy, 2 Kin. 20:7; Isa. 38:21. Traffic in, Neh. 13:15. Dried and preserved, 1 Sam. 30:12. Cakes of, sent by Abigail to David, 1 Sam. ...

  • Intercession

    [nave] INTERCESSION. Of One Person with Another 1 Sam. 2:25 Instances of: Reuben for Joseph, Gen. 37:21, 22. Judah for Joseph, Gen. 37:26, 27. Pharaoh's chief baker for Joseph, Gen. 41:9-13, with Gen. 40:14. Jonathan for David...

  • Prudence

    [nave] PRUDENCE. Job 34:3, 4; Psa. 39:1; Psa. 112:5; Prov. 6:1, 2; Prov. 8:12; Prov. 11:13, 15, 29; Prov. 12:8, 23; Prov. 13:16; Prov. 14:8, 15, 16, 18; Prov. 15:5, 22; Prov. 16:20, 21; Prov. 17:2, 18; Prov. 18:15, 16; Prov. 19:2;...

  • Ahinoam

    [ebd] brother of pleasantness = pleasant. (1.) The daughter of Ahimaaz, and wife of Saul (1 Sam. 14:50). (2.) A Jezreelitess, the first wife of David (1 Sam. 25:43; 27:3). She was the mother of Amnon (2 Sam. 3:2). (See 1 Sam. 30:5...
    [isbe] AHINOAM - a-hi-no'-am, a-hin'-o-am ('achino`am, "my brother is pleasantness"): (1) Daughter of Ahimaaz, and wife of King Saul (1 Sam 14:50). (2) The woman from Jezreel whom David married after Saul gave Michal to another hus...
    [smith] (brother of grace , i.e. gracious). The daughter of Ahimaaz and wife of Saul. (1 Samuel 14:50) (B.C. about 1090.) A native of Jezreel who was married to David during his wandering life. (1 Samuel 25:43) (B.C. 1060.) Sh...
    [nave] AHINOAM 1. Wife of king Saul, 1 Sam. 14:50. 2. Wife of king David, 1 Sam. 25:43; 27:3; 30:5, 18; 2 Sam. 3:2.

  • Presents

    [nave] PRESENTS To Abraham, by Pharaoh, Gen. 12:16; by Abimelech, Gen. 20:14. To Rebecca, Gen. 24:22. To Esau, Gen. 32:13-15. To prophets, 1 Kin. 14:3; 2 Kin. 4:42. To those in adversity, Job 42:10, 11. Betrothal, Gen. 24:53. ...

  • Diplomacy

    [nave] DIPLOMACY. 1 Cor. 9:20-23 See: Tact. Instances of Of Abimelech, Gen. 21:22, 23; 26:26-31. The Gibeonites, in securing a league with the Israelites through deception, Josh. 9:3-16. Of Jephthah, with the king of Moab, uns...

  • Polygamy

    [nave] POLYGAMY Forbidden, Deut. 17:17; Lev. 18:18; Mal. 2:14, 15; Matt. 19:4, 5; Mark 10:2-8; 1 Tim. 3:2, 12; Tit. 1:6. Authorized, 2 Sam. 12:8. Tolerated, Ex. 21:10; 1 Sam. 1:2; 2 Chr. 24:3. Practiced, Job 27:15; by Lamech, Ge...

  • ABIGAIL; ABIGAL

    [isbe] ABIGAIL; ABIGAL - ab'-i-gal, ab'-i-gal ('abhighayil, or 'abhighal, three times, or 'abhughayil, once, or 'abhighayil, once; "father," or "cause of joy"): (1) The wife of Nabal, a rich shepherd of southern Judea, whose home w...

  • HANDMAID

    [isbe] HANDMAID - hand'-mad: Which appears often in the Old Testament, but seldom in the New Testament, like bondmaid, is used to translate two Hebrew words (shiphchah, and 'amah) both of which normally mean a female slave. It is u...
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Expository Notes on the Bible (Constable)

  • The only unusual feature of Jair's life, other than that he came from Transjordan, was that he maintained a network of 30 cities over which his 30 sons ruled in Gilead. His name means "may [God] enlighten."An ancestor named J...
  • Naomi had experienced both blessing and loss since she had left Bethlehem. When she returned home she chose to emphasize her hardships. She had forgotten God's faithfulness and His promises to bless all Israel (Gen. 12:1-3, 7...
  • Statements in the Book of Samuel imply that someone who had witnessed at least some of the events recorded wrote it. However the original writer must have written most of it after Samuel's death (i.e., -1 Sam. 25-2 Sam. 24) a...
  • The Book of Samuel covers the period of Israel's history bracketed by Samuel's conception and the end of David's reign. David turned the kingdom over to Solomon in 971 B.C.3David reigned for 40 and one-half years (2 Sam. 2:11...
  • I. Eli and Samuel chs. 1-3A. The change from barrenness to fertility 1:1-2:101. Hannah's condition 1:1-82. Hannah's vow 1:9-183. Hannah's obedience 1:19-284. Hannah's song 2:1-10B. The contrast between Samuel and Eli's sons 2...
  • The basic theme in Samuel, that blessing, and in particular fertility of all kinds, follows from faithful commitment to God's revealed will, continues in this section. However another major motif now becomes more prominent. W...
  • In chapters 21-30 we see David's forces growing stronger and stronger while Saul's forces get weaker and weaker. This is a further demonstration of the fertility theme. However these chapters also develop the motif of the pro...
  • The writer's attention focused next on Saul's activities. He used the literary device of focusing on David, then on Saul, then on David, etc. He used the same technique in chapters 1-3 with Samuel and Eli's sons to contrast S...
  • ". . . chapters 24-26 form a discrete literary unit within 1 Samuel. Chapters 24 and 26 are virtually mirror images of each other, beginning with Saul's receiving a report about David's latest hiding place (24:1; 26:1), focus...
  • "Chapter 25 is the central panel in the triptych that comprises chapters 24-26. As such it not only anchors the literary unit but also facilitates the fact that chapters 24 and 26 mirror each other."244This central chapter al...
  • Samuel's years of being a blessing to all Israel ended at this time. David took his place as God's major channel of blessing to the nation. It is appropriate that the notice of Samuel's death occurs here since Saul had just a...
  • Both Maon and Carmel (meaning "Garden Spot") stood about 14 miles west of Engedi and about 7 miles south-southeast of Hebron. The reference to Nabal's 3,000 sheep may be an allusion to Saul's 3,000 soldiers (24:2). As the sto...
  • Nabal was a political loyalist who regarded David simply as a rebel. Perhaps he felt that David was running a protection racket to finance his outlaw way of life. More probably, I think, miserly Nabal simply did not want to p...
  • Nabal's servant appealed to Abigail to reverse Nabal's orders. He testified that God had blessed Nabal's shepherds greatly through David. David's soldiers had been a wall of protection for them (v. 16). One of the characteris...
  • Abigail's approach to David was a model of tact and courage. Visualize this solitary woman riding a donkey approaching 400 armed men who were riding horses and were bent on slaughtering her household. It took immense courage ...
  • David heard the Lord's voice behind Abigail's words. Consequently he blessed the Lord, her discernment, and her. God had used David's conscience to keep him from killing Saul (24:5), and now He had used Abigail's appeal to ke...
  • When she returned home, Abigail discovered that her foolish husband was drunk from celebrating. He was totally oblivious to his mortal danger. He was feasting rather than fasting. He was behaving like a king, the ultimate aut...
  • David thanked God for vindicating him and for preventing him from doing evil. Abigail had been the instrument that God had used to do this (v. 39). It was proper for David to give thanks since he had left Nabal in the Lord's ...
  • Ahimelech the Hittite may have been a foreign mercenary (cf. Uriah the Hittite, 2 Sam. 11:3). The writer may have mentioned him to show the extent of David's appeal. Abishai was David's nephew, one of the sons of his sister Z...
  • Evidently the realization that David or Abishai again could have killed him but did not led Saul to respond to David tenderly calling him his son (v. 17; cf. vv. 21, 25). Indeed, David had behaved as a loyal son toward Saul. ...
  • Was it God's will for David to leave Israel and move to Philistia? The text does not say, but there are indications that lead me to believe that he should not have done this even though he must have felt almost forced to do s...
  • David also distributed some of the war plunder to the elders of Judah.293He evidently did so because he viewed the booty as coming from the enemies of all Judah, even the enemies of the Lord (v. 26). He may have also done thi...
  • The other Israelite soldiers retreated when they heard that Saul and his sons had died. This left towns in the region open for Philistine seizure. Instead of driving the native inhabitants out of the land Saul had made it pos...
  • Ackroyd, Peter R. The First Book of Samuel. Cambridge Bible Commentary on the New English Bible series. Cambridge, Eng.: University Press, 1971._____. "The Verb Love--'Aheb in the David-Jonathan Narratives--A Footnote."Vetus ...
  • Students of David's lament over Saul and Jonathan's deaths have called it the Song of the Bow (cf. v. 22).10Many people in Judah learned and sang it (v. 18). The Book of Jasher (v. 18) is no longer extant (cf. Josh. 10:13)."H...
  • Chapters 9-20 contrast with chapters 2-8 in that this later section is negative whereas the earlier one was positive. It records failure; the former records success. Compare the similar narrative of Saul's triumphs (1 Sam. 7-...
  • This second descendant of Saul demonstrated a reaction to David that was the opposite of Ziba's. Ziba had been ingratiating and submissive, but Shimei, a "reptile of the royal house of Saul,"245was insulting and defiant (cf. ...
  • Adonijah was David's fourth son (2 Sam. 3:4) and the eldest one living at this time. Evidently he believed it was more important that the eldest son succeed David, as was customary in the Near East, than that the king of Yahw...
  • 14:1 A fool (Heb. nabal) is a person who does not take God into account as he goes about living and who is therefore morally insensitive (cf. 1 Sam. 25:25). He may or may not really be an atheist, but he lives as though there...
  • 64:7-8a David's enemies had assailed him with words that they used as deadly arrows, but God would shoot them with His arrow of judgment. With it God would make them fall in battle. The NASB is a bit misleading in verse 8. Th...
  • 94:16-19 After looking everywhere for some consolation during the temporary ascendancy of the wicked, the psalmist found it only in God. If God had not strengthened him he would have died, slipped in his walk with God, and be...
  • 13:1-3 The Lord gave Ezekiel a message for the prophets who were devising messages for the Jews from their own hearts and calling them prophecies from Yahweh. He was using the word "prophet"ironically; these were not true pro...
  • 12:14 Paul repeated Jesus' instruction here (Matt. 5:44; Luke 6:27-28). To persecute means to pursue. Blessing involves both wishing God's best on people and praying for them."The principle of nonretaliation for personal inju...
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