The chapter begins by informing us about the death of Samuel the prophet and judge, and it’s clear that a lot of people loved him because all of Israel gathered and mourned for him. It’s interesting that although Samuel was a great prophet and judge, only one verse in the whole of the Bible covers his funeral, 1 Samuel 25:1.
Just because he ceased to exist physically doesn’t mean he ceased to exist. In other words, he will continue to live in heaven. Samuel was buried in his home in Ramah, this isn’t speaking about his house because if he was buried in his house, then his house would have become unclean. It’s likely he was buried in the garden or courtyard of his home, 2 Chronicles 3:20 / 2 Kings 21:18 / John 19:41.
After the death of Samuel, David moved towards the Desert of Paran where he meets Nabal, a man who had property at Carmel and was very wealthy, 1 Samuel 25:2. This Carmel isn’t the Mount Carmel most people have heard of which was located to the north and on the west coast of Palestine. This Carmel is located at the southern end of the Dead Sea.
Nabal’s wife was called Abigail, who was intelligent and beautiful, 1 Samuel 25:3, unlike her husband who was offensive and corrupt, 1 Samuel 25:3. Nabal’s name means ‘fool,’ or ‘stupid,’ and he certainly lives up to his name. Notice also he was a Calebite, 1 Samuel 25:3. The Calebites were attached to the tribe of Judah and since Judah would be the tribe most loyal to David, Nabal had evidently inherited the great estate of his ancestor Caleb, but sadly, he didn’t inherit the type of character that belonged to his distinguished ancestor.
David sends out ten young men to ask Nabal to show some hospitality towards them, 1 Samuel 25:4-6. This was a reasonable request from David because he and his men had protected Nabal’s sheep from raiders that came from the desert, 1 Samuel 25:7 / 1 Samuel 25:15-16 / 1 Samuel 23:1-5 / 1 Samuel 30:1-2. It was also a feast day, 1 Samuel 25:8, which meant there would have been more than enough to go around. David’s messengers gave Nabal the message in David’s name and then they waited, 1 Samuel 25:9.
After making the request to Nabal to show some hospitality, it’s now that we see Nabal’s true character in his response to David, he is disrespectful and cruel. Nabal appears to be oblivious as to who David is and says there are many servants who are breaking away from their masters these days, 1 Samuel 25:10. He asks why should he give food to anyone whom he doesn’t know where they came from, 1 Samuel 25:11.
Clarke, in his commentary, says the following.
‘Nabal’s answer shows the surliness of his disposition. It was unjust to refuse so reasonable a request; and the manner of the refusal was highly insulting. It is true what his own servants said of him, He is such a son of Belial that one cannot speak to him, 1 Samuel 25:17.’
David understandably wasn’t very happy with his response, 1 Samuel 25:12, and so, he gathers four-hundred of his men, each of them strapped with swords to punish Nabal for refusing to help God’s anointed, 1 Samuel 25:13. Because David gathered four-hundred men, this tells us that Nabal had a large army around him.
Word of Nabal’s response got back to Abigail through one of the servants and the servant tells her, that Nabal had insulted David with his words, 1 Samuel 25:14. 1 Samuel 25:15-16, tells us that David and his men had indeed guarded Nabal’s flocks of sheep for a long while, 1 Samuel 23:1-5 / 1 Samuel 30:1-2.
It appears that even the servant knew that things weren’t going to end well with Nabal and his household, 1 Samuel 25:17. The servant knew that he was an evil, self-centred man, whom nobody could talk to because everyone is afraid of him, 1 Samuel 25:17. The good news is that the servant knew that Abigail was approachable and could confidently speak with her.
It’s clear that Abigail believed every word the servant told her concerning her husband Nabal and she believed that things weren’t going to end well with Nabal and his household, 1 Samuel 25:17. Notice Abigail acted quickly to take David and his men some supplies, 1 Samuel 25:18.
Clarke, in his commentary, says the following.
‘Now all this provision was a matter of little worth, and had it been granted in the first instance, it would have perfectly satisfied David, and secured the good offices of him and his men. Abigail showed both her wisdom and prudence in making this provision. Out of three thousand sheep Nabal could not have missed five; and as this claim was made only in the time of sheep-shearing, it could not have been made more than once in the year: and it certainly was a small price for such important services.’
Abigail tells her servants to go head of her and she’ll follow behind, 1 Samuel 25:19, and notice she did not tell her husband,1 Samuel 25:19. She meets David and David had just finished saying, it’s been useless, all his watching over this fellow’s property in the wilderness so that nothing of his was missing. He has paid him back evil for good, 1 Samuel 25:20-21.
Because David knew that he was anointed by God to be king of Israel, he knew that what he was about to do was God’s will because Nabal had gone against God by going against David, 1 Samuel 25:22. It’s clearly evident from David’s response that he at this time was assuming the responsibility of being king over Israel, even though Saul was still alive as king.
When Abigail saw David she bowed before him with her face to the ground, 1 Samuel 25:23, this is where we see her wisdom. She pleads with David and tells him that her husband Nabal is living up to his name, that is he is foolish and a rebellious person, 1 Samuel 25:24-25. Her argument was exactly the same argument that David himself had used in his efforts to discourage Saul from trying to kill him, 1 Samuel 24:14. The argument was basically this, Nabal wasn’t important enough to warrant David’s taking vengeance upon him, and it was contrary to God’s law for David so to do.
David lived under God’s protection, 1 Samuel 25:26, and notice how Abigail gives him a gift, 1 Samuel 25:27. Notice she tells that that he is fighting the Lord’s battles, 1 Samuel 25:28. This tells us that all of Israel had now accepted David as a defender of Israel and all of Israel should be grateful to him for defending them. If it wasn’t for David, then Nabal wouldn’t be living in freedom.
Barnes, in his commentary, says the following.
‘Abigail’s firm persuasion of David’s kingdom stands upon the same footing as Rahab’s conviction of God’s gift of Canaan to the Israelites, Joshua 2:9-13. Both testified to God’s revelation and their own faith. This is doubtless the reason why Abigail’s speech is recorded.’
There will come a time when David will be ruler and king over Israel, 1 Samuel 25:29-30, and Abigail in her wisdom, Psalm 141:5, didn’t want David to regret any action which would lead to the killing of innocent people, 1 Samuel 25:31. In other words, just because Nabal was a rude, evil man, didn’t mean that everyone in his household was too, 1 Samuel 25:31.
The humility of David is seen here, as he takes the advice of a woman who is married to a fool. He recognises that Abigail was sent from God, 1 Samuel 25:32, and he thanks her for her wisdom, 1 Samuel 25:33. He also recognises that she is a genuine person with no hidden agendas, and notice she doesn’t ask him to deliver her from her cruel husband. David tells her if she didn’t come out to meet him then not one male belonging to Nabal would have been left alive by daybreak, 1 Samuel 25:34. David accepts her gift, 1 Samuel 25:18 / 1 Samuel 25:27, and assures her that he will grant her request, 1 Samuel 25:35.
When Abigail went home, it appears it was party time in the house of Nabal and he was very drunk, 1 Samuel 25:36. Abigail waited until morning to tell her husband that she had met David, 1 Samuel 25:36-37. This really shocked Nabal and his heart failed and he became like a stone, 1 Samuel 25:37 / Jude 1:12.
The news that Abigail brought her husband was just too much for him and ten days later he died at the hand of the Lord, probably from a heart attack or stroke1 Samuel 25:38. Please note this wasn’t David’s judgment upon Nabal, this was the Lord’s judgment upon Nabal because he refused to help God’s anointed, 1 Samuel 25:39. David sends word to Abigail, asking her to become his wife and so, his servants went to Carmel and said to Abigail, ‘David has sent us to you to take you to become his wife, 1 Samuel 25:39-40.
Clarke, in his commentary, says the following.
‘It is likely that he had heard before this that Saul, to cut off all his pretensions to the throne, had married Michal to Phalti and this justified David in taking Abigail or any other woman and, according to the then custom, it was not unlawful for David to take several wives. By his marriage with Abigail, it is probable he became possessed of all Nabal’s property in Carmel and Maon.’
She bowed down with her face to the ground and says she is their servant, she is ready to serve and wash the feet of her lord’s servants, 1 Samuel 25:41. After Nabal died David took Abigail as his wife, 1 Samuel 25:42. He must have seen her wisdom and loyalty, even to her cruel husband. She was fit to be the next king’s wife. Notice also that he married Ahinoam of Jezreel, 1 Samuel 25:43.
Barnes, in his commentary, says the following.
‘In the list of David’s wives Ahinoam is mentioned first, 2 Samuel 3:2 / 1 Chronicles 3:1. But this may be only because her son was the first-born. David’s now taking two wives was an indication of his growing power and importance as a chieftain. The number was increased to six when he reigned in Hebron, 1 Chronicles 3:1, and still further when he became king of all Israel, 2 Samuel 5:12-13 / 1 Samuel 1:2.’
The polygamy of David was one of his many sins, but in the customs of the day, such marriages were generally accepted. When David later had the power, he took Michal, Saul’s daughter, 1 Samuel 25:44, back as his wife, 1 Samuel 18:27 / 2 Samuel 3:14-16.