1 Samuel 25

Samuel dieth: David goeth to the wilderness of Paran, v. 1 &c. Nahals riches, 2. His and his wife Abigails nature and condition, 3. David requesteth most courtesly of Nabal some relief for his camp, 4. But Nabal entreateth the messengers of David scornfully and disdainfully, 10. Which they tell David of, 12. Who was so moved thereat, that he threatened to destroy Nabal with all his family, 13. Abigail having heard this, goeth speedily to meet David, and pacifieth his anger by moving arguments and presents, 14. Nabal, hearing this, is troubled, and dieth, 37. David taketh Abigail, and Achinoam to wives, 39.

1. And Samuel died, and all Israel gathered themselves together, and they mourned for him, and buried him in his house at Rama: and David gat him up, and went down to the wilderness of Paran. [As long as Samuel lived. David sought to him for comfort and counsel, therefore he abode as near to him as he could or might do: But when Samuel was dead, David departed to the wilderness of Paran, which lieth on the south side of Canaan. See concerning Paran the annotations on Genes.14.6.]

2. And there was a man at Maon, [Concerning this place, lying in the tribe of Juda, see the annotate. on Jos.15.55.] and his occupation was at Carmel, [This mountain, with the city and country, is to be distinguished from the other lying in the tribe of Issaschar, renowned in respect of the Prophet Elia: see I King.18. on verse 19.and above chap.15. on ver.12.] and that man was very great, [i.e. rich, wealthy, great in power; as 2 Sam.19.32.] and he had three thousand sheep, and a thousand goats: and he was at the shearing of his sheep at Carmel.

3. And the name of the man was Nabal, and the name of his wife was Abigail; he the woman was good of understanding, and beautiful of countenance; but the man was churlish, and evil of doings, and he was a Calebite. [i.e. (as it is thought) of Calebs posterity. Compare below chap.30.14. with the annotat.]

4. When David heard in the wilderness, that Nabal did shear his sheep;

5. Then David sent ten young men; and David said to the young men, Go up to Carmel, and when ye come to Nabal then shall ye ask him in my name, touching the welfare. [Heb. Touching the peace; i.e. ask how he doeth, whether he be in good plight.]

6. And shall say thus to that prosperous (man) [Heb. Living; i.e. that liveth merrily or prosperously. Compare the salutation used toward Kings: let the King live, I Sam.10.24, &c.] Peace be to thee [Heb. thou peace; i.e. to thee be peace; as 2 Sam. 17.3. & 20.9.] and peace be to thine house, and peace be to all that thou hast.

7. And now, I have heard, that thou hast shearers: Now the shepherds which thou hast, were with us, we offered them no disgrace, [Or, Scorned them not, made them not ashamed] neither missed they any thing [i.e. in the tale and number of their sheep that were committed to their trust and keeping, there was not any one missing or wanting, which they needed to have sought after: so also below, vers. 15, and 21.] all the days that they were at Carmel.

8. Ask thy young men, [i.e. Thy shepherds and servants that were with thy sheep] and they will tell thee; let then these young men find grace in thine eyes, [They relate Davids words, therefore they spake of themselves, as of a third person, as if they should say, Let us, who are the young men or servants of David, and sent by him to thee, find grace and favour with thee] for we are come on a good day; [i.e. on a merry day, because thou doest now receive and gather the wooll of thy sheep: it is therefore just and equal, that thou out of thy superfluity abd abundance shouldest communicate something to the distressed and persecuted ones, according to the law, Deut.12.12. & 14.26,29. & 15.7.] give, I pray thee, unto thy servants, and thy son David, [as if he should say, who honoureth thee, as a son doth his father] that which thine hand shall find. [i.e. any Present or gift, as much, and whatever thou art pleased to give us. See Judg.9. on ver.33.]

9. When Davids young men were come, and in Davids name had spoken unto Nabal according to all those words, then they ceased, [Heb. they rested; i.e. they kept their peace, and were silent, to hear what Nabal should answer.]

10. And Nabal answered Davids servants, and said, Who is David, and who is the son of Isai? There be to day many servants that rent themselves every one from his lord. [i.e. That ran away from, and forsook their lords or masters. Thus doth he upbraid David, as if he lifted himself up against his lord and master Saul.]

11. Should I then take my bread, and my water, [In that country water was hard to come by, for that the land where Nabal dwelt was dry land; so that for and in respect of water, there often happened strife and contention in those parts. See Gen.21.25. & chap.26.15.] and my killed (flesh), which I have killed [Heb. my slaying which I have slain] for my shearers, and should I give it to the men whom I know not whence they be?

12. Then Davids young men turned them to their way; and they returned, and came, and told him, [viz. David] according to all these words.

13. Then David said unto his men, Every man gird on his sword, and David also girded on his sword: and they marched up after David, about four hundred men, and there remained two hundred by the stuff. [Heb. Vessels. i.e. stuff, baggage, loading, carriage; as above chap.17. vers.22.]

14. But one young man of the young men [viz. One of Nabals servants] told Abigail, Nabals wife, of it, saying, Behold, David hath sent messengers out of the wilderness to bless [i.e. to salute, and to wish much happiness; as Genesis 31:55.] our lord, but he railed on them. [The Hebrew word that is here used, is by similitude taken from a bird of prey, that violently and swiftly falleth upon a carcase, to rent it in pieces: so, he would say, hat Nabal treated and sent away Davids messengers with biting and spiteful words, snarling at them, as if he would have bitten them in pieces.]

15. Yet they were very good men to us, and we suffered no disgrace, and we missed nothing all the days (that) we conversed with them, when we were in the field.

16. They were a wall about us, [As if he should say, They have not onely not hurt or mischieved us themselves, but they have likewise kept and protected us from others, both thieves and wild beasts, that might have done us hurt or mischief] both by night and by day, all the days, that we were with them, feeding the sheep.

17. Now then know, and see what thou wilt do, for evil is fully determined against our Lord, and against all his house, and he is a son of Belial, [see Deut.13. on verse 13.] that a man cannot speak to him.

18. Then Abigail made hast, and took two hundred loaves, and two lether sacks of wine, and five dressed [Heb. Made] sheep, and five measures [Heb. Seim. See Gen.18. on ver.6.] of parched corn, and a hundred pieces of raisins, and two hundred lumps of figs, and laid them on Asses.

19. And she said to her young men, Go your wayes before my face, behold, I come after you; but she made it not known to her husband Nabal.

20. Now it came to pass when she rode on the asse, and that she came down into the hidden (place) of the mountain, and behold, David and his men came down to meet her, and she met them. [The text intimateth, that David and Abigail met one another unawares, the one coming from this, and the other from that side of the hill or mountain.]

21. Now David had said, Surely in vain have I kept all that this (fellow) [viz. Nabal. He counteth him not worthy to call him by his name, because of the great incivility and unthankfulnesse, which he used towards him.] hath in the wilderness, so that nothing is lacking of all that he hath: and he hath recompensed me evil for good.

22. Let God do so to the enemies of David, and let him so adde thereunto, [i.e. God grant that all Davids enemies may fare so, as I intend to do to this Nabal: Although some conceive that David instead of saying, God do this or that to me, wished the evil to befall his enemies, which some are wont to wish to themselves, by rashly cursing themselves See the annotat. on Ruth I.17. concerning this phrase, and compare ch.2.on v.16.] if of all those that he hath [or, if of all that he hath] I leave until morning (him) that pisseth, against the wall? [a phrase, or manner of speaking, whereby is implied a total ruine and destruction of a house, so that no man be left, or escape, not so much as a dog that commonly pisseth against that wall: so also v.34. & I King.14.10. & 2 King.9.8.]

23. Now when Abigail saw David, then she made hast, and lighted off the asse; and she fell on her face before the face of David, and she bowed her self to the ground,

24. And she fell at his feet, [In token of humble reverence: see the like, 2 King.4.27.] and said, Ah my Lord, let the offence be mine, [as if she had said, punish me instead of mine husband, and all the rest, which thou didst intend to punish] and let, I pray thee, thine handmaid [i.e. me] speak before tine ears, and hear the words of thine hand-maid.

25. Let not my Lord, I pray thee, set his heart on this man of Belial, on Nabal, for as his name is, so is he, he is Nabal, [i.e. Fool, sot; one that is void of wisdom and goodness] and folly is with him: and I thine had-maid have not seen the young men of my Lord, [i.e. thy] which thou didst send.

26. And now, my LORD, (as true as) the LORD liveth, and thy soul liveth, [See 2 King 2 on v 2] it is the LORD that hath hindered thee [viz. When he sent me to meet thee, to pacify thine anger with courteous words and presents, and to stop and hinder thine evil intent and purpose] from coming with blood-shed, [Heb. With bloods; as Genesis 4:10. And here below ver. 33.] that thine hand should deliver thee: [viz. So that thou canst not avenge thy self with thine own hand against my wicked husband, and deliver thy self from the affront that he hath offered thee] and now let thine enemies may prevail as little, and may be as base and contemptible men as Nabal is, who is not worthy that thou shouldest thus vex thy self about him, much less that thou shouldest destroy me, and my whole family, for his sake. Others understand those words thus, I wish it may befall thine enemies as it would befall Nabal, if thou shouldest persevere in thine intent] and they that seek evil against my Lord.

27. And now this is the blessing, [i.e. This is the gift or Present, which thou by thy servants sent by thee, didst ask for Nabal, above ver. 8.] which thine hand maid hath brought unto my Lord: let it be given to the young men, that walk after my Lords foot-steps. [Heb. That go by, or, at my Lord’s feet; i.e. that follow him].

28. Forgive, I pray thee, thine hand-maid the transgression: [As if he should say, I take the punishment of my wicked husband upon my self, only pardon me, I pray thee] for the LORD will surely make my Lord a stedfast house, [i.e. that thou shalt dwell and reign quietly and peaceably, and shall no longer need to flee from one place to another, as thou art fain to do] because my Lord warreth the LORDS wars, [see the annotate above chapter 18 ver. 17] and no evil hath bee found with thee from thy days. [this is here properly to be meant of desire of self-revenge, or other great transgressions; as if she should say, in this respect I hope they will not begin now to do it.]

29. When a man shall rise up to pursue thee, and to seek thy soul; then shall the soul of my lord be bound in the bundle of the living with the LORD thy God, [This is a phrase taken from men, who bid the thing which they count precious, and desire to keep safe , in a bundle, and lock it up. It is as if she had said, thy life shalt be in the Almighties keeping, Saul shall pursue thee in vain.] but the Soul of thine enemies he shall sling out of [or, in, viz. Being as if the soul, like a stone, lay in the sling] the midst of the hollowness of the sling. [on the contrary shall those wicked ones that pursue thee, be scattered and slung away, as if they were thrown out with a sling, and cast away.]

30. And it shall come to pass, when the LORD shall do to my Lord, according to all the good which he hath spoken concerning thee, and he shall command thee to be a Leader over Israel:

31. Then shall this be no stumbling nor offence of heart unto thee, my Lord, to wit, that thou shouldest have shed blood causle sly, and that my Lord should have delivered himself. [As if she had said, then shalt thou neither have a gnawing conscience, or grief of mid, that thou hast avenged thyself with the shedding of innocent blood] and when the LORD shall do well unto my Lord, then thou shalt remember thine hand-maid. [as if he should say, When thou shalt hereafter think on this, that I have been the means or instrument to stop and hinder thee fro shedding innocent blood, then thou wilt yet thank me for it.]

32. Then said David unto Abigail: Blessed be the LORD the God of Israel, which sent thee this day to meet me.

33. And blessed be thy counsel, [viz. The counsel which thou halt taken, for to disswade and hinder me by this thy coming and courtesy from shedding innocent blood] and blessed be thou, that thou this day hast stopt and prevented me from coming with blood-shed, [as above verse 26.] that mine hand should have delivered me.

34. For surely’tis (as true as) the LORD the God of Israel liveth, which hath hindered me doing thee harm: [Understand withal, and all thy family, as I rashly sware in mine wrath, v. 22.] that unless thou hadst made haste, and hadst come to me, there had not been left unto Nabal by the morning light any one that pisseth against the wall.

35. Then David took from out of her hand that which she had brought him; ad he said unto her, Go up in peace to thine house, behold, I have hearkened to thy voice, and have accepted thy face. [i.e. I have taken thee into favour, and will do what thou requires: See the annotate. On Genesis 19:21. & 31. 20.]

36. When Abigail now came to Nabal, behold, he had then a feast in house, like the feast of a King, [See the like, 2 Sam. 13. 23. Nabal did like that rich man, Luke 16:19. Forgetting the poor and needy people,] and Nabals heart was merry [Heb. Good] at the same, [viz. Feast. Oth. In him] and he was very drunk: therefore she made not a word known to him, little nor great, until the morning light.

37. Now it came to pass in the morning, when the wine was gone from Nabal, [When he had slept his drunkenness quite away. As long as he continued in his drunkness, her admonitions would have been as roses strowed before Hogs, or Pearls cast before Swine.] then hsi wife made those words [viz. Which she had spoken, what she had said unto David, what David had answered her again, etc] known to him: then his heart died in the innermost (parts) of him, [i.e. he was so affrighted, that he almost fell down dead] and he became as a stone. [Heb. He became a stone, i.e. he became senseless, was without feeling, his blood changed in his body, when he heard of the danger, into which he had brought himself.]

38. And it to pass about ten days (after) that the LORD smote Nabal that he died.

39. When David heard that Nabal was dead, then he said, Blessed be the LORD, who hath pleaded the cause of my reproach from the hand of Nabal, and hath with held [oth. Kept back] his servant [i.e. me] from evil, [Or, from that evil dead, viz. That I should have shed innocent blood out of a desire of self-revenge] and (that) the LORD hath caused the wickedness of Nabal to return upon his own head: and David sent forth, and caused to commune [viz. By his messengers or ambassadors, and after that Nabal had been dead a good while] with Abigail, to take her to him to wife.

40. Now when the servants of David were come to Abigail to Carmel: there they spake unto her, saying, David hath sent us unto thee: to take thee to him to wife.

41. Then she arose, and bowed her self with the ace to the ground: and she said, [viz. Unto David, though absent, desiring his messengers to relate these words of hors unto him, and to tell David in her name] Behold, let thine hand-maid be a servant to wash the feet of the servants of my Lord. [i.e. to do the meanest and lowest service.]

42. Abigail now made haste, and gat up, and rode upon an Ass with her five young –maidens, that walked after her foot-steps: [Oth. That followed her feet, or, went after her] she then followed after Davids messengers, and she became his wife.

43. David also took Achinoam of Jizreel :[This was a City in the tribe of Juda , as appeareth, Joshua 15:56.] thus were they both also his wives.

44. For Saul had given Michal his Daughter, Davids wife to Palti [He is called Palthiel, 2 Sam. 3. 15.] the son of Lais, [In this act there sinned and did ill, Saul, Michl, ad Palti, breaking and violating the lawful marriage of Michal with David,] who was of Gallim. [This seemeth to have layen in the tribe of Benjamin, not far from Gibea of Saul, see Isai. 10. 30.]