1 Samuel 25

1 Samuel 25:1

Though Saul gives him a breathing time, David’s troubles continue.

1. In Samuel’s death, ver. 1. 2. In Nabal’s churlishness, ver. 2. 3. 3. David’s request to him, ver. 4—9. 4. His churlish

2. AND Samuel died, and all the Israelites were gathered together, and lamented him, and burned him in his house at Ramah. And David arose, and went down to the wilderness of Paran.

The best of men are dying worms. Samuel departs in peace: he had lived highly respected, and does universally lamented. His last days he had spent far from a bully world, in the plodging employment of presiding in the school of the prophets at Naloth, where he was at leisure to look forward to that rest, to which he was going, and wait his joyful distinction. He was buried in Ramah, in his own house of garden, and all Israel mourned his loss; a loss the more sensibly felt in the present disturbed condition of their country, under Saul’s outrageous government. David hereupon returns to Paran, that he might be more out of the way of Saul. Note, (1.) In age it becomes so particularly to look forward, and as we grow ninety our journey’s end, to prepare for our great change. (2.) The death of a great and faithful minister will draw forth tears of real grief from all who know the invaluable blessing they have left, and who sensibly feel the want of his admonition, preaching, and prayers.

2. And there was a man in Mann, whose possessions were in Carmel, and the man was very great, and he had three thousand sheep, and a thousand goats: and he was fleeting his sheep in Carmel. 3. Now the name of the man was Nabal, and the name of his wife. A bigail: and she was a woman of good understanding, and of a beautiful countenance: but the man was churlish, and evil in his doings, and he rose of the house of Caleb. 4. ¶ And David heard in the wilderness, that Nabal did shear his sheep. 5. And David sent out ten young men, and David said unto the young men, for you up to Carmel, and go to Nabal, and a great man in my name: 6. And thus shall ye say to him that liveth in prosperity, Peace be both to thee, and peace be to thine house, and peace be unto all that thou hast. 7. And now I have heard that thou hast hearers: now thy shepherds which were with us, ‘we hurt them not,’ neither was there ought missing unto them all the whole they were in Carmel. 8. Atk thy young men, and they will shew thee: wherefore let the young men find favour in thine eyes: (for we come in a good day, give, I pray thee, whatsoever cometh to thine hand unto thy servants, and to thy son David. 9. And when David’s young men came, they speak to Nabal according to all those words in the name of David, and ceased. 10. ¶ And Nabal answered David’s servants, and said, ‘Who is David? and who is the son of Judah? There be many servants now adays,’ that break away every man from his matter. 11. Shall I then take my bread, and my water, and my flesh that I have killed for my shearers, and give it unto men whom I know not whence they be?

1 Samuel 25:2-11

We have here,

1. An account of Nabal, his family, and circumstance. His name signifies a fool, and his conduct too much verified in propriety: he was sprung from a noble flock, the distinguished Caleb; but like many an gather, became the reproach of his ancestors. A man indeed of vast wealth, which made him great in the eyes of men, but of a mean and little spirit; and, in mean spirits usually are, insolent, churlish, and overbearing. His wife was of a character the reverse of his; her name Abigail, her father’s joy, a woman of excellent understanding, generous in her temper, and as much adorated with the accomplishments of her person, as the beauties of her mind. Also, (1.) The greatest gifts of this world, are often possessed by those who have neither wisdom nor grace to improve them. (2.) Many a wife, like Abigail, for the great estate, is doomed, by inhuman parents, to bear the yoke of such a Nabal. But how little happiness can be expected from such an union?

2. David being in distress, makes application to Nabal for relief. Hearing when he kept his shearing feuds, he tends a very humble and respectful message to him, wishing him all peace and prosperity, begs the favour of him to give him ought that came to hand, if of the superfluities of the baronet, and intimates the care he and his men had taken of Nabal’s servants

in the wilderness, where not only no violence was offered them, but as the Shepherds acknowledged, they were a protection and guard to them from danger day and night. Note, (1.) It becomes the poor to use entreaties. It is better to beg than steal. (2.) Whall we shall, we should remember those who family, and break our bread to the hungry. (3.) One good turn deserves another: though we cannot claim it as our right, yet we may expect it as the debt of gratitude.

3. Nabal’s answer is as rude and unmannerly, as David’s message was respectful and submissive. Not content with a fully refusal, he adds infolent abide; as many a covetous man, like him, still drives the poor beggar from his door, and by calling him veyant, forks to excuse himself from relieving him. He speaks with disdain of the son of Jelle, whose praise the daughters of the land had so loudly proclaimed, as a poor inconsiderable fellow, whom nobody of credit knew; treats him and his companions as rungავდა and vagabonds, and refutes them a draught of water, or a morbid of bread: they were his own, and he should not spare a crumb. Note, (1.) A foul tongue is always a sign of a wicked heart. (2.) The best of men have been treated with the most scurrilous invectives, and diliberal reproach: let us not count it strange, if we meet with the favor. (3.) It is greatly to be feared, that they who appear to very tenacious of their own, have used the same hand hand in getting as loving.

4. So David’s young men turned their way, and went again, and came and told him all those sayings. 13. And David said unto his men, ‘Girl you on every man his sword. And they girded on every man his sword, and David also girded on his sword: and there went up after David about four hundred men, and two hundred abode by the stuff. 14. But one of the young men told Abigail, Nabal’s wife, saying, Behold, David sent mefengers out of the wilderness to salute our master; and he ‘railed on them. 15. But the men were very good unto us, and ‘we were not hurt, neither misled we any thing as long as we were conversant with them, when we were in the fields. 16. They were ‘a wall unto us both by night and day, all the while we were with them, keeping the sheep. 17. Now therefore know and consider what thou wilt do: for evil is determined against our matter, and against all his household: for he is such a son of Belial, that a man cannot speak to him.

5. 12—17. David’s servants saw it in vain to expellulate, and were too well taught to return railing for railing, but returned, and let David know the ill usage and affront put upon him; whereupon, 1. David in great wrath girds on his sword, assembles his troops, and swears rashly, and too passionately, &c. 21, 22, to leave no man of Nabal’s family alive by morning light. They march four hundred strong immediately, and now death and ruin hang over Nabal’s head. Note, (1.) When we meet with unkindness from those, of whom we had reason to expect other treatment, it is apt to exasperate us more, than the greatest injures we receive from others. (2.) Violent passions are deadly dangerous, and deeply sinful. (3.) The best of men, when taken off their guard, have given sad proofs of the power of remaining corruption in them. Let it teach us to watch and pray, that we fall not into temptation.

6. One of Nabal’s servants, justly apprehensive of the consequences, steps aside to acquaint his malleys; informs her of the message sent by David, and the railings of his master; the obligations they were under to David and his men, and the care they took of them in the wilderness; and begs her to consider what to do; for from something which might have dropped from the messengers as they retired, or the greatness of the provocation, he concludes David would revenge such infolent abide; and he applied to her, for the knew, as well as himself, Nabal’s temper, that to speak to him would be useless, and but provoke him more. Note, He is a bad master indeed, of whom his servants give such a character.

7. Then Abigail made haste, and took two hundred loaves, and two bottles of wine, and five sheep ready dressed, and five measures of parched corn, and an hundred clusters of raifters, and two hundred calves of figs, and laid them on ashes. 19. And she said unto her servants, ‘Go on before me, behold, I come after you: but she said not her husband Nabal. 20. And it was so, as she rode on the sea, that she came down by the covers of the hill, and behold, David and his men came down against her, and she met them. 21. (Now David had said, ‘Surely in vain have I kept all that this fellow hath in the wilderness, so that nothing was misled of all. Vol. I.

that pertained unto him: and ‘he hath requited me evil for good. 22. So and more also do God unto the enemies of David, if I leave of all that pertain to him, by the morning light,’ any that pisseth against the wall. 23. And when Abigail saw David, she hastened, and ’lighted off the sea, and fell before David on her face, and bowed herself to the ground. 24. And fell at his feet, and said, Upon me, my lord, upon me let this iniquity be, and let thine handmaid, I pray thee, speak in thine audience, and hear the words of thine handmaid. 25. Let not my lord, I pray thee, I regard this man of Belial, now Nabal: for as his name is, to is he; Nabal is his name, and folly is with him: but I thine handmaid saw not the young men of my lord, whom thou diddish send. 26. Now therefore, my lord, ‘at the LORD liveth, and at thy soul liveth, seeing the LORD hath withholdem thee from coming to shed blood, and from ‘avenging thyself with thine own hand: now let thine enemies, and they that look evil to my lord,’ be at Nabal. 27. And now this blissething which thine handmaid hath brought unto my lord, let it even be given unto the young men that ‘follow my lord. 28. I pray thee, forgive the trespass of thine handmaid: for the LORD will certainly make my lord a sure house: because my lord ‘fighteth the hantle of the LORD, and ’evil hath not been found in thee all thy days. 29. Yet a man is risen to purdue thee, and to seek thy soul: but ’the soul of my lord shall be bound in the bundle of life with the LORD thy God; and the souls of thine enemies, them shall ‘be rising out, as out of the middle of a rising. 30. And it shall come to pass, when the LORD shall have done to my lord according to all the good that he hath spoken concerning thee, and shall have appointed thee ruler over Israel; 31. That this shall be no I grief unto thee, nor offence of heart unto my lord, either that thou hast shed blood causeless, or that my lord hath avenged himself: but when the LORD shall have dealt well with my lord, then remember thine handmaid.

6. 18—31. Abigail no sooner hears the story, than she hashes, unknown to her husband, to prevent the danger she foresaw.

7. She took a good supply of provisions, much more than David had desired, and sent them before, to pave the way for her apology; for a gift pacifieth anger.

8. She followed herself, and by a behaviour so admirably submissive, and a speech so exquisitely ordered to disarm his resentment, flays him on his march, and rescuits her family. No sooner does he appear, than she alights, hears to the dust before him, addresses him with the greatest respect and reverence, calls him My Lord, and begs permission to speak in his audience. She desires to take the fault of her husband’s ill conduct on herself; excuses him, by saying it to the weakness of his understanding, rather than the wickedness of his heart; expresses her concern that she saw not the messengers, who would then have met with a better reception; imputes it to God’s mercy, that he had been withheld from shedding blood, and avenging himself, which she expresses her confidence himself would rejoice in; wishes all his enemies as unable to hurt him, as her weak and foolish husband; begs his servants acceptance of her pretext, as if she esteemed it not worthy his own; honourably mentions his gallant conduct under the Lord’s guidance, and his innocence under the persecutions he had suffered; expresses her confidence, that his life would be ever precious to God, his malicious enemy disappointed and destroyed, and his kingdom confirmed and established according to the divine promise: begs him to forgive the trouble she had given him; is confident he will never hereafter repent his lenity in granting her request; and concludes with a humble desire of his remembrance, when he comes to sit on the throne of Israel. Such rhetoric, and such a speaker, could not fail of success. Note, (1.) A wife who regards her husband, would gladly remove any blame from him, by transferring it to herself. (2.) Every faithful soul is bound up in the bundle of life with the Lord; and therefore, even in death, he cannot die; but because his Lord lives, he liveth also. (3.) What we do in a passion, will afterwards be a grief to us. When we recollect, and stay our anger, we consult our own peace. (4.) It is always a greater satisfaction to forgive an offence, than to revenge it.

9. And David said to Abigail, Blessed be the LORD God of Israel, which sent thee this day to meet me: 33. And ‘blessed be thy advice, and blessed be thou, which hast kept me this day from coming to shed blood, and from avenging myself with mine own hand.

10. For in very deed, as the LORD God of Israel liveth, which hath kept me back from hurting thee, except thou hadst hastest and come to meet me, surely, there had not been left unto Nabal, by the morning light, any that pilsteth against the wall. 35. So David received of her hand that which she had brought him, and said unto her, Go up in peace to thine house; see, I have hearkened to thy voice, and have accepted thy person.

1 Samuel 25:32-35

David’s anger quickly subsides before to powerful an apology. He blesses God for finding her to they him from the vengeance he meditated, and thanks her heartily for her kind interposition; sensible that he was on the break of a grievous sin, and should, unless restrained, have accomplished his rash and bloody vow. He receives her present, dismisses her in peace, and professes his gracious acceptance of her coming, and her apology. Note, (1.) Those deserve our warmest thanks, who keep us from sin. (2.) That sin on rebellious blocks on which in the heat of passion was overlooked. (3.) The nearer we are to sin, and the more heinous the crime; the greater is the mercy of God in rescuing us from it. (4.) A rash and sinful oath is better broken than kept. (5.) They who come trembling to the offended, find often greater favour from them than they could expect.

The literal translation of the Hebrew phrase for every male, v. 33, hath here a very peculiar invigorate and indulgent; and it were well, if in other places, as well as here, this phrase were more agreeably expressed.

36. ¶ And Abigail came to Nabal, and behold, he held a fealt in his house, ’like the fealt of a king, and Nabal’s heart was more within him, for he was’ very drunken: ‘wherefore she told him nothing, less or more, until the morning light. 37. But it came to pals in the morning, when the wine was gone out of Nabal, and his wife had told him these things, that his heart ‘died within him, and he became as a stone. 38. And it came to pals about ten days after, that the LORD since Nabal, that he died. 39. ¶ And when David heard that Nabal was dead, he said, ‘Bleifed be the LORD that hath pleaded the castle of my reproach from the hand of Nabal, and hath kept his servant from evil: for ’the LORD hath returned the wickedness of Nabal upon his own head. And David sent and communed with Abigail, ’to take her to him to wife. 40. And when the servants of David were come to Abigail to Carmel, they spake unto her, saying, David sent us unto thee, to take thee to him to wife. 41. And the arose, and bowed herself on her face to the earth, and said, Behold, ’let thine handmaid be a servant to wash the feet of the servants of my lord. 42. And Abigail hastest, and arose, and rode upon an ass, and five damsels of hers that went ‘after her: and she went after the messengers of David, and became his wife. 43. David also took Ahinoam of Jezebel, and ’they were also both of them his wives. 44. ¶ But Saul had given Michal his daughter, David’s wife, to Phalti the son of Laifh, which was of Gallim.

1 Samuel 25:36-44

1. Abigail at her return finds Nabal carousing with his men, and dead drunk; therefore she prudently says nothing; for to speak to a drunken man, is to call death before swine. But in the morning, when he had slept out the fumes of wine, she let him know the danger his churlish behaviour had brought upon him. Note, (1.) Many a foolish sinner, like Nabal, is lost in feasting and jollity, insensible to the wrath of God which hangs over his head. (2.) A drunken man makes himself not only a fool, but a beall, incapable either of profiting by advice or correction.

2. The effect of the news on Nabal. His heart sunk like a stone, terrified at the thoughts of the danger he had escaped, and dying with the fright. The shock forced his spirits, he dropped about ten days, when God smote him with his death-stroke, and unlamented he went to his grave. Note, The sinner’s rivetism pray will soon be turned into the bottom of eternal death.

3. David on hearing it thanks God, not that Nabal was dead, but that he was kept from avenging himself on him, and that God had vindicated his justice upon such a sinner. Note, (1.) God will avenge his servants, and that speedily. (2.) It is matter of unspeakable thankfulness, to be kept from avenging ourselves.

4. David now remembering the excellencies of Abigail, offers to make her his wife. She receives the meditated with great humility, and acknowledges herself unworthy the honour; yet, glad to be in his family, though employed in the meanest offices

in it, she lets out with her retinue, and David is happy in so valuable a woman, who to a chast behaved so kindly, and would much more to a man who knew how to value her worth. David had also another wife, according to the evil customs of those days, Ahinoam, a Jezebelists. His former wife, Michal, Saul had wickedly robbed him of, and married to Phalti the son of Laifh, which is given as the reason of his marriage again. Note, (1.) Every believer counts himself happy to take Chuff with his arose, knowing, that though now for a while he must suffer with him, yet shortly he shall reign with him. (2.) Poligamy, though countenanced by good men, is yet a bad thing, and contrary to our Savior’s express precept, and the original indignation of marriage.