1 Samuel 25

1 buried him in his house. It was usual to bury persons on their own property, sometimes in a garden or court attached to a house; and this is probably meant here, and in 1 Kings ii. 34: see 2 Kings xxi. 8.

Paran. Samuel having died, David goes farther south, into the northern part of the desert.

2. Carmel. See Josh. xv. 54, 55, and note on xxiii. 14.

6 to him that liveth. Or, “to life.” The words “in prosperity” are not in the original. A salutation equivalent to “Long life to you!” like the Arabic, “May God command thee to live!”

7 we hurt them not. The words “neither was there aught missing unto them,” taken in connexion with ver. 16, imply that he had protected Nabal’s flocks against the incursions of hostile tribes in the wild border country; for which service it was but just that he should receive some recompense.

13. Gird ye on every man his sword. David afterwards implies (32, 33) that the vengeance which he now contemplated was unjustifiable.

17 son of Belial. See note on Deut. xiii. 13.

18 bottles. “Skins” (R.V.).

20 the covert of the hill. Probably a ravine, which she was descending on one side, as David and his men came down the other.

22 any, etc. “Any male person”: “one man child” (R.V.).

26 the Lord hath withheld thee. This address is distinguished throughout by admirable tact and elegance, and rises almost to a prophetic strain in reference to David’s future destiny. Abigail assumes that David would see the hand of God preventing the execution of his severe purposes, and that, with his characteristic generosity, he would rejoice in it.

29 shall be bound in the bundle of life. That is, “God will hold thy soul in life.” As men bind up things which they wish to preserve, so God’s people form the bundle of the living that He holds in life (Psa. lxvi. 9): whereas what is put into a sling is intended to be thrown away.

30 ruler over Israel. Abigail had doubtless heard of the Divine appointment of David as future king, and expresses her full faith in it: see xxiv. 20.

33 thy advice. Rather, “thy wisdom” (R.V.).

37 his heart died. The effect, perhaps, partly of fear; but still more of mortification ending in apoplexy.

43. Jezreel. Now Zerin.

they were also both of them his wives. David herein followed a bad practice of those times, which occasioned many disorders in his family.