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1 Samuel
Chapter Twenty-five
New King James Version (NKJV)
INTRODUCTION TO FIRST SAMUEL 25
This
chapter gives an account of the death of Samuel
and of the ill treatment David
met with from Nabal; it begins with the death of Samuel
which was greatly
lamented in Israel
1 Samuel 25:1; it
draws the character of Nabal
and his wife
1 Samuel 25:2;
records a message of David to him
by his young men
desiring he would send him
some of his provisions made for his sheep shearers
1 Samuel 25:4; and
Nabal's ill-natured answer to him reported by the young men
which provoked
David to arm against him
1 Samuel 25:10; and
this being told Abigail
the wife of Nabal
and a good character given of David
and his men
and of the advantage Nabal's shepherds had received from them
and
the danger his family was in through his ingratitude
1 Samuel 25:14; she
prepared a present to pacify David
went with it herself
and addressed him in
a very handsome
affectionate
and prudent manner
1 Samuel 25:18; and
met with a kind reception
1 Samuel 25:32; and
the chapter is closed with an account of the death of Nabal
and of the
marriage of Abigail to David
1 Samuel 25:32.
1 Samuel 25:1 Then Samuel
died; and the Israelites gathered together and lamented for him
and buried him
at his home in Ramah. And David arose and went down to the Wilderness of Paran.[a]
YLT
1And Samuel dieth
and all
Israel are gathered
and mourn for him
and bury him in his house
in Ramah;
and David riseth and goeth down unto the wilderness of Paran.
And Samuel died
.... In the interval
when Saul and David
were parted
and before they saw each other again; according to the Jewish
chronologyF7Seder Olam Rabba
c. 13. p. 37.
Samuel died four
months before Saul; but other Jewish writers sayF8In Kimchi &
Abarbinel in loc. he died seven months before; Abarbinel thinks it was a year
or two before; which is most likely and indeed certain
since David was in the
country of the Philistines after this a full year and four months
if the true
sense of the phrase is expressed in 1 Samuel 27:7; and
Saul was not then dead; and so another Jewish chronologerF9Juchasin
fol. 11. 1. says
that Saul died two years after Samuel
to which agrees
Clemens of AlexandriaF11Stromat. l. 1. p. 325. ; and according to
the JewsF12Schulchan Aruch
par. 1. c. 580. sect. 2.
he died the
twentieth of Ijar
for which a fast was kept on that day:
and all the Israelites were gathered together
and lamented him; his death
being a public loss
not only to the college of the prophets
over which he
presided
but to the whole nation; and they had reason to lament his death
when they called to mind
the many good offices he had done them from his youth
upwards; and when the government was in his hands
which was administered in
the most prudent and faithful manner; and after that they had his wise counsel
and advice
his good wishes and prayers for them; and the rather they had
reason to lament him
since Saul their king proved so bad as he did
and at
this time a difference was subsisting between David and him:
and buried him in his house at Ramah; where he
lived and died; not that he was buried in his house
properly so called
or
within the walls of that building wherein he dwelt; though the GreeksF13Plato
in MinoY. and RomansF14Servius in Virgil. Aeneid. l. 6. p. mihi
(?)
1011. used to bury in their own dwelling houses; hence sprung the idolatrous
worship of the Lares
or household gods; but not the Hebrews
which their laws
about uncleanness by graves would not admit of
see Numbers 19:15; but
the meaning is
that they buried him in the place where his house was
as Ben
Gersom interprets it
at Ramah
in some field or garden belonging to it. The
author of the Cippi Hebraici saysF15P. 30.
that here his father
Elkanah
and his mother Hannah
and her two sons
were buried in a vault shut
up
with
monuments over it; and here
some sayF16Heldman apud
Hottinger in ib.
Samuel's bones remained
until removed by Arcadius the
emperor into Thrace; Benjamin of Tudela reportsF17Itinerar. p. 52.
that when the Christians took Ramlah
which is Ramah
from the Mahometans
they
found the grave of Samuel at Ramah by a synagogue of the Jews
and they took
him out of the grave
and carried him to Shiloh
and there built a large temple
which is called the Samuel of Shiloh to this day:
and David arose and went down to the wilderness of Paran; on hearing of
the death of Samuel
there to indulge his mourning for him; or rather that he
might be in greater safety from Saul
being further off
this wilderness lying
on the south of the tribe of Judah
and inhabited by Arabs
and these called
Kedarenes; and now it was that he dwelt in the tents of Kedar
Psalm 120:5.
1 Samuel 25:2 2 Now there was a man
in Maon whose business was in Carmel
and the man was very rich.
He had three thousand sheep and a thousand goats. And he was shearing his sheep
in Carmel.
YLT
2And [there is] a man in
Maon
and his work [is] in Carmel; and the man [is] very great
and he hath
three thousand sheep
and a thousand goats; and he is shearing his flock in
Carmel.
And there was a man in Maon
.... A city of the tribe
of Judah
from whence the wilderness had its name before mentioned; of which
place
see Joshua 15:55;
though Ben Gersom takes it to signify a dwelling place; and that this is
observed to show
that he did not dwell in a city
but had his habitation where
his business lay
which was in Carmel
where his fields
gardens
and vineyards
were: wherefore it follows:
whose possessions were in Carmel; not Carmel in
the tribe of Issachar
but in the tribe of Judah
not far from Maon
and are
mentioned together; see Gill on Joshua 15:55; his
cattle were there
his sheep particularly
for they are afterwards said to be
shorn there; or "his work"F18מעשהו
"opus ejus"
Montanus
Vatablus; "eujus opus"
Junius &
Tremellius
Piscator. ; his agriculture
his farming
where he was employed
or
employed others in sowing seed
and planting trees:
and the man was very great; in worldly substance
though not in natural wisdom and knowledge
and especially in true religion and
piety:
and he had three thousand sheep
and a thousand goats; so the
substance of men in those times was generally described by the cattle they had
whether of the herd or flock
in which it chiefly lay:
and he was shearing his sheep in Carmel; which was the
custom in Judea and Syria
and was a very ancient one
as early as the times of
Judah
yea
of Laban
see Genesis 31:19;
though the old Romans used to pluck off the wool from the sheep's backs; hence
a fleece of wool was called "vellus a vellendo"
from the
plucking it off; and Pliny saysF19Nat. Hist. l. 8. c. 48.
in his
time
that sheep were not shorn everywhere
but in some places the custom of
plucking off the wool continued; and who elsewhere observesF20Ibid.
l. 18. c. 27.
that the time of shearing was in June or July
or thereabouts;
at which times a feast was made
and it is for the sake of that this is
observed.
1 Samuel 25:3 3 The name of the man was
Nabal
and the name of his wife Abigail. And she was a woman of good
understanding and beautiful appearance; but the man was harsh and evil
in his doings. He was of the house of Caleb.
YLT
3And the name of the man
[is] Nabal
and the name of his wife Abigail
and the woman [is] of good
understanding
and of fair form
and the man [is] hard and evil [in] doings;
and he [is] a Calebite.
Now the name of the man was Nabal
.... Which signifies
a "fool"; one would think his parents should not give him this name
though it is a name proper enough to men in common; and Kimchi thinks this was
a nickname
which men gave him agreeably to his genius and conduct
and which
is not improbable:
and the name of his wife Abigail; which signifies "my
father's joy"
he delighting in her for her wit and beauty
as follows:
and she was a woman of good understanding
and of a
beautiful countenance; she was not only of a good understanding in things natural
civil
and domestic
but in things spiritual
as her speech to David shows
and
which
with her external form
completed her character
and greatly recommended
her; which is the character AelianusF21Var. Hist. l. 12. c. 1. gives
of Aspasia
wise and fair:
but the man was churlish and evil in his doings; morose and
ill natured in the temper and disposition of his mind
and wicked in his
conversation
and fraudulent and oppressive in his dealings with men:
and he was of the house of Caleb; or he was a CalebiteF23כלבו "keri" כלבי
"Calibita"
Pagninus
Montanus; "Calebita" Tigurine
version
Junius & Tremcilius
Piscator.
a descendant of that great and
good man Caleb the son of Jephunneh; which was an aggravation of his
wickedness
that he should be the degenerate plant of such a noble vine: some
interpret it
he was as his heart
as his heart was bad
so was he; some men
their outside is better than their inside; but this man was no hypocrite
he
was as bad outwardly as he was inwardly: the word "Caleb" sometimes
signifies a dog; hence the Septuagint version renders it
a doggish man
a
cynic; and to the same purpose are the Syriac and Arabic versions; and so some
Jewish writers interpret it; but the Targum
Jarchi
and Kimchi
supply it as
we do
that he was of the house or family of Caleb
and so of the tribe of
Judah
as David was.
1 Samuel 25:4 4 When David heard in the
wilderness that Nabal was shearing his sheep
YLT
4And David heareth in the
wilderness that Nabal is shearing his flock
And David heard in the wilderness
.... In the wilderness of
Paran
where he was
and a wilderness it was to him
being in want of food
as
the following relation shows:
that Nabal did shear his sheep; when there was generally
good living
and so a proper person
and a proper time
for David to apply for
the relief of his wants.
1 Samuel 25:5 5 David sent ten young men;
and David said to the young men
“Go up to Carmel
go to Nabal
and greet him
in my name.
YLT
5and David sendeth ten young
men
and David saith to the young men
`Go ye up to Carmel
and ye have come in
unto Nabal
and asked of him in my name of welfare
And David sent out ten young men
.... Such persons
and
such a number of them
he sent to show honour and reverence to Nabal:
and David said
unto the young men
get ye up to Carmel; which lay
higher than the wilderness
in which he was:
and go to Nabal
and greet him in my name; ask him of
his peace and welfare
as the Targum; wish all health and happiness in my name
present my service and best respects to him.
1 Samuel 25:6 6 And thus you shall say to
him who lives in prosperity: ‘Peace be to you
peace to your
house
and peace to all that you have!
YLT
6and said thus: To life! and
thou
peace; and thy house
peace; and all that thou hast -- peace!
And thus shall ye say to him that liveth in prosperity
.... That
lives
while others
as David and his men
might be rather said to starve than
live; they lived in great meanness
but he in great abundance
and therefore in
a capacity to give to others
and particularly to relieve them: or the sense
is
they should say to him
"thus" shall it be
or may it be
"for life": for the time of life
for the year to come; at this time
next year
at next sheep shearing
mayest thou be in as great prosperity then
as now
and even all the days of thy life:
peace be both to thee
and peace be to thine house
and peace be unto all that thou hast; that is
all prosperity
to thy person in soul and body
to thy family
wife
children and servants
and
let the same attend thy estate
cattle
farms
fields
vineyards
and all that
belong to thee; and wish for a blessing on him
and his
and all that were his
or he had; a more extensive one could not well be made.
1 Samuel 25:7 7 Now I have heard that you
have shearers. Your shepherds were with us
and we did not hurt them
nor was
there anything missing from them all the while they were in Carmel.
YLT
7and
now
I have heard that
thou hast shearers; now
the shepherds whom thou hast have been with us
we
have not put them to shame
nor hath anything been looked after by them
all
the days of their being in Carmel.
And now I have heard that thou hast shearers
.... Men
employed in shearing his sheep
which was a time of feasting and gladness
and
therefore David sent his young men to him at this time with his compliments
upon it; and in order to obtain what he intended by this message to him
he
observes the favours he and his men had done to his servants
and the
advantages which they had received from them:
now thy shepherds which were with us; feeding their
sheep near the wilderness of Paran
which was not far from Carmel and Maon:
we hurt them not; by taking any of their sheep and lambs from
them
or by abusing
beating them
or giving them ill language; or "did
not put them to shame"F24לא הכלמנום "non affecimus verccundia eos"
Montanus;
so some in Vatablus.
by denying them anything they asked of them
which was
in their power to grant
nor mocked and scoffed at them
and jeered them on
account of their occupation:
neither was there ought missing unto them; they did not
steal a sheep or lamb from them
as was common for soldiers to do; nor did they
suffer any of the Arabs
that dwelt in the wilderness of Paran
to rob them
who lived upon plunder
or any of the wild beasts to hurt them
as much as in
them lay; so careful were they of them
and were a wall unto them by night and
day
as Nabal's servants owned
1 Samuel 25:16; and
this was the case:
all the while they were in Carmel; or in the fields
1 Samuel 25:15;
which were joining to the wilderness of Paran.
1 Samuel 25:8 8 Ask your young men
and
they will tell you. Therefore let my young men find favor in your eyes
for we come on a feast day. Please give whatever comes to your hand to your
servants and to your son David.’”
YLT
8`Ask thy young men
and
they declare to thee
and the young men find grace in thine eyes
for on a good
day we have come; give
I pray thee
that which thy hand findeth
to thy
servants
and to thy son
to David.'
Ask thy young men
and they will show thee
.... The
shepherds before mentioned
who kept their flocks hard by them:
wherefore let the young men find favour in thine eyes; the ten young
men David sent to Nabal:
for we are come in a good day; a day in which Nabal
made a feast for his shearers
as was usual then
and still is
see 2 Samuel 13:23; and
at such times as persons are generally cheerful and merry
so free and liberal
and as there were plenty of provisions
not only enough for the guests and
shearers
but to spare
and there was no need for an increase of expense
it
might upon the whole be concluded it was a proper time for David to apply for
accommodations for himself and his men:
give
I pray thee
whatsoever cometh to thine hand unto thy
servants
and to thy son David; he did not request
anything extraordinary of him
or to put him to any expense
but what was at
hand
and he could spare
he prayed him to deliver to the young men he sent
for their use
and the use of other his servants
and particularly David
who
styled himself his son
being of the same tribe with Nabal
and Nabal his
senior.
1 Samuel 25:9 9 So when David’s young men
came
they spoke to Nabal according to all these words in the name of David
and waited.
YLT
9And the young men of David
come in
and speak unto Nabal according to all these words
in the name of
David -- and rest.
And when David's young men came
.... To Carmel:
they spake to Nabal according to all those words in the name of
David; they delivered their message punctually and exactly
in the very
words
or however according to the purport of them
in David's name
as he
enjoined them:
and ceased: from speaking
waiting for Nabal's answer; or "they
rested"F25וינוחו "et
quieverunt"
Pagninus
Montanus
Munster.
from the fatigues of their
journey; which they did not until they had delivered their message to Nabal
and then they took the liberty to sit down and rest themselves; but the former
sense seems best
and is preferred by MaimonidesF26Moreh Nevochim
par. 1. c. 67. .
1 Samuel 25:10 10 Then Nabal answered
David’s servants
and said
“Who is David
and who is the son of
Jesse? There are many servants nowadays who break away each one from his
master.
YLT
10And Nabal answereth the
servants of David and saith
`Who [is] David
and who the son of Jesse? to-day
have servants been multiplied who are breaking away each from his master;
And Nabal answered David's servants
and said
.... In a very
haughty manner
in great wrath
just as churlish covetous persons do
when they
do not care to give what is asked of them:
who is David? and who is the son of Jesse; his two
questions
which relate to the same person
do not well agree together
since
by both he would suggest as if he knew not the person they came from
and whose
name they made use of: had he stopped at the first question
it might have gone
so
but his second question betrays him
and plainly shows he did know him
though he speaks with contempt of him
calling him "the son of
Jesse"
as Saul often did
1 Samuel 20:27.
Abarbinel
of all interpreters
is of opinion only
that Nabal did not say this
disrespectfully of David
and to his dishonour; he knew he was the Lord's
anointed
and the king's son-in-law; but the sense
according to him
is
"who is David? and who is the son of Jesse?" are they
not one man? but though he is the son of Jesse
and prides himself saying
I
shall be king
I should not regard that
but would send him corn
and bread
and food
as much as is needful for his own use; but what can I do when there
are so many servants? for they are six hundred of them
and they are too many
to relieve:
there be many servants nowadays that break away every man from his
master; which words also the same writer thinks have no reference to
David
only to his men; but they seem plainly to strike at David himself
and
suggest that he had revolted from and rebelled against Saul his master
as well
as received and protected fugitives and renegades
such as fled from their
masters and from their creditors; see 1 Samuel 22:2.
1 Samuel 25:11 11 Shall I then take my bread
and my water and my meat that I have killed for my shearers
and give it
to men when I do not know where they are from?”
YLT
11and I have taken my bread
and my water
and my flesh
which I slaughtered for my shearers
and have given
[it] to men whom I have not known whence they [are]!'
Shall I then take my bread
and my water
.... Which
include all food and liquors
everything eatable and drinkable; and
"water" may be particularly mentioned
because very scarce in the
wilderness
and so precious; though the Septuagint version has "wine"
instead of "water":
and my flesh which I have killed for my shearers; whether oxen
or sheep
or lambs
as there might be of each sort
for an entertainment made
on such an occasion:
and give it unto men whom I know not whence they be? which is
another argument Abarbinel makes use of that he meant not David
but his men
only
because he did not know who and from whence they were.
1 Samuel 25:12 12 So David’s young men
turned on their heels and went back; and they came and told him all these
words.
YLT
12And the young men of David
turn on their way
and turn back
and come in
and declare to him according to
all these words.
So David's young men turned their way
.... Their
backs on him
without making any reply; and though they did not return railing
for railing
they treated him with silent contempt; and though they did not
offer to do any injury to his person
nor to take anything away by force
yet
they were determined to report this usage to David
who they doubted not would
avenge the affront put on him and them:
and went again; to the wilderness from whence they came:
and came and told him all these sayings; rude and
reproachful ones
just as they were delivered.
1 Samuel 25:13 13 Then David said to his
men
“Every man gird on his sword.” So every man girded on his sword
and David
also girded on his sword. And about four hundred men went with David
and two
hundred stayed with the supplies.
YLT
13And David saith to his men
`Gird ye on each his sword;' and they gird on each his sword
and David also
girdeth on his sword
and there go up after David about four hundred men
and
two hundred have remained by the vessels.
And David said unto his men
.... Provoked to the last
degree to have such a rude churlish answer returned to such a civil and humble
message as he had sent:
gird you on every man his sword; and prepare to march and
chastise Nabal for his insolence:
and they girded on every man his sword; in obedience
to David
and in vindication of his honour and their own:
and David also girded on his sword; in order to march at the
head of them
fired with indignation at the affront given him:
and there went up after David about four hundred men; out of the
six hundred he had with him
1 Samuel 23:13
and two hundred abode by the stuff; the baggage in their
camp; the Targum is
they"were left to watch the vessels;'the things
necessary for their use
for the dressing of their food
their bedding
&c.
1 Samuel 25:14 14 Now one of the young men
told Abigail
Nabal’s wife
saying
“Look
David sent messengers from the
wilderness to greet our master; and he reviled them.
YLT
14And to Abigail wife of
Nabal hath one young man of the youths declared
saying
`Lo
David hath sent
messengers out of the wilderness to bless our lord
and he flieth upon them;
But one of the young men told Abigail
Nabal's wife
.... Not one
of David's young men
as what follows shows
but one of Nabal's young men or
servants
one of those David directs him to for the truth of what he said
1 Samuel 25:8; this
was one of those that had been employed in feeding sheep in the wilderness
where David was
and knew him
but was now at Carmel
and was present when
David's messengers came to Nabal
and was privy to what passed:
saying
David sent messengers out of the wilderness to salute our
master; in a very kind and handsome manner
to ask of his peace and
welfare
and to wish him all happiness and prosperity; or "masters"F25אדנינו "dominus nostros"
Malvenda. master and
mistress
including both Nabal and Abigail:
and he railed on them; gave them very abusive
language
represented David and his men as a parcel of scoundrels
fugitives
and runaway servants
1 Samuel 25:10; or
"he flew at them"F26ויעט בהם "et involavit in eos"
Coccei Lex. col. 607.
; or "upon" them
in great wrath and fury
calling them hard names
bidding them begone about their business; the allusion is to a ravenous bird
which will fly at persons when it apprehends its young in any danger.
1 Samuel 25:15 15 But the men were
very good to us
and we were not hurt
nor did we miss anything as long as we
accompanied them
when we were in the fields.
YLT
15and the men [are] very good
to us
and have not put us to shame
and we have not looked after anything all
the days we have gone up and down with them
in our being in the field;
But the men were very good unto us
.... Very kind
and civil
yea
very useful and serviceable
even all the messengers David sent
and Nabal railed on
yea
all David's men
and therefore deserved better
treatment than they met with from Nabal:
and we were not hurt; neither by them nor
others:
neither missed we anything: of our flocks
or
anything belonging to us; they neither robbed us themselves
nor suffered
others to rob us:
as long as we were conversant with them
when we were in the
fields; feeding the sheep by them: thus he confirms everything that
David said of himself and his men; see Gill on 1 Samuel 25:7
and
says even more of them to their commendation
as follows.
1 Samuel 25:16 16 They were a wall to us
both by night and day
all the time we were with them keeping the sheep.
YLT
16a wall they have been unto
us both by night and by day
all the days of our being with them
feeding the
flock.
They were a wall unto us both by night and day
....
Protecting and defending them against the Philistines
who
as they robbed the
threshing floors of Keilah
would have plundered the flocks of Nabal; or it may
be rather against the incursions of the Arabs in the wilderness of Paran
the
posterity of Ishmael
who lived by plunder
and against the wild beasts of the
desert
who otherwise would have carried off many of their sheep and lambs
by
night or by day:
all the while we were with them keeping the sheep; all which
showed how reasonable it was that Nabal should have used them well
and given
them a portion of his entertainment at his sheep shearing; for had it not been
for them
he would not have had so many sheep to shear as he had.
1 Samuel 25:17 17 Now therefore
know and consider
what you will do
for harm is determined against our master and against all his
household. For he is such a scoundrel[b] that one
cannot speak to him.”
YLT
17`And
now
know and
consider what thou dost; for evil hath been determined against our lord
and
against all his house
and he [is] too much a son of worthlessness to be spoken
to.'
Now therefore know and consider what thou wilt do
.... For the
preservation of her family:
for evil is determined against our master
and against all his
household; which he concluded
either from something that dropped from
David's messengers
as they turned away from Nabal; or from the martial spirit
of David himself
who would never put up such an affront and indignity cast
upon him; or from some intelligence he had of David's arming his men
and
marching to take vengeance:
for he is such a son of Belial
that a man cannot
speak to him; meaning Nabal
who was such a worthless
passionate
and ill
natured man
such a lawless and imperious one
that he would not suffer a man
to speak to him about anything; and it was to no purpose to attempt it
which
was a reason this servant did not choose to speak to him about this affair
but
to Abigail; and suggests
that it would signify nothing for her to speak to him
about it
but it would be most advisable for her to consider with herself what
was to be done immediately
without consulting him: the words may be rendered
"for he is a son of Belial that speaks unto him"F1מדבר אליו "loquens ad
cum". ; or when "he speaks unto him"
or it is told him; meaning
not the servant that reported to David what Nabal said; for Abarbinel observes
there were ten of them
and therefore it could not be said of them
he is a son
of Belial; but rather David himself
as he and Kimchi observe it may be
interpreted of; that though he was so good and upright a man
yet when it
should be told him how Nabal had treated him
he would be so provoked at it
that he would become and act like a son of Belial; storm and rage
and vow
destruction to Nabal and his family
and come out with his whole army to
destroy them; but the first sense is best.
1 Samuel 25:18 18 Then Abigail made haste
and took two hundred loaves of bread
two skins of wine
five sheep
already dressed
five seahs of roasted grain
one hundred clusters of
raisins
and two hundred cakes of figs
and loaded them on donkeys.
YLT
18And Abigail hasteth
and
taketh two hundred loaves
and two bottles of wine
and five sheep
prepared
and
five measures of roasted corn
and a hundred bunches of raisins
and two
hundred bunches of figs
and setteth [them] on the asses.
Then Abigail made haste
.... As the case
required
her family being in imminent danger:
and took two hundred loaves; of bread; of what size
or weight they were is not said; though it may be reasonably concluded they
were pretty large
since they are not called cakes
but loaves
and since they
were to be a present to David and his men
who were numerous:
and two bottles of wine; not such as ours are
which would have borne no proportion to the rest of the provision; but these
were leathern bags which held a large quantity
in which they put and carried
wine in those times and countries; the Septuagint version is
two vessels or
casks of wine:
and five sheep ready dressed; killed and dressed by
the butcher
or made ready by the cook
boiled or roasted; the word which the
Targum uses
according to the interpretation of Jarchi
from one of their
Rabbins
signifies such as were stuffed with small pieces of meat
and eggs in
them
or
as it should seem
made into pastries:
and five measures of parched corn; or five
seahs
a measure which held
according to Bishop CumberlandF2Of
Scripture Weights and Measures
ch. 3. p. 86.
two wine gallons
four bottles
and a little more; of this parched corn; see Gill on 1 Samuel 17:17;
where mention is made of an ephah of it; and the Septuagint version has the
same measure here
and calls them five ephahs of flour:
and an hundred clusters of raisins; or dried grapes
as the
Targum; the Septuagint is
one omer of them
which was the tenth part of an
ephah:
and two hundred cakes of figs; which were dried
and
pressed
and made into lumps
and she took two hundred of these; or
as the
Targum
two hundred pound weight of them:
and laid them on asses; one not being sufficient
to carry all this provision.
1 Samuel 25:19 19 And she said to her servants
“Go on before me; see
I am coming after you.” But she did not tell her husband
Nabal.
YLT
19And she saith to her young
men
`Pass over before me; lo
after you I am coming;' and to her husband Nabal
she hath not declared [it];
And she said to her servants
go on before me
.... With the
present
the sight of which she wisely considered would in a great measure
pacify David
and prepare him to hear patiently what she had to say to him:
behold
I come after you; signifying it would not
be long before she came up to them
and overtook them:
but she told not her husband Nabal; neither the danger he
and his family were in through his conduct
nor the preparations she had made
to prevent it; knowing his perverse and obstinate disposition
that it would take
up too much time to reason with him
and persuade him
and bring him into
proper measures; and which may be observed to excuse the conduct of Abigail in
doing what she did
and taking and disposing of her husband's gods
without his
knowledge and leave; the case required haste
and it was done to preserve him
and his family from imminent ruin; and besides
he might not be in a fit
condition to be spoken to
being drunk with passion
or with wine
or both
see
1 Samuel 25:36; and
no doubt she was directed by the Spirit of God to do what she did; and this
being an extraordinary case
is not to be drawn into an example.
1 Samuel 25:20 20 So it was
as she rode
on the donkey
that she went down under cover of the hill; and there were David
and his men
coming down toward her
and she met them.
YLT
20and it hath come to pass
she is riding on the ass and is coming down in the secret part of the
hill-country
and lo
David and his men are coming down to meet her
and she
meeteth them.
And it was so
as she rode on the ass
.... After her
servants:
that she came down
by the covert of the hill; by the side
of it
which was covered with bushes
and she rode among them
in a way that
led through them
and so was not seen by David and his men; or by the shadow of
the hill
toward the bottom of it
where by reason of that
and the opposite
hill
it was darkish
and they could not see each other:
and
behold
David and his men came down against her; came down a
hill opposite to that she came down:
and she met them; in the valley between two hills.
1 Samuel 25:21 21 Now David had said
“Surely in vain I have protected all that this fellow has in the
wilderness
so that nothing was missed of all that belongs to him. And
he has repaid me evil for good.
YLT
21And David said
`Only
in
vain I have kept all that this [one] hath in the wilderness
and nothing hath
been looked after of all that he hath
and he turneth back to me evil for good;
Now David had said
.... When the messengers returned and told
him how they had been used by Nabal; or he "said"F3אמר "ait"
V. L. "dixit"
Pagninus
Montanus; "dicebat"
Vatablus.
or was saying within himself
or to
his men
what follows
just as Abigail met him:
surely in vain have I kept all that this fellow hath in the
wilderness; which shows that lie was in a violent passion
and had Nabal in
the utmost contempt and indignation
in that he mentions not his name
only
says "this"
this man or follow; leaving a blank to be filled up with
the most ignominious name and character that could be thought of; and repents
that he had taken so much care of his flocks when they were feeding by him in
the wilderness:
so that nothing was missed of all that pertained unto him; and seems to
have wished he had suffered his flocks to have been robbed by the Arabs
or
worried by wild beasts
since he had been such an ungrateful wretch to him:
and he hath requited me evil for good; he had requited
evil to him by denying to send him any of his provisions
and by abusing him
and his men with opprobrious language; and this was done in return for the good
deeds he had done in protecting his servants and his flocks in the wilderness
and for the good words and respectful message he had sent unto him.
1 Samuel 25:22 22 May God do so
and more
also
to the enemies of David
if I leave one male of all who belong to
him by morning light.”
YLT
22thus doth God do to the
enemies of David
and thus He doth add
if I leave of all that he hath till the
light of the morning -- of those sitting on the wall.'
So and more also do God unto the enemies of David
.... Give them
as much health and prosperity
as much wealth and riches
as Nabal has
and
much more:
if I leave of all that pertain to him
by the morning
light
any that pisseth against the wall; which is generally
understood of a dog
that he
would not leave him so much as a dog: but it is
better
with Ben Gersom
to interpret it of the males in his house
himself
his sons
and servants; and so the Targum paraphrases it of reasonable
creatures
of such"that know knowledge
'or are knowing and understanding
creatures; it seems to have been towards the evening; of the day when David was
marching towards Nabal's house
designing to fall upon him and his
amidst
their jollity that night
and cut them all off before morning. This must be
imputed to the sudden and violent passion David was thrown into when off his
guard
through the necessity he was in
the disappointment he met with
and the
opprobrious language he was treated with; but in this his conduct was not as it
used to be
and as it was towards Saul his enemy. Nor is his rage and passion
to be vindicated
or the rash vow he made to destroy Nabal and his family; his
crime
though great
yet not to be published with death; his ingratitude and
insolence deserved resentment
but were not capital crimes worthy of death
and
especially of the destruction of his whole family; the Jews indeed make him to
be guilty of treason
in that he knew that David was anointed king
and yet
both abused him
and disobeyed his commands
and therefore being guilty of
overt acts of treason
he and his were deserving of death; but David was not
yet king.
1 Samuel 25:23 23 Now when Abigail saw
David
she dismounted quickly from the donkey
fell on her face before David
and bowed down to the ground.
YLT
23And Abigail seeth David
and hasteth and cometh down from off the ass
and falleth before David on her
face
and boweth herself to the earth
And when Abigail saw David
.... Whom she either knew
personally
or rather supposed who he was by the number of men that followed
him:
she hasted
and alighted off the ass; on which she
rode:
and fell before David on her face
and bowed herself to the ground; in respect
to
and reverence of
so great a person as David was.
1 Samuel 25:24 24 So she fell at his feet
and said: “On me
my lord
on me let this iniquity be! And
please let your maidservant speak in your ears
and hear the words of your
maidservant.
YLT
24and falleth at his feet and
saith
`On me
my lord
the iniquity; and let
I pray thee
thy handmaid speak
in thine ear
and hear the words of thy handmaid.
And fell at his feet
.... As an humble
supplicant
having a favour to ask of him; it is very probable David was on
foot:
and said
upon me
my lord
upon me let this
iniquity be; which her husband had been guilty of; she desires it might be
transferred from him to her
and be reckoned as if done by her; she would have
it imputed to herself
and all the blame lie upon her
and the punishment for
it be inflicted on her; for iniquity may be put for the punishment of iniquity:
this was very artfully said
as well as expressed great affection for her
husband
and care of his life; for she knew
if she could get the fault removed
from him to her
she would be able to vindicate herself
and her innocence
would soon appear; nor would this strong affection for her husband fail of
answering some good purpose
as she full well knew:
and let thine handmaid
I pray thee
speak in thine audience and
hear the words of thine handmaid: as it was but reasonable
she should be heard
since she stood now as the criminal
taking all the blame
of her husband's conduct on herself.
1 Samuel 25:25 25 Please
let not my lord
regard this scoundrel Nabal. For as his name is
so is he: Nabal[c] is
his name
and folly is with him! But I
your maidservant
did not see
the young men of my lord whom you sent.
YLT
25`Let not
I pray thee
my
lord set his heart to this man of worthlessness
on Nabal
for as his name [is]
so [is] he; Nabal [is] his name
and folly [is] with him; and I
thine
handmaid
did not see the young men of my lord whom thou didst send;
Let not my lord
I pray thee
regard this man of Belial
even Nabal
.... He is a
worthless man
it must be owned
a weak foolish man
rather to be despised than
regarded by him; what either he says or does is unworthy of the notice of any
and much less of so great a person as David was:
for as his name is
so is he; his natural
disposition
genius
and conduct
agree with his name; when anyone knows his
name
he may judge what is to be expected from him:
Nabal is his name: which signifies a fool:
and folly
in Hebrew
"Nebalah":
is with him; attends all
his words and actions. This character of her husband
though no doubt a just
one
yet it would not have been right in her to have given it
whose folly she
should rather have concealed
but that it was his well known character; and she
observes it not to reproach him with it
but to excuse his sin
his rudeness
and ingratitude and preserve his life; and suggests that what he had done was
not to be imputed to malice in his heart
but to his stupidity and folly
and
so not to be regarded
and was not a peculiar single action of his
but what he
was daily more or less guilty of; his folly was with him wherever he went and
appeared in everything he said or did
and therefore to be overlooked and
despised:
but I thine handmaid saw not the young men of my lord
whom thou
didst send: as she had taken the blame upon herself
now she answers for
herself
and pleads ignorance of his messengers
and their message; she had not
so much as seen them with her eyes
and much less heard their message when
reported; had she
she would have taken care
she intimates
that it should
have been attended to; having so much interest in her husband
that she could
have prevailed on him to have used them with civility
and granted their
request.
1 Samuel 25:26 26 Now therefore
my lord
as
the Lord
lives and as your soul lives
since the Lord has held you
back from coming to bloodshed and from avenging yourself with your own hand
now then
let your enemies and those who seek harm for my lord be as Nabal.
YLT
26and now
my lord
Jehovah
liveth
and thy soul liveth
in that Jehovah hath withheld thee from coming in
with blood
and to save thy hand to thee -- now let thine enemies be as Nabal
even those seeking evil unto my lord.
Now therefore
my lord
as the Lord liveth
and as
thy soul liveth
.... Which is an oath
and respects either what goes before
that
she never saw the young men that were sent to Nabal
or to what follows
the
providence of God in preventing David from shedding blood
which she was sure
of by an impulse on her own mind
and by observing a change in David's
countenance:
seeing the Lord hath withholden thee from coming to shed
blood
and from avenging thyself with thine own hand; she does not
impute this to her prudence
and the provision she made to appease David
and
prevent him from shedding the blood he intended
and taking the vengeance he
had resolved on; but to the Lord
and the interposition of his providence
which she knew would have its weight on the mind of so good a man as David was;
who upon reflection would be thankful that he had been prevented from shedding
innocent blood
as the Targum calls it:
now let thine enemies
and they that seek evil to my lord
be as
Nabal; meaning Saul and those with him
wishing they might be as
inconsiderable as Nabal; as unable
as weak
and impotent as he to do him any
hurt
and as short lived
and cut off by the hand God
as he would be; for
according to Jarchi
she prophesied under the direction of the Holy Spirit. It
may be observed that in 1 Samuel 25:24
she
frequently gives David the title of "my lord"
in reverence of him
and to atone for the rudeness and insolence of her husband
in speaking of him
as a runaway servant
1 Samuel 25:10.
1 Samuel 25:27 27 And now this present which
your maidservant has brought to my lord
let it be given to the young men who
follow my lord.
YLT
27`And
now
this blessing
which thy maid-servant hath brought to my lord -- it hath been given to the
young men who are going up and down at the feet of my lord.
And now this blessing
which thine handmaid hath brought unto my
lord
.... The present
consisting of the things mentioned in 1 Samuel 25:18;
which came as a blessing from God
and with good will from her:
let it even be given unto the young men that follow my lord; the servants
of David: in the original it is
"that walk at the feet of my lord":
and which the Targum paraphrases
"who minister before my lord"; and
so Abigail's damsels are called "pedissequae"
or "that walked
at her feet"
1 Samuel 25:42; and
with the Romans
in later times
servants were called a "pedibus" and
"pedissequi"F4Vid. Pignorium de Servis
p. 140
248
293.
. This also is very artfully said
as if the present was not good enough for
David
and worthy of his acceptance; might be agreeable to his men
and of
service to them.
1 Samuel 25:28 28 Please forgive the
trespass of your maidservant. For the Lord will certainly make for
my lord an enduring house
because my lord fights the battles of the Lord
and evil is
not found in you throughout your days.
YLT
28`Bear
I pray thee
with
the transgression of thy handmaid
for Jehovah doth certainly make to my lord a
stedfast house; for the battles of Jehovah hath my lord fought
and evil is not
found in thee [all] thy days.
I pray thee
forgive the trespass of thine handmaid
.... The
trespasses
as the Targum
either the sin of her husband
she had taken upon
herself
or her boldness in troubling him with her petitions and solicitations
and even with the present she had brought:
for the Lord will certainly make my lord a sure house; or a firm
kingdom
as the Targum; would raise him to the kingdom of Israel
and establish
it in his posterity
that it should not be taken from him
as it would be from
Saul:
because my lord fighteth the battles of the Lord; the battles
of the people of the Lord
as the Targum
of the people of Israel against the
Philistines; which he had often done with success
the Lord being with him
and
prospering him and therefore would firmly settle him on the throne
and
continue the kingdom in his posterity:
and evil hath not been found in thee all thy days; no unjust
action had been committed by him against his king and country
however he had
been reproached and calumniated; and she hoped that therefore none would be
done by him now to stain so fair a character.
1 Samuel 25:29 29 Yet a man has risen to
pursue you and seek your life
but the life of my lord shall be bound in the
bundle of the living with the Lord your God; and the lives
of your enemies He shall sling out
as from the pocket of a sling.
YLT
29And man riseth to pursue
thee and to seek thy soul
and the soul of my lord hath been bound in the
bundle of life with Jehovah thy God; as to the soul of thine enemies
He doth
sling them out in the midst of the hollow of the sling.
Yet a man is risen to pursue thee
and to seek thy soul
.... His life
to take it away
meaning Saul
whom she chose not to name
because he was king:
but the soul of my lord shall be bound up in the bundle of life
with the Lord thy God; should be dear unto the Lord
precious in his esteem
and be
carefully preserved by him
among other his chosen ones
and should be safe
with him
in his hands
and under his care and keeping; the Jews refer this to
eternal life in the world to come
and the safety and security of his soul
hereafter; so the Targum
"the soul of my lord shall be treasured up in the
treasury of eternal life
before the Lord thy God:'hence they speak of the
souls of the righteous being laid up under the throne of gloryF5T.
Bab. Sabbat
fol. 152. 2.
in proof of which they produce this text; and so
MaimonidesF6Moreh Nevochim
par. 1. c. 41. understands it of what
should be after death
see Revelation 6:9
and the souls of thine enemies
them shall he sling out
as out
of the middle of a sling; that is
remove them swiftly and suddenly
and with force
out
of the world
as a stone is slung out of the middle of a sling; see Jeremiah 10:18.
1 Samuel 25:30 30 And it shall come to pass
when the Lord
has done for my lord according to all the good that He has spoken concerning
you
and has appointed you ruler over Israel
YLT
30`And it hath been
when
Jehovah doth to my lord according to all the good which He hath spoken
concerning thee
and appointed thee for leader over Israel
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
.... Performed
his promise
especially with respect to his kingdom
as follows:
and shall have appointed thee ruler over Israel; that is
actually raised him to be
and settled him as king upon the throne of Israel;
for he was both appointed and anointed already; and this Abigail knew
and was
now well known in Israel
and the common talk of the people.
1 Samuel 25:31 31 that this will be no grief
to you
nor offense of heart to my lord
either that you have shed blood
without cause
or that my lord has avenged himself. But when the Lord has dealt well
with my lord
then remember your maidservant.”
YLT
31that this is not to thee
for a stumbling-block
and for an offence of heart to my lord -- either to shed
blood for nought
or my lord's restraining himself; and Jehovah hath done good
to my lord
and thou hast remembered thy handmaid.'
This shall be no grief unto thee
nor offence of heart unto my
lord
.... It would give him no trouble
nor distress of mind
or sit
uneasy on his conscience:
either that thou hast shed blood causeless
or that my lord hath
avenged himself; which she suggests it might do
if he had shed the blood of
Nabal's family
his children and servants
who were no ways concerned with him
in his rudeness and ingratitude; or had avenged himself on him for the same
by
taking away his life
which such crimes
however great and aggravated
did not
deserve; but
on the contrary
it would be a satisfaction and pleasure to him
to reflect upon it
that he had passed over such an offence
and shed no blood
on account of it:
but when the Lord shall have dealt well with my lord; by delivering
him out of the hands of all his enemies
and have raised him to
and settled
him on the throne of Israel
of which she made no doubt:
then remember thine handmaid; the advice she gave not
to shed blood
and take vengeance
for which he would then be thankful
and
gratefully remember: some
as Ben Gersom
think she said this under a spirit of
prophecy
that Nabal should die quickly
and she should be David's wife; but
rather her meaning is
that when he should be king
and she should apply to him
on any account
to have justice done her
and to be assisted and relieved when
oppressed
that he would then remember her
and show her favour.
1 Samuel 25:32 32 Then David said to
Abigail: “Blessed is the Lord God of Israel
who sent
you this day to meet me!
YLT
32And David saith to Abigail
`Blessed [is] Jehovah
God of Israel
who hath sent thee this day to meet me
And David said to Abigail
.... Having heard her
out
and being overcome with her rhetoric and powerful arguments:
blessed be the Lord God of Israel
which sent thee this day
to meet me; who put it into her heart to come out and meet him
and
endeavour to avert him from his bad design
which his heart was set upon; he
saw plainly the hand of God in it
and in the first place acknowledges the
goodness of divine Providence
in directing her to take the step she did.
1 Samuel 25:33 33 And blessed is your
advice and blessed are you
because you have kept me this day from
coming to bloodshed and from avenging myself with my own hand.
YLT
33and blessed [is] thy
discretion
and blessed [art] thou in that thou hast restrained me this day
from coming in with blood
and to restrain my hand to myself.
And blessed be thy advice
.... Thanks be to God
and to thee for it
being wise
good
and seasonable; or "thy taste"F7טעמך "sapor tuus"
Piscator; "discretio
tua"
Montanus.
thy good sense
knowledge
as the Targum
discretion
prudence
and understanding:
and blessed be thou which hast kept me this day from coming
to shed blood; he came out with a full resolution to shed the blood of Nabal
and of all the males in his house
but was stopped by Abigail; who by her
arguments so prevailed upon him as to cause him to desist from his design
and
thankful he was to God for it; for though he had vowed he would destroy Nabal and
his family
yet being a rash sinful vow
he saw it was better to break it than
to keep it:
and from avenging myself with mine own hand; which to do
would have been sinful
vengeance only belonging to God; and now he leaves it
to him
and is very thankful that he was prevented doing it himself.
1 Samuel 25:34 34 For indeed
as the Lord God of Israel
lives
who has kept me back from hurting you
unless you had hurried and come
to meet me
surely by morning light no males would have been left to Nabal!”
YLT
34And yet
Jehovah liveth
God of Israel
who hath kept me back from doing evil with thee
for unless thou
hadst hasted
and dost come to meet me
surely there had not been left to Nabal
till the light of the morning
of those sitting on the wall.'
For in very deed
as the Lord God of Israel liveth
.... An oath
for the confirmation of what he was about to say:
which hath kept me back from hurting thee: from doing
any ill to her family
as he intended
though not to her person
his resolution
being only to slay the males; but that would have been an hurt
an evil
an
affliction to Abigail
from which the Lord in his providence restrained him
and that through her good advice:
except thou hadst hasted
and come to meet me: if she had
not made quick dispatch in preparing her present
or had stayed to persuade her
husband into her measures; if she had delayed a little longer
David would have
been at Nabal's house
executing his vengeance on him and his:
surely there had not been left unto Nabal
by the morning light
any that pisseth against the wall: See Gill on 1 Samuel 25:22.
1 Samuel 25:35 35 So David received from her
hand what she had brought him
and said to her
“Go up in peace to your house.
See
I have heeded your voice and respected your person.”
YLT
35And David receiveth from
her hand that which she hath brought to him
and to her he hath said
`Go up in
peace to thy house; see
I have hearkened to thy voice
and accept thy face.'
So David received of her hand that which she had brought
him
.... Her present
1 Samuel 25:18; and
which he kindly took for his own use
as well as for his men; for it was a
present for a prince:
and said to her
go up in peace to thine house; in peace of
mind
having her request granted
and nothing to fear from David and his men
and so might return home with the greatest safety in her own person
with those
that were with her
and be under no apprehensions of danger and destruction to
Nabal and his family:
see
I have hearkened to thy voice; to her arguments and
reasonings
which were powerful; to her petitions
which were granted; and to
her good counsel and advice
which he took:
and have accepted thy person: done as she desired
forgave the offence
and so lifted her up
as the word signifies
and made her
countenance cheerful; received her present kindly
and took well all she said
and did; and promised to grant her
for the future
anything that lay in his
power
whenever she should apply to him
see Job 42:8.
1 Samuel 25:36 36 Now Abigail went to Nabal
and there he was
holding a feast in his house
like the feast of a king. And
Nabal’s heart was merry within him
for he was very drunk;
therefore she told him nothing
little or much
until morning light.
YLT
36And Abigail cometh in unto
Nabal
and lo
he hath a banquet in his house
like a banquet of the king
and
the heart of Nabal [is] glad within him
and he [is] drunk unto excess
and she
hath not declared to him anything
less or more
till the light of the morning.
And Abigail came to Nabal
.... Having sped with
David
and taken her leave of him
she returned home to her husband Nabal:
and
behold
he held a feast in his house like the feast of a king; both for the
number of dishes on his table and of guests at it though only on the account of
sheep shearing; but very probably there were others that were invited to this
entertainment besides the shearers; covetous men are generally very profuse
when they make feasts:
and Nabal's heart was merry within him
for he was
very drunken: which was a very ill example for the master of the feast to set
and was one instance among others of his folly
and of his conduct answering to
his name:
wherefore she told him nothing less or more until the morning
light; where she had been
and what she had been about
the danger that
he and the whole family were in through his rude and churlish behaviour towards
David and his men
and how she had prevented it by a timely application to
David
meeting him when in full march
and in a great passion
and with a firm
resolution to destroy him and his; but finding Nabal in such a condition
bereaved of his reason
and incapable of attending to what she should say
said
not one word about it till the next morning.
1 Samuel 25:37 37 So it was
in the morning
when the wine had gone from Nabal
and his wife had told him these things
that
his heart died within him
and he became like a stone.
YLT
37And it cometh to pass in
the morning
when the wine is gone out from Nabal
that his wife declareth to
him these things
and his heart dieth within him
and he hath been as a stone.
But it came to pass in the morning
when the wine was gone out of
Nabal
.... When he had slept
and was become sober
and so capable of
attending to and understanding what might be related to him:
and his wife had told him these things; recorded in
this chapter
before observed:
that his heart died within him
and he became as a stone; he swooned
away
became as cold as a stone
and remained as senseless
spoke not a word
but lay in a stupor; the Jewish writers generally say this was occasioned by
the distress and uneasiness the present his wife carried to David gave him; but
it is more likely the sense of the danger that was impressed upon his mind
which he had been exposed to through his carriage to David and his men; who
he
feared
notwithstanding all his wife said would return and take vengeance on
him.
1 Samuel 25:38 38 Then it happened
after
about ten days
that the Lord
struck Nabal
and he died.
YLT
38And it cometh to pass
[in]
about ten days
that Jehovah smiteth Nabal
and he dieth
And it came to pass
about ten days after
.... After he
had lain in this stupid and senseless manner for ten days:
that the Lord smote Nabal
that he died; with some
disease or increased the grief of his heart
and the fears of his mind that he
died therewith.
1 Samuel 25:39 39 So when David heard that
Nabal was dead
he said
“Blessed be the Lord
who has
pleaded the cause of my reproach from the hand of Nabal
and has kept His
servant from evil! For the Lord has returned the
wickedness of Nabal on his own head.” And David sent and proposed to Abigail
to take her as his wife.
YLT
39and David heareth that
Nabal [is] dead
and saith
`Blessed [is] Jehovah who hath pleaded the cause of
my reproach from the hand of Nabal
and His servant hath kept back from evil
and the wickedness of Nabal hath Jehovah turned back on his own head;' and
David sendeth and speaketh with Abigail
to take her to him for a wife.
And when David heard that Nabal was dead
.... As he
soon might
Maon and Carmel not being far from the wilderness where David was:
he said
blessed be the Lord
that hath pleaded the cause
of my reproach from the hand of Nabal; not that he rejoiced at
the death of Nabal
simply considered
or from a private spirit of revenge; but
because of the glory of divine justice
which he had shown to him in
vindicating him from the reproach Nabal had cast upon him
and particularly was
thankful for what follows:
and hath kept his servant from evil; from slaying Nabal with
his own hand
and doing hurt to his family:
for the Lord hath returned the wickedness of Nabal upon his own
head; and upon no other
none of his family suffered but himself
and
which was another cause of thankfulness to David; had he been suffered to have
done as he in his wrath determined
not only Nabal
but all the males in his
house
had been cut off; but now
through the righteous judgment of God
only
Nabal suffered
and not any of his family:
and David sent and communed with Abigail; by his
messengers to her; or "concerning" herF8באביגיל περι
αβιγαιας
Sept. "de Abigail"
Vatabulus.
about marrying her:
to take her to him to wife; for being both a
beautiful and wise woman
he thought her a proper person to be his wife; which
she might lawfully become
Nabal being dead
and Michal
David's wife
being
taken from him
and given to another man
with whom she lived in adultery; or
as divorced by David
as the Jews say
David by the law of God was free from
her. These messengers were sent by David at a convenient time
at a proper
distance from the death of Nabal; and he chose rather to send messengers than
to go himself
lest being denied he should be put to shame
she being a rich
widow
and he a poor persecuted man
and that her answer might be entirely free
and unawed by him
and that it might appear that she was not taken to him by
force; and besides
such a method has been always reckoned most honourable with
great personages.
1 Samuel 25:40 40 When the servants of David
had come to Abigail at Carmel
they spoke to her saying
“David sent us to you
to ask you to become his wife.”
YLT
40And the servants of David
come in unto Abigail at Carmel
and speak unto her
saying
`David hath sent us
unto thee to take thee to him for a wife.'
And when the servants of David were come to Abigail to Carmel
.... For
though Nabal lived in Maon
yet having possessions in Camel
he had no doubt an
house there also; and here Abigail was
and perhaps chose to be after his
death
rather than at Maon:
they spake unto her; delivered the message to
her they were sent with by David:
saying
David sent us unto thee
to take thee to him to wife; that is
to
treat with her about his marriage to her
to propose it to her
and
if they
could prevail upon her
to bring her with them
that David might espouse her.
1 Samuel 25:41 41 Then she arose
bowed her
face to the earth
and said
“Here is your maidservant
a servant to wash the
feet of the servants of my lord.”
YLT
41And she riseth and boweth
herself -- face to the earth -- and saith
`Lo
thy handmaid [is] for a
maid-servant to wash the feet of the servants of my lord.'
And she arose
and bowed herself on her face to the earth
.... As she
did before David
1 Samuel 25:23; and
did as she would have done had he been present
considering his messengers as
representing him and therefore showed the same respect and reverence and did
the same honour
as if he had been there in person:
and said; expressed herself in such language as if David had been before
her:
behold
let thine handmaid be a servant to wash the
feet of the servants of my lord; which she said through her great humility
this being one of the meanest services she could be put to; intimating
that
she was so far from being worthy to be the wife of such a man that she was only
fit and it would be honour enough to her to perform the meanest services to
those that waited upon him; or her sense is that it would be enough for her to
be the wife of one of David's servants
and not his; it being the business of a
wife
as Ben Gersom observes to wash the feet of her husband.
1 Samuel 25:42 42 So Abigail rose in haste
and rode on a donkey
attended by five of her maidens; and she followed the
messengers of David
and became his wife.
YLT
42And Abigail hasteth and
riseth
and rideth on the ass; and five of her young women who are going at her
feet; and she goeth after the messengers of David
and is to him for a wife.
And Abigail hasted and arose
.... She had no objection
nor hesitation in her mind about marrying David but at once consented
and
immediately prepared for her journey
having as high an opinion
and as great
an esteem of David
as he of her; and though she was rich and he peer this was
no obstacle in the way
she knew and believed he would be king of Israel
1 Samuel 25:30; and
though he could not support her
she had enough to support herself
and supply
him
till he came to the throne: and
rode upon an ass
with five damsels of hers that went after her; whom she took
with her
partly to wait upon her
and partly for her honour
and the honour of
David
whom she was going to marry:
and she went after the messengers of David: not following
them directly
but some time after they were gone; partly for the sake of
decency
and partly that they going before might acquaint David with the
success of their message
and he might prepare to receive Abigail when she
came:
and became his wife; he espoused and married
her according to the custom of the times.
1 Samuel 25:43 43 David also took Ahinoam of
Jezreel
and so both of them were his wives.
YLT
43And Ahinoam hath David
taken from Jezreel
and they are -- even both of them -- to him for wives;
And David also took Ahinoam of Jezreel
.... A city in
the tribe of Judah
Joshua 15:56; that
is
he took her to wife
and as it seems before Abigail became his wife; see 2 Samuel 3:2
and they were also both of them his wives; polygamy
though not agreeably to the law of nature
nor the law of God
was a custom
which prevailed in those times
which good men gave into
though not to be
commended for it.
1 Samuel 25:44 44 But Saul had given Michal
his daughter
David’s wife
to Palti[d] the son of
Laish
who was from Gallim.
YLT
44and Saul gave Michal his
daughter
wife to David
to Phalti son of Laish
who [is] of Gallim.
But Saul had given Michal his daughter
David's wife
to Phalti
the son of Laish
.... Or "for Saul"
&c.F9ושאול "Saul enim"
Tigurine version; "nam
Saul"
Junius & Tremcillius
Piscator; so Pool and Patrick. ; which is
a reason for his marrying again
but no reason for marrying more wives than
one. Michal was his first wife
and they lived lovingly together
until David
was obliged to flee from Saul
and then he gave her to another; partly to vex
David
and partly if he could to break the relation between him and David
that
he might not be thought to be his son in law
and he to persecute one in such a
relation to him; and that this might not give David any show of claim
or be
the means of his rising to the throne. This Phalti
to whom he gave her
is
called Phaltiel
2 Samuel 3:15
which was of Gallim; which very probably was
a city in the tribe of Benjamin
since it is mentioned with several cities of
that tribe
and as near Gibeah of Saul
Isaiah 10:29.
──《John Gill’s
Exposition of the Bible》
New King James
Version (NKJV)