1 Samuel 25
25
Samuel’s Death
1Now Samuel died; and all Israel assembled and mourned for him, and they buried him at his house in Ramah. Then David left and went down to the Wilderness of Paran.
Nabal and Abigail
2Now there was a man in Maon whose business and possessions were 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 3(now the man’s name was Nabal and his wife’s name was Abigail. She was intelligent and beautiful in appearance, but the man was harsh and evil in his dealings; he was a #25:3 I.e. a descendant of Caleb.Calebite). 4David heard in the wilderness that Nabal was shearing his sheep. 5So David sent ten young men; and David said to the young men, “Go up to Carmel and go to Nabal, and #25:5 Lit ask him of his peace (welfare). It was customary to greet someone by asking him of his welfare (Heb shalom), like “How are you?” However, David specifies the greeting in v 6 without the actual question, so the question here (v 5) is just a way of saying, “greet him.”greet him in my name; 6and this is what you shall say, ‘#25:6 Lit To life!Have a long life! Peace be to you, and peace to your house, and peace to all that you have. 7Now I have heard that you have shearers. Now your shepherds have been with us and we have not harmed them, nor were they missing anything all the time they were in Carmel. 8Ask your young men and they will tell you. Therefore let my young men find favor in your sight [and be well-treated], for we have come on a #25:8 The time of shearing was a time of celebration and generosity.good (festive) day. #25:8 David and his men had given protection to Nabal’s flocks and shepherds, and it was appropriate for David to ask for compensation for this service.Please, give whatever you find at hand to your servants and to your son David.’ ”
9When David’s young men came, they spoke to Nabal according to all these words in the name of David; then they waited. 10But Nabal answered David’s servants and said, “Who is David? And who is the son of Jesse? #25:10 Nabal was insulting David and his men by implying that as far as he was concerned, they could be nothing but runaway slaves.There are many servants today, each of whom is breaking away from his master. 11So should I take my bread and my water and my meat that I have slaughtered for my shearers, and give it to men when I do not know where they are from?” 12So David’s young men made their way back and returned; and they came and told him everything that was said [to them by Nabal]. 13David said to his men, “Each man put on your sword.” So each man put on his sword. David also put on his sword, and about four hundred men went up behind David while two hundred stayed back with the provisions and supplies.
14But one of Nabal’s young men told Abigail, Nabal’s wife, “Listen, David sent messengers out of the wilderness to bless (greet) our master, and he shouted at them [in contempt]. 15But David’s men were very good to us, and we were not harmed or treated badly, nor did we miss anything as long as we were with them, when we were in the fields. 16They were a wall [of protection] to us both night and day, all the time that we were with them tending the sheep. 17Now then, know this and consider what you should do, for evil is [already] planned against our master and against all his household; but he is such a #25:17 Lit son of Belial.worthless and wicked man that one cannot speak [reasonably] to him.”
Abigail Intercedes
18Then Abigail hurried and took two hundred loaves of bread, two jugs of wine, five sheep already prepared [for roasting], five measures of roasted grain, a hundred clusters of raisins, and two hundred cakes of figs, and loaded them on donkeys. 19She said to her young men (servants), “Go on ahead of me; behold, I am coming after you.” But she did not tell her husband Nabal. 20It happened that as she was riding on her donkey and coming down by [way of] the hidden part of the mountain, that suddenly David and his men were coming down toward her, and she met them. 21Now David had said, “Surely in vain I have protected and guarded all that this man has in the wilderness, so that nothing was missing of all that belonged to him; and he has repaid me evil for good. 22May God do so to the enemies of David, and more also, if by morning I leave [alive] even one #25:22 Lit who urinates against a wall.male of any who belong to him.”
23When Abigail saw David, she hurried and dismounted from the donkey, and #25:23 Lit fell.kneeled face downward before David and bowed down to the ground [in respect]. 24#25:24 Lit Falling.Kneeling at his feet she said, “My lord, let the blame and guilt be on me alone. And please let your maidservant speak #25:24 Lit in your ears.to you, and listen to the words of your maidservant. 25Please do not let my lord #25:25 Lit set his heart to.pay attention to this worthless man, Nabal, for as his name is, so is he. Nabal (fool) is his #25:25 Nabal means “worthless, good for nothing.”name and foolishness (stupidity) is with him; but I your maidservant did not see my lord’s young men whom you sent.
26So now, my lord, as the Lord lives, and as your soul lives, since the Lord has prevented you from shedding blood, and from avenging yourself by your own hand, now then let your enemies and those who seek to do evil to my lord, be as [self-destructive as] Nabal. 27Now this gift, which your maidservant has brought my lord, let it be given to the young men who #25:27 Lit walk at the feet of.accompany and follow my lord. 28Please forgive the transgression of your maidservant; for the Lord will certainly make my lord a secure and enduring house, because my lord is fighting the battles of the Lord, and evil will not be found in you all your days. 29Should anyone rise up to pursue you and to seek your life, then the life of my lord will be bound in the [precious] bundle of the living with the Lord your God; but the lives of your enemies—those He will hurl out as from the center of a sling. 30And it will happen when the Lord does for my lord according to all the good that He has spoken (promised) concerning you, and appoints you ruler over Israel, 31that this [incident] will not cause grief or [bring] a troubled conscience to my lord, both by having shed blood without cause and by my lord having avenged himself. When the Lord deals well with my lord, then remember [with favor] your maidservant.”
32David said to Abigail, “Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, who sent you to meet me this day. 33And blessed be your discretion and discernment, and blessed be you, who has kept me from bloodshed this day and from avenging myself by my own hand. 34Nevertheless, as the Lord the God of Israel lives, who has prevented me from harming you, if you had not come quickly to meet me, most certainly by the morning light there would not have been left to Nabal so much as one male.” 35So David #25:35 Lit took from her hand.accepted what she had brought to him and said to her, “Go up to your house in peace. See, I have listened to you and have #25:35 Lit lifted up your face, an idiom used in various positive ways, probably based on the idea of a superior person permitting someone to look him in the eye.granted your request.”
36Then Abigail came to Nabal, and he was holding a feast in his house [for the shearers], like the feast of a king. And Nabal’s #25:36 Lit heart.mood was joyous because he was very drunk; so she told him nothing at all until the morning light. 37But in the morning, when #25:37 Lit the wine had gone out of.Nabal was sober, and his wife told him these things, his #25:37 Nabal probably suffered a stroke.heart died within him and he became [paralyzed and helpless] like a stone. 38About ten days later, the Lord struck Nabal and he died.
David Marries Abigail
39When David heard that Nabal was dead, he said, “Blessed be the Lord, who has pleaded the cause of my reproach [suffered] at the hand of Nabal and has kept His servant from [retaliating with] evil. For the Lord has returned the wickedness of Nabal on his own head.” Then David sent word to Abigail, proposing to take her as his wife. 40When the servants of David came to Abigail at Carmel, they said to her, “David sent us to you to take you [to him] to be his wife.” 41And she stood and bowed with her face to the ground and said, “Behold, your maidservant is [ready to be] a maid to wash the feet of the servants of my lord.” 42Then Abigail quickly got up, and rode on a donkey, with five of her maidens who #25:42 Lit walked at her feet.attended her; and she followed the messengers of David and became his wife.
43David had also taken Ahinoam of Jezreel, and they both became his wives.
44But Saul had given Michal his [younger] daughter, David’s wife, to Palti the son of Laish, who was from Gallim.
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1 Samuel 25
25
David, Nabal, and Abigail
1Samuel died,#1Sm 28:3 and all Israel assembled to mourn for him,#Dt 34:8 and they buried him by his home in Ramah.#2Kg 21:18; 2Ch 33:20 David then went down to the Wilderness of Paran.#25:1 LXX reads to Maon#Gn 21:21; Nm 10:12; 13:3
2A man in Maon#1Sm 23:24 had a business in Carmel;#Jos 15:55 he was a very rich man with three thousand sheep and one thousand goats and was shearing his sheep in Carmel. 3The man’s name was Nabal, and his wife’s name, Abigail. The woman was intelligent and beautiful, but the man, a Calebite,#Jos 15:13; 1Sm 30:14 was harsh and evil in his dealings.
4While David was in the wilderness, he heard that Nabal was shearing sheep, 5so David sent ten young men instructing them, “Go up to Carmel, and when you come to Nabal, greet him#25:5 Or Nabal, ask him for peace in my name. 6Then say this: ‘Long life to you,#25:6 Lit ‘To life and peace to you, peace to your family, and peace to all that is yours.#1Ch 12:18 7I hear that you are shearing.#25:7 Lit you have shearers When your shepherds were with us, we did not harass them, and nothing of theirs was missing the whole time they were in Carmel.#1Sm 23:24–25; 25:15–16 8Ask your young men, and they will tell you. So let my young men find favor with you, for we have come on a feast#25:8 Lit good day.#Neh 8:10–12 Please give whatever you have on hand to your servants and to your son David.’”
9David’s young men went and said all these things to Nabal on David’s behalf,#25:9 Lit name and they waited.#25:9 LXX reads and he became arrogant 10Nabal asked them, “Who is David?#Jdg 9:28 Who is Jesse’s son? Many slaves these days are running away from their masters. 11Am I supposed to take my bread, my water, and my meat that I butchered for my shearers and give them to these men? I don’t know where they are from.”
12David’s young men retraced their steps. When they returned to him, they reported all these words. 13He said to his men, “All of you, put on your swords!” So each man put on his sword, and David also put on his sword. About four hundred men followed David while two hundred stayed with the supplies.#1Sm 23:13; 30:9–10
14One of Nabal’s young men informed Abigail, Nabal’s wife, “Look, David sent messengers from the wilderness to greet our master,#1Sm 13:10; 15:13 but he screamed at them. 15The men treated us very well. When we were in the field, we weren’t harassed#1Sm 25:7,21 and nothing of ours was missing the whole time we were living among them. 16They were a wall around us, both day and night,#Ex 14:22 the entire time we were with them herding the sheep. 17Now consider carefully#25:17 Lit Now know and see what you should do, because there is certain to be trouble for our master and his entire family. He is such a worthless fool nobody can talk to him!”
18Abigail hurried, taking two hundred loaves of bread, two clay jars of wine, five butchered sheep, a bushel#25:18 Lit sheep, five seahs of roasted grain, one hundred clusters of raisins, and two hundred cakes of pressed figs, and loaded them on donkeys.#2Sm 16:1; 1Ch 12:40 19Then she said to her male servants, “Go ahead of me. I will be right behind you.”#Gn 32:16,20 But she did not tell her husband, Nabal.
20As she rode the donkey down a mountain pass hidden from view, she saw David and his men coming toward her and met them. 21David had just said, “I guarded everything that belonged to this man in the wilderness for nothing. He was not missing anything, yet he paid me back evil for good. 22May God punish me#25:22 LXX; MT reads David’s enemies and do so severely#1Sm 3:17; 20:13 if I let any of his males#25:22 Lit of those of his who are urinating against the wall survive until morning.”#1Kg 14:10
23When Abigail saw David, she quickly got off the donkey and knelt down with her face to the ground and paid homage to David.#1Sm 20:41 24She knelt at his feet and said, “The guilt is mine, my lord, but please let your servant speak to you directly. Listen to the words of your servant. 25My lord should pay no attention to this worthless fool Nabal, for he lives up to his name:#25:25 Lit for as is his name is, so he is His name means ‘stupid,’ and stupidity is all he knows.#25:25 Lit and foolishness is with him I, your servant, didn’t see my lord’s young men whom you sent. 26Now my lord, as surely as the Lord lives and as you yourself live— it is the Lord who kept you from participating in bloodshed and avenging yourself#Heb 10:30 by your own hand—may your enemies and those who intend to harm my lord be like Nabal.#2Sm 18:32 27Let this gift#Gn 33:11; 1Sm 30:26 your servant has brought to my lord be given to the young men who follow my lord. 28Please forgive your servant’s offense,#1Sm 25:24 for the Lord is certain to make a lasting dynasty for my lord#1Sm 2:35; 22:14; 2Sm 7:11,16 because he fights the Lord’s battles.#1Sm 18:17 Throughout your life, may evil#25:28 Or trouble not be found in you.#1Sm 24:11; Ps 7:3
29“Someone is pursuing you and intends to take your life. My lord’s life is tucked safely in the place#25:29 Lit bundle where the Lord your God protects the living, but he is flinging away your enemies’ lives like stones from a sling.#Jr 10:18 30When the Lord does for my lord all the good he promised you and appoints you ruler over Israel,#1Sm 13:14 31there will not be remorse or a troubled conscience for my lord because of needless bloodshed or my lord’s revenge. And when the Lord does good things for my lord, may you remember me your servant.”#Gn 40:14; 1Sm 25:30
32Then David said to Abigail, “Blessed be the Lord God of Israel,#Ex 18:10 who sent you to meet me today! 33May your discernment be blessed, and may you be blessed. Today you kept me from participating in bloodshed and avenging myself by my own hand.#1Sm 25:26 34Otherwise, as surely as the Lord God of Israel lives, who prevented me from harming you, if you had not come quickly to meet me, Nabal wouldn’t have had any males#25:34 Lit had anyone urinating against a wall left by morning light.” 35Then David accepted what she had brought him and said, “Go home in peace.#1Sm 20:42; 2Kg 5:19 See, I have heard what you said and have granted your request.”#Gn 19:21
36Then Abigail went to Nabal, and there he was in his house, holding a feast fit for a king.#2Sm 13:23 Nabal’s heart was cheerful,#25:36 Lit Nabal’s heart was good on him and he was very drunk, so she didn’t say anything#25:36 Lit anything at all to him#1Sm 25:19 until morning light.
37In the morning when Nabal sobered up,#25:37 Lit when the wine had gone out of Nabal his wife told him about these events. His heart died#25:37 Lit Then his heart died within him and he became a stone. 38About ten days later, the Lord struck Nabal dead.#1Sm 26:10
39When David heard that Nabal was dead, he said, “Blessed be the Lord who championed my cause against Nabal’s insults#1Sm 24:15 and restrained his servant from doing evil.#1Sm 25:26,34 The Lord brought Nabal’s evil deeds back on his own head.”#2Sm 3:28–29
Then David sent messengers to speak to Abigail about marrying him. 40When David’s servants came to Abigail at Carmel, they said to her, “David sent us to bring you to him as a wife.”
41She stood up, paid homage with her face to the ground,#1Sm 25:23 and said, “Here I am, your servant, a slave to wash the feet of my lord’s servants.”#Mk 1:7 42Then Abigail got up quickly, and with her five female servants accompanying her, rode on the donkey following David’s messengers.#Gn 24:61–67 And so she became his wife.
43David also married Ahinoam of Jezreel,#Jos 15:56 and the two of them became his wives. 44But Saul gave his daughter Michal, David’s wife, to Palti#1Sm 18:27; 2Sm 3:14–15 son of Laish, who was from Gallim.#Is 10:30
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