Paul Kretzmann Commentary - 1 Samuel 25:36 - 25:44

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Paul Kretzmann Commentary - 1 Samuel 25:36 - 25:44


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David Marries Abigail

v. 36. And Abigail came to Nabal; and, behold,
although he had been too stingy to share with David and his men, he held a feast in his house, like the feast of a king, with all its luxury and sumptuousness; and Nabal's heart was merry within him, on account of the rich feast, for he was very drunken, intoxicated to such a point that he was not aware of anything outside of his own pleasure; wherefore she told him nothing, less or more, not a word, until the morning light.

v. 37. But it came to pass in the morning, when the wine was gone out of Nabal,
when he had become sober once more, and his wife had told him these things, that his heart died within him, and he became as a stone, struck with apoplexy, probably due to violent anger because his wife had presumed to deal with the hated David without consulting his authority.

v. 38. And it came to pass about ten days after that the Lord smote Nabal that he died,
his death being a punishment for his ungodliness.

v. 39. And when David heard that Nabal was dead, he said, Blessed be the Lord, that hath pleaded the cause of my reproach from the hand of Nabal, and hath kept His servant from evil;
it was clearly God's judgment upon the insult offered him by Nabal and ever so much better than the revenge which he himself would have taken; for the Lord hath returned the wickedness of Nabal upon his own head. To David it was like a case in law, in which the Lord had rendered the judicial decision. And David sent and communed with Abigail, to take her to him to wife.

v. 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.
It was the usual formal proposal.

v. 41. And she arose, and bowed herself on her face to the earth,
in the Oriental manner of deepest devotion, and said, with the same extreme formal humility, Behold, let thine handmaid be a servant to wash the feet of the servants of my lord, thus declaring herself willing, in consenting to the proposal, to perform the lowest service of the house-slaves.

v. 42. And Abigail hasted, and arose, and rode upon an ass, with five damsels of hers that went after her,
her usual train of servants; and she went after the messengers of David, and became his wife. The author now immediately supplies further information concerning David's other domestic relations.

v. 43. David also took Ahinoam of Jezreel,
a city in the mountains of Judah; and they were also both of them his wives, in addition to Michal, 1Sa_18:28.

v. 44. But Saul had given Michal, his daughter, David's wife, to Phalti, the son of Laish, which was of Gallim,
a town between Gibeah and Jerusalem. Cf 2Sa_3:14 ff. Note: What the believers do good to either friends or enemies is rewarded by God, both in time and in eternity.