Abigal Keeps David From Killing Innocent People
January 17, 2021
Commentary
David was in no mood to listen when he set out for Nabal’s property (v.13). Only the superior wisdom and quick thinking of Nabal’s wife, Abigail, stopped David from killing the whole household of Nabal and many innocent people. She quickly devised a plan and her servants helped her carry it out.
She decided to go and meet David and his men as they were coming to kill them. However, she sent an abundance of food items ahead of her with her servants (v.18). She met up with David as they rounded the top of a hill (vv.20-23). Abigail dismounted her donkey and prostrated herself before David (v.23). She took upon herself the guilt of Nabal’s actions (v.24). She also told David that if he insists on getting revenge for Nabal’s actions, he will be descending to his level (v.26). She urged him to let God take care of Nabal and thus not be haunted by the memory of any private vendettas.
The disaster that seemed to be inevitable was averted as David listened to Abigail and decided not to ruin his reputation by responding with violence to the provocations of a fool (Prov. 26:4). Instead he expressed his thanks to Abigail for being discerning in what he was about to do and had courage enough to restrain him (vv. 32-33).
When Abigail returned home Nabal was drunk, so she waited till morning to tell him what she had done. When she did, Nabal’s “heart died within him” (v.37). According to Psalm 37, his death was attributed to an act of divine judgement.
Application
No matter how right I may think I am in a matter, I must always be careful to stop and listen to others and, above all, never take revenge into my own hands.
1 Samuel 25:18– 44 (NET)
18 So Abigail quickly took 200 loaves of bread, two containers of wine, five prepared sheep, five seahs of roasted grain, 100 bunches of raisins, and 200 lumps of pressed figs. She loaded them on donkeys 19 and said to her servants, “Go on ahead of me. I will come after you.” But she did not tell her husband Nabal.
20 Riding on her donkey, she went down under cover of the mountain. David and his men were coming down to meet her, and she encountered them. 21 Now David had been thinking, “In vain I guarded everything that belonged to this man in the wilderness. I didn’t take anything from him. But he has repaid my good with evil. 22 God will severely punish David, if I leave alive until morning even one male from all those who belong to him!”
23 When Abigail saw David, she got down quickly from the donkey, threw herself facedown before David, and bowed to the ground. 24 Falling at his feet, she said, “My lord, I accept all the guilt! But please let your female servant speak to you! Please listen to the words of your servant! 25 My lord should not pay attention to this wicked man Nabal. He simply lives up to his name! His name means ‘fool,’ and he is indeed foolish! But I, your servant, did not see the servants my lord sent.
26 “Now, my lord, as surely as the Lord lives and as surely as you live, it is the Lord who has kept you from shedding blood and taking matters into your own hands. Now may your enemies and those who seek to harm my lord be like Nabal. 27 Now let this present that your servant has brought to my lord be given to the servants who follow my lord. 28 Please forgive the sin of your servant, for the Lord will certainly establish a lasting dynasty for my lord, because my lord fights the battles of the Lord. May no evil be found in you all your days! 29 When someone sets out to chase you and to take your life, the life of my lord will be wrapped securely in the bag of the living by the Lord your God. But he will sling away the lives of your enemies from the sling’s pocket! 30 The Lord will do for my lord everything that he promised you, and he will make you a leader over Israel. 31 Your conscience will not be overwhelmed with guilt for having poured out innocent blood and for having taken matters into your own hands. When the Lord has granted my lord success, please remember your servant.”
32 Then David said to Abigail, “Praised be the Lord, the God of Israel, who has sent you this day to meet me! 33 Praised be your good judgment! May you yourself be rewarded for having prevented me this day from shedding blood and taking matters into my own hands! 34 Otherwise, as surely as the Lord, the God of Israel, lives—he who has prevented me from harming you—if you had not come so quickly to meet me, by morning’s light not even one male belonging to Nabal would have remained alive!” 35 Then David took from her hand what she had brought to him. He said to her, “Go back to your home in peace. Be assured that I have listened to you and responded favorably.”
36 When Abigail went back to Nabal, he was holding a banquet in his house like that of the king. Nabal was having a good time and was very intoxicated. She told him absolutely nothing until morning’s light. 37 In the morning, when Nabal was sober, his wife told him about these matters. He had a stroke and was paralyzed. 38 After about ten days the Lord struck Nabal down and he died.
39 When David heard that Nabal had died, he said, “Praised be the Lord who has vindicated me and avenged the insult that I suffered from Nabal! The Lord has kept his servant from doing evil, and he has repaid Nabal for his evil deeds.” Then David sent word to Abigail and asked her to become his wife.
40 So the servants of David went to Abigail at Carmel and said to her, “David has sent us to you to bring you back to be his wife.” 41 She arose, bowed her face toward the ground, and said, “Your female servant, like a lowly servant, will wash the feet of the servants of my lord.” 42 Then Abigail quickly went and mounted her donkey, with five of her female servants accompanying her. She followed David’s messengers and became his wife.
43 David had also married Ahinoam from Jezreel; the two of them became his wives. 44 (Now Saul had given his daughter Michal, David’s wife, to Paltiel son of Laish, who was from Gallim.)