1 Samuel - Odessa, Missouri Community of Christ

96 Dr. Constable's Notes on 1 Samuel 2007 EditionThe contrast between Nabal and Abigail could not be stronger. He was foolish; she waswise. He was evil; she was good. He was repulsive; she was attractive. He was arrogant;she was humble. He was ungodly; she was godly. He was antagonistic; she waspeacemaking. They were one of the mismatched odd couples of the books of Samuelalong with Hannah and Elkanah, and David and Michal. The rabbis considered Abigailone of seven women in the Old Testament whom the Holy Spirit had graced unusually. 272"The story of the stupid sheepherder with a beautiful and intelligent wifeis one of the most delightful in Samuel. Its purpose is to lay one morebrick in the edifice of David's legitimacy, however, and not toentertain." 273David's armed followers had been patrolling the wilderness of Paran in Judah whereNabal's shepherds had been tending his flocks. They had made that area safe from raidingAmalekites, Philistines, and occasional wild animals that might have harassed Nabal'sshepherds. It was only common courtesy that wealthy Nabal would have expressed hisappreciation to David by providing some food for David's men. Sheep shearing was ahappy time for shepherds and usually involved feasting (cf. 2 Sam. 13:23-24). 274 We cansee in these verses that David, as one committed to the Mosaic Law and as the Lord'sanointed, was a blessing and an indirect source of fertility to his companions.By referring to himself as Nabal's "son" (v. 8) David was placing himself in a subordinateposition to Nabal. David had earlier called Saul his "father" (cf. 24:11, 16). This isanother clue that suggests that the writer wanted us to view Nabal as Saul's alter ego. Onewriter suggested that David's request for food and his reference to himself as Nabal's"son" implied more."This would seem to be an instance of negotiation with an invitation toNabal to enter into a regulated covenant with David." 275Nabal's foolish response to David 25:9-13Nabal was a political loyalist who regarded David simply as a rebel. Perhaps he felt thatDavid was running a protection racket to finance his outlaw way of life. More probably, Ithink, miserly Nabal simply did not want to part with anything that he had (cf. Luke 7:44-47). He failed to admit that David had been a blessing to him. He also refused toacknowledge David as the Lord's anointed. Ironically Nabal's servants were about toabandon him, the very thing he falsely accused David of doing to Saul (v. 10; cf. 22:7-8). 276272 Jon D. Levenson, "1 Samuel 25 as Literature and as History," Catholic Biblical Quarterly 40(1978):231.273 Heater, "Young David . . .," p. 56.274 Baldwin, p. 147. Cf. v. 8.275 D. J. Wiseman, "'Is it peace?'—Covenant and Diplomacy," Vetus Testamentum 32:3 (1982):318.276 Levenson, p. 225.