1 Samuel - Odessa, Missouri Community of Christ

2007 Edition Dr. Constable's Notes on 1 Samuel 99(24:5), and now He had used Abigail's appeal to keep him from killing Nabal. WiseDavid, who listened to the words of a strange woman, contrasts with foolish Nabal, whowould not listen to the words of his wise wife or his fearful servants. Thus godly Abigail,another wise person, became a blessing to David. Earlier he, a godly person, had been ablessing to her and her household. She kept him from sinning (v. 33). In return he blessedher further by sparing the males of Nabal's household (v. 35).Nabal's response to the news of Abigail's appeal 25:36-38When she returned home, Abigail discovered that her foolish husband was drunk fromcelebrating. He was totally oblivious to his mortal danger. He was feasting rather thanfasting. He was behaving like a king, the ultimate authority, rather than as a servant of thenext king (cf. v. 24). Here is another allusion to the similarity between Nabal and Saulwho both viewed themselves proudly as kings. Pride was the root of Nabal's folly as wellas Saul's folly, and it preceded destruction in both of their cases.Abigail wisely waited until morning before telling her husband what a close brush he hadhad with death. By then the wine had gone out of him. The writer made a clever play onwords here. The Hebrew word for wineskin in nebel. It is as though he was suggestingthat Nabal was a nebel. When the wine had gone out of him, he was nothing. The writermay even have been suggesting that all there was to Nabal was his bladder, his personalwineskin. 285Nabal's heart died within him when he finally realized what a fool he had been. TheHebrews used the heart metaphorically to describe the seat of courage. No courageremained in him. Nabal further appears to have gone catatonic; when he realized whathad happened, the shock immobilized him. Ten days later he died. The writer gave Godthe credit for terminating his life prematurely. Sometimes people who fail to respond tothe will of God die prematurely (cf. ch. 31; 1 Cor. 11:30; 1 John 5:16).God struck Nabal dead for his pride and opposition to the Lord's anointed. God would dothe same to Saul for the same reasons. Nabal's death undoubtedly encouraged David tobelieve that God would take vengeance on Saul. David's experiences with Nabal were amicrocosm of all that he had been enduring for so long with Saul, another fool. Sauladmitted he was a fool in 26:21.David's marriage to Abigail 25:39-43David thanked God for vindicating him and for preventing him from doing evil. Abigailhad been the instrument that God had used to do this (v. 39). It was proper for David togive thanks since he had left Nabal in the Lord's hands and had not sought revenge.It is easy to see why David found Abigail so attractive. Not only was she intelligent (cf. 2Chron. 30:22; Ps. 111:10; Prov. 13:15) and beautiful (v. 3; cf. Gen. 29:17; Esth. 2:7), but285 David had earlier vowed, literally, that he would not leave anyone who urinated against the wall (i.e.,any male) in Nabal's household alive (v. 22). The writer pictured Nabal in the most uncomplimentaryterms.