Matthew Poole and continuators on 1 Samuel 25

AND Samuel died, and all the Israelites were gathered together, and lamented him, and buried him in his house at Ramah. And David arose, and went down to the wilderness of Paran .

According to the manner of those times. See Gen. 23. 9. and 50. 5. Matth. 27. 60.

In the Southern Borders of the Land of Iudah, that so when occasion served, he might retire out of Saul's Dominions.

Marginal references: Chap. 28. 3.

2 And there was a man in Maon , whose possessions were in Carmel , and the man was very great, and he had three thousand sheep, and a thousand goats: and he was shearing his sheep in Carmel.

A place in or near to the Wilderness of Paran. See chap. 23. 24.

Not that Carmel in Issachar; of which see chap. 15. 12. and 1 King. 18. 19. but another in the Tribe of Iudah, near unto Maon, as appears from Ios. 15. 55.

Marginal references: Or, business▪

3 Now the name of the man was Nabal, and the name of his wife Abigail: and she was a woman of good understanding, and of a beautiful countenance: but the man was churlish, and evil in his doings, and he was of the house of Caleb .

This is added to aggravate his Crime, That he was a degenerate Branch of that Noble stock of Caleb, and consequently of the Tribe of Iudah, as David was.

Marginal references: Gr. a Cynick.

4 ¶ And David heard in the wilderness, that Nabal did shear his sheep .

Which times were celebrated with Feasting and Jollity. See 2 Sam. 13. 23, 24.

6 And thus shall ye say to him that liveth in prosperity , Peace be both to thee, and peace be to thine house , and peace be unto all that thou hast .

Heb. to him that liveth. Life is oft put for a prosperous and happy life, as in that Prayer, Let the king live, 1 Sam. 10. 24. 1 King. 1. 25. and in other passages of Scripture, and other Authors; for an afflicted and calamitous life is unworthy of the Name of life, and is esteemed a kind of death, and oft so called, as 2 Cor. 1. 10. and 11. 23. By this expression David both congratulates Nabal's fel[illegible: 1+ letters]city, and tacitly minds him of the penury and distress in which David and his men now were.

i. e. To all thy Family.

To all thy Goods. So David's Prayer is very comprehensive, reaching to his Soul, and Body, and Wife, and Children, and Servants, and all his Estate.

Marginal references: Heb. be thou peace, & thine house peace.

7 And now I have heard that thou hast shearers: now thy shepherds which were with us, we hurt them not, neither was there ought missing unto them, all the while they were in Carmel .

Which, considering the licentiousness of Soldiers, and the necessities which David and his men were oft exposed to, was no small favour and priviledge, which Nabal was bound both in justice, and gratitude, and prudence to requite.

Marginal references: Heb. shamed.

8 Ask thy young men, and they will shew thee: wherefore let the young men find favour in thine eyes: (for we come in a good day ) give I pray thee, whatsoever cometh to thine hand, unto thy servants , and to thy son David.

i. e. In a day of Feasting and Rejoycing; when men are most chearful and liberal; when thou maist relieve us out of thy abundance without damage to thy self; when thou art receiving the Mercies of God, and therefore obliged to pity and relieve distressed and indigent Persons, Deut. 12. 12. and 14. 26, 29. and 15. 7.

To us who have been and still are ready to serve and guard thee and thine. Or, the word Servants may be onely used as a word of respect, frequently used in Scripture, where Inferiors speak to Superiors, especially when they be suppliants, and beg some favour.

So he calls himself, to shew that respect and affection which he bore to Nabal, as being elder and wealthier than himself, and of the same Tribe with himself, and a Branch of so worthy a Family as Nabal's was.

10 ¶ And Nabal answerd Davids servants, and said, Who is David ? and who is the son of Jesse? There be many servants now a days that break away, every man from his master .

What relation or obligation have I to David?

Hereby he taxeth both David, as one revolted from, and risen up against Saul his Lord and Master; and his Soldiers, as Runagates from their Masters and Creditors, &c. See chap. 22. 2.

11 Shall I then take my bread, and my water , and my flesh that I have killed for my shearers, and give it unto men whom I know not whence they be?

He speaketh thus, either because in those hot and dry parts Water was scarce and precious: or, Water is here put for any kind of Drink, as Bread is oft taken for all sorts of Meat.

Marginal references: Heb. slaughter.

13 And David said unto his men, Gird ye on every man his sword . And they girded on every man his sword, and David also girded on his sword: and there went up after David about four hundred men, and two hundred abode by the stuff .

Having resolved and sworn to revenge himself of Nabal, as is expressed verse 21, 22.

See chap. 17. 22. and 30. 24.

14 ¶ But one of the young men told Abigail Nabals wife, saying, Behold, David sent messengers out of the wilderness to salute our master; and he railed on them.

Wisely considering the mischievous effects likely to follow so churlish a message.

Marginal references: Heb. flew upon them.

16 They were a wall unto us both by night and day, all the while we were with them keeping the sheep.

i. e. A defence against wild Beasts, and Robbers, and Enemies.

17 Now therefore know, and consider what thou wilt do: for evil is determined against our master, and against all his houshold : for he is such a son of Belial, that a man cannot speak to him .

Which it was easie to guess; either, from some threatning expressions which David's men used; or, from the consideration of David's great power, and that rage which so high a provocation was likely to produce in Military Persons.

To wit, without hazard to himself, and therefore I acquaint thee, rather than him, with this matter.

18 ¶ Then Abigail made haste, and took two hundred loaves , and two bottles of wine, and five sheep ready dressed, and five measures of parched corn, and an hundred clusters of raisins, and two hundred cakes of figs, and laid them on asses.

Which she did without his leave, and against his mind, because it was a case of apparent necessity, for the preservation of her self, and Husband, and all the Family from imminent ruin. And surely that real and urgent necessity which dispenseth with Gods positive commands, might well dispense with the Husbands right, in this case.

Marginal references: Or, [illegible: 1 word]

19 And she said unto her servants, Go on before me, behold, I come after you : but she told not her husband Nabal.

For she knew she could quickly overtake them.

20 And it was so, as she rode on the asse, that she came down by the covert of the hill , and behold, David and his men came down against her, and she met them.

In the lower part, and under the shadow of the Hill, or of the Trees that grew upon it; so that David did not see her till she met him.

To wit, from another opposite Hill.

21 (Now David had said , Surely in vain have I kept all that this fellow hath in the wilderness, so that nothing was missed of all that pertained unto him, and he hath requited me evil for good.

Either in his journey, or as soon as he heard that reproachful answer.

Whom he thought unworthy to be named, for his barbarous ingratitude and churlishness.

22 So, and more also do God unto the enemies of David , if I leave of all that pertain unto him by the morning light, any that pisseth against the wall ).

i. e. Unto David himself. But because it might seem ominous and unnatural to Curse himself, therefore by a Figure called Euphemismus, instead of David he mentions David's Enemies. See 1 Sam. 20. 16. The words may be thus rendred: So and more also let God do: for (the Hebrew Lamed being very oft so used) the Enemies of David, i. e. Let God work for them, and give them as much Prosperity and Success as Nabal hath hitherto had. Or, let God utterly destroy their Enemies; and especially, my self the chief of them, if I do not destroy this man.

i. e. Any of the Males, for they onely do so; and of them this Phrase is manifestly understood; 1 King. 14. 10. and 21. 21. and 2 King. 9. 8. And men not wholly barbarous have generally spared Women in such cases. Qu. Why then was Abigail so much concerned and afraid? Answ. Partly from humanity, and the horror of so general and dreadful a Slaughter of her Family and nearest Relations: and partly, because when the Sword was once drawn, she knew not where it would rest, nor whether she should escape: for she knew nothing of this limitation of David's threatning, till she came to him.

23 And when Abigail saw David, she hasted and lighted off the ass, and fell before David on her face, and bowed her self to the ground ,

Not onely in token of deep reverence, but as a most humble suppliant; as 2 King. 4. 27.

24 And fell at his feet, and said, Upon me, my LORD, upon me let this iniquity be , and let thine handmaid, I pray thee, speak in thine audience, and hear the words of thine handmaid.

Impute Nabal's Sin to me, and, if thou pleasest, punish it in me, who here offer my self as a Sacrifice to thy just Indignation. This whole Speech of Abigail is done with great artifice; and she doth here, by an absolute submitting to Mercy, without any pretence of justification of what was done, but rather with aggravation of it) indeavour to work upon David's generosity, and good nature, to pardon it. And, with great art, first would divert the punishment from her Husband to her self, because she had then much more to say, why David should spare her, then why he should spare Nabal. And there was hardly any need of Argument, whence the greatest Orator might argue in this case, which she doth not manage to the best advantage, and most plausible insinuations for such an exigent.

Marginal references: Heb. ear.

25 Let not my lord, I pray thee, † regard this man of Belial , even Nabal: for as his name is, so is he: Nabal is his name, and folly is with him : but I thine handmaid saw not the young men of my lord, whom thou didst send .

His Person and Words deserve thy contempt, but not thy regard.

For such he hath shewed himself to be by this wicked and abominable carriage towards thee.

His noted folly and stupidity is a more proper Object for thy pity than anger. His fordid Answer to thy Servants did not proceed from any ill design, or deep malice, but from brutish So[illegible: 1+ letters]tishness, and want of the understanding of a man in him. It may be thought a great Crime, that she traduceth her Husband in this manner. But this may be said for her, That she told them nothing but what they all knew concerning him, and that she onely seemed to take away that which he never had indeed, to wit, his good name, that she might preserve that which he had, and which was more dear and important to him, even his Life and Soul.

Though I freely submit my self to the Punishment in my Husbands stead, yet I was innocent of the Crime.

Marginal references: ‡ Heb. lay it to his heart.

26 Now therefore, my lord, as the LORD liveth, and as thy soul liveth, seeing the LORD hath withholden thee from coming to shed blood , and from avenging thy self with thine own hand: now let thine enemies, and they that seek evil to my lord be as Nabal .

Seeing God hath so ordered this business by his wise and wonderful Providence, that I should accidentally, and unexpectedly come to the knowledge of my Husbands vile and sordid Carriage; and that I should come to meet thee, and find thee so gracious, as to give me a favourable Audience; and all this, that hereby he might with-hold thee from the Sin of Blood-guiltiness,

Let them be as contemptible and hateful as Nabal is, and will be for this odious Action; let them be as unable to do thee any hurt as he is; let them be forced to yeild to thee, and implore thy Pardon and Favour, as Nabal now doth by my mouth: let the Vengeance thou didst design upon Nabal and his Family, fall upon their heads, who by their constant and inveterate Malice against thee, do more deserve it than this silly Fool for this one miscarriage; and much more than all the rest of our Family, who as they are none of thine Enemies, nor such as seek thee evil, so they were no way guilty of this wicked Action. And therefore spare these, and execute thy Vengeance upon more proper Objects.

Marginal references: Heb. saving thy self.

27 And now this blessing which thine hand maid hath brought unto my lord, let it even be given unto the young men that follow my lord .

So a gift or present is called here, and Gen. 33. 11. and elsewhere; not onely because the matter of it comes from Gods blessing; but also because it is given with a Ble[illegible: 1+ letters]ing, or with a good will.

As being unworthy of thine acceptance or use.

Marginal references: Or, present.; Heb. walk at the feet or &c.

28 I pray thee, forgive the trespass of thine hand-maid : for the LORD will certainly make my lord a sure house , because my lord fighteth the battels of the LORD , and evil hath not been found in thee, all thy days .

i. e. Which I have taken upon my self, v. 24. and which, if it be not Pardoned, but Punished, the Punishment will reach to me.

i. e. Will give the Kingdom to thee, and to thy House for ever, as he hath promised thee. And therefore let Gods great kindness to thee, make thee gentle and merciful to others; do not fully thy approaching Glory with the stain of Innocent Blood; but consider, that it is the glory of a King (which thou art by Gods appointment, and shall ere long actually be) to pass by Offences; and that it will be thy loss to cut off such as will shortly be thy Subjects.

i. e. For the Lord, and for the People of the Lord against their Enemies; especially, the Philistines. And as that is thy proper Work, and therein thou mayest expect Gods blessing and help; so it is not thy work to draw thy Sword in thy own private quarrel against any of the people of the Lord; and God will not bless thee in it.

Though thou hast been oft aspersed, and charged with many Crimes, by Saul and others; yet thy Innocency hath been, and is evident to all men: do not therefore now by this cruel act of Vengeance justifie thine Enemies Reproaches, nor blemish thy great and just Reputation.

29 Yet a man is risen to pursue thee, and to seek thy soul : but the soul of my lord shall be bound in the bundle of life with the LORD thy God , and the souls of thine enemies, them shall he sling out, as out of the middle of a sling .

To wit, Saul, though no way injured nor justly provoked by thee.

i. e. To take away thy Life.

Or, in the bundle: i. e. In the Society, or Congregation of the living; out of which, men are taken, and cut off by Death. The Phrase is taken from the common usage of men, who bind those things in bundles, which they are afraid to lose, because things that are solitary and unbound, are soon lost. The meaning of the place is, God will preserve thy Life; and therefore it becomes not thee, unjustly and unnecessarily to take away the Lives of any; especially, of the People of thy God and Saviour.

i. e. In the hand and custody of God, who by his watchful Providence, preserves this▪ Bundle, and all that are in it; and thee in a particular and singular manner, as being thy God in a peculiar way, and special Covenant. God himself will hide, and keep thee in the secret of his Presence. Psal. 31. 20. where no hand of violence can reach thee. And therefore all the Attempts of Saul, or others against thee, are vain and ridiculous. For who can Destroy whom God will keep?

God himself will cut them off suddenly, violently, and irresistibly; and cast them far away, both from his Presence, and from thy Neighbourhood, and from all capacity of doing thee any hurt.

Marginal references: Heb. in the midst of the bought of a sling.

31 That this shall be no grief unto thee, nor offence of heart unto my lord , either that thou hast shed blood causless , or that my lord hath avenged himself : but when the LORD shall have dealt well with my lord, then remember thine handmaid .

Thy Mind and Conscience will be free from all the Torment which the guilt and shame of such an Action would cause in thee. By which, she cunningly [illegible: 1+ letters]nsinuates, what a Blemish this would be to his Glory, what a disturbance to his Peace and Felicity, if he proceeded to execute his Purpose: and withal implies, how sweet and comfortable it would be to him to remember, that he had for conscience to God denied himself, and restrained his Passions.

Which she signifies would be done if he should go on. For though Nabal had been guilty of abominable Rudeness, Uncharitableness, and Ingratitude; yet he had done nothing worthy of Death, by the Laws of God or of Man. And whatsoever he had done, the rest of his Family were innocent.

Which is directly contrary to Gods Law, Levit. 19. 18. Deut. 32. 35. compare with Rom. 12. 19.

When God shall make thee King, and I shall have occasion to apply my self to thee for Justice, or Relief, let me find Grace in thy sight, and so let me do at this time. Or, and the Lord will bless my lord, and recompence thee for this Mortification of thy Passion, and thou wilt remember thine handmaid: i. e. Thou wiltst remember my Counsel with satisfaction to thy self, and thankfulness to me.

Marginal references: Heb. no staggering or stumbling.; Heb. saved himself, v. 26.

32 ¶ And David said unto Abigail, Blessed be the LORD God of Israel, which sent thee this day to meet me:

Which by his gracious and singular Providence so disposed Matters, that thou shouldest come to me: He rightly begins at the Fountain of this Deliverance, which was God; and then proceeds to the Instruments.

33 And blessed be thy advice, and blessed be thou , which hast kept me this day from coming to shed blood , and from avenging my self with mine own hand.

i. e. The Lord bless and recompence thee, for this thy good Advice.

Which I had sworn to do. Hereby it plainly appears, That Oaths whereby men bind themselves to any Sin, are Null and Void: and as it was a Sin to make them; so it is adding sin to sin to perform them.

34 For in very deed, as the Lord God of Israel liveth, which hath kept me back from hurting thee , except thou hadst hasted and come to meet me, surely there had not been left unto Nabal by the morning light, any that pisseth against the wall.

Not that he intended to Kill her, but the Males onely; as was noted on v. 22. But their Destruction, was a dreadful Affliction and Damage to her.

35 So David received of her hand that which she had brought him, and said unto her, Go up in peace to thine house: see, I have hearkened to thy voice, and have accepted thy person .

i. e. Shewed my Acceptance of thy Person, by my grant of thy Request: See Gen. 19. 21,

36 ¶ And Abigail came to Nabal, and behold he held a feast in his house like the feast of a king , and Nabals heart was merry within him, for he was very drunken: wherefore she told him nothing , less or more, until the morning light.

As the manner was upon those Solemn Occasions. Sordid Covetousness, and vain Prodigality were met together in him.

He being then uncapable of Admonition, his Reason and Conscience being both asleep.

37 But it came to pass in the morning, when the wine was gone out of Nabal, and his wife had told him these things, that his hea[illegible: 1+ letters]t died within him, and he became as a stone .

He was oppressed with Grief, and fainted away through the fear and horror of so great a Mischief, though it was past. As one, who having in the Night galloped over a narrow Plank, laid upon a broken Bridge, over a steep River; when in the Morning he came to review it, was struck Dead with the horror of the danger he was in.

38 And it came to pass about ten days after, that the LORD smote Naba[illegible: 1+ letters], that he died .

God either inflicted some other stroke or Disease upon him, or increased his Grief and Fear to such an height, as killed him.

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 : for the LORD hath returned the wickedness of Nabal upon his own head. And David sent and communed with Abigail, to take her to him to wife.

How could David rejoyce at the Death of his Enemy? Answ. Although it may be said, that he rejoyced not in Nabal's Death as such, but onely in the declaration of Gods Justice in Punishing so great a Wickedness; which was an honour to God, and a document, and therefore a benefit to Mankind, and so a Publick good, and cause of Joy: yet the matter is not weighty, if we confess, that this was another instance of Humane Infirmity iu Duvid, and that it is not proposed for our Imitation, but for our Caution. Yet it may be further said, That this was not purely an act of Private Revenge, because David was a Publick Person, and Anointed King: and therefore Nabal's Reproach cast upon David above, v. 10, 11. was a Contempt of God, and of his Ordinance, and Appointment; which was vindicated by this remarkable Judgment.

i. e. From the Sin of Bloodshed, and Self-revenge, v. 33.

To wit, Messengers; which he thought fitter than to go himself: partly, because if he had met with a Repulse, it had been less Ignominions; and partly, because he would leave her to her freedom and choice, and would not so much as seem to take her by violence. But this doubtless was not done immediately after Nabal's Death, but in some convenient space of time after it; though such Circumstances be commonly omitted in the Sacred History; which gives onely the Heads, and most Important Passages of things.

41 And she arose, and bowed her self on her face to the earth, and said , Behold, let thine handmaid be a servant to wash the feet of the servants of my lord.

She shewed this Reverence, and spake thus to them, as representing David's person.

42 And Abigail hasted, and arose and rode upon an a[illegible: 1+ letters]s with five damsels of hers that went after her: and she went after the messengers of David , and became his wife.

Not immediately, but some competent time after they were gone. She considered not David's present straits and penury, which she thought her Plentiful Estate might supply; nor his danger from Saul; but by a true and strong Faith, rested upon Gods Promise made to David, not doubting but God would perform it.

Marginal references: Heb. at [illegible: 1 word]

44 ¶ But Saul had given Michal his daughter, Davids wife, to Phalti the son of Laish, which was of Gallim.

Or, For, as the Hebrew Vau is oft-times used. For this seems to be added, as a reason why David took other Wives, because Saul had given his former Wife to another man, that he might as far as he could Extinguish all Relation and Kindred to him, whom he hated; and withal, cut off his Hopes and Pretence to the Crown upon that account.

Marginal references: 2 Sam [illegible: 1+ letters] ▪ 1[illegible: 1+ letters] 15.