Nabal: Foolish, a descendant of Caleb who dwelt at Maon
(1 Samuel 25:1)ff the
modern Main, 7 miles south-east of Hebron. He was "very great, and he
had 3,000 sheep and 1,000 goats...but the man was churlish and evil in
his doings." During his wanderings David came into that district, and
hearing that Nabal was about to shear his sheep, he sent ten of his
young men to ask "whatsoever cometh unto thy hand for thy servants."
Nabal insultingly resented the demand, saying, "Who is David, and who
is the son of Jesse?"
(1 Samuel 25:10,11) One of the shepherds that
stood by and saw the reception David's messengers had met with,
informed Abigail, Nabal's wife, who at once realized the danger that
threatened her household. She forthwith proceeded to the camp of
David, bringing with her ample stores of provisions
(1 Samuel 25:18) She
so courteously and persuasively pled her cause that David's anger was
appeased, and he said to her, "Blessed be the Lord God of Israel which
sent thee this day to meet me." On her return she found her husband
incapable from drunkenness of understanding the state of matters, and
not till the following day did she explain to him what had happened.
He was stunned by a sense of the danger to which his conduct had
exposed him. "His heart died within him, and he became as a stone."
and about ten days after "the Lord smote Nabal that he died"
(1 Samuel 25:37,38) Not long after David married Abigail (q.v.).
