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Commentary on "Abigail: No Victim of Circumstances"
Day 2: Sunday, October 24, 2010 - Someone Who Will Listen
Nabal had a lot going for him: a godly heritage (he was a descendant of Caleb, the faithful spy who helped conquer the land), a beautiful and intelligent wife, large flocks of sheep and goats which made him a very wealthy man, and responsible servants who were looking out for the welfare of the business and the household. (1 Samuel 25:2,3,14-17) However, apart from himself and his wealth, Nabal didn’t seem to notice or care about anything else. He was a self-centered, proud man. His name is translated as “fool.” It is interesting to note that the Old Testament Hebrew has several words that can be translated ‘fool’:
- pethi – one who is simple, easily led astray or silly
- kasal – one who acts stupidly or is dull in thinking
- sakal – one who continually strays from the good and right
- evil – one who acts rashly without seeking wise counsel or clear understanding
- nabal – one who acts foolishly, even immorally or with wickedness or impiety. Nabal indicates more than any other Hebrew word for fool that the individual is intentionally acting as a fool for an evil purpose.
David’s polite request for whatever food and supplies Nabal would give his men was nothing unusual. If Nabal had been anything other than a malicious fool, he would have gladly and gratefully given a generous gift to David’s men. He knew full well that David had been anointed by the deceased prophet Samuel to be Israel’s next king. 1 Samuel 25:3 tells us that Nabal was “…harsh and evil in his dealings.” The Hebrew word for “evil” means “evil in its most extreme sense, malignant or malicious.” Nabal’s reply to David’s men was shocking, especially in the context of middle eastern culture that prized hospitality as one of the supreme virtues and would never think to insult someone like David who had done so much to protect his household and property. We see how egocentric Nabal was in his reply to David’s men.
“Shall I then take my bread and my water and my meat that I have slaughtered for my shearers, and give it to men whose origin I do not know?" (1 Samuel 25:11) NASU
Read this verse again and note how many times Nabal refers to himself! Tomorrow, we will see how the Bible contrasts this wicked man with his wife, Abigail.
Copyright 2010 BibleStudiesForAdventists.com. All rights reserved. Revised October 25, 2010. This website is published by Life Assurance Ministries, Glendale, Arizona, USA, the publisher of Proclamation! Magazine. Contact email: BibleStudiesForAdventists@gmail.com.
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