1 Samuel 25:2

_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._ There was a man in Maon. This city, which belonged to the tribe of Judah (John 15:55), was situated on the brow of a conical hill, now Tell Ma'in, which is covered with ruins. It lay two days' journey from Zoar, and 25 miles southeast of Hebron. IN CARMEL, х_ BA-KARMEL_ (H3760)] - in the park (fertile or cultivated region: see the note at 1 Samuel 15:12: cf. 2 Chronicles 26:10), near Maon, now Kurmul. The district takes its name from this town (see Robinson's 'Biblical Researches,' 2:, p. 200; Van de Velde, 2:, pp. 77-79)....

2-11 We should not have heard of Nabal, if nothing had passed between him and David. Observe his name, Nabal, "A fool;" so it signifies. Riches make men look great in the eye of the world; but to one that takes right views, Nabal looked very mean. He had no honour or honesty; he was churlish, cross, and ill-humoured; evil in his doings, hard and oppressive; a man that cared not what fraud and violence he used in getting and saving. What little reason have we to value the wealth of this world, when so great a churl as Nabal abounds, and so good a man as David suffers want!, David pleaded the kindness Nabal's shepherds had received. Considering that David's men were in distress and debt, and discontented, and the scarcity of provisions, it was by good management that they were kept from plundering. Nabal went into a passion, as covetous men are apt to do, when asked for any thing, thinkin...

CARMEL - Not Mount Carmel on the west of the plain of Esdraelon, but the Carmel close to Maon (marginal references). SHEARING HIS SHEEP - Which was always a time of open-handed hospitality among flock-masters Genesis 38:12; 2 Samuel 13:23....

EXPOSITION DEATH OF SAMUEL (1 Samuel 25:1). 1 SAMUEL 25:1 AND SAMUEL DIED. According to Josephus, Samuel had for eighteen years been contemporaneous with Saul's kingdom. If this calculation, which probably rests upon some Jewish tradition, be at all correct, we must include the years of Samuel's judgeship in the sum total of Saul's reign (see on 1 Samuel 13:1), as evidently his fall was now fast approaching. Samuel's life marked the beginning of the second age of Israelite history (Acts 3:24). Moses had given the people their law, but

AND [THERE WAS] A MAN IN MAON,.... A city of the tribe of Judah, from whence the wilderness had its name before mentioned; of which place, see Joshua 15:55; though Ben Gersom takes it to signify a dwelling place; and that this is observed to show, that he did not dwell in a city, but had his habitation where his business lay, which was in Carmel, where his fields, gardens, and vineyards were: wherefore it follows, WHOSE POSSESSIONS [WERE] IN CARMEL; not Carmel in the tribe of Issachar, but in the tribe of Judah, not far from Maon, and are mentioned together, Joshua 15:55; his cattle were there, his sheep particularly, for they are afterwards said to be shorn there; or "his work" r; his agriculture, his farming, where he was employed, or employed others in sowing seed, and planting trees:

CHAPTER 25 _ 1. The death of Samuel (1 Samuel 25:1)_ 2. Nabal and his refusal (1 Samuel 25:2) 3. Abigail's deed and her prayer (1 Samuel 25:14) 4. David's answer to Abigail (1 Samuel 25:32) 5. Nabal's death (1 Samuel 25:36) 6. Abigail becomes David's wife (1 Samuel 25:39) After the death of Samuel, briefly mentioned in the beginning of this chapter, David went still further south into the wil

1 SAMUEL 25:1 A. (TO RAMAH). DEATH AND BURIAL OF SAMUEL. (An editorial addition.) 1 SAMUEL 25:1. IN HIS HOUSE: in the grounds belonging to it. 1 SAMUEL 25:1 B - 1 SAMUEL 25:44. DAVID, NABAL AND ABIGAIL (J). From one of the oldest sources. The story is complete in itself, and has no obvious connexion with any of the other sections. 1 SAMUEL 25:1 B - 1 SAMUEL 25:13. David goes to the wilderness of Paran at the S. of the Araba

MAN. Hebrew. _'ish._ App-14. POSSESSIONS WERE: or, business [was]....

Nabal's churlish behaviour to David 2. _a man in Maon_ Nabal's home was in the city of Maon, and his possessions (or, HIS BUSINESS) about a mile to the north at Carmel. These places are mentioned together in Joshua 15:55. See also note on ch. 1 Samuel 15:12. _very great_ i.e. very rich. The same epithet is applied to (2 Samuel 19:32)....

_Nabal's Shameful Treatment of David._ 1 Samuel 25:2-13 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. 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. 4 And David heard in the wilderness that Nabal did shear his sheep. 5 And David sent out ten young men, and David said unto the young men, Get you up to Carmel, and go to Nabal, and greet him in my name: 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