1 Samuel 25:36

_AND ABIGAIL CAME TO NABAL; AND, BEHOLD, HE HELD A FEAST IN HIS HOUSE, LIKE THE FEAST OF A KING; AND NABAL'S HEART WAS MERRY WITHIN HIM, FOR HE WAS VERY DRUNKEN: WHEREFORE SHE TOLD HIM NOTHING, LESS OR MORE, UNTIL THE MORNING LIGHT._ He held a feast in his house, like the feast of a king. The sheep shearing season was always a very joyous occasion. Masters usually entertained their shepherds; and even Nabal, though of a most niggardly disposition, prepared festivities on a scale of sumptuous liberality. The modern Arabs celebrate the season with similar hilarity....

32-39 David gives God thanks for sending him this happy check in a sinful way. Whoever meet us with counsel, direction, comfort, caution, or seasonable reproof, we must see God sending them. We ought to be very thankful for those happy providences which are the means of keeping us from sinning. Most people think it enough, if they take reproof patiently; but few will take it thankfully, and commend those who give it, and accept it as a favour. The nearer we are to committing sin, the greater is the mercy of a seasonable restraint. Sinners are often most secure when most in danger. He was very drunk. A sign he was Nabal, a fool, that could not use plenty without abusing it; who could not be pleasant with his friends without making a beast of himself. There is not a surer sign that a man has but little wisdom, nor a surer way to destroy the little he has, than drinking to excess. Next mor...

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 ABIGAIL CAME TO NABAL,.... Having sped with David, and taken her leave of him, she returned home to her husband Nabal: AND, BEHOLD, HE HELD A FEAST IN HIS HOUSE LIKE THE FEAST OF A KING; both for the number of dishes on his table and of guests at it though only on the account of sheep shearing; but very probably there were others that were invited to this entertainment besides the shearers; covetous men are generally very profuse when they make feasts: AND NABAL'S HEART [WAS] MERRY WITHIN HIM, FOR HE [WAS] VERY DRUNKEN: which was a very ill example for the master of the feast to set, and was one instance among others of his folly, and of his conduct answering to his name: WHEREFORE SHE TOLD HIM NOTHING LESS OR MORE UNTIL THE MORNING LIGHT; where she had been, and what she had been about, the danger that he and the whole family were in through his rude and churlish behaviour toward...

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

BEHOLD. Figure of speech _Asterismos._ App-6. FEAST. banquet or drinking feast. Compare 2 Samuel 13:28....

Nabal's death 36. _a feast … like the feast of a king_ His shearing-revel (cp. 2 Samuel 13:23) was on a scale of regal luxury....

_Abigail Appeals to David._ 1 Samuel 25:14-38 14 But one of the young men told Abigail, Nabal's wife, saying, Behold, David sent messengers out of the wilderness to salute our master; and he railed on them. 15 But the men _were_ very good unto us, and we were not hurt, neither missed we any thing, as long as we were conversant with them, when we were in the fields: 16 They were a wall unto us both by night and day, all the while we were with them keeping the sheep. 17 Now therefore know and consider what thou wilt do; for evil is determined against our master, and against all his household: for he _is such_ a son of Belial, that _a man_ cannot speak to him. 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,

DEATH OF SAMUEL. THE INCIDENT OF NABAL. DAVID AND ABIGAIL 1. Paran] That part of the desert between Sinai and Palestine which bordered on Judah....