1 Samuel 25:7

_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._ No JFB commentary on these verses....

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...

Verse 1 Samuel 25:7. _THY SHEPHERDS WHICH THERE WITH US, WE HURT THEM NOT_] It is most evident that David had a _claim_ upon Nabal, for very essential services performed to his herdmen at Carmel. He not only did them _no hurt_, and took none of their _flocks_ for the supply of his necessities, but he protected them from the rapacity of others; _they were a WALL unto us_, said Nabal's servants, _both by_ _night and day_. In those times, and to the present day, wandering hordes of Arabs, under their several _chiefs_, think they have a right to exact contributions of provisions, c., wherever they come David had done nothing of this kind, but protected them against those who would....

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 NOW I HAVE HEARD THAT THOU HAST SHEARERS,.... Men employed in shearing his sheep, which was a time of feasting and gladness, and therefore David sent his young men to him at this time with his compliments upon it; and in order to obtain what he intended by this message to him, he observes the favours he and his men had done to his servants, and the advantages which they had received from them: NOW THY SHEPHERDS WHICH WERE WITH US; feeding their sheep near the wilderness of Paran, which was not far from Carmel and Maon: WE HURT THEM NOT; by taking any of their sheep and lambs from them, or by abusing, beating them, or giving them ill language; or "did not put them to shame" x, by denying them anything they asked of them, which was in their power to grant, nor mocked and scoffed at them, and jeered them on account of their occupation: NEITHER WAS THERE OUGHT MISSING UNTO THEM; they...

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

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)....

AND DAVID SENT OUT, &C.— In this message of David to Nabal, which is a fine picture of ancient and true politeness, there are three things well worth our notice. _First,_ the direction: _To him that liveth,_ 1 Samuel 25:6. (_in prosperity_ is not in the Hebrew); and _secondly,_ the salutation: _Peace be to thee, and peace to thine house,_ &c. In the Scripture, _living_ and _being happy,_ are synonimous: David's own benevolent spirit suggested to him, that, being happy ourselves, we should delight in making others share in our happiness. God does so; and the man after God's own heart does so too: at the same time David well knew that Nabal was obliged to assist him from God's own express command; Deuteronomy 15:7. In the next place, the great beauty and propri

_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