1 Samuel 25:39-44

David's Wives. 1 Samuel 25:39-44

39 And when David heard that Nabal was dead, he said, Blessed be the Lord that hath pleaded the cause of my reproach from the hand of Nabal, and hath kept his servant from evil: for the Lord hath returned the wickedness of Nabal upon his own head. And David sent and communed with Abigail, to take her to him to wife.

40 And when the servants of David were come to Abigail to Carmel, they spake unto her, saying, David sent us unto thee, to take thee to him to wife.
41 And she arose, and bowed herself on her face to the earth, and said, Behold, let thine handmaid be a servant to wash the feet of the servants of my lord.

42 And Abigail hasted, and arose, and rode upon an ass, with five damsels of hers that went after her; and she went after the messengers of David, and became his wife,
43 David also took Ahinoam of Jezreel; and they were also both of them his wives,
44 But Saul had given Michal his daughter, David's wife, to Phalti the son of Laish, which was of Gallim.

17.

Was David's marriage to Abigail an honorable one? 1 Samuel 25:39

From the beginning it was not God's intention that man should have more than one wife. The Law was given at a time when men were practicing polygamy, and God did not reveal the full Christian standard at that time. He did give legislation to regulate polygamy, and this led men to the place where they could receive Christ's full revelation. In the light of the dispensation it was perfectly permissible for David to marry Abigail. Her husband was dead, and she was free from her obligations to him. Abigail was a very wise woman, viewing herself as unworthy of the love of David (1 Samuel 25:41).

18.

What kind of woman was Abigail? 1 Samuel 25:42

Abigail was an honorable person and made a good wife for David. She was the mother of Chileab, David's son, of whom little is known (2 Samuel 3:3). Her conduct showed her to be discrete in that she did not reveal her actions to her husband when he could have stopped her. She was humble (1 Samuel 25:23), generous (v, 27), god-fearing (1 Samuel 25:29), knowledgeable (1 Samuel 25:30), and affluent (1 Samuel 25:42).

19.

Who was David's other wife? 1 Samuel 25:43

David's other wife was Ahinoam (1 Samuel 25:43). Ahinoam is introduced only as the Jezreelitess. Jezreel must have been a town in the mountains of Judah (Joshua 15:56), and not the city of that same name in the tribe of Issachar (Joshua 19:18). The place in Issachar is so far north that it would seem improbable that David would have been in that area.

20.

What had happened to Michal? 1 Samuel 25:44

Michal was David's first wife. She had lied about his threat to her when David fled from their home as Saul came to kill him. Saul had then given Michal to Phalti, the son of Laish of Gallim. Phalti is called Paltiel in 2 Samuel 3:15. Gallim was a place between Gibeah of Saul and Jerusalem. David later persuaded Ish-bosheth and Abner to bring Michal back to him (2 Samuel 3:14).