Nabal
“Fool or senseless”
Summary
Nabal was a wealthy but churlish sheep master in Maon whose refusal to show hospitality to David nearly brought destruction upon his household, and whose death made way for David to marry his wise wife Abigail.
☩Character and Wealth
Nabal was a descendant of Caleb, dwelling at Maon in the southern highlands of Judah, with his flocks pastured around Carmel. He was very wealthy, owning three thousand sheep and a thousand goats. Despite his prosperity, he was notorious for his churlishness and evil conduct, described as 'a man of Belial' whom even his own servants dared not approach. His wife Abigail described him accurately when she said, 'As his name is, so is he: Nabal (fool) is his name, and folly is with him.'
☩Conflict with David
When David and his men were outlaws in the wilderness, they protected Nabal's shepherds and flocks, never taking anything and serving as a wall of defense day and night. At sheep-shearing time—an occasion of great festivity—David sent ten young men to request provisions from Nabal as compensation for their services. Nabal rudely refused, asking 'Who is David? and who is the son of Jesse?' and implying that David was merely a runaway slave. This insult provoked David to vow the destruction of Nabal's entire household.
☩Abigail's Intervention
One of Nabal's servants warned Abigail of the danger. She quickly prepared a generous gift of provisions—bread, wine, sheep, grain, raisins, and figs—and rode out to meet David. Her eloquent appeal and humble confession of her husband's folly turned David from his murderous purpose. David blessed her for keeping him from bloodguilt and accepted her gift. When Abigail returned home, she found Nabal drunk at a feast 'like the feast of a king' and waited until morning to tell him what had happened.
☩Death
When Nabal learned in the morning how close he had come to destruction, 'his heart died within him, and he became as a stone'—apparently suffering a stroke or paralysis. About ten days later, 'the Lord smote Nabal, that he died.' When David heard of Nabal's death, he praised God for averting him from wrongdoing and for judging Nabal's wickedness. David then sent for Abigail, who became his wife.
References
- 1.John McClintock and James Strong, "Nabal," in Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature, vol. VI (Harper & Brothers, 1867–1887).
- 2.James Orr (ed.), "Nabal," in International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, vol. IV (Howard-Severance Company, 1915).
- 3.George Morrish, "Nabal," in Morrish's Concise Bible Dictionary (George Morrish, 1898).