Scripture Notes: David and Abigail (1 Samuel 25)

Abigail had the misfortune to be married to an old grump. Her husband Nabal was harsh and nasty and far more interested in drinking than in extending hospitality. So when David sent some of his servants to invite Nabal to a feast, the old crank refused to come in the most insulting way.  

David, furious, quickly (and quite unthinkingly) resolved to crush Nabal and every male in his household. David, of course, forgot in his anger that the males in Nabal’s household were innocent and were likely unable to influence their master’s behavior one way or another.

Thankfully, Abigail heard about the problem from one of the young men, who was probably both appalled and terrified. She jumped to action, getting ready a whole assortment of food as something of a peace offering to David. But she didn’t leave it at that; instead, Abigail got on a donkey and went out to meet David in person. 

She didn’t have to do any of this. She could have let David come in and kill her husband and everyone else, but no matter what she thought of her husband (and it probably wasn’t much), she clearly felt a responsibility for the rest of her household. She was not going to let them suffer for her husband’s extreme rudeness.

Abigail’s humility and courage touched David’s heart. She even claimed responsibility for Nabal’s acts although David didn’t buy that for an instant. She asked him to blame her and accept her apologies and offering, not so that Nabal wouldn’t be punished but so that David would not sin. She didn’t want to see David, whom she knew as a God-fearing man, incur the guilt of taking revenge and killing the innocent along with the guilty.

It worked. David repented of his intentions and blessed God for Abigail’s discretion. He received her graciously, thanked her, and told her to go in peace. Abigail’s tasks weren’t finished, however. She still had to deal with Nabal. He was far too drunk and rowdy that night, so she waited until morning. Then she dropped the bomb and let him know how close he had come to death at David’s hands. Nabal couldn’t take the shock; he died ten days later, God taking the revenge David had intended but on Nabal alone.

The story doesn’t quite end there. David knew a good woman when he saw one, and he recognized Abigail’s intelligence and devotion. So he married her.