Samuel died. The Rabbins say four months before Saul. (Seder, olam 13.) (Tirinus) --- Others believe about two years; and suppose that he was 98 years old, twenty of which he had been judge: (Calmet) Salien says 38, and that he lived seventy-seven years. (Menochius) --- On all these points the learn... [ Continue Reading ]
_Maon. Vatican Septuagint has the same word in the preceding verse, instead of Pharan. (Haydock) --- Possessions. Hebrew, "work." Cattle then formed the chief source of riches. Carmel and Maon were not far from Pharan, in Arabia. (Calmet)_... [ Continue Reading ]
_Caleb, the famous companion of Josue. His name means, "a dog;" whence the Septuagint, "he was a Cynic." Josephus, "he followed the manners of the Cynics," who were remarkable for their impudence, like dogs. Caleb was of the same tribe as David, and ought to have been more favourable to him on that... [ Continue Reading ]
_Molested them. This deserved some acknowledgment, as they might have done it with impunity. But David had also been of service to Nabal's men, as one of them told Abigail, ver. 16---21._... [ Continue Reading ]
_Good day, set aside for rejoicing, w hen the sheep were shorn, 2 Kings xiii. 24._... [ Continue Reading ]
_Masters. As if he had said, you and David are but fugitive slaves. (Calmet) --- He might also insinuate, that David encouraged such practices, chap. xxii. 2. (Haydock)_... [ Continue Reading ]
_Water, under which name all sorts of drinks are included. Nabal had plenty of wine, and was much intoxicated, ver. 36. Septuagint translate, "wine." Syriac and Arabic, "drink." --- Cattle. Hebrew, "victims," which is a term used both for sacred and profane feasts._... [ Continue Reading ]
_Rejected them. Hebrew, "flew against them." Chaldean, "saw them with disgust."_... [ Continue Reading ]
_Determined, and as if it had already taken place, chap. xx. 7._... [ Continue Reading ]
_Raisins. Hebrew tsimmukim, "dried raisins," or clusters of an extraordinary size. Roger speaks of some gathered in the vale of Sorec, which weighed 25\'bd pounds. (the year of the Lord 1634.) Septuagint, "a gomer of dry raisins." Syriac and Arabic, "a hundred cheeses." --- Cakes. Chaldean, "pounds.... [ Continue Reading ]
_Nabal. Knowing his churlish temper, and that he was drunk at this time, (ver. 36.; Haydock) she might be well excused from the ordinary laws which forbid a wife to dispose of her husband's property, without his consent. The emergency left no time for consultation. She gave a part to save the whole.... [ Continue Reading ]
_Foot. Hebrew, "in the obscurity," or road covered with trees. Septuagint, "in the shade." Chaldean, "on the side." David was descending from the mountains of Pharan, at the same time._... [ Continue Reading ]
The enemies, is left out in some editions of the Septuagint. But David wishes all evils to himself, though, to avoid the ominous expression, he specifies his enemies, if he do not punish Nabal. --- Leave. David certainly sinned in his designs against Nabal and his family, as he himself was afterward... [ Continue Reading ]
CHAPTER XXV.... [ Continue Reading ]
_Iniquity, or the punishment of this fault, ver. 28. (Calmet) --- She wishes to divest the mind of David from the consideration of her husband's incivility; and, after condemning it herself, insinuates that it would be unbecoming for a great king to mind so insignificant an enemy, ver. 28. (Haydock)... [ Continue Reading ]
_The king, is not in Hebrew, Septuagint, &c. David's title was not yet publicly acknowledged. (Calmet) ---But Abigail plainly alludes to it, ver. 28. (Haydock) --- Name. Nabal, in Hebrew, signifies a fool. (Calmet) --- Thus she extenuates his fault, by attributing it to a deficiency in understanding... [ Continue Reading ]
_To thee. She felicitates David on not having put his design in execution. (Calmet) --- Theodoret thinks he might lawfully have done it; but others believe that the fault bore no proportion with the intended punishment. (Tirinus) --- As Nabal, devoid of sense. Abigail displays the eloquence of natur... [ Continue Reading ]
_Blessing, or present. (Menochius) See 2 Corinthians ix. 5. (Calmet)_... [ Continue Reading ]
_House. Thy family shall long continue in the enjoyment of the royal power. Chaldean, "an established kingdom." (Haydock) --- Lord, as his general. --- Evil. Do no manner of injustice. Hebrew, "and evil hast not been found," &c. Hitherto thy life has been irreproachable. (Calmet)_... [ Continue Reading ]
Bundle. Such things are more secure than those which are loose. (Worthington) --- Of the living, or predestinate, over whom Providence watches in a particular manner. She seems to allude to the method of carrying pieces of silver in bundles, Proverbs vii. 20. Chaldean, "the soul of my lord shall be... [ Continue Reading ]
_Israel, a thing which all expected, and even Saul himself, chap. xxiv. 21._... [ Continue Reading ]
_Scruple. Hebrew, "scandal," or sin, for David might defend himself, but ought not to attack or take revenge, like a king. (Grotius) --- Innocent. Many of Nabal's family were such, and even his fault did not deserve death. Hebrew, "shed blood without cause." (Calmet) --- Handmaid, who has suggested... [ Continue Reading ]
_Speech. Hebrew, "advice, or wisdom." Septuagint, "conduct." (Calmet)_... [ Continue Reading ]
_Face. I have been pleased with thy coming, and granted thy request. (Haydock) --- David had sworn with too much haste. (Calmet) --- "It is sometimes wrong to perform what has been promised, and to keep an oath." (St. Ambrose, Off. i. C. ultra[last chapter])_... [ Continue Reading ]
_Morning. Admirable pattern of discretion, and how reprimands may be made with advantage. (Calmet) --- A medicine given at an improper time often does harm. (Pliny, [Natural History?] xvii. 27.) When a person said to Cleostratus, "Are you not ashamed to get drunk?" he replied, "Are you not ashamed t... [ Continue Reading ]
_Stone. Stupified at the thought of the imminent danger to which he had foolishly exposed himself. So the poets represent Niobe as metamorphosed into a stone, at the hearing of her children's death. (Tirinus) --- Josephus intimates that Nabal was killed by the malignant influence of the stars, sider... [ Continue Reading ]
_Blessed be, &c. David praises God on this occasion, not out of joy for the death of Nabal, (which would have argued a rancour of heart) but because he saw that God had so visibly taken his cause in hand, in punishing the injury done to him; whilst, by a merciful providence, he kept him from revengi... [ Continue Reading ]
_Thy servant. She speaks to David's representatives, as if he had been present. (Haydock) --- The marriage was proposed probably a month or two after the death of Nabal; and Abigail followed the messengers, in a short time. (Menochius)_... [ Continue Reading ]
_Took, or "had taken before," according to Josephus. Hence she is placed first, (Calmet) as the mother of David's first-born, Amnon, 2 Kings iii. 2. (Menochius) --- Michol, whom he married first, had no children. (Haydock) --- Jezrahel, a city of Juda. (Menochius) (Josue xv. 56.) --- There was anoth... [ Continue Reading ]
_Phalti, or Phaltiel, 2 Kings iii. 15. Saul violated all laws by so doing, and David took her back when he came to the throne, which he could not have done if he had given her a bill of divorce, Deuteronomy xxiv. 4. (Calmet) --- Michol was not blameless in living thus with another man. (Menochius) -... [ Continue Reading ]