Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible
1 Samuel 25:25-30
Abigail's Plea.
“ Let not my lord, I pray you, regard this worthless fellow, even Nabal, for as his name is, so is he; Nabal is his name, and folly is with him. But I your handmaid did not see the young men of my lord, whom you sent.”
She pleaded with him to recognise Nabal for what he was, a worthless and useless fellow, as his nickname indicated, and one therefore to be dismissed as such. He had been rightly characterised. His name meant ‘folly' and that is what he was, a fool. And the pathway for a fool led him to his own destruction. It did not need David to help it along. (The writer no doubt intends his readers to recognise that in this he is like Saul). But let David not lay Nabal's folly at anyone else's door. She, for example, had not seen the young men whom David had sent. Note her constant use of ‘my lord'. This was how a respectful woman addressed an important man in those days (even her husband).
“ Now therefore, my lord, as YHWH lives, and as your soul lives, seeing YHWH has withheld you from bloodguiltiness, and from avenging yourself with your own hand, now therefore let your enemies, and those who seek evil to my lord, be as Nabal.”
Abigail now advanced three arguments to advance her call for compassion:
Firstly in that YHWH by His providence had caused them to meet so as to prevent him becoming blood guilty. This was a clear sign that the living God was at work and was wanting David to walk in the way of full life (see Deuteronomy 30:19) and not in the way of blood-guiltiness and in the way of obtaining his own vengeance by his own actions rather than awaiting YHWH's vengeance (thus his actions towards Nabal are being seen as the opposite of his actions towards Saul).
Secondly in that her desire was that all David's enemies be like Nabal (fools doomed to destruction at YHWH's hand).
And thirdly (in 1 Samuel 25:27) in that that she herself has brought hospitality for his young men, demonstrating that not all Nabal's household look on David with contempt and as an enemy.
“As YHWH lives.” David is to remember that YHWH is the living God Who requires all men to walk righteously, and Who is able to avenge all who are righteous.
“And as your soul (inner life) lives,” in other words ‘as you yourself live righteously within your inner man (soul).' Her point was that while free from blood-guilt and pointless vengeance he would live a free, untrammelled life of righteousness and purity. She is thus calling on him maintain the truly righteous life which he enjoys before YHWH, a life which brings fullness of blessing (Deuteronomy 30:19).
“Seeing YHWH has withheld you from bloodguiltiness.” She wanted him to see that this meeting between them was YHWH's doing with the very purpose of preventing him from becoming blood guilty as a result of slaying the innocent with the guilty.
“And from avenging yourself with your own hand.” Right from the beginning Scripture taught that vengeance was not to be in men's hands but in YHWH's hand. Thus one mark of Cain lay in his determination to obtain his own vengeance (Genesis 4:8), something that came to full fruit in the similar behaviour of Lamech who demanded even greater vengeance just for being slighted (Genesis 4:23), something which clearly therefore characterised the line of Cain. In contrast Abel's vengeance came from YHWH. (Genesis 4:8), and Adam's family were therefore not to seek vengeance on Cain (Genesis 4:15) but to leave it in YHWH's hands. Compare Leviticus 19:18; Deuteronomy 32:35; Deuteronomy 32:43; Psalms 94:1; This was later enunciated in the words, ‘Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says YHWH' (Romans 12:19; Hebrews 10:30). Thus Abigail was calling on David to follow in the way of revealed righteousness.
“ And now this present which your servant has brought to my lord, let it be given to the young men who follow my lord.”
Finally she gave practical proof of her own genuineness by drawing his attention to the gifts that she had brought for his young men, which demonstrated on behalf of her and her servants the welcoming hospitality, that previously had been refused. Let them now enjoy hospitality and friendship and not vengeance. Note the subtle implication that David himself was, of course, above requiring such evidence and compensation.
“ Forgive, I pray you, the trespass of your handmaid, for YHWH will certainly make my lord a sure house, because my lord fights the battles of YHWH, and evil shall not be found in you all your days.”
Abigail then asked for forgiveness for her trespass. This may signify that she was acknowledging that she shared in the guilt that fell on the whole household as a result of Nabal's behaviour, or it may be that she is still aware of how unseemly her intervention as a woman in men's affairs might seem. Possibly, in fact, both are included. Her plea was that David might forgive whatever trespass he was concerned about.
And her plea was on the basis of her assurance that YHWH would establish David's house for ever (it would be a sure house), because David was one who fought YHWH's battles and would thus be preserved from all evil all his days, both external evils from without and internal evils arising from within. Such a man must therefore surely be willing to forgive a weak woman. (It is a reminder that what we are determines what people expect from us).
“ And though men be risen up to pursue you, and to seek your life, yet the life of my lord will be bound in the bundle of life with YHWH your God, and the lives of your enemies, them will he sling out, as from the hollow of a sling.”
Indeed, while David may have to face many enemies, and be pursued by many who will seek his life (a fate likely at some time or other for any war-leader in those days), yet he will not have to fear because his life will be bound up in YHWH's bundle of life. It will be safely tied up with YHWH. The thought is that his being bound up in a bundle made up of God's life, and of the lives of His chosen ones, makes him invulnerable. Death cannot penetrate it. His life is safe in God's hands. Today we would say, ‘your life is hid with Christ in God' (Colossians 3:3).
The picture is a vivid one. Those who are true to God are tied up with Him in His bundle of life safe and secure in His hands. Those who are not are slung far and wide and are outside of His care and protection.
She may, of course, have specifically had in mind the fact that he had been pursued by Saul. That would not have been a secret to anyone. Considering the number of men that Saul had had with him such facts would inevitably have spread and become common knowledge. All Israel would know of Saul's pursuit of David, and the reasons for it, as they would undoubtedly by now have learned of David's anointing by Samuel, for all such ‘secrets', where a number of people are involved, inevitably get out. They were in fact probably one of the on-dits of Israelite life, as all learned about them and wondered what would come next.
In contrast to the lives of those who were wrapped up in YHWH's bundle of life were the lives of his enemies which would be put in the pouch of YHWH's sling to be slung out far and wide away from YHWH's protection. This would include both Nabal and Saul. And to be far from YHWH could only result in death in contrast with life. It was to live in the shadows and then finally be destroyed.
“ And it will come about that when YHWH shall have done to my lord according to all the good that he has spoken concerning you, and shall have appointed you prince over Israel, that this shall be no grief to you, nor offence of heart to my lord, either that you have shed blood without cause, or that my lord has avenged himself. And when YHWH shall have dealt well with my lord, then remember your handmaid.”
And in the day when the life that YHWH had given David came to fruition in his receiving the kingship of Israel, the promise of which was common knowledge, he would be only too glad that he was free from blood-guiltiness in regard to this sordid affair. Note the stress on the fact that all this would be given to him by YHWH because YHWH had said so. How sad it would then be to have innocent blood on his hands simply because he had responded to the behaviour of a fool. And how sad if he was then seen as someone who thought of nothing but vengeance, instead of being known as someone who was magnanimous. Such attitudes were not those of a great king.
We must not forget the popularity that David had had as a successful commander, such that his reputation in Israel was even famed among the Philistines (1 Samuel 21:11; 1 Samuel 30:5). Thus all Israel were interested in his welfare, and any news about him would spread rapidly, especially among the womenfolk to whom he was an heroic figure. Indeed one thing that no doubt spurred on Saul in his pursuit of David was what he learned about what people were saying about him. By this Abigail was making plain that she and many others in Israel viewed David's prospects with favour.
The writer is making clear by this, and by David's response, what were seen as being the qualities by which a good king of Israel (and any good person) should be judged. They were indeed the qualities displayed by David towards Saul in chapter 24 and 26. He is also making clear again that to be king of Israel was David's destiny as God's purposes moved on.