1 Samuel 25:40

25:39-44 Abigail believed that David would be king over Israel, and greatly esteemed his pious and excellent character. She deemed his proposal of marriage honourable, and advantageous to her, notwithstanding his present difficulties. With great humility, and doubtless agreeably to the customs of those times, she consented, being willing to share his trails. Thus those who join themselves to Christ, must be willing now to suffer with him, believing that hereafter they shall reign with him.

And when the servants of David were come to Abigail to Carmel,.... For though Nabal lived in Maon, yet having possessions in Camel, he had no doubt an house there also; and here Abigail was, and perhaps chose to be after his death, rather than at Maon: they spake unto her; delivered the message to her they were sent with by David: saying, David sent us unto thee, to take thee to him to wife; that is, to treat with her about his marriage to her, to propose it to her, and, if they could prevail upon her, to bring her with them, that David might espouse her.

There is no note of the exact interval that elapsed between Nabal's death and David's hearing of it, or, again, between David's hearing of it and his message to Abigail; nor is there any reason to suppose that the marriage took place with unbecoming haste. The widow of such a husband as Nabal had been could not, however, be expected to revere his memory. After the usual mourning of seven days, she would probably feel herself free to act as custom allowed. (See 2 Samuel 11:26 .)

The pipe חליל châlı̂yl, literally the "bored" or "pierced" instrument) is a kind of flute used on occasions of joy and mirth Isaiah 5:12; 1 Kings 1:40; Psalm 68:25. The "harp" כנור kı̂nnôr, whence the Greek κινύρα kinura was a stringed instrument, and that played upon by David 1 Samuel 16:16; 1 Samuel 19:9; Psalm 43:4; Psalm 57:8.

(40) When the servants of David were come to Abigail. —The time that had elapsed between the death of Nabal and this mission of David to Abigail is not specified. The legal time of mourning was fixed at only seven days, but a very considerable period may have elapsed in this case. S. Ambrose allegorises here, as is usual in Patristic expositions, and compares the espousals of Abigail to David after Nabar’s death to the union of the Church ( i.e., the Gentile world) to Christ after the cessation of its connection with heathenism.— S. Ambrose, Ep. 31 (quoted in Words worth).

39-42. the Lord hath returned the wickedness of Nabal upon his own head—If this was an expression of pleasure, and David's vindictive feelings were gratified by the intelligence of Nabal's death, it was an instance of human infirmity which we may lament; but perhaps he referred to the unmerited reproach (1Sa 25:10, 11), and the contempt of God implied in it. David sent and communed with Abigail, to take her to wife—This unceremonious proceeding was quite in the style of Eastern monarchs, who no sooner take a fancy for a lady than they despatch a messenger to intimate their royal wishes that she should henceforth reside in the palace; and her duty is implicitly to obey. David's conduct shows that the manners of the Eastern nations were already imitated by the great men in Israel; and that the morality of the times which God permitted, gave its sanction to the practice of polygamy. His marriage with Abigail brought him a rich estate.

He then sent messengers to Abigail, and conveyed to her his wish to marry her, to which she consented without hesitation. With deep reverence she said to the messengers ( 1 Samuel 25:41 ), "Behold, thy handmaid as servant (i.e., is ready to become thy servant) to wash the feet of the servants of my lord;" i.e., in the obsequious style of the East, "I am ready to perform the humblest possible services for thee."

[Bible] Moreover, my father, see, yea, see the skirt of thy robe in my hand: for in that I cut off the skirt of thy robe, and killed thee not, know thou and see that there is neither evil nor transgression in mine hand, and I have not sinned against thee; yet thou huntest my soul to take it. The Lord judge between me and thee, and the Lord avenge me of thee: but mine hand shall not be upon thee. As saith the proverb of the ancients, Wickedness proceedeth from the wicked: but mine hand shall not be upon thee. After whom is the king of Israel come out? after whom dost thou pursue? after a dead dog, after a flea. The Lord therefore be judge, and judge between me and thee, and see, and plead my cause, and deliver me out of thine hand. And it came to pass, when David had made an end of speaking these words unto Saul, that Saul said, Is this thy voice, my son David? And Saul lifted up his voice, and wept. And he said to David, Thou art more righteous than I: for thou hast rewarded me good, whereas I have rewarded thee evil. And thou hast shewed this day how that thou hast dealt well with me: forasmuch as when the Lord had delivered me into thine hand, thou killedst me not. For if a man find his enemy, will he let him go well away? wherefore the Lord reward thee good for that thou hast done unto me this day. And now, behold, I know well that thou shalt surely be king, and that the kingdom of Israel shall be established in thine hand. Swear now therefore unto me by the Lord, that thou wilt not cut off my seed after me, and that thou wilt not destroy my name out of my father's house. And David sware unto Saul. And Saul went home; but David and his men gat them up unto the hold. Chapter Samuel 25 And Samuel died; and all the Israelites were gathered together, and lamented him, and buried him in his house at Ramah. And David arose, and went down to the wilderness of Paran.

18 . Abigail made haste, and took ] A store of provisions was prepared for the shearing feast ( 1 Samuel 25:11 ). For the different items of the present compare 2 Samuel 16:1 ; 1 Chronicles 12:40 . two bottles of wine ] Skins , holding a considerable quantity. Ziba only brought one “bottle” of wine for David in his flight ( 2 Samuel 16:1 ). Those now used in the East are made of kid, goat, or ox skins, according to the size required. five measures of parched corn ] See on 1 Samuel 17:17 . The “measure” (Heb. seah ) contained one third of an ephah. See on 1 Samuel 1:24 . Parched corn was only a delicacy, which accounts for the comparatively small quantity. clusters of raisins ] Lumps of dried grapes. The vineyards near Hebron still produce the largest and best grapes in all the country, and the finest of them are dried as raisins. Robinson’s Bibl. Res . I. 214, II. 81. cakes of figs ] Figs dried and compressed. They still grow in abundance in the neighbourhood of Hebron.

66 The Advocatejbip David, 1 Sam. 12. la, 1 1, 14/ and as the Corin* tbians had, that*s the Queftion. True, thou fhalc be compleatly fav'd at laft,but yet whether 'ds nou beft to leave thee a Memento of God's Difpleafore at thy Sin, by awarding, that theSm>rdJhall ne^er* deftirffrom thy Hdtfe^ or that fomc fore Sickneis or ot]^cr Diftrefles (hall haunt thee as long as thoi^' * liveft, or perhapsthat thou fhalt walk mthout tbe^ light of God's Countenanee for fever al Tears and 4^ Day. Now, if anyof thefe three things happen to^ thee, thou muft exercife Patience, and wait j thuf" did David, I waited fatientls' ; and again he exer-j cifcs his Soul in this Virtue, faying, My Soul^wait^ thou only upon him, for my Expe^ation is from him^, Pfal. 62. 5. For novo we are judj^ed of the Lord^thaf-. we may not be condemy^d with the Wwld : And by this Judgment, tho' it fets us free from their dam- 1 nation, yetwc arc involved in many troubles, atul j Eerhaps muft wait many a Day before we cafrj now that (as to the main) the Verdid hath gone^^ on our fide. Thus therefore, in order to thy wai*. ting on him without fainting, it is meet that thott Ihouldft know the Methods of him that managei thy Caufe for thee in Heaven ; and fuffer not Diftruft to break in and bear fway in thy Soul, fe he will at length bring thee forth to thelioht, ani thou /halt behold his !{ighteou/hefs. She alfo that it thine EnetTiy fhaS fee it, and Shame p^nli cover her that faid unto thee, P^ere is thy God ?