1 Samuel 25:43

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 David also took Ahinoam of Jezreel,.... A city in the tribe of Judah, Joshua 15:56 ; that is, he took her to wife, and as it seems before Abigail became his wife; see 2 Samuel 3:2 , and they were also both of them his wives; polygamy, though not agreeably to the law of nature, nor the law of God, was a custom which prevailed in those times, which good men gave into, though not to be commended for it.

Verses 43, 44. - Besides Abigail, David also took to wife Ahinoam of Jezreel , a small village among the hills of Judah ( Joshua 15:56 ), and not the better known town of that name in the tribe of Issachar. Ahinoam was the name also of Saul's wife ( 1 Samuel 14:50 ). They were also...his wives. I.e. besides Michal. She had been given by Saul to Phalti the son of Laish, called Phaltiel in 2 Samuel 3:15 , where we read of his lamentation at her being torn from him by Ishbosheth in order that she might be restored to David. Gallim is described in Isaiah 10:30 as being situated between Gibeah of Saul and Jerusalem. 1 Samuel 25:43

In the list of David's wives Ahinoam is mentioned first 2 Samuel 3:2 ; 1 Chronicles 3:1 . But this may be only because her son was the first-born. David's now taking two wives was an indication of his growing power and importance as a chieftain. The number was increased to six when he reigned in Hebron 1 Chronicles 3:1 , and still further when he became king of all Israel 2 Samuel 5:12-13 . See 1 Samuel 1:2 note. Of Jezreel - Not the well-known city of Samaria, which gave its name to the plain of Esdraelon, but a town of Judah, near Carmel (marginal reference).

(43) David also took Ahinoam of Jezreel. —Jezreel is not the city in Issachar ( Joshua 19:18 ), but a town in the southern part of Canaan, situate in the hill country of Judah, near Maon. The fatal results of this disastrous and unhappy Oriental custom of polygamy, as time went on, showed themselves in King David’s household—a plentiful crop of intrigues, crimes, and murders in the royal palace were the sad fruits of his yielding to the miserable practice, which has ever been one of the curses of the East.

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.

The historian appends a few notices here concerning David's wives: "And David had taken Ahinoam from Jezreel; thus they also both became his wives." The expression "also" points to David's marriage with Michal, the daughter of Saul ( 1 Samuel 18:28 ). Jezreel is not the city of that name in the tribe of Issachar ( Joshua 19:18 ), but the one in the mountains of Judah ( Joshua 15:56 ).

ADAM CLARKE'S BIBLE COMMETARY 1 SAMUEL Verse 22 Saul went home - Confounded at a sense of his own baseness, and overwhelmed with a sense of David's generosity. David and his men gat them up unto the hold - Went up to Mizpeh, according to the Syriac and Arabic. David could not trust Saul with his life; the utmost he could expect from him was that he should cease from persecuting him; but even this was too much to expect from a man of such a character as Saul. He was no longer under the Divine guidance; an evil spirit had full dominion over his soul. What God fills not, the devil will occupy. [ 1 Samuel 25 ] ADAM CLARKE'S BIBLE COMMETARY 1 SAMUEL 1SAMUEL 25: 1 Samuel died; and all Israel gathered themselves together, and lamented him, and buried him in his house at Ramah. David arose, and went down to the wilderness of Paran. The death of Samuel, 1 Samuel 25:1. The history of Nabal, and his churlishness towards David and his men, 1 Samuel 25:2-12. David, determining to punish him, is appeased by Abigail, Nabal's wife, vv. 13- 35. Abigail returns, and tells Nabal of the danger that he has escaped: who on hearing it is thunderstruck, and dies in ten days, 1 Samuel 25:36-38 David, hearing of this, sends and takes Abigail to wife, 1 Samuel 25:39-42. He marries also Ahinoam of Jezreel, Saul having given Michal, David's wife, to Phalti, the son of Laish, 1 Samuel 25:43, 1 Samuel 25:44.

2. That what is here said of the premium that Saul had offered to him who should conquer the Philistine, is not well consistent with the accounts afterwards given, of which we shall have occasion to take particular notice. 3. That Eliab's behavior, as here represented, is not only remarkable but unaccountable and absurd. And, 8. Doeg informs him of David's coming to Nob; of his being entertained by Ahimelech; on which Saul slays Ahimelech and all the priests, to the number of eighty-five, and destroys the city of Nob, 1 Samuel 22:9-19. Abiathar, the son of Ahimelech, only escapes; he joins with David, by whom he is assured of protection, 1 Samuel 22:20-23. 35. Abigail returns, and tells Nabal of the danger that he has escaped: who on hearing it is thunderstruck, and dies in ten days, 1 Samuel 25:36-38 David, hearing of this, sends and takes Abigail to wife, 1 Samuel 25:39-42. He marries also Ahinoam of Jezreel, Saul having given Michal, David's wife, to Phalti, the son of Laish, 1 Samuel 25:43, 1 Samuel 25:44. 1. Dreams. - The person prayed for instruction; and begged that God would answer by a significant dream.