U W -1. David. Personal. Other dwelling. X a 2-4. Nabal's weath. b 5-12. David's message to Nabal. Y 13. Resentment of David. Z c 14-17. Report of David to Abigail. d 18-20. Abigail's present prepared. Y 21,22. Resentment of David. Z d 23-31. Abigail's present presented. c 32-35. Answer of David to Abigail. X a 36-38. Nabal's death. b 39-42. David's message to Abgail. W 43,44. David. Personal. Other wives.
962 B.C.
And David arose, and went down to the wilderness of Paran. (topography here is most exact. It is a continuous desent to the Negeb for more than a day's journey)
2: And there was a man in Maon, whose possessions were in Carmel (or business was); and the man was very great, and he had three thousand sheep, and a thousand goats: and he was shearing his sheep in Carmel.
3: Now the name of the man was Nabal (= fool); and the name of his wife Abigail (= father, i.e. source, of joy): and she was a woman of good understanding, and of a beautiful countenance: but the man was churlish (cruel) and evil in his doings; and he was a Calebite (Sept. Sry., and Arab. have translated the word "cynical").
4: And David heard in the wilderness that Nabal did shear his sheep.
b e 5-8. Message of David. f 9. Delivery by young men. e 10,11. Reply to David. f 12. Report by young men.
5: And David sent out ten young men, and David said to the young men, “Get you up to Carmel, and go to Nabal, and greet him in my name:
6: And thus shall you all say to him that lives in prosperity (= a bon vivant), ‘Peace be both to you, and peace be to your house, and peace be to all that you have.
7: And now I have heard that you have shearers: now your shepherds which were with us, we hurt them not, neither was there anything missing to them, all the while they were in Carmel.
8: Ask your young men, and they will shew you. Wherefore let the young men find favour in your eyes: for we come in a good day: give, I pray you, whatsoever comes to your hand to your servants, and to your son David.’ ”
9: And when David's young men came, they spoke to Nabal according to all those words in the name of David, and ceased.
10: And Nabal answered David's servants, and said, “Who is David? and who is the son of Jesse? there be many servants now a days that break away every man from his master.
11: Shall I then take my bread, and my water (Sept. reads "wine"), and my flesh that I have killed for my shearers, and give it to men, whom I know not from which place they be?”
12: So David's young men turned their way, and went again, and came and told him all those sayings.
13: And David said to his men, “Gird you all on every man his sword.” And they girded on every man his sword; and David also girded on his sword: and there went up after David about four hundred men; and two hundred abode by the baggage.
14: But one of the young men told Abigail, Nabal's wife, saying, “Behold, David sent messengers out of the wilderness to salute our master; and he flew at them (or, stormed at them).
15: But the men were very good to us, and we were not hurt, neither missed we any thing, as long as we were conversant with them, when we were in the fields:
16: They were a wall to us both by night and day, all the while we were with them keeping the sheep.
17: Now therefore know and consider what you will do; for evil is determined against our master, and against all his household: for he is such a son of Belial, that a man cannot speak to him.”
18: Then Abigail made haste, and (notice the many "ands", emphasising Abigail's thought and care, as well as rapidity) took two hundred loaves, and two bottles of wine, and five sheep ready dressed, and five measures of parched corn, and an hundred clusters of raisins, and two hundred cakes of figs, and laid them on asses.
19: And she said to her servants, “Go on before me; behold, I come after you.” But she told not her husband Nabal.
20: And it was so, as she rode on the ass, that she came down by the covert of the hill, and, behold, David and his men came down against her; and she met them.
21: Now David had said, “Surely in vain have I kept all that this fellow has in the wilderness, so that nothing was missed of all that pertained to him: and he has requited me evil for good.
22: So and more also do God (Elohim) to the enemies of David, if I leave of all that pertain to him by the morning light any man that piss against the wall.”
23: And when Abigail saw David, she hasted, and lighted off the ass, and fell before David on her face, and bowed herself to the ground,
24: And fell at his feet, and said, “Upon me, my lord, upon me let this iniquity be: and let your handmaid, I pray you, speak in your audience, and hear the words of your handmaid.
25: Let not my lord, I pray you, regard this man of Belial, even Nabal: for as his name is, so is he; Nabal is his name, and folly is with him: but I your handmaid saw not the young men of my lord, whom you didst send.
26: Now therefore, my lord, as the Lord (Yehovah) lives, and as your soul lives, seeing the Lord (Yehovah) has withholden you from coming to shed blood (= wading in blood [as we say].), and from saving yourself with your own hand, now let your enemies, and they that seek evil to my lord, be as Nabal.
27: And now this present which your handmaid has brought to my lord (verb is masc.; and is so when women act in a masc. way, and fem. when men act in a fem. way), let it even be given unto the young men that follow my lord.
28: I pray you, forgive the trespass of your handmaid: for Yehovah will certainly make my lord a sure house; because my lord fights the battles of the Lord (Yehovah), and evil has not been found in your all your days.
29: Yet a man is risen to pursue you, and to seek your soul: but the soul of my lord shall be bound in the bag of life with the Lord (Yehovah) your God (Elohim); and the souls of your enemies, them shall He sling out (i.e. like the stones in David's slingshot), as out of the middle of a sling.
30: And it shall come to pass, when the Lord (Yehovah) shall have done to my lord according to all the good that He has spoken concerning you, and shall have appointed you ruler over Israel;
31: That this shall be no grief to you, nor offence of heart to my lord, either that you have shed innocent blood, or that my lord has saved himself: but when the Lord (Yehovah) shall have dealt well with my lord, then remember your handmaid.”
32: And David said to Abigail, “Blessed be the Lord God (Yehovah Elohim) of Israel, which sent you this day to meet me:
33: And blessed be your good taste, and blessed be you, which have kept me this day from coming to shed blood, and from saving myself with my own hand.
34: For in very deed, as the Lord God (Yehovah Elohim) of Israel lives, Which has kept me back from hurting you, except you had hasted and come to meet me, surely there had not been left to Nabal by the morning light any man that pisses against the wall.”
35: So David received of her hand that which she had brought him, and said to her, “Go up in peace to your house; see, I have hearkened to your voice, and have uplifted your face.”
36: And Abigail came to Nabal; and, behold, he held a feast in his house (banquet or drinking feast. Cp. 2 Sam.13:28), like the feast of a king; and Nabal's heart was merry within him, for he was very drunken: wherefore she told him nothing, less or more, until the morning light.
37: But it came to pass in the morning, when the wine was gone out of Nabal, and his wife had told him these things, that his heart died within him, and he became as a stone.
38: And it came to pass about ten days after, that the Lord (Yehovah) smote Nabal, that he died.
39: And when David heard that Nabal was dead, he said, “Blessed be the Lord (Yehovah), that has pleaded the cause of my reproach from the hand of Nabal, and has kept His servant from evil: for Yehovah has returned the wickedness of Nabal upon his own head,” And David sent and communed with Abigail, to take her to him to wife.
40: And when the servants of David were come to Abigail to Carmel, they spoke to her, saying, “David sent us to you to take you to him to wife.”
41: And she arose, and bowed herself on her face to the earth, and said, “Behold, let your handmaid be a servant to wash the feet of the servants of my lord.” (this was and is the most menial service)
42: And Abigail hasted, and arose, and rode upon an ass, with five damsels of hers that went after her; and she went after the messengers of David, and became his wife.
43: David also took Ahinoam of Jezreel (= gracious); and they were also both of them his wives.
44: But Saul had given Michal his daughter (cp. 2 Sam.3:14,15), David's wife, to Phalti the son of Laish, which was of Gallim.
T A 1. Information given. B g 2-4. Search by Saul. h 5-13. Camp. Proof obtained. B g 14. Search by Saul. h 15-25-. Camp. Proof exhibited. A -25. Seperation made.
26)
1: And the Ziphites came to Saul to Gibeah, saying, “Does not David hide himself in the hill of Hachilah (= dark; darkly fashing [only of the eyes]; in a good sense; brilliant [as stimulated by wine]), which is before Jeshimon?”
2: Then Saul arose, and went down to the wilderness of Ziph, having three thousand chosen men of Israel with him, to seek David in the wilderness of Ziph.
3: And Saul pitched in the hill of Hachilah, which is before Jeshimon, by the way. But David abode in the wilderness, and he saw that Saul came after him into the wilderness.
4: David therefore sent out spies, and understood that Saul was come in very deed.
5: And David arose, and came to the place where Saul had pitched: and David beheld the place where Saul lay, and Abner (= father of light) the son of Ner, the captain of his host: and Saul lay in the trench (or barricade), and the People pitched round about him.
6: Then answered David and said to Ahimelech the Hittite, and to Abishai the son of Zeruiah, brother to Joab, saying, “Who will go down with me to Saul to the camp?” And Abishai said, “I will go down with you.”
7: So David and Abishai came to the People by night: and, behold, Saul lay sleeping within the trench, and his spear stuck in the ground at his head (this is still the mark of the chief's tent. Cp. 18:10): but Abner and the People lay round about him.
8: Then said Abishai to David, “God (Elohim) has delivered your enemy into your hand this day: now therefore let me smite him (note Abner's caracter. 2 Sam.16:9; 19:21.), I pray you, with the spear even to the earth at once, and I will not smite him the second time.”
9: And David said to Abishai, “Destroy him not (see Deut.9:26, the superscriptions of Ps.56,57,58,74): for who can stretch forth his hand against the Lord's (Yehovah's) anointed, and be guiltless?”
10: David said furthermore, “As the Lord (Yehovah) lives, the Lord (Yehovah) shall smite him; or his day shall come to die; or he shall descend into battle, and perish.
11: The Lord (Yehovah) forbid that I should stretch forth my hand against the Lord's (Yehovah's) anointed: but, I pray you, take you now the spear that is at his head, and the cruse (or flask) of water, and let us go.”
12: So David took the spear and the cruse of water from Saul's head; and they got them away, and no one saw it, nor knew it, neither awaked: for they were all asleep; because a deep sleep from the Lord (Yehovah) was fallen upon them.
13: Then David went over to the other side, and stood on the top of an hill afar off; a great space being between them:
14: And David cried to the People, and to Abner the son of Ner, saying, “Do you not answer, Abner?” Then Abner answered and said, “Who are you that cries to the king?”
h i¹ 15,16. Remonstrance with Abner. i² 17-25-. Reconciliation with Saul.
15: And David said to Abner, “Are not you a valiant man? and who is like to you in Israel? why then have you not kept your lord the king? for there came one of the People in to destroy the king your lord.
16: This thing is not good that you have done. As Yehovah lives, you all are worthy to die, because you all have not kept your master, the Lord's (Yehovah's) anointed. And now see where the king's spear is, and the cruse of water that was at his head.”
i² k¹ 17-. Saul's recognition of David. l¹ -17-20. David's remonstrance. k² 21. Saul's acknowledgment. l² 22-24. David's remonstrance. k³ 25-. Saul's blessing.
17: And Saul recognised David's voice, and said, “Is this your voice, my son David?”
And David said, “It is my voice, my lord, O king.”
18: And he said, “Why does my lord thus pursue after his servant? for what have I done? or what evil is in my hand?
19: Now therefore, I pray you, let my lord the king hear the words of his servant. If the Lord (Yehovah) have stirred you up against me, let Him accept an offering: but if they be the sons of men, cursed be they before the Lord (Yehovah); for they have driven me out this day from abiding in the inheritance of the Lord (Yehovah), saying, “Go, serve other gods.” (David was being driven from God's altar)
20: Now therefore, let not my blood fall to the earth before the face of the Lord (Yehovah): for the king of Israel is come out to seek a flea, as when one does hunt a partridge in the mountains.”
21: Then said Saul, “I have sinned: return, my son David: for I will no more do you harm, because my life was precious in your eyes this day: behold, I have played the fool, and have erred exceedingly.”
22: And David answered and said, “Behold the king's spear! and let one of the young men come over and fetch it.
23: The Lord (Yehovah) render to every man his righteousness and his faithfulness: for the Lord (Yehovah) delivered you into my hand to day, but I would not stretch forth my hand against the Lord's (Yehovah's) anointed.
24: And, behold, as your soul was much set by this day in my eyes, so let my soul be much set by in the eyes of the Lord (Yehovah), and let Him deliver me out of all tribulation.”
25: Then Saul said to David, “Blessed be you, my son David: you shall both do great things, and also shall still prevail.”
So David went on his way, and Saul returned to his place.
960 B.C.
27)
1: And David said to himself, I shall now perish one day by the hand of Saul: there is nothing better for me than that I should speedily escape into the land of the Philistines; and Saul shall despair of me, to seek me any more in any border of Israel: so shall I escape out of his hand. (David makes a mistake. He forgot to ask for God's blesings. This lack of faith acted with disastrous results to David. It put him in a false position; shook the People's confidence in him; delayed his own election; and led to divisions in the kingdom)
2: And David arose, and he passed over with the six hundred men that were with him to Achish, the son of Maoch, king of Gath.
3: And David dwelt with Achish at Gath, he and his men, every man with his household, even David with his two wives, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail the Carmelitess, Nabal's wife (see 30:5). (David goes over to enemy. Covert activity. It is not necessarilly against God's law)
4: And it was told Saul that David was fled to Gath: and he sought no more again for him.
P C E 27:5-12. Ziklag. Possessed by David. F 28:1,2. Philistines and David. D 28:3-25. Saul's sin. C F 29:1-11. Philistines and David. E 30:1-31. Ziklag. Repossessed by David. D 31:1 – 2 Sam.1:27. Saul's death.
E m¹ 5-7. David and Achish. Gift. n¹ 8,9. David. Invasion of aborigines. m² 10. Achish and David. Deception. n² 11. David. Extermnation. m³ 12. Achish and David. Deception.
5: And David said to Achish, If I have now found grace in your eyes, let them give me a place in some town in the country, that I may dwell there: for why should your servant dwell in the royal city with you?” (David is using phycology on him)
6: Then Achish gave him Ziklag that day (= winding. An outpost that protested Gath): wherefore Ziklag pertains to the kings of Judah to this day. (this was given to Judah, but Saul forgot to cleanse the land)
961 B.C.
7: And the time that David dwelt in the country of the Philistines was a full year and four months.
8: And David and his men went up, and invaded the Geshurites, and the Gezrites, and the Amalekites: for those nations were of old the inhabitants of the land, as you goe to Shur, even to the land of Egypt. (these were good friends of the Philistines. Nomads)
9: And David smote the land, and left neither man nor woman alive, and took away the sheep, and the oxen, and the asses, and the camels, and the apparel, and returned, and came to Achish. (He wanted no witnesses)
10: And Achish said, “Against whom have you all made a raid to day?” And David said, Against the south of Judah, and against the south of the Jerahmeelites, and against the south (Heb. the Negeb or hill country south of Judah) of the Kenites (= the sons of Cain). (David is misleading the king)
11: And David saved neither man nor woman alive, to bring tidings to Gath, saying, “Lest they should tell on us, saying, ‘So did David, and so will be his manner all the while he dwells in the country of the Philistines.’ ” (i.e. "He killed them and will kill you too")
12: And Achish believed David, saying, “He has made his Israel's People utterly to abhor him; therefore he shall be my servant for ever.” (Achish thought he had himself another champion like Goliath)
960 B.C.
28)
1: And it came to pass in those days, that the Philistines gathered their armies together for warfare, to fight with Israel. And Achish said to David, “Know you assuredly, that you shall go out with me to battle, you and your men.”
2: And David said to Achish, “Therefore you shall know what your servant can do.” And Achish said to David, “Therefore will I make you keeper of my head for ever.” (i.e. keeper of my bodygaurd. David was in a real mess. He can't fight his own brothers)
D o¹ 3. Familiar spirits. Owner put away. p q 4,5. Saul's fear of Philstines. r 6. No answer from Yehovah. o² 7-14. Familiar spirits. Woman sought. p r 15-19. Answer from familiar spirit. q 20. Saul's fear. (Of Yehovah.) o³ 21-25. Familiar spirit. Woman spared.
3: Now Samuel was dead, and all Israel had lamented him, and buried him in Ramah, even in his own city. And Saul had put away those that had familiar spirits (familiar spirits are demons pretending to be dead persons; hence the word "necromancy". See Lev.19:31 and Isa.8:19), and the wizards (= wise, cunning, or knowing ones), out of the land.
4: And the Philistines gathered themselves together, and came and pitched in Shunem (double resting-place): and Saul gathered all Israel together, and they pitched in Gilboa (a bubling spring).
5: And when Saul saw the host of the Philistines, he was afraid, and his heart greatly trembled.
6: And when Saul asked of Yehovah (Heb. sha’ãl, to ask. Not dãrash, "to seek out". See v.7, and 1 Chron.10:13,14), Yehovah answered him not (not likely therefore to answer now by a way He had forbidden. Samuel had been dead for 2 years), neither by dreams nor by Urim (see Ex.28:30. Num.26:55. It must have been an ephod of his own making, as Abiathar the High Priest was with David. Saul makes no mention of this in v.15), nor by prophets.
7: Then said Saul to his servants, “Seek me a woman (answering to the modern }mediums") that owns a familiar spirit (possesses as mistress. see Lev.19:31), that I may go to her, and seek out of her” (a deeper meaning than v.6. Cp. 1 Chron.10:13,14). And his servants said to him, “Behold, there is a woman that owns a familiar spirit at Endor.” (= fountain of dwelling)
8: And Saul disguised himself, and put on other raiment, and he went, and two men with him, and they came to the woman by night: and he said, “I pray you, divine to me by the familiar spirit (hence called necromancy), and bring me him up, whom I shall name to you.” (This is Evil Spirit, not that person. See 2 Cor.5:7,8. Ecc.12:7)
9: And the woman said to him, “Behold, you know what Saul has done, how he has cut off those that have familiar spirits, and the wizards, out of the land: why then lay you a snare for my soul, to cause me to die?”
10: And Saul swore to her by the Lord (Yehovah), saying, “As the Lord (Yehovah) lives, there shall no punishment happen to you for this thing.”
11: Then said the woman, “Whom shall I bring up unto you?” (note: not down or forth) And he said, “Bring me up Samuel.”
12: And when the woman saw Samuel (or the materialisation of a decieving spirit personating Samuel, as is done by "mediums" today), she cried with a loud voice (evidently surpised, and getting more than expected): and the woman spoke to Saul, saying, “Why have you deceived me? for you are Saul.” (how should she know this but by a communication from the spirit)
13: And the king said to her, “Be not afraid: for what saw you?” And the woman said to Saul, “I saw a god (note small "g", or a spirit manifestation) ascending out of the earth.” (not down, or forth, as in John 11:43,44)
14: And he said to her, “What form is he of?” And she said, “An old man (not a spirit) comes up; and he is covered with a mantle.” (if a spirit, why a mantle? Samuel's spirit was with God [Ecc.12:7]. And if Samuel's body, it would have "grave-clothes" [John 11:44) And Saul perceived that it was Samuel, and he did obeisance with his face to the ground, and bowed himself. (Discern that which is of God and that which is Evil)
15: And Samuel said to Saul (i.e. the spirit personating Samuel said. Just as it is done in the present day by the medium: never directly), “Why have you disquieted me (if Samuel, then it shows he was "quiet" before), to bring me up?” (not my spirit) And Saul answered, “I am sore distressed; for the Philistines make war against me, and Elohim is departed from me, and answers me no more (therefore certainly not by means which He had expressly forbidden. See Lev.19:31; 20:6,27. Deut.18:10,13, &c.), neither by prophets (Saul omits the reference to "Urim" because it would remind him of the murder of the priests [22:18,19]. See v.6), nor by dreams: therefore I have called you, that you may make known to me what I shall do.”
16: Then said Samuel (Yehovah might have sent a "lying spirit", and given by it a true message, just as He did in 2 Chron.18:19-22. Nothing was said but what was well known before. Or the Evil Spirit is doing this to cause problems between David and Saul ), “Why then do you ask of me, seeing the Lord (Yehovah) is departed from you, and is become your enemy? (the Sept. reads "and has come to be with your neighbor". Cp. v.17 and 15:28)
17: And the Lord (Yehovah) has done to him, according as He spoke by my hand: for the Lord (Yehovah) has rent the kingdom out of your hand, and given it to your neighbour, even to David:
18: Because you listened not to the voice of the Lord (Yehovah), nor executed His fierce wrath upon Amalek (this goes back to Saul's first sin), therefore has the Lord (Yehovah) done this thing to you this day.
19: Moreover the Lord (Yehovah) will also deliver Israel with you into the hand of the Philistines: and tomorrow shall you and your sons be with me (i.e. with the dead): the Lord (Yehovah) also shall deliver the host of Israel into the hand of the Philistines.”
20: Then Saul remained motionless all along on the earth (cp. Acts 9:7, where "stood speechless" = remained speechless. See Acts 26:14. The two passages together = fell, and remained so), and was sore afraid, because of the words of Samuel: and there was no strength in him; for he had eaten no food all the day, nor all the night.
21: And the woman came to Saul, and saw that he was sore troubled, and said to him, “Behold, your handmaid has obeyed your voice, and I have put my life in my hand, and have listened to your words which you spoke to me.
22: Now therefore, I pray you, listen you also to the voice of your handmaid, and let me set a morsel of bread before you; and eat, that you may have strength, when you go on your way.”
23: But he refused, and said, “I will not eat.” But his servants, together with the woman, compelled him; and he listened to their voice. So he arose from the earth, and sat upon the bed.
24: And the woman had a fat calf in the shed; and she hasted, and killed it, and took flour, and kneaded it, and did bake unleavened bread thereof:
25: And she brought it before Saul, and before his servants; and they did eat. Then they rose up, and went away that night. (Saul has recieved his informaton from an evil spirit)