RL l. | a Acc>rdiog to the manner of thoſe Times. See Gen. 23 9. and go. 5. Matth. 27,60, b In the Southern Borders of the Land of Ju dab, rhac ſo when occalivn lerved, he might. retire out of Saul's Donminions. : ; 2 And there was a man in Maon c, whoſ: || poiſeflions were in Carmel 4, and the man was very great, and he had chree thouſand ſheep, and a thouſand goats : and he vas (hearing his ſheep in Carmel. | c A place in or near to the Wilderneſs of Paran. See Chap. 23.24. 2 Not that Carmel in Iſachar ; of which ſee Chap. 15+ 12. and 1 Kings 18. 19- but another in the Tipe of Judah, near unto Man, as ap- pears from Foſhe 15. SS.
3 Now the name of the man was Nabal, and the name of his wife Abigail: and ſhe was a woman of good underſtanding, and of a beautiful countenance : but the man was churliſh, and evil in his doings, and he ir. « was | of the houſe of Caleb e,
; j Or, bu- | ſs
Cock, £ This is added ro aggravite his Crime, that he was a degene- rate Branch of that Noble Stock of Caleb, and conlequently of the Tribe of Judah, as David was. | 4 © And David heard in the wilderneſs, that Nabal did ſhear his ſheep f _ _. | f Which Times were celebrated: with Feaſting and Jollity. See 2 Sam, 13+ 23, 24 : 5 And David ſent out ten young. men, and David f:id unco the young men, Get ye up to Carmel, and 4b ack $2 £0 Naba), and j greet him in my name. ; is 6 And thus ſhall ye ſay to him that liverh 5» proſperity ef g, + Peace be both to thee, and peace be to thine houls ww þ, and peace be unto ali that thou haſt 5. + Heb. be g Heb. To him that Iwveth. Life is oft put for a proſperous and mo hapyy life, as in that Prayer, Lt the King live, 1 Sam. 10, 24+ 1 K7gs $14 711
- 1. 25- and in other paſſages of Scripture, and other Aurhors 3 for byepeace. 1 Alifted ard calamitous life is unworthy of the name of life, and is eſteemed a kind of dearh, and oft ſo called, as 2 Cor. 1. 10. and 11. 23. By this expreſſion David both congratulates Nabal's fzlicity, and racicly minds hum of the penury and diſtreſs in which David and his Men now were. h i.e, To all thy Family. s To all thy Goods. So David's Prayer 1s very comprehenſive, reaching to his Soul, and Body, and Wife, and Children, and Servants, and all his Eſtate.
7 And now I have heard that thou haſt ſhearers : now thy ſhepherds which were wich us, we 7 hurt them nor, neither was there ought miſſing unto them, all the while they were in Carmel &. \ |
k& Which, conſidering the licentiouſneſs of Soldiers, and the ne- ceſſities which David and his Men were oft expoſed to, was no ſmall favour and priviledge, which Nabal was bound both in juſtice, an gratitudey and prudence to requite- >
8 Ask thy young men, and they will ſhew thee : wherefore let the young men find favour in thine eyes: ( for we come in a good day / ) give I pray thee, what- ſoever cometh to thine hand, unto thy ſervants mm, and to thy ſon » David
Ll i.e Tn a day of Feaſting and Rejoycing ; 'when Men are moſt Chearful and liberal; when thou mayeſt relieve us out of thy abun*- dance withont damage to thy ſelf; when thou art receiving the Mercies of God, and therefore obliged to pity and relieve diſtreſſed and indigent Perſons, Dcut. 12+12. and 14 26, 29. and 15.7. m To us who have been, and ſtill are ready to ſerve, and guard thee and, thine. Or, the word Servants may be only uſed as a wo:d of reſpe& frequently uſed in Scripture, where Inferiors ſpeak to Super:ors, eſpecially when they be ſuppliants, and beg ſome favour. » So he calls himſelf,to ſhew that reſpe& & affeftion which he bore to Nabal, as being elder and wealthier than himſelf, and of rhe ſame Tribe with himſelf, and a Branch of fo worthy a Family as Nabal's was. | |
9 And when David's young men came, they ſpake to Nabal according to all thoſe words in the name of David, and Þ ceaſed,
. 10 4 And Nabal anſwered David's ſervants, and fatd, Who is David 0? and who 5s the ſon of ſeſle ? There be many ſervants now a days that break away, every man from his maſter p =
o What relation or obligation have I to David? p Hereby he taxeth boch David, as one revolted from, and riſen up againſt Saul his Lord aud Maſter; and his Soidiers as Runagares from their Maſters and Creditors, &c. See Chap. 22+ 2+ |
1x Shall I then take my bread, and my water q, and +Heb, MY Þ fleſh that I have killed ior my ſhearers, and give faghiry, 1t unto men whom I know not whence they be ?
q He ſpeaketh thus, either becauſe in thoſe hot and dry Parts Water was ſcarce and precious: or, Water is here put for any kind of Drink, as Bread is oc taken for all ſorts of Mear, |
iz v0 David's young men rurned their way , and went again, and came and told him all thoſe ſay- ings.
F-| | 13 And David faid unto his men, Gird ye on every | man his wo;d r. And they girded on every man his
{word, and David alſo girded on his ſword : and there went up after David abour four hundred men, and two hundred abode by the ſtuff /.
r Having reſelvyed and ſwornto revenge himſelf of Nabal, aS1S CX= preſſed wer. 2r, 22. / See Chap. 17+ 24. and 39» 24.
I4. c But one of the young men told Abigail : Na- bale wife, faying, Behold, David fent meilengers out
+ Heb, ſums,
S 1m.
| | _—_—_—_ of the wilderneſs to ſalute our maſter ; and he Þ railed f Hb. few on them. #pon them,
: Wiſely conſidering the miſchievous effeQs likely to follow ſo churliſh a meſlage. |
15 But the men were very good unto us, and we were not F hurt, neither miſſed we any thing as long + Heb. © as we were converlant with them, when we were in/bamed. the helds, | |
16 They were a wall # unto us both by night __ day, all che while we were with them keeping the
cep. | I. ne 6 u 2 e. A Defence againſt wild Beaſts, and Robbers, and Ene- MmI1Es» ;
17 Now therefore know, and conſider what thou wilt do: for evil is determined againſt our maſter, and againſt all his houſhold x : for he # /«ch a ſon of Belial, that a man cannot ſpeak to him y. |
x Which ir was eafie to gueſs; either from ſome threatning EX prefſions which David's Men uſed; or from the conſideration of David's great Power, and that rage which ſo high a provocation was likely to produce in Military Perſons. y To wir, without ha-
zard to himſelf, and therefore I acquaint thee, rather than himywith this matter.