The Pulpit Commentary — 1 Samuel — Section 466

Chron. xxxiii. 20). So .Toab was buried in cultics in the way of this rending, and the. his own house (1 Kings ii. 34). At Re.mah. Kri is probably right in correcting calibbi, 8 . Thcnins thinks that the prophets shared Calcbite, a desrendant of Caleb, who had with the kings the right of intramural burial. large possessions assigned him in the neigh- l)AYJD J', THE \\'ILDEHNESS OF PARAN bourhood of Hebron (Josh. xv. 13-10) (Yrl's. 1-42). DAVID ASKS A GIFT OF THE which is only ten miles north-west of Cu'. WEALTHY KADAL AKD IS REFUSED (vcrs. 1 - mcl. The versions support tho Kri, though 13\. Yer. 1.-De.vid a.rose. This is not to the Syrinc and Septuagint render doglike- he. connected "·ith the death of Samuel, as one who, like a dog, though he has plenty though David had now lost a protector. yet grudges others. The meaning of th; But as he had fully 600 men with him, name Ca le b is Ii temlly " n dog." end his force was continually increasing, it Vcrs. 4, 5. -Though David had gone some wns necessary for him to roam over a wide distance southward of Carmel, yet it wns- extent of c011ntry in order to obtain supplies worth his whilo to send men to Nnbal's of food. The wilderness of Pa.ran. Paran sheep-shearing, as tho m:i.intenance of his. strictly is a place in the southernmost part numerous force must have been a continual of the peninsula of Arabia, a little to the difficulty. Tho large numhcr, ten, also shows west of Mount Sinai; but there can be that ho expected a liberal gift of food. Pro- little doubt that it gave its name to the vast bably such missions were not uncommon, extent of pasture and barren land now known and tho large sheep-masters were glad to as the desert of El-Tih (see 1 Kings xi. 18). supply th~ wants of one who guarded their Of this the wildernesses of Judah and Beer- flocks and defended them from the incur- sheba would virtually form parts without sions of the desert tribes. the borders being strictly defined. We need Vers. 6-8.-Say to him that liveth in. not therefore read " the wilderness of Maon," prosperity. The Hebrew is obscure, but the with the Septuagint and many comment- rendering of the A. V. is untenable, and ators. On the contrary, we have seen that also very tame. Literally it is, "Ye shill the hold in eh. xxiv. 22 was the hill say to him, For life l " Probably it was a. Hachilah in that neighbourhood, and David colloquial form of greetin~, and equivalent now moved southward towards the edge of to "good luck," "success, ' life in Hobrew this vast wilderness. being sometimes used for prosperity. So Yer. 2.-Aman i.nlllaon. Though strictly Luther translates it, and Rashi and th~ by descent belonging to Maon (for which see Babylonian Talmud are also in its favour~ on eh. xxiii. 24), his possessions-rather, "his The reading of the Vulgate, "To thy- bro- business," " occupation " (see Gen. xlvii. 3, thers" (be peace), is to be altogether reJected. and Eccles. iv. 3, where it is translated We hurt them not. Literally, "we caused uork)-were in Carmel, the small town just them no shame" (see Judges xviii. 7), we north of Maon, where Saul set up a trophy did nothing to vex and injure them. Really at the encl of the Amalekite war (eh. xv. 12), the words mean that David had protected and to which Abigail belonged (eh. xxvii. 3). them, and enabled them to feed their flocks He is described as very great because of his in safety. The fact that David waited till wealth arising from his large flocks of sheep the sheep-shearing, when hospitality was the and goats, which fed upon the pasture land rule, proves that h~ did not levy black-mail which fonns the elevated plateau of Cannel, upon his countrymen, though necessarily he where he was ahee.ri.ng his sheep, usually a must have depended upon them for the food time of lavish hospitality (2 Sam. xiii. 23, indispensable for the support of his men. 24). A good day. I. e. a festive day, which Ver. 3.-Nabal, the word rendered fool in should bring us a share in thy prosperity. Ps. riv. 1; literally, "flat," "vapid." Abi- Thy son David. A title expressive of the gail means "one who is the cause (father) reverence due from the youthful David to hi• of joy," i. e. one who gives joy. She, with senior, and an acknowledgment of Nabal'a her bright understanding and beautiful per- superiority over his fugitive neighbour. son (the Hebrew word takes in much more Ver. 9.-They . . . ceased. Literally, than the countenance; see eh. xvi. 18, where "they rested ; " i. e. either they remained it is rendered comely person), is in contrast quiet awaiting Nabal's answer, or sat down, with the coarse, churlish man who was her as is the custom in the East, for the same husband. His name was either one which he purpose. haJ acquired by his conduct, or if given him Vers. 10, 11.-There be many servante, Ly his parents shows that they were clownish &c. Nabal would scarcely have ventured to people. He was of the house of Caleb. speak in so insulting a manner if David had The written text has, "he was according to been at Maon, but as he had moved with hie his heart," celibbo, i. e. a self-willed man, men a long distance towards the south, he. or one whose rude exterior answered to his gave free vent to his rude feelings without Piller nature; but there are linguistic diffi- restraint. David was to him a mere slave OB. XXV. 1-44,1 THE FIRST BOOK OF SAMUEL. 477