The Pulpit Commentary — 1 Samuel — Section 468

who h11d run away from his master, Saul, Vera. 21, 22.-David justifies his fierce Ky bread, . . . · my water. These are the anger by referring to the services he had necessaries of life, while the flesh was the rendered Nabal, and which had been requited special luxury provided for the festival. so shabbily. For the phrase eo do God unto Davitl's ten young men would not literally the enemies of David see on eh. xx. 16. carry water to him at so ~rea.t a distance, A superstitious feeling probably lay at the nor did Na.bal mean more than our phrase root of this substitution of David's enemies "meat and drink." The use, nevertheless, of for himself when thus invoking a curse. water a.a equivalent to c/Jrin!G marks the value Vers. 23-25. --Abigail . . . fell before of water in the hill country, and also the David on her face. This very abject obei- .abstemious habits of the people. sance may have been grounded on her belief Vera. 12, 13.-Gird ye on, &c. David's in David's future kingship, or it may simply determination was fierce and violent. No mark the inferior position hehl by women in doubt Nabal's insult irritated him, and pos- those days (see ver. 41). Her whole address sibly also the rude outlaws round him would is couched in very humble terms. David have protested against any other course ; (eh. xxiv. 8) only stooped with his face to but Nabal's words, rude though they were, the ground before Saul. Upon me. A.higail would not justify David in the rough venge- represents herself as the person really guilty, ance which he meditated. Abigail throu~h- on whom the iniquity, i. e. the punishment out her speech argues that David was taking of the offence, must fall. N abal is a mere too violent a course, and one for which he son of Belia.I, a worthless, bad man, whose would afterwards have been sorry. name Nabal, i. e. fool, is a sign that folly ABIGAIL PA0IFIES DAVID (vers. 14-35). is with him, and accompanies all his acts. Vera. 14-17. -One of the young men. As a fool he is scarcely accountable for hi~ Hebrew, "a lad of the lads," i. e. one of the doings, and Abigail, whose wont and busi- servants (see on the word eh. i 24) ; when ness it was to set things to rights, saw not used in this sense it has no reference to the young men, and so was unable to save age (see eh. ii. 17). This man was pro- them from her husband's rudeness. bably some old and confidential servitor. Vers. 26, 27.-Abigail begins her appe:il To salute. Hebrew, "to bless" (see eh. by affirming that it was Jehovah who tl1us xiii. 10; 2 Kings iv. 29). He railed on made her come to prevent bloodshed ; she them. Literally, " flew upon them like next propitiates David with the prayer that a bird of prey." We were not hurt. his enemies may be as N abal, insignificant Literally, "not put to shame" (see on ver. fools; and finally asks him to accept her 7). The language of a people always bears present, not for himself,-that would be too witness to their character, and it is a mark great an honour,-but as good enough only of the high spirit of the Israelites that they for his followers. The first of these affirma- thought less of the loss than of the disgrace tions is obscured by the rendering in the of an injury. As long as we were oonversa.nt A. V., and should be translated, '' And now, with them. Hebrew, "as long as we went my lord (an ordinary title of respect, like our about with them." In the fields. Really, sir), as Jehovah liveth, and as thy soul " in the field," the wilderness, the common liveth, so true is it that Jehovah hath with- pasture land. A wall. I. e. a sure protec- holden thee from blood-gull tiness, aud from tion both against wild beasts and Amalekite saving thyself with thine own hancl ; and and other plunderers. A aon of Belial. A now let thine enemies," &c. The same w,mls worthless, bad man (see on eh. i. 16), so recur in vers. 31, 33. Blessing. I. e. gift, coarse and violent that it is hopeless to present (see eh. xx:x. 26). This beautifal expostulate with him. term shows the deep religiousness of tlw Vers. 18-20.-Five measures of parched Hebrew mind. The gift is something that oorn. The measure named here, the seah, comes not from the donor, but from Gou, in contains about a peck and a half. As this answer to the donor's prayer. seems little, Ew11.ld reads 500 seahs, but Ver. 28.-Forgive the trespass of thine probably it was regarded as a delicacy. handmaid. Reverting to her wonls in ver. Clusters of raisins. Rather, as in the 24, that the blame and punisluucut must margin, lumps of misins. The bunches of rest on her, she no,v prays for forgi ,·auess ; grapes when dried were pressed iuto cakes. but tho interme,liate words in ver. 26, Sending her servants in front leading the emphasise,'l in vcr. 31, ha,·e raised her re- asses which canied the present, she followed quest to a higher level. Her prayer rests behind, and met David as she was coming on the ground that she was s,wiug D,wil down by the covert of the hill. Hebrew, from a sin, and that in his thirst for venge- "in secret of tho hilt," under cover of the ance he was bringing upon himself guilt. hill, i. e. she met him as she was dcscendiug If the form of Abig,iil's a,lclress w,ts most into some glen into which he had cutcNJ humble, the matter of it was brave ancl from the other end. no\Jle. A sure house. I. e. perrnaueut pros-  478 THE FlBST BOOK OF SAMUEL. [cu. XXV. 1-44.