Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of 1 Samuel 25:4
And David heard in the wilderness that Nabal did shear his sheep.
1Sa 25:4-13
And David heard in the wilderness that Nabal did shear his sheep.
Nabal, the churl
David never made a wiser choice, and he never said a truer thing, than when he exclaimed, Let me fall now into the hand of the Lord (for His mercies are great), and let me not fall into the hand of man. The history of Davids collision with Nabal furnishes us with a twofold confirmation of the truth of Davids assertion and the wisdom of his decision. David, in a season of feebleness, sought to rest himself upon Nabals gratitude, and he found that be was trusting in the staff of a broken reed which pierced him. In his necessity he made an appeal to Nabals generosity, and he found it was as vain as trying to quench his thirst with the waters of Marah. On the other hand, Nabals ingratitude and unkindness met with no charity at first on the part of David. While Nabal was utterly destitute of brotherly kindness, David failed for a time in the love which is not easily provoked. Whether it be for the relief of our necessities, or for the pardon of our transgressions, let us fall now into the hand of the Lord, for His mercies are great. Everything around Nabal was calculated to make him a happy, thankful, sweet-tempered, and kindhearted man. He had good blood in his veins; and by the memories of his noble and godly ancestor he ought to have been restrained from all that was mean and graceless. The inspired writer alludes be his ancestry as if that increased the guilt of his conduct. he was of the house of Caleb; but he was a bad branch growing out of a good stock, for he was churlish and evil in his doings. Alas! he was neither the first nor the last of those who have come into possession of many of the temporal results of their fathers piety, but have shamefully repudiated the godliness which brought the golden harvest. The Bible makes the nobleness of a mans ancestry one more reason why he should serve the Lord and cleave to Him with full purpose of heart. The prophet Jeremiah went with words of sharp rebuke and heavy condemnation to one who was proving himself a degenerate son of a godly sire, Did not thy father eat, and drink, and do judgment and justice, and then it was well with him? But thine eyes and thine heart are not but for thy covetousness, and for oppression, and for violence, to do it. Nabal had what many would deem a far more substantial reason for personal goodness than the fact that he belonged to the house of Caleb. The wealth which had come down to him had evidently been increased by the Divine blessing on his own endeavours, and he stood forth conspicuous above all his neighbours for the splendour and luxury with which he could surround himself. The man was very great, but his prosperity hardened his heart and filled his spirit with haughtiness. The arrogance of spirit, and coarseness of speech, and niggardliness of heart, which Nabal displayed, were unmistakable proofs that in his prosperity he had forgotten the God to whom he was indebted for it. Hence that which should have made his lowliness to grow and blossom like a lily of the valley, did only serve to make his poisonous pride flourish like the deadly nightshade, and that which should have filled him with grateful love to God and generous love to men, only helped to increase his self-indulgence and his self-idolatry. There was another reason why better things might have been reasonably expected of Nabal. God had given him a true help-meet–a woman who, if he had yielded to her influence, would have done much to lift him out of his roughness and wickedness into refinement and godliness. It is one of the marvels of human nature that some rough and selfish men can live for year after year in fellowship with gentle and self-denying women, and yet be no more impressed and improved by them than the dead heart of Absalom was moved by the tears and wailings of his disconsolate father. If such men die impenitent and unpardoned, surely for them condemnation will be heavy and perdition will be deep! David was in danger of perishing for lack of a little of that of which Nabal had such an abundance, and therefore the appeal for relief was sent. Amongst the Jews, and other Eastern peoples, the time of sheep shearing was commonly the season of special liberality. Beside the force of good old customs, there was another reason why on that particular day Davids solicitation was seasonable. It was partly on the ground that his men had been guardians of the flocks that David rested his appeal, and there could not be a better time for that appeal than the season when the flocks were counted and the fleeces were gathered. Many have thought that the prudence and policy of Davids conduct, were more obvious than its dignity. Did he not in some measure demean himself, they ask, by setting forth so fully the services he had rendered? It is not usual, they say, be do a man a good turn, and then to go and tell him all about it, and ask for some grateful recognition of it. Before we blame David for being undignified, let us try to realize his position and his temptations, he must have been in great straits, or he would never have sent in such a way to a man like Nabal. There are people whom you cannot fully know until you ask them for something. While no direct appeal is made to their supposed benevolence, their real character is masked; but the moment you press them to be generous, despite all their efforts to wear it still, the severing drops off, and they stand forth in all their native unsightliness. To what a revelation of Nabals heart the prayer of David led! Nabal could not say it was the wrong day for charity, so he said this was a wrong case. Such people are never destitute of reasons for not giving, and are not ashamed to try and cover their niggardliness with excuses so flimsy that even the sight of a bat would be strong enough to pierce them. If he had been placed in circumstances like Abraham, and angels had come to partake of his hospitality, he would probably have cried out, Give my bread and flesh to people with wings! What next, I wonder! The provocation to David must have been great, and we are more grieved than surprised that at once his soul was all on fire with wrath. David forgot how much God had done for Nabal, what ingratitude God had received at Nabals hand, and yet how patiently God had borne with him for many years, and how lavishly God had blessed him despite all his guiltiness. We might have hoped that, instead of fostering human vengeance, David would have striven to imitate Divine long-suffering; but, the wisest men are not always wise, and the best men are not always consistent. The history shows, what is very credible, that Nabal was a great coward as well as a coarse blusterer. When he heard of Davids indignation his heart died within him, and he became as a stone. It would seem as if the weight of his own craven fears helped to sink him into the grave. Possibly his own cowardice was the instrument with which the Lord smote him; and the terrors of his guilty spirit were the disease of which he died. This much is certain, he perished for his sins. The very day wherein he refused relief to those who had befriended him, he held a feast in his house like the feast of a king. He was utterly wanting in meekness and gentleness, courtesy and kindness. He would indulge himself even to gluttony and drunkenness, and yet refused his bread to those who were ready to perish. His name has become imperishable by being written in the book which is to be translated into every tongue and read in every land; but the immortality which Scripture has given him is an immortality of infamy. (C. Vince.)
Fuente: Biblical Illustrator Edited by Joseph S. Exell
Which times were celebrated with feasting and jollity. See 2Sa 13:23,24.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
4-9. Nabal did shear his sheep, andDavid sent out ten young men, c.David and his men lurked inthese deserts, associating with the herdsmen and shepherds of Nabaland others and doing them good offices, probably in return forinformation and supplies obtained through them. Hence when Nabal heldhis annual sheep-shearing in Carmel, David felt himself entitled toshare in the festival and sent a message, recounting his own servicesand asking for a present. “In all these particulars we weredeeply struck with the truth and strength of the biblical descriptionof manners and customs almost identically the same as they exist atthe present day. On such a festive occasion, near a town or village,even in our own time, an Arab sheik of the neighboring desert wouldhardly fail to put in a word either in person or by message and hismessage, both in form and substance, would be only a transcript ofthat of David” [ROBINSON].
1Sa25:10-13. THE CHURLISHANSWER PROVOKESHIM.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
And David heard in the wilderness,…. In the wilderness of Paran, where he was, and a wilderness it was to him, being in want of food, as the following relation shows:
that Nabal did shear his sheep; when there was generally good living, and so a proper person, and a proper time, for David to apply for the relief of his wants.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
(4) And David heard in the wilderness.The question of the support of the large band of devoted followers who obeyed David must have been usually a very anxious one. No doubt, contributions from the farmers and sheep-masters materially aided the supplies David and his men derived from their raids across the Philistine borders. It is likely enough that some of these contributions were not always willingly made; still, there is no doubt that the presence of the armed band of David during the latter years of Saul afforded considerable protection to the border land. His position resembled that of a modern Arab sheik of a friendly Bedaween tribe, and it is clear that on the whole his career as head of an army of free lances tended to popularise him among the southern tribes of Israel. Nabals conduct appears to have been more than churlish and foolish, for David, according to the showing of Nabals own shepherds, had on many occasions been of substantial service to them as they tended their flocks in exposed and dangerous localities. The testimony of these shepherd folk may be accepted generally as the popular estimate of David and his acts during this rough and sorely tried period of his life.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
David Contacts Nabal In Order To Share In His Hospitality, Is Rebuffed And Insulted, And Decides On Vengeance ( 1Sa 25:4-19 ).
In this next passage we are informed about Nabal’s incredible and foolish response to the messengers of David, and about Abigail’s intention to put matters right. It would seem that Nabal had heard about David as a treacherous outlaw, and probably thought that he only had a rag tag band of outlaws following him. He could only possibly have acted as he did because he thought that David only had a handful of followers who would not be able do anything against his shearers and shepherds combined. It was only later that he would learn that they had nearly been ‘visited’ by four hundred trained warriors seeking vengeance for the insult given (a fact which led to his having a stroke).
Analysis.
a
b And now I have heard that you have the shearers in. Your shepherds have now been with us, and we did them no hurt, neither was there aught missing to them all the while they were in Carmel” (1Sa 25:7)
c “Ask your young men, and they will tell you. Wherefore let the young men find favour in your eyes; for we come in a good day. Give, I pray you, whatever comes to your hand, to your servants, and to your son David” (1Sa 25:8).
d And when David’s young men came, they spoke to Nabal in accordance with all those words in the name of David, and sat down (1Sa 25:9).
e And Nabal answered David’s servants, and said, “Who is David? And who is the son of Jesse? There are many servants nowadays who break away every man from his master. Shall I then take my bread, and my water, and my flesh that I have killed for my shearers, and give it to men of whom I know not from where they are?” (1Sa 25:10-11).
f So David’s young men turned on their way, and went back, and came and told him according to all these words (1Sa 25:12).
e And David said to his men, “Gird you 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 (1Sa 25:13).
d But one of the young men told Abigail, Nabal’s wife, saying, “Look, David sent messengers out of the wilderness to salute our master, and he railed at them” (1Sa 25:14).
c “But the men were very good to us, and we were not hurt, neither missed we anything, as long as we went with them, when we were in the countryside, they were a wall to us both by night and by day, all the while we were with them keeping the sheep. Now therefore know and consider what you will do, for evil is determined against our master, and against all his house, for he is such a worthless fellow, that one cannot speak to him” (1Sa 25:15-17).
b Then Abigail acted hurriedly, and took two hundred loaves, and two skins of wine, and five sheep ready dressed, and five measures of parched grain, and a hundred clusters of raisins, and two hundred cakes of figs, and laid them on asses. (1Sa 25:18).
a And she said to her young men, “Go on before me. Look, I am coming after you.” But she did not tell her husband Nabal (1Sa 25:19).
Note that in ‘a’ David gave his instructions to his young men so that they will go to Nabal, and in the parallel Abigail gives her instructions to her young men so that they will go to David. In ‘b’ David learns about the approach of the sheep-shearing festivities, and in the parallel Abigail sends him the provisions connected with the sheep-shearing festivities. In ‘c’ David tells Nabal to consult his men as to whether they had been treated fairly, and in the parallel the servant confirms that this was so. In ‘d’ David’s young men came to Nabal with David’s message and then sat down awaiting his reply, and in the parallel refers to the arrival of those servants and Nabal’s response to them. In ‘e’ Nabal asks who David the son of Jesse is, and in the parallel David sets out to let him know. Centrally in ‘f’ the men report back the welcome that they had received to David. On this hinges the whole narrative.
1Sa 25:4
‘ And David heard in the wilderness that Nabal was shearing his sheep.’
Residing in the wilderness with his men, and having kept a friendly eye on the shepherds of Nabal and their sheep, David learned that the sheep-shearing, along with its accompanying celebrations, had begun. In accordance with custom, therefore, he and his men, as a friendly and protective ‘tribe’, would seek to share in the festivities.
David’s Puts In His Request.
1Sa 25:5-6
‘ And David sent ten young men, and David said to the young men, “Get you up to Carmel, and go to Nabal, and greet (ask welfare and peace for) him in my name, and thus shall you say to him who lives, ‘Peace be to you, and peace be to your house, and peace be to all that you have.”
Accordingly David sent a number of his young men (‘ten’ often means ‘a number of’, compare 1Sa 1:8; Gen 31:41) with a friendly message for Nabal. He asked that he might enjoy welfare and peace, and that he might recognise that the fact that he was still alive and prosperous was partly due to the services of David and his men. He assured him that his desire for him was that both he and his house and all that he had might enjoy peace and welfare. It was a typical Near Eastern greeting.
1Sa 25:7
‘ And now I have heard that you have shearers. Your shepherds have now been with us, and we did them no hurt, neither was there anything missing to them all the while they were in Carmel.”
Then he came to the main point that he wanted to convey. It was that he had heard that Nabal was engaged in sheep-shearing, at the end of which, as all knew, festivities would be held, and ample food and drink would be made available to any guests who came, and he reminded him of the services that he and his men had provided to Nabal’s shepherds when they had shared the same area of land. Rather than doing any hurt to them and taking advantage of their unprotected flocks, they had instead protected them so that nothing went missing. So as a friendly ‘neighbour’ he wished to share in the festivities. Such hospitality was a feature of sheep-shearing festivities to which all neighbours would be invited.
1Sa 25:8
“ Ask your young men, and they will tell you. Wherefore let the young men find favour in your eyes, for we come in a good day (a festival day). Give, I pray you, whatever comes to your hand, to your servants, and to your son David.”
He suggested that Nabal question his young men on the matter, and pointed out that they would then tell him that what David had said was so. In view of this he requested that his representatives might meet with favour in his eyes, because they came on a festival day, and that they might share in the hospitality. Let Nabal give from the food and drink on offer what he considered reasonable, for the benefit of his young men and himself. As mentioned above, his request was friendly and in accordance with custom and best practise. He and his men had restrained themselves and had sought to be helpful. Now Nabal could reciprocate by sharing with them some of the festive food and drink.
Note David’s deliberate attempt to make his approach friendly and indeed almost a family affair. Let Nabal look on his men as ‘his servants’ who had fulfilled their responsibility to him, and on David himself even as one of his family because he felt only goodwill towards him. He was appealing to custom and the laws of hospitality. We should remember that David and his men, who were outlaws and responsible to no one, could, had they wished, easily have appropriated for themselves whatever they had wanted from the flocks with no one to say them nay. The shepherds would have had no chance against his six hundred experienced warriors. Thus he considered quite justly that they had in actual fact been very neighbourly, generous and considerate, and had performed an important service in ensuring that no other wandering bands interfered with them.
1Sa 25:9
‘ And when David’s young men came, they spoke to Nabal in accordance with all those words in the name of David, and sat down.’
On arrival at the sheep-shearing site where the festivities were in progress, and food and drink would be flowing like water, David’s young men passed on David’s words exactly as he had given them. Then they sat down and awaited Nabal’s response. They were probably quite confident of a positive reply in the light of custom.
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
(4) And David heard in the wilderness that Nabal did shear his sheep. (5) And David sent out ten young men, and David said unto the young men, Get you up to Carmel, and go to Nabal, and greet him in my name: (6) And thus shall ye say to him that liveth in prosperity, Peace be both to thee, and peace be to thine house, and peace be unto all that thou hast. (7) And now I have heard that thou hast shearers: now thy shepherds which were with us, we hurt them not, neither was there ought missing unto them, all the while they were in Carmel. (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, whatsoever cometh to thine hand unto thy servants, and to thy son David.
Let the Reader observe, how poor David, though king elect, and long since anointed as such, was put to hard shifts and difficulties to live, for the common accommodations of this life. When the Reader hath duly pondered over this, let him not be surprised that kings elect in grace, should be exercised with difficulties also, in their way. Though Jesus hath made them kings and priests to God, and the Father; yet according to their high rank, they are proportionably exercised. I think (says Paul) that God hath set forth us the apostles last, as it were appointed to death: for we are made a spectacle unto the world, and to angels, and to men. 1Co 4:9 . Highly dignified followers of the Lord! Count it, I charge you, honour, to be thought worthy to suffer shame for his name. Act 5:41 .
Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
1Sa 25:4 And David heard in the wilderness that Nabal did shear his sheep.
Ver. 4. That Nabal did shear his sheep. ] At which time the Jews used to make great feasts, in remembrance of their forefathers that were shepherds, saith Lyra.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
did shear: Gen 38:13, 2Sa 13:23
Reciprocal: Gen 38:12 – in process of time
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
1Sa 25:4-6. Nabal did shear his sheep Which times were celebrated with feasting. That liveth in prosperity In the Hebrew it is, To him that liveth, but the word life in Scripture often signifies happiness, as death signifies misery. By speaking thus, David both congratulates Nabals felicity, and tacitly intimates to him the distress in which he and his men were.