1 Samuel 25:38-44

38 And about ten days later 1the LORD struck Nabal, and he died.
39 When David heard that Nabal was dead, he said, 2"Blessed be the LORD who has 3avenged the insult I received at the hand of Nabal, 4and has kept back his servant from wrongdoing. 5The LORD has returned the evil of Nabal on his own head." Then David sent and 6spoke to Abigail, to take her as his wife.
40 When the servants of David came to Abigail at Carmel, they said to her, "David has sent us to you to take you to him as his wife."
41 And she rose 7and bowed with her face to the ground and said, "Behold, your handmaid is a servant to wash the feet of the servants of my lord."
42 And Abigail hurried and rose and mounted a donkey, and her five young women attended her. She followed the messengers of David and became his wife.
43 David also took Ahinoam of 8Jezreel, 9and both of them became his wives.
44 Saul had given Michal his daughter, David's wife, to Palti the son of Laish, who was of Gallim.

1 Samuel 25:38-44 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO FIRST SAMUEL 25

This chapter gives an account of the death of Samuel, and of the ill treatment David met with from Nabal; it begins with the death of Samuel, which was greatly lamented in Israel, 1Sa 25:1; it draws the character of Nabal, and his wife, 1Sa 25:2,3; records a message of David to him, by his young men, desiring he would send him some of his provisions made for his sheep shearers, 1Sa 25:4-9; and Nabal's ill-natured answer to him reported by the young men, which provoked David to arm against him, 1Sa 25:10-13,21,22; and this being told Abigail, the wife of Nabal, and a good character given of David and his men, and of the advantage Nabal's shepherds had received from them, and the danger his family was in through his ingratitude, 1Sa 25:14-17; she prepared a present to pacify David, went with it herself, and addressed him in a very handsome, affectionate, and prudent manner, 1Sa 25:18-31; and met with a kind reception, 1Sa 25:32-35; and the chapter is closed with an account of the death of Nabal, and of the marriage of Abigail to David, 1Sa 25:32-44.

Cross References 9

  • 1. 1 Samuel 26:10
  • 2. [See ver. 32 above]
  • 3. See 1 Samuel 24:15
  • 4. ver. 26, 33, 34
  • 5. 1 Kings 2:44; [Psalms 7:16; Ezekiel 17:19]
  • 6. [Song of Songs 8:8]
  • 7. [Ruth 2:10]
  • 8. Joshua 15:56
  • 9. 1 Samuel 27:3; 1 Samuel 30:5; 2 Samuel 2:2; 2 Samuel 3:2, 3; 1 Chronicles 3:1
The English Standard Version is published with the permission of Good News Publishers.