1 Samuel 25:39

39 When David heard that Nabal was dead he said, "Blessed be God who has stood up for me against Nabal's insults, kept me from an evil act, and let Nabal's evil boomerang back on him."

1 Samuel 25:39 Meaning and Commentary

1 Samuel 25:39

And when David heard that Nabal was dead
As he soon might, Maon and Carmel not being far from the wilderness where David was: he said, blessed [be] the Lord, that hath pleaded the cause of my
reproach from the hand of Nabal;
not that he rejoiced at the death of Nabal, simply considered, or from a private spirit of revenge; but because of the glory of divine justice, which he had shown to him in vindicating him from the reproach Nabal had cast upon him, and particularly was thankful for what follows; and hath kept his servant from evil;
from slaying Nabal with his own hand, and doing hurt to his family: for the Lord hath returned the wickedness of Nabal upon his own head;
and upon no other, none of his family suffered but himself, and which was another cause of thankfulness to David; had he been suffered to have done as he in his wrath determined, not only Nabal, but all the males in his house, had been cut off; but now, through the righteous judgment of God, only Nabal suffered, and not any of his family: and David sent and communed with Abigail;
by his messengers to her; or "concerning" her F8, about marrying her: to take her to him to wife;
for being both a beautiful and wise woman, he thought her a proper person to be his wife; which she might lawfully become, Nabal being dead, and Michal, David's wife, being taken from him, and given to another man, with whom she lived in adultery; or as divorced by David, as the Jews say, David by the law of God was free from her. These messengers were sent by David at a convenient time, at a proper distance from the death of Nabal; and he chose rather to send messengers than to go himself, lest being denied he should be put to shame, she being a rich widow, and he a poor persecuted man, and that her answer might be entirely free and unawed by him, and that it might appear that she was not taken to him by force; and besides, such a method has been always reckoned most honourable with great personages.


FOOTNOTES:

F8 (lygybab) (peri abigaiav) , Sept. "de Abigail", Vatabulus.

1 Samuel 25:39 In-Context

37 But in the morning, after Nabal had sobered up, she told him the whole story. Right then and there he had a heart attack and fell into a coma.
38 About ten days later God finished him off and he died.
39 When David heard that Nabal was dead he said, "Blessed be God who has stood up for me against Nabal's insults, kept me from an evil act, and let Nabal's evil boomerang back on him."
40 David's servants went to Abigail at Carmel with the message, "David sent us to bring you to marry him."
41 She got up, and then bowed down, face to the ground, saying, "I'm your servant, ready to do anything you want. I'll even wash the feet of my master's servants!"
Published by permission. Originally published by NavPress in English as THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language copyright 2002 by Eugene Peterson. All rights reserved.