1 Samuel 25:39

39 The which thing when David had heard, Nabal to be dead, he said, Blessed be the Lord God, that hath venged the cause of my shame of the hand of Nabal, and hath kept his servant from evil, and the Lord hath yielded the malice of Nabal into the head of him. Therefore David sent, and spake to Abigail, that he would take her (as a) wife to him. (Which thing when David had heard, that is, that Nabal had died, he said, Blessed be the Lord God, who hath avenged the cause of my shame at the hand of Nabal, and hath kept his servant from evil; yea, the Lord hath yielded the malice of Nabal onto his own head. Then David sent word to Abigail that he would take her for his wife.)

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.

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FOOTNOTES:

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

1 Samuel 25:39 In-Context

37 But in the morrowtide, when Nabal had voided the wine, his wife showed to him all these words; and his heart was almost dead within, and he was made as a stone. (But in the morning, when Nabal had voided the wine, his wife told him everything; and his heart was almost dead within, and he was made like a stone.)

38 And when ten days had passed, the Lord smote Nabal, and he was dead (and he died).

39 The which thing when David had heard, Nabal to be dead, he said, Blessed be the Lord God, that hath venged the cause of my shame of the hand of Nabal, and hath kept his servant from evil, and the Lord hath yielded the malice of Nabal into the head of him. Therefore David sent, and spake to Abigail, that he would take her (as a) wife to him. (Which thing when David had heard, that is, that Nabal had died, he said, Blessed be the Lord God, who hath avenged the cause of my shame at the hand of Nabal, and hath kept his servant from evil; yea, the Lord hath yielded the malice of Nabal onto his own head. Then David sent word to Abigail that he would take her for his wife.)

40 And the servants of David came to Abigail into Carmel, and spake to her, and said, David sent us to thee, that he take thee into wife to him. (And so David's servants came to Abigail at Carmel, and spoke to her, and said, David sent us to tell thee, that he would take thee as his wife.)

41 And she rose up, and worshipped low to the earth (and bowed low to the ground), and said, Lo! (let) thy servantess be into an handmaid, that she wash the feet of the servants of my lord.