1 Samuel 25:1-6

1 And Samuel died; and all the Israelites were gathered together and lamented him, and buried him in his house at Ramah. And David arose and went down to the Wilderness of Paran.

2 And there was a man in Maon whose possessions were in Carmel. And the man was very great, and he had three thousand sheep and a thousand goats; and he was shearing his sheep in Carmel.

3 Now the name of the man was Nabal, and the name of his wife, Abigail. And she was a woman of good understanding and of a beautiful countenance; but the man was churlish and evil in his doings, and he was of the house of Caleb.

4 And David heard in the wilderness that Nabal was shearing 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.

1 Samuel 25:1-6 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.