There she found her boorish husband enjoying a feast fit for a king, utterly clueless to the danger he was in from David's wrath (1 Samuel 25:36-38). Updates? Protection in Carmel. In Tanakh Akhshav [The Bible Today], 1923. Abigail was the mother of Chileab (2 Samuel 3:3). Missing from the 1 Chronicles 3 list of sons and wives is Michal, daughter of King Saul who reigned c. 1025-1005 B.C. Episode 91: Israel at 75: Voices of Protest. Sheffield: Almond, 1990. Women in Scripture notes that Saul's intention here was to bind David as a soldier for life through his marriage and thus get David into a position where the Philistines could kill him. 43David had also married Ahinoam(BI) of Jezreel, and they both were his wives. All the names for our week days come from Roman and Norse/Anglo-Saxon gods. He is the Savior of his body, the church"? Abigail prostrated herself before David and begged him to take his anger at Nabal out on her instead because she didn't see the messengers he sent and therefore didn't know of his needs. If you have any questions, please review our Privacy Policy or email us at privacy@biblegateway.com. The Testimonium Flavianum Question (My Two Cents), The Bible is Accurate Manuscript Evidence, Sayings From the Bible in the 21st Century, Colors & Dyes For Clothing in Ancient Rome, Thanksgiving: First Foods, First Friends1620, Ancient Ossuaries Uncover Biblical Truths. NET Bible copyright 1996-2017 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. Should I then take my bread and my water, and the meat that I slaughtered for my own shearers, and give them to men [who come] from I don't know where?". "Who is this David?" Why do we pray when God already knows what we need? David married Abigail and traveled with her (and his first wife Ahinoam) for two years. 3. Vote Up December 27 2014 New International Version (NIV). David had just said, Its been uselessall my watching over this fellows property in the wilderness so that nothing of his was missing. She obsequiously prostrates herself, calling David lord and herself maidservant prepared to wash [his] servants feet; though, ironically, she follows the messenger with five maids on donkeys in tow (vv. She then intercepts David to persuade him against fulfilling his violent oath (which the reader only hears retroactively, after she is seen approaching, v. 20). The name Abigail was also borne by Davids sister (1 Chronicles 2:16), who was the mother of Amasa, commander of the army of Absalom. Abigail, in the Old Testament, the wife of Nabal of southern Judah, on whose death she became one of the first wives of David (1 Samuel 25) and the mother of his son Chileab. May God deal with David, be it ever so severely, if by morning I leave alive one male of all who belong to him!When Abigail saw David, she quickly got off her donkey and bowed down before David with her face to the ground. ~John Wesley's Notes on the Bible. Citing YHWHs words (via the prophet Nathan) to David, I gave you your masters wives (2 Sam 12:8), Levenson and Halpern argue that Davids marriage to Ahinoam constituted a claim to Sauls throne (see Absaloms actions in 2 Sam 16:22). 17 terms. Therefore be favorable toward my men, since we come at a festive time. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. But Ahinoam could have been the wife he preferred. WebStudy with Quizlet and memorize flashcards containing terms like Before she married David, Abigail had been the wife of:, What was David's age when he became king of Israel?, What city did King David select for his capital? 15Yet these men were very good to us. 31 December 1999. 1 Chronicles 3:1-4 states that King Davids first seven wives gave him six children, while they lived in Hebron. Jewish Women's Archive. He had a thousand goats and three thousand sheep, which he was shearing in Carmel. Nabal answered Davids servants, Who is this David? . He is just like his namehis name means Fool(AI),(AJ) and folly goes with him. Seven verses later in 1 Samuel 18:27, we are told that Saul gave Michal to David after he killed one hundred Philistines. David was married to Ahinoam, Abigail, Maacha, Haggith, Abital, and Eglah during the 7-1/2 years he reigned in Hebron as king of Judah. Astle, Cynthia. Where in the Bible Did David Marry Michal? In a subtle twist, she simultaneously saves her household and allies herself with David, eventually in matrimony when she is fortuitously widowed. Williams cites David and Abigail's common characteristics: both were intelligent, charismatic leaders with good diplomatic and communicating skills, masters of diplomacy who knew how to play situations to their advantage, yet deceptive creatures who could feign victimhood while betraying the trust of others. Abigail Wolcott married Oliver Ellsworth on December 10, 1772, providing him with the strength and stability to continue his highly productive life. Then it happened as the ark of the LORD came into the city of David that Michal the daughter of Saul looked out of the window and saw King David leaping and dancing before the LORD; and she despised him in her heart. 1011), and why one of his own young men turns to Abigail to save them all, explaining: he is such a nasty fellow that no one can speak to him (v. 17). It was not until Hebron that he had any children Who Were the Nephilim Giants of the Bible. Answer Abigail was one of Davids wives. Shalvi/Hyman Encyclopedia of Jewish Women. She got down off her high horse, threw herself to the ground, fell at his feet and pleaded with David. Other wives gave birth to nine more sons. Nahash, a name that means serpent, is shared by possibly as many as four Ammonite individuals.However, it could also be the name of only one king. David had also taken Ahinoam However, a servant brought word of David's request and Nabal's rejection to Nabal's wife, Abigail. The implication of scripture is that David recognized what an asset Abigail would be to him as a wife since she was clearly someone who managed well, protected her husband's interests, and could recognize dangers in time to avert disaster. Yet it's Nabal's rude and intemperate actions that bring Abigail and David together. In an attempt to save her husband, she hurried to meet David, urging him to halt his plans. 2 Samuel 5:13-16 (NASB). Based on the common practices in David's time, he was committing no sin to take Abigail as his wife, even though he was already married. In fact, we read that he took literally hundreds of wives during his lifetime. 24 and 26), Davids restraint from slaying his rival demonstrates his worthiness of kingship. Otherwise, as surely as the Lord, the God of Israel, lives, who has kept me from harming you, if you had not come quickly to meet me, not one male belonging to Nabal would have been left alive by daybreak., Then David accepted from her hand what she had brought him and said, Go home in peace. This timeline also would resolve a problem created by 2 Samuel 21:8, in which Michal is said to have married Adriel and borne him five sons. WebAbigail was married at the time to Nabal - a wealthy but cruel man & distant cousin of David's. Wives of King David How many wives did David have? T/F, 5. 33May you be blessed for your good judgment and for keeping me from bloodshed(AZ) this day and from avenging myself with my own hands. Schearing, Linda. He is just like his namehis name means Fool, and folly goes with him. The Bible describes Abigail as being an intelligent and beautiful woman, but sadly, her marriage was hard ( 1 Samuel 25:3 ). Rather, the story stands in stark contrast to the Bathsheba episode, when the king takes a woman married to another man (Uriah) while he is serving the king, fighting the Lords battles. And David has him killed on the front in order to cover for the adultery. (BJ) 44But Saul had given his daughter Michal, Davids wife, to Paltiel[d](BK) son of Laish, who was from Gallim.(BL). 3 The mans name was Nabal,[ b] and his wifes name was Abigail. WebAbigail quickly got on a donkey and, attended by her five maids, went with David's messengers and became his wife. The most authoritative source for David's wives is 1 Chronicles 3, which lists David's descendants for 30 generations. Is polygamy supported by 1 Corinthians 7:2. 2 Samuel 6:16 (NASB). The meaning of her own name then takes on new resonance, meaning my fathers joy or my father rejoices, from the Hebrew rootg-y-lto rejoice. Yet the son, Chileab, never becomes a contender for the throne and, beyond this episode, Abigail plays no role in the court history. 0 responses But King David was not her first husband either. After Nabal died, David married Abigail (1 Samuel 25:39-42). What does it mean "the arm of flesh" and why will it fail (2 Chronicles 32:8)? Since in ancient Israel widows had no financial support, it may be that King David married Abigail to provide for her financial support. Try Bible Gateway Plus free today. According to Wikipedia the name Ahinoam means pleasant. The rabbis assert that when Merab died, Michal raised her sister's five children as if they were her own, so that Michal was acknowledged as their mother, though she was not married to Adriel, their father. Is a woman who is married to a Muslim man as his second wife, permitted biblically to stay married to him after she comes to accept Christ? Why did Jesus call people fools and yet condemn others for doing the same thing? Adelman, Rachel. These wives are Michal, Abigail, and Bathsheba, and their stories greatly influenced the history of Israel. Since scripture describes both David and Abigail as good-looking people, it's entirely possible that some attraction pulled Abigail toward David. We first encounter Ahinoam in Scripture in 1 Samuel 25:43 immediately after David marries Abigail. Ahinoam is often listed with Abigail, the widow of Nabal of Camel. 3 And David dwelleth with Achish in Gath, he and his men, each one with his household, [even] David and his two wives, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail wife of Nabal the Carmelitess. WebKing Davids third wife was Ahinoam of Jezreel. Now think it over and see what you can do, because disaster is hanging over our master and his whole household. 23When Abigail saw David, she quickly got off her donkey and bowed down before David with her face to the ground. The foregoing are only some opinions related to 2 Sam. 28Please forgive(AO) your servants presumption. lthorton01. According to 1 Samuel 25:4-12, David, in need of supplies, sends 10 men to seek provisions from Nabal. When the servants of David came to Abigail at Carmel, they spoke to her, saying, David has sent us to you to take you as his wife. She arose and bowed with her face to the ground and said, Behold, your maidservant is a maid to wash the feet of my lords servants. Then Abigail quickly arose, and rode on a donkey, with her five maidens who attended her; and she followed the messengers of David and became his wife. Mean and inhospitable, he meets his fate, measure-for-measure, in the petrification of his hard heart. He learns her name and the name of her husband, Uriah, a general in his army. She bears David a son, who never becomes a contender for the throne, and though a prophet and wise woman, she plays no further role in court history. Why should I take my bread and water, and the meat I have slaughtered for my shearers, and give it to men coming from who knows where?. Saul did this because he knew Michal loved David and she betrayed him. Davids father, Jesse, lived in Bethlehem and was from the tribe of Judah. The Bible does not mention King Davids mother by name. However, if Ahinoams son Amnon was Davids firstborn son (as both lists of sons affirm), then the order of their names might indicate Ahinoams status as the crown princes mother. Many of David's marriages were politically motivated. 44 But Saul had given his daughter Michal, David's wife, to Paltiel [4]son of Laish, who was from Gallim. David requests food for himself and his band of six hundred men who, while in flight from the mad King Saul, have been operating a kind of protection racket against marauders for the shepherds and flocks in the area (vv. The story of Abigail and David ranks almost as exciting and deceitful as that of David and his most famous wife, Bathsheba. Consequently, she decided to wait until the morning to tell Nabal what King David had planned to do and shared how she had saved him (v. 36-37). If David had married Merab, then his total number of legitimate spouses would have been eight -- still within the limits of the religious law, as the rabbis later interpreted it. And good health to all that is yours! WebSince Ahinoams name usually precedes that of Abigail, it has been suggested that David married Ahinoam before he married Abigail (contrary to 1 Sam 25:4243; see When your shepherds were with us, we did not mistreat them, and the whole time they were at Carmel nothing of theirs was missing. All answers are REVIEWED and MODERATED. WebAbigail, in the Old Testament, the wife of Nabal of southern Judah, on whose death she became one of the first wives of David (1 Samuel 25) and the mother of his son Chileab. Damaris Atwater was born in New Haven Colony on November 12, 1648, baptized on October 21, 1649, and died on December 14, 1711. (David has not yet been publicly anointed king). Berlin, Adele. Who is this son of Jesse? It is important to notice that in this passage the numbers refer to the sons born to David. Carmel (2 Samuel 3:2). Later, King Saul plotted to murder David. gain access to 50+ premium resources to enhance your study of Scripture. Abigails story is told in 1 Samuel 25, at the time when Saul was king. Then David moved down into the Desert of Paran. The Ipuwer PapyrusWere The 10 Biblical Plagues Real? Then 1 Chronicles 3:9 adds this, All these were the sons of David, besides the sons of the concubines; and Tamar was their sister. (AU) 30When the Lord has fulfilled for my lord every good thing he promised concerning him and has appointed him ruler(AV) over Israel, 31my lord will not have on his conscience the staggering burden of needless bloodshed or of having avenged himself. This man was very wealthy;[ a] he owned 3,000 sheep and 1,000 goats. 2. His folly there does become the cause of grief and pangs of conscience for having shed blood without cause (v. 31). Share Clarify Please forgive your servants presumption. Please give your servants and your son David whatever(L) you can find for them.. Wit, Words and a Woman: I Samuel 25. In On Humour and the Comic in the Hebrew Bible, edited by Yehuda Radday and Athalya Brenner, 16368. Levenson, John D., and Baruch Halpern. Here are guidelines to help facilitate a meaningful learning experience for everyone. These are the names of the children born to him in Jerusalem: Shammua, Shobab, Nathan, Solomon, Ibhar, Elishua, Elpelet, Nogah, Nepheg, Japhia, Elishama, Beeliada and Eliphelet. Abigail was the wife of Nabal, a rich man from Carmel who refused to help David by providing food for David and his men. He is such a wicked man that no one can talk to him.Abigail acted quickly. Have an update or correction? Jesus sent out 70 Disciples to preach His Good News. All rights reserved worldwide. After David moved his capital to Jerusalem, he married Bathsheba. Old Testament Part 7. Abigail was from Mt. Because of the hint to David (v. 34), the mysterious cause of Nabals death, and no record of mourning her boorish husband, some scholars and modern creative renditions have read Abigail as conniving. 4. Why choose these 300 men? David, hearing that she has been widowed, sends for her. At the beginning of the story, Abigail is the wife of a wealthy man named Nabal who When Nabal heard the news, it affected his heart. He threatened Israel before Saul was king. Now Samuel died, and all Israel assembled and mourned for him; and they buried him at his home in Ramah. 2 Samuel 3:2-5 (NASB). 1 Samuel 25:39-42 (NASB). What is the meaning of 1 Timothy 4:13 when it refers to the public reading of Scripture? 2 And there was a man in Maon whose business was in Carmel. King Davids third wife was Ahinoam of Jezreel. Why was Abigail still called "Nabal's wife" even after she married David? David and Abigail, by Frans Pourbus the Elder, c. 1570/80, oil on canvas, Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna, Austria. In the Abigail story, on the other hand, the woman is married to an evil husband and prevents him from murdering Nabal (and all the males of the household), as David acknowledges (vv. The name Jezreel means God soweth. The last reference to Ahinoam occurs in the list of Davids sons born at Hebron (2 Sam 3:25; 1 Chr 3:14), where she is noted in the first (Abigail is in the second) of six mother-son references. 3. By diverting David from vengeance against Nabal, Abigail not only saved her family and its wealth; she also saved David from committing murders that could have brought retribution upon him. 22May God deal with David,[c] be it ever so severely,(AE) if by morning I leave alive one male(AF) of all who belong to him!. At that time he was shearing his sheep in Carmel. All references to her occur with, or in close literary proximity to, Abigail (another wife of David, king of Israel, c. 1005965 B.C.E.). But he forgot that our God sees everything that is done in secret (Matthew 6:4, 6) . This makes David an outlaw, camping out in the wilderness while trying to build up some following among the people. She ends her speech with a hint: when the LORD has dealt well with my lord, then remember your handmaid (2 Sam 25:31). Ahinoam and Abigail are with David during his stay with King Achish of Gath (1 Sam 27:3), are taken captive when Amalekites raid Ziklag, Davids Philistine base (1 Sam 30:5), and are among those who go with David to Hebron when he becomes king over Judah (2 Sam 2:2). 1 Now Samuel died. "Abigail and David - Abigail Was King David's Wisest Wife." 13David said to his men(O), Each of you strap on your sword! So they did, and David strapped his on as well. Bathsheba became perhaps the prominent wife of King David (1 Kings 1:15-16, 28, 31). Were they the best fighters? And as for me, your servant, I did not see the men my lord sent. And let this gift, which your servant has brought to my lord, be given to the men who follow you. 18Abigail acted quickly. 2 Samuel 12:24 is the only verse that refers to Bathsheba as Davids wife. This man was very wealthy;[a] he owned 3,000 sheep and 1,000 goats. Jeremiah 9:23-24. All answers are REVIEWED and MODERATED. She took two hundred loaves of bread, two skins of wine, five dressed sheep, five seahs[b] of roasted grain,(W) a hundred cakes of raisins(X) and two hundred cakes of pressed figs, and loaded them on donkeys. I think this is one of those stories. Some scholars say this reference implies that David was merely seeking a quid pro quo from Nabal, but others argue that David was really trying to extort the ancientIsraelite equivalent of "protection money" from Nabal. 43 David had also married Ahinoam of Jezreel, and they both were his wives. 4When David heard in the wilderness that Nabal was shearing his sheep. After David moved his As soon as David heard that Nabal had died, he shouted praises to God and immediately sent a proposal of marriage to the wise, beautiful and rich Abigail. 34Otherwise, as surely as the Lord, the God of Israel, lives, who has kept me from harming you, if you had not come quickly to meet me, not one male belonging to Nabal(BA) would have been left alive by daybreak., 35Then David accepted from her hand what she had brought him and said, Go home in peace. 1516). Start for FREE. Hebrew and some Septuagint manuscripts; other Septuagint manuscripts, That is, probably about 60 pounds or about 27 kilograms. (Mark 6:48). In her paper published online, "David and Abigail: A Non-Traditional View," Williams argues that Abigail actually betrayed her husband Nabal by siding with the outlaw David. His name was Nabal and his wifes name was Abigail. Please pay no attention, my lord, to that wicked man Nabal. 10Nabal answered Davids servants, Who(M) is this David? 3334). Since Ahinoams name usually precedes that of Abigail, it has been suggested that David married Ahinoam before he married Abigail (contrary to 1 Sam 25:4243; see Levenson and Halpern). So she told him nothing at all until daybreak. What is the meaning of "peace be unto you" in the Bible? David said to his men, Each of you strap on your sword! So they did, and David strapped his on as well. February 13 2015 But Scripture tells us that he had other wives plus a number of unknown concubines. Help us elevate the voices of Jewish women. They did not mistreat(S) us, and the whole time we were out in the fields near them nothing was missing. 1. When they arrived, they reported every word. As a result, David decided to engage in sexual activity with her and made her pregnant. After Saul heard about the deception, he punished her by giving her in marriage to Palti,the son of Laish (1 Samuel 25:44). Why do we pray when God already knows what we need? 25Now Samuel died,(A) and all Israel assembled and mourned(B) for him; and they buried him at his home in Ramah. Meanwhile David took more concubines and wives from Jerusalem, after he came from Hebron; and more sons and daughters were born to David. Copyright 2019 by Zondervan. When Nabal refuses, insulting David and his band as riffraff (vv. Nonetheless, scripture says that at this point, "his courage failed him, and he became like a stone. The wife of a rich man when she met David, Abigail possessed beauty, intelligence, political shrewdness, and material wealth that helped David at a critical moment when he could have thrown away his chance at success. 1 Chronicles 14:3-5 (NASB), Resurrection Accounts Resurrection of Christ, Thus says the LORD, Let not a wise man boast of his wisdom, and let not the mighty man boast of his might, let not a rich man boast of his riches; but let him who boasts boast of this, that he understands and knows Me . Consequently, David and four hundred men went to kill him. When they arrived, they reported every word. Arthur Niswar. Based on her prescience, the Talmud identifies Abigail as one of the seven female prophets in the Hebrew Bible (b. Megillah 15a). "The Many Wives of David in the Bible." This characterization explains why Nabal responds so rudely to Davids request for sustenance, likening him to a runaway servant (vv. Does 2 Samuel 12:8 mean God approved of Davids polygamy? All the names for our week days come from Roman and Norse/Anglo-Saxon gods. Abigail is often held up as a model spouse among King David's wives, the epitome of the virtuous woman described in Proverbs 31. 39When David heard that Nabal was dead, he said, Praise be to the Lord, who has upheld my cause against Nabal for treating me with contempt. Share The most well-known mention of Nahash is in reference to the king of the Ammonites. He was shearing his sheep in Carmel. David had also taken Ahinoam of Jezreel, and they both became his wives. She is listed six times by name in scripture. Astle, Cynthia. Could Ancient Sparta Defeat Ancient Rome? Then she told her servants, Go on ahead; Ill follow you. But she did not tell her husband Nabal. 3The mans name was Nabal,[b] and his wifes name was Abigail. What does it mean "the arm of flesh" and why will it fail (2 Chronicles 32:8)? When Abigail and David encounter one another in 1 Samuel 25, David is on the run from King Saul, who has rightly discerned that David is a threat to his throne. How Many Women Married David in the Bible? T/F, 4. David's story also includes many marriages that influenced his rise and fall.