1 Samuel 25:34-44

25:34 Otherwise, as surely as the Lord, the God of Israel, lives – he who has prevented me from harming you – if you had not come so quickly to meet me, by morning’s light not even one male belonging to Nabal would have remained alive!” 25:35 Then David took from her hand what she had brought to him. He said to her, “Go back ¹  to your home in peace. Be assured that I have listened to you ²  and responded favorably.” ³ 

25:36 When Abigail went back to Nabal, he was holding a banquet in his house like that of the king. Nabal was having a good time ⁴  and was very intoxicated. She told him absolutely nothing ⁵  until morning’s light. 25:37 In the morning, when Nabal was sober, ⁶  his wife told him about these matters. He had a stroke and was paralyzed. ⁷  25:38 After about ten days the Lord struck Nabal down and he died.

25:39 When David heard that Nabal had died, he said, “Praised be the Lord who has vindicated me and avenged the insult that I suffered from Nabal! ⁸  The Lord has kept his servant from doing evil, and he has repaid Nabal for his evil deeds.” ⁹  Then David sent word to Abigail and asked her to become his wife.

25:40 So the servants of David went to Abigail at Carmel and said to her, “David has sent us to you to bring you back to be his wife.” 25:41 She arose, bowed her face toward the ground, and said, “Your female servant, like a lowly servant, will wash ¹⁰  the feet of the servants of my lord.” 25:42 Then Abigail quickly went and mounted her donkey, with five of her female servants accompanying her. ¹¹  She followed David’s messengers and became his wife.

25:43 David had also married ¹²  Ahinoam from Jezreel; the two of them became his wives. 25:44 (Now Saul had given his daughter Michal, David’s wife, to Paltiel son of Laish, who was from Gallim.)

[25:35]  ¹ tn Heb “up.”

[25:35]  ² tn Heb “your voice.”

[25:35]  ³ tn Heb “I have lifted up your face.”

[25:36]  ⁴ tn Heb “and the heart of Nabal was good upon him”; NASB, NRSV “Nabal’s heart was merry within him”; NIV “he was in high spirits”; NCV, TEV “was in a good mood”; CEV “was very drunk and feeling good.”

[25:36]  ⁵ tn Heb “and she did not tell him a thing, small or large.”

[25:37]  ⁶ tn Heb “when the wine had gone out from Nabal.”

[25:37]  ⁷ tn Heb “and his heart died within him and he became a stone.” Cf. TEV, NLT “stroke”; CEV “heart attack.” For an alternative interpretation than that presented above, see Marjorie O’Rourke Boyle, “The Law of the Heart: The Death of a Fool (1 Samuel 25),” JBL 120 (2001): 401-27, who argues that a medical diagnosis is not necessary here. Instead, the passage makes a connection between the heart and the law; Nabal dies for his lawlessness.

[25:39]  ⁸ tn Heb “who has argued the case of my insult from the hand of Nabal.”

[25:39]  ⁹ tn Heb “his servant he has held back from evil, and the evil of Nabal the Lord has turned back on his head.”

[25:41]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “Here is your maidservant, for a lowly servant to wash.”

[25:42]  ¹¹ tn Heb “going at her feet.”

[25:43]  ¹² tn Heb “taken.”