{"id":58702,"date":"2018-07-09T17:43:35","date_gmt":"2018-07-09T14:43:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wall\/wall-257\/"},"modified":"2023-01-30T16:31:00","modified_gmt":"2023-01-30T14:31:00","slug":"wall-257","status":"publish","type":"wall","link":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/en\/wall\/wall-257\/","title":{"rendered":"chapter-Prophets-I Samuel-25"},"parent":0,"template":"","acf":{"type":"chapter","wall_id":"257","date":"20260824","book":"I Samuel","chapter":"25","chapter_main_number":"257","books_group":"Prophets","hide_acf":true,"home_image":false,"home_posts":false,"home_posts_title":"","posts_home":[],"posts":[{"order":1,"id":"58812","color":"#f8ebe3","size":"1","name":"I Samuel Chapter 25 - Read by Francie Anne Riley ","post_title":"I Samuel Chapter 25 - Read by Francie Anne Riley","slug":"i-samuel-chapter-25-read-by-francie-anne-riley","old_id":"58812","type":"no","iframe":"","writer":{"id":34686,"post_title":"Soundcloud","slug":"soundcloud","old_id":"34686","first_name":"","last_name":"","description":"","short_description":"","credit":"","image_url":"","hide_writer":false,"link_for_pay":false,"image":{"id":34656,"alt":"","title":"491","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/491-2.jpg","width":300,"height":300,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/491-2-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/491-2.jpg","medium-width":300,"medium-height":300,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/491-2.jpg","medium_large-width":300,"medium_large-height":300,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/491-2.jpg","large-width":300,"large-height":300,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/491-2.jpg","1536x1536-width":300,"1536x1536-height":300,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/491-2.jpg","2048x2048-width":300,"2048x2048-height":300,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/491-2.jpg","post_full_size-width":300,"post_full_size-height":300,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/491-2.jpg","home_baner-width":300,"home_baner-height":300}},"tags":false},"related_cahpter":"257","type_929":"4","show_author_image":true,"old_url":"","post_main_content_description":"","post_main_content_content":"","post_main_content_image":"","post_main_content_embedded_video":"","post_main_content_video_duration":"","post_main_content_show_fb_comments":"1","post_main_content_credit_media":"","tile_top_caption":"JPS Audio Bible","tile_main_caption":"I Samuel 25","tile_main_caption_size":"2","tile_sub_caption":"read by Francie Anne Riley","tile_preview_embedded":"","tile_preview_image":"","tile_preview_video":"","tile_external_link":"https:\/\/soundcloud.com\/929-bible\/JPS_Audio_Bible_I_Samuel_Chapter_25_read_by_Francie_Anne_Riley","tile_tile_gallery_items":"","tile_credits":"","alternate_tile_top_caption":"","alternate_tile_main_caption":"","alternate_tile_main_caption_size":"1","alternate_tile_sub_caption":"","alternate_tile_hide_media":"0","tile_group_preview_image_url":"","tile_group_main_caption":"","tile_group_sub_caption":"","tile_group_popup_package_extra_content":"","tile_group_read_time":"","home_color":"","home_gallery_top":"","home_gallery_middle":"","home_gallery_book":"","home_gallery_bottom":"","seo_seo_title":"","seo_seo_description":"","seo_seo_default_title":"","seo_seo_default_description":"","old_create_date":"","links":false,"chapter_info":{"books_group":"Prophets","book":"I Samuel","chapter":"25","chapter_main_number":"257","date":"20260824","wall_id":"257"},"link_for_pay":false,"tags":false},{"order":2,"id":"112169","color":"#f6edf6","size":"1","name":"Heart Like A Stone ","post_title":"Heart Like A Stone","slug":"heart-like-a-stone","old_id":"112169","type":"no","iframe":"","writer":{"id":78133,"post_title":"Josh Blechner","slug":"josh-blechner","old_id":"78133","first_name":"Josh ","last_name":"Blechner ","description":"Josh first finished the Tanach during Yeshiva in Mevaseret Zion. He and his daughter studied the Tanach again for her bat mitzvah. Josh has taught many classes on Tanach throughout the years and currently in the New Rochelle 929 group. When not studying for 929, Josh works as an in-house lawyer in New Jersey.","short_description":"Josh has taught many classes on Tanach throughout the years and currently in the New Rochelle 929 group, and is an in-house attorney in New Jersey. ","credit":"","image_url":"","hide_writer":false,"link_for_pay":false,"image":{"id":78134,"alt":"","title":"josh blechner","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/josh-blechner.jpg","width":276,"height":351,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/josh-blechner-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/josh-blechner-236x300.jpg","medium-width":236,"medium-height":300,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/josh-blechner.jpg","medium_large-width":276,"medium_large-height":351,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/josh-blechner.jpg","large-width":276,"large-height":351,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/josh-blechner.jpg","1536x1536-width":276,"1536x1536-height":351,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/josh-blechner.jpg","2048x2048-width":276,"2048x2048-height":351,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/josh-blechner.jpg","post_full_size-width":276,"post_full_size-height":351,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/josh-blechner.jpg","home_baner-width":276,"home_baner-height":351}},"tags":false},"related_cahpter":"257","type_929":"2","show_author_image":false,"old_create_date":"","old_url":"","post_main_content_description":"Nasty Nabal gets his comeuppance","post_main_content_content":"

Chapter 25 tells the sidebar story of Abigail and Nabal. David\u2019s band of warriors protects the wealthy Nabal and his shepherds from danger. At the time of shearing, David sends messengers to Nabal asking for food and wool as repayment for David\u2019s protection. Nabal refuses, and David plans to massacre everyone in Nabal\u2019s household. David\u2019s reaction to Nabal is identical to that of Saul to Ahimelech and Nob.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n

But this time, the story has a somewhat happier ending. Abigail, Nabal\u2019s wife, intervenes and explains that her husband is a curmudgeon who does not speak for everyone else in the household. Abigail is eternally grateful to David for all he did for her household.\u00a0 She blesses him with a phrase that is used on many Jewish gravestones and funerals- \u201cthe life of my master will be <\/span>bound up in the bundle of life <\/span><\/i>in the care of the LORD\u201d (verse 29). Her blessing of gratitude is that David\u2019s soul will be bound together with God\u2019s for eternal protection. Abigail returns home to a drunk Nabal and \u201cthe next morning, when Nabal had slept off the wine, his wife told him everything that had happened; and his heart died within him, and he became like a stone\u201d (verse 37).\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n

What does \u201chis heart died within him and he became like a stone\u201d mean? There are two camps. Rashi believes that Nabal was upset that his wife had presented David with a gift. In the other camp, Malbim believes that Nabal\u2019s heart sank because he was fearful of David. The Rashi camp focuses on Nabal as the miser until the very end. Nabal\u2019s eventual death is caused by his extreme sadness over his wife\u2019s expensive gift to David. The Malbim camp perhaps affords Nabal a bit of remorse. Once he hears how close he was to being overrun by David and his forces, he realizes that his miserly ways almost cost him everything. This fear is too much to carry, and in the end it kills him. Nabal\u2019s death also signifies a divine punishment meted out directly to the individual responsible for David\u2019s hardship, without David\u2019s burn-it-to-the-ground strategy.<\/span><\/p>","post_main_content_image":{"id":64986,"alt":"","title":"is6-hardened-heart","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/is6-hardened-heart.jpg","width":489,"height":487,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/is6-hardened-heart-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/is6-hardened-heart-300x300.jpg","medium-width":300,"medium-height":300,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/is6-hardened-heart.jpg","medium_large-width":489,"medium_large-height":487,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/is6-hardened-heart.jpg","large-width":489,"large-height":487,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/is6-hardened-heart.jpg","1536x1536-width":489,"1536x1536-height":487,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/is6-hardened-heart.jpg","2048x2048-width":489,"2048x2048-height":487,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/is6-hardened-heart.jpg","post_full_size-width":489,"post_full_size-height":487,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/is6-hardened-heart-422x420.jpg","home_baner-width":422,"home_baner-height":420}},"post_main_content_embedded_video":"","post_main_content_video_duration":"","post_main_content_show_fb_comments":"1","post_main_content_credit_media":"","tile_top_caption":"","tile_main_caption":"Heart Like A Stone","tile_main_caption_size":"1","tile_sub_caption":"Nasty Nabal gets his comeuppance","tile_preview_embedded":"","tile_preview_image":{"id":64986,"alt":"","title":"is6-hardened-heart","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/is6-hardened-heart.jpg","width":489,"height":487,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/is6-hardened-heart-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/is6-hardened-heart-300x300.jpg","medium-width":300,"medium-height":300,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/is6-hardened-heart.jpg","medium_large-width":489,"medium_large-height":487,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/is6-hardened-heart.jpg","large-width":489,"large-height":487,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/is6-hardened-heart.jpg","1536x1536-width":489,"1536x1536-height":487,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/is6-hardened-heart.jpg","2048x2048-width":489,"2048x2048-height":487,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/is6-hardened-heart.jpg","post_full_size-width":489,"post_full_size-height":487,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/is6-hardened-heart-422x420.jpg","home_baner-width":422,"home_baner-height":420}},"tile_preview_video":"","tile_external_link":"","tile_link_for_pay":"0","tile_tile_gallery_items":"","tile_credits":"","alternate_tile_top_caption":"","alternate_tile_main_caption":"","alternate_tile_main_caption_size":"1","alternate_tile_sub_caption":"","alternate_tile_hide_media":"0","tile_group_preview_image_url":"","tile_group_main_caption":"","tile_group_sub_caption":"","tile_group_popup_package_extra_content":"","tile_group_read_time":"","home_color":"","home_gallery_top":"","home_gallery_middle":"","home_gallery_book":"","home_gallery_bottom":"","seo_seo_title":"","seo_seo_description":"","seo_seo_default_title":"","seo_seo_default_description":"","links":false,"send_noty":false,"chapter_info":{"books_group":"Prophets","book":"I Samuel","chapter":"25","chapter_main_number":"257","date":"20260824","wall_id":"257"},"link_for_pay":false,"tags":[{"term_id":"547","name":"Punishment","old_id":"947"},{"term_id":"834","name":"David","old_id":"1234"}]},{"order":3,"id":"58900","color":"#e2f4fa","size":"2","name":"To Take Abigail As His Wife ","post_title":"To Take Abigail As His Wife","slug":"to-take-abigail-as-his-wife","old_id":"58900","type":"no","iframe":"","writer":{"id":56634,"post_title":"Michal Nachmany","slug":"michal-nachmany","old_id":"56634","first_name":"Michal ","last_name":"Nachmany ","description":"Michal Nachmany (b. Jerusalem, 1958), is a self-taught artist and educator. She began exhibiting her work in September 2015 in New York City, and since then has exhibited at community centers and galleries across New York City and the Tristate area. She has held two international shows, in Taipei Taiwan and Krakow Poland. 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Mixed-media work by Michal Nachmany, courtesy of the artist<\/p>\r\n

Michal dedicates her work in memory to her father Shamai Zweigreich z\u201dl \u00a0and her grandfather \u00a0Yisrael Zweigreich z\u201dl, who loved studying Bible and Talmud.<\/p>","post_main_content_image":{"id":58901,"alt":"","title":"i sam 25","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/i-sam-25.jpg","width":999,"height":1024,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/i-sam-25-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/i-sam-25-293x300.jpg","medium-width":293,"medium-height":300,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/i-sam-25-768x787.jpg","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":787,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/i-sam-25-999x1024.jpg","large-width":999,"large-height":1024,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/i-sam-25.jpg","1536x1536-width":999,"1536x1536-height":1024,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/i-sam-25.jpg","2048x2048-width":999,"2048x2048-height":1024,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/i-sam-25.jpg","post_full_size-width":999,"post_full_size-height":1024,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/i-sam-25-410x420.jpg","home_baner-width":410,"home_baner-height":420}},"post_main_content_embedded_video":"","post_main_content_video_duration":"","post_main_content_show_fb_comments":"1","post_main_content_credit_media":"","tile_top_caption":"I Sam 25:39","tile_main_caption":"To Take Abigail As His Wife","tile_main_caption_size":"1","tile_sub_caption":"David sent messengers to propose marriage to Abigail, to take her as his wife","tile_preview_embedded":"","tile_preview_image":{"id":58901,"alt":"","title":"i sam 25","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/i-sam-25.jpg","width":999,"height":1024,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/i-sam-25-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/i-sam-25-293x300.jpg","medium-width":293,"medium-height":300,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/i-sam-25-768x787.jpg","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":787,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/i-sam-25-999x1024.jpg","large-width":999,"large-height":1024,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/i-sam-25.jpg","1536x1536-width":999,"1536x1536-height":1024,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/i-sam-25.jpg","2048x2048-width":999,"2048x2048-height":1024,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/i-sam-25.jpg","post_full_size-width":999,"post_full_size-height":1024,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/i-sam-25-410x420.jpg","home_baner-width":410,"home_baner-height":420}},"tile_preview_video":"","tile_external_link":"","tile_tile_gallery_items":"","tile_credits":"","alternate_tile_top_caption":"","alternate_tile_main_caption":"","alternate_tile_main_caption_size":"1","alternate_tile_sub_caption":"","alternate_tile_hide_media":"0","tile_group_preview_image_url":"","tile_group_main_caption":"","tile_group_sub_caption":"","tile_group_popup_package_extra_content":"","tile_group_read_time":"","home_color":"","home_gallery_top":"","home_gallery_middle":"","home_gallery_book":"","home_gallery_bottom":"","seo_seo_title":"","seo_seo_description":"","seo_seo_default_title":"","seo_seo_default_description":"","links":false,"tile_link_for_pay":"0","send_noty":false,"chapter_info":{"books_group":"Prophets","book":"I Samuel","chapter":"25","chapter_main_number":"257","date":"20260824","wall_id":"257"},"link_for_pay":false,"tags":[{"term_id":"369","name":"Visual Arts","old_id":"769"}]},{"order":4,"id":"58921","color":"#e2f4fa","size":"1","name":"A Servant\u2019s Chutzpah, and His Mistress\u2019 Prudence ","post_title":"A Servant\u2019s Chutzpah, And His Mistress\u2019 Prudence","slug":"a-servants-chutzpah-and-his-mistress-prudence","old_id":"58921","type":"no","iframe":"","writer":{"id":34250,"post_title":"Sarah Rudolph","slug":"sarah-rudolph","old_id":"34250","first_name":"Sarah ","last_name":"Rudolph","description":"Sarah Rudolph is a freelance Jewish educator, writer, and editor. 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Sarah lives in Cleveland with her husband and four children, but is privileged to learn online with students all over the world through www.TorahTutors.org and www.WebYeshiva.org. \r\n\r\n","short_description":"Sarah Rudolph is a freelance Jewish educator, writer, and editor.","credit":"","image_url":"","hide_writer":false,"link_for_pay":false,"image":{"id":34251,"alt":"","title":"Sarah R","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Sarah-R.jpg","width":2824,"height":4246,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Sarah-R-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Sarah-R-200x300.jpg","medium-width":200,"medium-height":300,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Sarah-R-681x1024.jpg","medium_large-width":681,"medium_large-height":1024,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Sarah-R-681x1024.jpg","large-width":681,"large-height":1024,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Sarah-R.jpg","1536x1536-width":1022,"1536x1536-height":1536,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Sarah-R.jpg","2048x2048-width":1362,"2048x2048-height":2048,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Sarah-R-798x1200.jpg","post_full_size-width":798,"post_full_size-height":1200,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Sarah-R-279x420.jpg","home_baner-width":279,"home_baner-height":420}},"tags":false},"related_cahpter":"257","type_929":"2","show_author_image":false,"old_create_date":"","old_url":"","post_main_content_description":"Abigail\u2019s integrity, goodness, intelligence and reasonableness give her the ability to clean up her husband\u2019s messes\u00a0\u00a0","post_main_content_content":"

We can learn a lot about a person\u2019s character from observing how others interact with them.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

When David, the newly minted almost-king of Israel, sent messengers requesting food from Nabal the Carmelite and was rudely rebuffed, he immediately prepared to wipe out the offender\u2019s estate. It was Nabal\u2019s wife, Abigail, who rode out to face David and talk him down \u2013 but it\u2019s an unnamed \u201cyoung man\u201d of the estate, himself an unsung hero of the story, who begins to show us her heroic character.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

Though the narrative elsewhere refers to \u201chis servants\u201d and \u201cher servants,\u201d it doesn\u2019t specify whether this young man was a servant of Abigail\u2019s or of her husband\u2019s. Whichever of them he is assigned to serve, he knows to turn to Abigail when disaster looms. In fact, he brazenly points out to her that her awful husband is impossible to talk to (v.17). Apparently, Abigail is much more approachable and reasonable \u2013 and known for her integrity and ability to solve problems.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

In telling her the situation, the young man emphasizes that David\u2019s men had previously assisted Nabal\u2019s shepherds (\u201c<\/span>But the men had been very friendly to us\u2026all the time that we were with them tending the flocks<\/span><\/em>\u2026\u201d - v. 15-16). He knows Abigail will appreciate the injustice of Nabal\u2019s refusal to return the favor.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

More than that, he has no doubt that once informed of both the injustice and the imminent danger, she will do something about it: <\/span>So consider carefully what you should do, for harm threatens our master and all his household<\/span><\/em>. <\/span><\/i>(v. 17)<\/span><\/p>\r\n

Telling the mistress of the estate what to do? We might be surprised at the young man\u2019s <\/span>chutzpah<\/span><\/em> \u2013 until we realize that Abigail responds just as he expected her to, hurrying to gather food to rectify her husband\u2019s mistake without a word to him. We realize that perhaps this is not the first time Abigail has had to clean up her husband\u2019s mess; perhaps she\u2019s built a reputation so the servants know they can come to her for that purpose.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

Nabal, whose very name means \u201cdisgusting\u201d and is an apt description of his character (as Abigail herself attests in verse 25), has his reputation, and Abigail has hers. Their contrasting characters were introduced in general terms in verse three: he is \u201ca hard man and an evildoer\u201d; she is \u201cgood of intellect\u201d in addition to being beautiful. Even before we see her act, the servant\u2019s trust in her goodness and intelligence shows just how deeply those descriptions represent who Abigail was.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

And the crown of a good name rises above them all<\/span><\/em> (Avot 4:13).<\/span><\/p>","post_main_content_image":{"id":58922,"alt":"","title":"isam25-womans 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Servant\u2019s Chutzpah, And His Mistress\u2019 Prudence","tile_main_caption_size":"1","tile_sub_caption":"Abigail\u2019s integrity, goodness, intelligence and reasonableness give her the ability to clean up her husband\u2019s messes\u00a0\u00a0","tile_preview_embedded":"","tile_preview_image":{"id":58922,"alt":"","title":"isam25-womans 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Samuel","chapter":"25","chapter_main_number":"257","date":"20260824","wall_id":"257"},"link_for_pay":false,"tags":[{"term_id":"466","name":"Goodness","old_id":"866"},{"term_id":"526","name":"Husband\/Wife","old_id":"926"}]},{"order":5,"id":"58915","color":"#e2f4fa","size":"1","name":"Nabal, Abigail And David: A Study In Contradictions\u00a0 ","post_title":"Nabal, Abigail And David: A Study In Contradictions\u00a0","slug":"nabal-abigail-and-david-a-study-in-contradictions","old_id":"58915","type":"no","iframe":"","writer":{"id":58643,"post_title":"Liora Wittlin","slug":"liora-wittlin","old_id":"58643","first_name":"Liora ","last_name":"Wittlin ","description":"Liora Wittlin teaches Tanach at the Denver Academy of Torah.","short_description":"Liora Wittlin teaches Tanach at the Denver Academy of Torah.","credit":"","image_url":"","hide_writer":false,"link_for_pay":false,"image":{"id":58644,"alt":"","title":"Liora Wittlin","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/Liora-Wittlin.jpg","width":960,"height":1280,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/Liora-Wittlin-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/Liora-Wittlin-225x300.jpg","medium-width":225,"medium-height":300,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/Liora-Wittlin-768x1024.jpg","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":1024,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/Liora-Wittlin-768x1024.jpg","large-width":768,"large-height":1024,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/Liora-Wittlin.jpg","1536x1536-width":960,"1536x1536-height":1280,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/Liora-Wittlin.jpg","2048x2048-width":960,"2048x2048-height":1280,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/Liora-Wittlin-900x1200.jpg","post_full_size-width":900,"post_full_size-height":1200,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/Liora-Wittlin-315x420.jpg","home_baner-width":315,"home_baner-height":420}},"tags":false},"related_cahpter":"257","type_929":"2","show_author_image":false,"old_create_date":"","old_url":"","post_main_content_description":"Abigail saves the evil Nabal from the retribution he may have deserved - and in the process, rescues David and his monarchy from the stain of an extrajudicial execution","post_main_content_content":"

A study in contradictions:\u00a0 He, a man of selfish ambition; she, a woman of towering generosity. He lacks the vision to behold the most basic humanity in others, while she perceives the hidden depths of their potential. He is literally called Nabal, which means \u2018lowlife\u2019, \u2018degenerate\u2019, but her name, Abigail, alludes to joy, redemption, and a loving closeness with her heavenly Father.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n

Indeed, the only thing it would seem they have in common is that they are, inexplicably, married.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

* \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 <\/span> * \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 <\/span> * \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 <\/span> * \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 <\/span> * \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 <\/span> * \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 <\/span> * \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 <\/span> * \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 <\/span> * \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 <\/span> * \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 <\/span> * \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 <\/span> *<\/span><\/p>\r\n

A pair of opposites: The one, a man who is ready to ascend the throne and devote his reign to the unification of Heaven and earth. The other, a man who can\u2019t bear to relinquish a fraction of his wealth nor utter a simple word of gratitude, even to pay his dues. David, a man who loves God with every fiber of his being; and Nabal, a man who cares only for himself.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

Alas, it appears that the only tie binding them together is their shared ancestry as descendants from the tribe of Judah.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n

* \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 <\/span> * \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 <\/span> * \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 <\/span> * \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 <\/span> * \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 <\/span> * \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 <\/span> * \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 <\/span> * \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 <\/span> * \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 <\/span> * \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 <\/span> * \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 <\/span> *<\/span><\/p>\r\n

They appear to be headed for a clash. David has judged Nabal as a rebel against his nascent monarchy and found him liable for callously failing to remunerate the debt he owes David\u2019s entourage, for outrageously refusing to even acknowledge David\u2019s existence.\u00a0 Abigail\u2019s prophetic intuition tells her that as odious as Nabal\u2019s actions have been, David is on the verge of committing a grave error. As he is not yet in power, to execute Nabal would be an extrajudicial, unforgivable offense that would permanently jeopardize David\u2019s future as king.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n

Thus, Abigail finds herself in a bizarre predicament, needing to protect the life of the man she should love, yet despises, from the man she reveres, but knows to be wrong in this moment. With little time to think, she jumps into action, smoothing over Nabal\u2019s poor treatment of David and his men. However, it is her next act that cements her reputation as a woman of great courage, in addition to great kindness. She warns David not to \u201cshed blood without cause\u201d, and implores him to spare Nabal\u2019s life, not for Nabal\u2019s sake--but for David\u2019s.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n

Humbly, he yields to her wisdom, and Nabal is stricken by God with a fatal illness. Grateful and in awe of the woman who saved his sovereignty, David ultimately proposes marriage to, and is accepted by, Abigail. At last, Abigail is united with a worthy man who shares her ability to see people as they truly are.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

Image: Abigail tends Nabal<\/em>, John de Teye and followers, c. 1380, Fitzwilliam Museum Cambridge, MS 38-1950, f. 78 detail \/ wikimedia<\/span><\/p>","post_main_content_image":{"id":58916,"alt":"","title":"isam25-Abigail_tends_Nabal","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/isam25-Abigail_tends_Nabal.jpg","width":395,"height":343,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/isam25-Abigail_tends_Nabal-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/isam25-Abigail_tends_Nabal-300x261.jpg","medium-width":300,"medium-height":261,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/isam25-Abigail_tends_Nabal.jpg","medium_large-width":395,"medium_large-height":343,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/isam25-Abigail_tends_Nabal.jpg","large-width":395,"large-height":343,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/isam25-Abigail_tends_Nabal.jpg","1536x1536-width":395,"1536x1536-height":343,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/isam25-Abigail_tends_Nabal.jpg","2048x2048-width":395,"2048x2048-height":343,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/isam25-Abigail_tends_Nabal.jpg","post_full_size-width":395,"post_full_size-height":343,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/isam25-Abigail_tends_Nabal.jpg","home_baner-width":395,"home_baner-height":343}},"post_main_content_embedded_video":"","post_main_content_video_duration":"","post_main_content_show_fb_comments":"1","post_main_content_credit_media":"","tile_top_caption":"","tile_main_caption":"Nabal, Abigail And David: A Study In Contradictions\u00a0","tile_main_caption_size":"1","tile_sub_caption":"Abigail saves the evil Nabal from the retribution he may have deserved - and in the process, rescues David and his monarchy from the stain of an extrajudicial execution","tile_preview_embedded":"","tile_preview_image":{"id":58916,"alt":"","title":"isam25-Abigail_tends_Nabal","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/isam25-Abigail_tends_Nabal.jpg","width":395,"height":343,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/isam25-Abigail_tends_Nabal-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/isam25-Abigail_tends_Nabal-300x261.jpg","medium-width":300,"medium-height":261,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/isam25-Abigail_tends_Nabal.jpg","medium_large-width":395,"medium_large-height":343,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/isam25-Abigail_tends_Nabal.jpg","large-width":395,"large-height":343,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/isam25-Abigail_tends_Nabal.jpg","1536x1536-width":395,"1536x1536-height":343,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/isam25-Abigail_tends_Nabal.jpg","2048x2048-width":395,"2048x2048-height":343,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/isam25-Abigail_tends_Nabal.jpg","post_full_size-width":395,"post_full_size-height":343,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/isam25-Abigail_tends_Nabal.jpg","home_baner-width":395,"home_baner-height":343}},"tile_preview_video":"","tile_external_link":"","tile_tile_gallery_items":"","tile_credits":"","alternate_tile_top_caption":"","alternate_tile_main_caption":"","alternate_tile_main_caption_size":"1","alternate_tile_sub_caption":"","alternate_tile_hide_media":"0","tile_group_preview_image_url":"","tile_group_main_caption":"","tile_group_sub_caption":"","tile_group_popup_package_extra_content":"","tile_group_read_time":"","home_color":"","home_gallery_top":"","home_gallery_middle":"","home_gallery_book":"","home_gallery_bottom":"","seo_seo_title":"","seo_seo_description":"","seo_seo_default_title":"","seo_seo_default_description":"","links":false,"tile_link_for_pay":"0","send_noty":false,"chapter_info":{"books_group":"Prophets","book":"I Samuel","chapter":"25","chapter_main_number":"257","date":"20260824","wall_id":"257"},"link_for_pay":false,"tags":[{"term_id":"375","name":"Faith","old_id":"775"},{"term_id":"466","name":"Goodness","old_id":"866"},{"term_id":"522","name":"Marriage","old_id":"922"},{"term_id":"834","name":"David","old_id":"1234"}]},{"order":6,"id":"58918","color":"#e2f4fa","size":"1","name":"Male Power ","post_title":"Male Power","slug":"male-power","old_id":"58918","type":"no","iframe":"","writer":{"id":56282,"post_title":"Dave Yedid","slug":"dave-yedid","old_id":"56282","first_name":"Dave ","last_name":"Yedid ","description":"Dave Yedid is a Jewish educator, wilderness guide, and healer. He is entering his third-year student at the Jewish Theological Seminary, pursuing rabbinic ordination as a Wexner Graduate Fellow and Davidson Scholar.","short_description":"Dave Yedid is a Jewish educator, wilderness guide, and healer.","credit":"","image_url":"","hide_writer":false,"link_for_pay":false,"image":{"id":56283,"alt":"","title":"david yedid","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/david-yedid.jpg","width":829,"height":829,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/david-yedid-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/david-yedid-300x300.jpg","medium-width":300,"medium-height":300,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/david-yedid-768x768.jpg","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":768,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/david-yedid.jpg","large-width":829,"large-height":829,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/david-yedid.jpg","1536x1536-width":829,"1536x1536-height":829,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/david-yedid.jpg","2048x2048-width":829,"2048x2048-height":829,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/david-yedid.jpg","post_full_size-width":829,"post_full_size-height":829,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/david-yedid-420x420.jpg","home_baner-width":420,"home_baner-height":420}},"tags":false},"related_cahpter":"257","type_929":"2","show_author_image":false,"old_create_date":"","old_url":"","post_main_content_description":"Fragile, zero-sum, and susceptible to shrewd female interventions","post_main_content_content":"

This chapter is about power. Can men share power, or is it zero-sum? How is power transferred from one person to another, and how do followers change their loyalties? Where is God in all of this?<\/span><\/p>\r\n

In the opening verse of Samuel 25, we switch protagonists from Samuel, who has just died, to David, who is immediately tasked with negotiating with Nabal, a wealthy man with many sheep.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

When word of David reaches Nabal, David\u2019s power is immediately questioned: \u201cNabal answered David\u2019s servants, 'Who is David? Who is the son of Jesse? There are many slaves nowadays who run away from their masters'\" (v. 10). As a Jew today, it feels strange to see David\u2019s power doubted, as his narrative spans so much of Tanakh and Jews sing his name weekly in <\/span>shul<\/em> <\/span>and at Shabbat tables.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

There are two turning points of power within this chapter. When Abigail recounts to her husband, Nabal, the prior events of her intervening with gifts to placate David and his troops, as well as her prophecy that the Lord will grant David victory, \u201c[Nabal\u2019s] courage died within him, and he became like a stone. About ten days later, the Lord struck Nabal and he died\u201d(vv. 37\u201338). The news of Nabal\u2019s loss of power is delivered to him by a woman. In reaction to Abigail\u2019s projection and betrayal, Nabal dies inside and is killed by God.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

This opens the way for the second transfer, for David to acquire Abigail\u2014a stately woman, a prophetess\u2014as his wife. Abigail seems like a pawn in this transfer of power, moved almost immediately from one man\u2019s possession to another. Yet, we can also see her as the orchestrator behind Nabal\u2019s demise and David\u2019s rise.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

This chapter has taught me that male power in Samuel I is fragile and zero-sum. We see Abigail and God\u2019s ability to upend power so easily. Here, male fragility seems both sociological and theological. Nonetheless, it is a toxic paradigm still being called into question today.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

Image: Antonio Molinari, David and Abigail, c. 1690 \/ wikimedia<\/span><\/p>","post_main_content_image":{"id":58919,"alt":"","title":"isam25-Antonio Molinari David and 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","credit":"","image_url":"","hide_writer":false,"link_for_pay":false,"image":{"id":36278,"alt":"","title":"yedidya sinclair","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/yedidya-sinclair.jpg","width":200,"height":200,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/yedidya-sinclair-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/yedidya-sinclair.jpg","medium-width":200,"medium-height":200,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/yedidya-sinclair.jpg","medium_large-width":200,"medium_large-height":200,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/yedidya-sinclair.jpg","large-width":200,"large-height":200,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/yedidya-sinclair.jpg","1536x1536-width":200,"1536x1536-height":200,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/yedidya-sinclair.jpg","2048x2048-width":200,"2048x2048-height":200,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/yedidya-sinclair.jpg","post_full_size-width":200,"post_full_size-height":200,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/yedidya-sinclair.jpg","home_baner-width":200,"home_baner-height":200}},"tags":false},"related_cahpter":"257","type_929":"2","show_author_image":false,"old_create_date":"","old_url":"","post_main_content_description":"In which we learn that the right woman can rein in a king\u2019s impulse to violence and bloodshed\u00a0","post_main_content_content":"

In this chapter David meets and marries his wisest wife, Abigail. She was previously married to Nabal, a crude, wealthy boor who enrages David by spurning the latter\u2019s request for food. Abigail manages to avert a bloodbath by secretly bringing food to David and his men herself.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

David, the Talmud tells us, (Sanhedrin 21a) had eighteen wives, the largest number of women that the Torah permits kings to marry. The Talmudic argument on this point turns around the danger that too many or the wrong kind of wives will \u201cturn his heart away,\u201d (Deut. 17:17) as the Torah warns.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

Abigail has a special place in this Talmudic discussion. The rabbis in the Mishnah argue about whether the 18-wives upper limit depends on the character of the women concerned. What if they are all virtuous? Does the limit still stand? Rabbi Shimon\u2019s position is that even one wife who seduces the king into bad ways is too many. But if character is the decisive factor then, asks the Mishnah, why set any upper limit? The number of wives seems not to be the real issue. Rabbi Shimon answers, he may not marry more than 18 wives, \u201ceven if they are all like Abigail.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\r\n

Speaking of Abigail introduces the name of a particular woman into a Talmudic conversation that was until now about numbers. Who was Abigail and why is she the model of an excellent queen? True, the Bible describes her as being intelligent in addition to beautiful, but her story teaches a deeper message.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n

David reacts to Nabal\u2019s failure of hospitality with the threat that he will not leave alive a single one of Nabal\u2019s \u201curinators against the wall,\u201d (v.22) i.e. men. The crude language shows that David is incensed and ready to unleash violence. Caught between a coarse, stupid husband and a furious future husband, Abigail appeases David\u2019s anger by assuring him that Nabal is not worth \u201cbeing a cause of stumbling and of faltering courage to my lord that you have shed blood needlessly\u201d (v.22). As Rashi explains it, killing Nabal and his men would be a stain on David\u2019s record, which could diminish his ability to command men\u2019s loyalty and courage in the future. David gratefully receives Abigail\u2019s rebuke and blesses her for \u201crestraining me from seeking redress in blood by my own hands\u201d (v.33).\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n

Restraint is the central issue of the Talmudic discussion in which Abigail figures. The Talmud gives nuance and detail to the Torah\u2019s prohibitions against the king marrying too many wives, acquiring excessive horses or accumulating unnecessary wealth. The arguments weigh prerogatives that the king needs to exercise power against the dangers of excess, leading to unrestrained power lust and corruption.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

Abigail adds a human dimension showing how the right woman can rein in a king\u2019s impulse to violence and bloodshed and so help protect against the Torah\u2019s deep fear about monarchy.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n

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Samuel\u2019s death (another instance of foreshadowing, see 28:3) deprived David of significant backing and he was forced to take to the wilderness of Paran. Utilizing the 400 indebted and discontented men who had attached themselves to him earlier (22:2), he offered protective services to the locals. In this instance, he solicited a gift from a wealthy sheep rancher of Carmel named Nabal. (This Carmel is situated in the southern Judean hills, not along the northern coastline near Haifa.) Nabal spurned David\u2019s request, belittling him (\u201cWho is this David?\u201d) and condemning him as a traitorous rebel (\u201cseems to be a rash nowadays of rebellious servants,\u201d 10). David organized his posse of 400 (!) and set out to teach Nabal a lesson (13).<\/span><\/p>\r\n

Enter Abigail, Nabal\u2019s wife, who was described, earlier, as\u00a0 \u201cof good understanding, and of a beautiful form\u201d (3). Apprised by a servant of her husband\u2019s perfidy (14 ff.), she organized a feast and packed it on donkeys to deliver personally to David (18)\u2014all without her husband\u2019s knowledge. When they encountered one another, she implored him to spare her husband, arguing that \u201che is like his name: he is called Nabal and his behavior is a <\/span>nebalah<\/span><\/em>\u201d (25). While the root n-b-l appears many times in Tanakh, we ought to be concerned with the particular use of the noun <\/span>nebalah<\/span><\/em>, which describes, inter alia, the rape of Dinah (Genesis 34:7) and the maltreatment of the concubine at Gibeah (Judges 20:6).<\/span><\/p>\r\n

Overall, then, it describes something outrageous and disgraceful. In essence, Abigail was saying \u201cJust look at him; what else would you expect from someone like that?\u201d Whether David was won over by the \u201cgoodness of her understanding\u201d or by the \u201cbeauty of her form,\u201d he relented and when Nabal died just ten days later of a divinely dispatched death (38), David added her to a growing string of wives.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n

As we will yet see, again, in 2 Samuel 11, when David becomes interested in a married woman, her husband\u2019s life expectancy is cut short.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

Image: Maerten van Heemskerck, The Story of David and Nabal<\/em>, 16th C., British Museum \/ public domain<\/span><\/p>","post_main_content_image":{"id":58931,"alt":"","title":"isam25-nabal","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/isam25-nabal.jpg","width":779,"height":1011,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/isam25-nabal-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/isam25-nabal-231x300.jpg","medium-width":231,"medium-height":300,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/isam25-nabal-768x997.jpg","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":997,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/isam25-nabal.jpg","large-width":779,"large-height":1011,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/isam25-nabal.jpg","1536x1536-width":779,"1536x1536-height":1011,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/isam25-nabal.jpg","2048x2048-width":779,"2048x2048-height":1011,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/isam25-nabal.jpg","post_full_size-width":779,"post_full_size-height":1011,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/isam25-nabal-324x420.jpg","home_baner-width":324,"home_baner-height":420}},"post_main_content_embedded_video":"","post_main_content_video_duration":"","post_main_content_show_fb_comments":"1","post_main_content_credit_media":"","tile_top_caption":"","tile_main_caption":"What\u2019s In A Name? Nabal The Scoundrel Meets His End","tile_main_caption_size":"1","tile_sub_caption":"When David becomes interested in a married woman, her husband\u2019s life expectancy is cut short","tile_preview_embedded":"","tile_preview_image":{"id":58931,"alt":"","title":"isam25-nabal","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/isam25-nabal.jpg","width":779,"height":1011,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/isam25-nabal-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/isam25-nabal-231x300.jpg","medium-width":231,"medium-height":300,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/isam25-nabal-768x997.jpg","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":997,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/isam25-nabal.jpg","large-width":779,"large-height":1011,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/isam25-nabal.jpg","1536x1536-width":779,"1536x1536-height":1011,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/isam25-nabal.jpg","2048x2048-width":779,"2048x2048-height":1011,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/isam25-nabal.jpg","post_full_size-width":779,"post_full_size-height":1011,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/isam25-nabal-324x420.jpg","home_baner-width":324,"home_baner-height":420}},"tile_preview_video":"","tile_external_link":"","tile_tile_gallery_items":"","tile_credits":"","alternate_tile_top_caption":"","alternate_tile_main_caption":"","alternate_tile_main_caption_size":"1","alternate_tile_sub_caption":"","alternate_tile_hide_media":"0","tile_group_preview_image_url":"","tile_group_main_caption":"","tile_group_sub_caption":"","tile_group_popup_package_extra_content":"","tile_group_read_time":"","home_color":"","home_gallery_top":"","home_gallery_middle":"","home_gallery_book":"","home_gallery_bottom":"","seo_seo_title":"","seo_seo_description":"","seo_seo_default_title":"","seo_seo_default_description":"","links":false,"tile_link_for_pay":"0","send_noty":false,"chapter_info":{"books_group":"Prophets","book":"I Samuel","chapter":"25","chapter_main_number":"257","date":"20260824","wall_id":"257"},"link_for_pay":false,"tags":[{"term_id":"526","name":"Husband\/Wife","old_id":"926"},{"term_id":"834","name":"David","old_id":"1234"}]},{"order":10,"id":"58927","color":"#e2f4fa","size":"1","name":"Michal, Abigail, and Achinoam: Some Perplexities of Polygamy ","post_title":"Michal, Abigail, And Achinoam: Some Perplexities of Polygamy","slug":"michal-abigail-and-achinoam-some-perplexities-of-polygamy","old_id":"58927","type":"no","iframe":"","writer":{"id":58556,"post_title":"Caleb Gitlitz","slug":"caleb-gitlitz","old_id":"58556","first_name":"Caleb ","last_name":"Gitlitz","description":"Caleb Gitlitz, a student at Beth Tfiloh Dahan in Baltimore. In first grade, he began giving Divrei Torah, which he still enjoys doing today. He loves studying Tanach, and is fascinated by all it has to offer -- both the prose stories and the prophetic poetry. ","short_description":"Caleb Gitlitz, a student at Beth Tfiloh Dahan in Baltimore.","credit":"","image_url":"","hide_writer":false,"link_for_pay":false,"image":{"id":58557,"alt":"","title":"caleb gitlitz","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/caleb-gitlitz.jpg","width":402,"height":457,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/caleb-gitlitz-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/caleb-gitlitz-264x300.jpg","medium-width":264,"medium-height":300,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/caleb-gitlitz.jpg","medium_large-width":402,"medium_large-height":457,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/caleb-gitlitz.jpg","large-width":402,"large-height":457,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/caleb-gitlitz.jpg","1536x1536-width":402,"1536x1536-height":457,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/caleb-gitlitz.jpg","2048x2048-width":402,"2048x2048-height":457,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/caleb-gitlitz.jpg","post_full_size-width":402,"post_full_size-height":457,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/caleb-gitlitz-369x420.jpg","home_baner-width":369,"home_baner-height":420}},"tags":false},"related_cahpter":"257","type_929":"2","show_author_image":false,"old_create_date":"","old_url":"","post_main_content_description":"Why King Saul may have resumed his pursuit of David\u00a0","post_main_content_content":"

The 25<\/span>th<\/span> chapter of I Samuel features an encounter between David and Abigail, the wife of Nabal. The most perplexing part of the chapter appears at the end when David marries both Abigail and another woman named Achinoam of Jezreel. At this time, King Saul also gives David\u2019s original wife, Michal, to Palti ben Laish. But didn\u2019t he and David just reconcile in the previous chapter? Why would he take Michal and give her to another man?<\/span><\/p>\r\n

While it was unfortunately an era of widespread polygamy \u2013 especially for kings \u2013 King Saul perhaps felt as though David had betrayed Michal by not returning to her after the reconciliation in chapter 24 and that David had instead sought out two more wives. This perhaps rekindled King Saul\u2019s hatred of David. While David should have returned to Michal (whom he had not seen since chapter 19), he remained in hiding and lived with two other women.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n

Additionally, this reasoning may be supported by the juxtaposition of the verses describing how King Saul took Michal from David and gave her to Palti immediately following the verses describing David\u2019s two marriages. This may well have been why King Saul could not accept David as a future king: since he had neglected King Saul\u2019s own daughter \u2013 his wife.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n

With this in mind, we can now understand why King Saul resumed chasing David in the following chapter; King Saul perhaps feared for his daughter and believed that David was not giving her the respect she was entitled to. Although King Saul was certainly wrong in his actions, he should have discussed these concerns with David. Indeed, it was through his union with Achinoam that one of the most wicked men in Jewish history emerged: Prince Amnon (who we will meet II Samuel 13).\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n

Had King Saul mentioned his concerns for Michal to David instead of giving her to another man and resuming the chase, things would have gone far better for both him and King David.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

Image: Giovanni Battista Venanzi, 1668 \/ wikimedia<\/span><\/p>","post_main_content_image":{"id":58928,"alt":"","title":"isam25-david_wives","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/isam25-david_wives.jpg","width":364,"height":370,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/isam25-david_wives-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/isam25-david_wives-295x300.jpg","medium-width":295,"medium-height":300,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/isam25-david_wives.jpg","medium_large-width":364,"medium_large-height":370,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/isam25-david_wives.jpg","large-width":364,"large-height":370,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/isam25-david_wives.jpg","1536x1536-width":364,"1536x1536-height":370,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/isam25-david_wives.jpg","2048x2048-width":364,"2048x2048-height":370,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/isam25-david_wives.jpg","post_full_size-width":364,"post_full_size-height":370,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/isam25-david_wives.jpg","home_baner-width":364,"home_baner-height":370}},"post_main_content_embedded_video":"","post_main_content_video_duration":"","post_main_content_show_fb_comments":"1","post_main_content_credit_media":"","tile_top_caption":"","tile_main_caption":"Michal, Abigail, And Achinoam: Some Perplexities of Polygamy","tile_main_caption_size":"1","tile_sub_caption":"Why King Saul may have resumed his pursuit of David\u00a0","tile_preview_embedded":"","tile_preview_image":{"id":58928,"alt":"","title":"isam25-david_wives","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/isam25-david_wives.jpg","width":364,"height":370,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/isam25-david_wives-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/isam25-david_wives-295x300.jpg","medium-width":295,"medium-height":300,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/isam25-david_wives.jpg","medium_large-width":364,"medium_large-height":370,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/isam25-david_wives.jpg","large-width":364,"large-height":370,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/isam25-david_wives.jpg","1536x1536-width":364,"1536x1536-height":370,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/isam25-david_wives.jpg","2048x2048-width":364,"2048x2048-height":370,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/isam25-david_wives.jpg","post_full_size-width":364,"post_full_size-height":370,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/isam25-david_wives.jpg","home_baner-width":364,"home_baner-height":370}},"tile_preview_video":"","tile_external_link":"","tile_tile_gallery_items":"","tile_credits":"","alternate_tile_top_caption":"","alternate_tile_main_caption":"","alternate_tile_main_caption_size":"1","alternate_tile_sub_caption":"","alternate_tile_hide_media":"0","tile_group_preview_image_url":"","tile_group_main_caption":"","tile_group_sub_caption":"","tile_group_popup_package_extra_content":"","tile_group_read_time":"","home_color":"","home_gallery_top":"","home_gallery_middle":"","home_gallery_book":"","home_gallery_bottom":"","seo_seo_title":"","seo_seo_description":"","seo_seo_default_title":"","seo_seo_default_description":"","links":false,"tile_link_for_pay":"0","send_noty":false,"chapter_info":{"books_group":"Prophets","book":"I Samuel","chapter":"25","chapter_main_number":"257","date":"20260824","wall_id":"257"},"link_for_pay":false,"tags":[{"term_id":"526","name":"Husband\/Wife","old_id":"926"},{"term_id":"834","name":"David","old_id":"1234"},{"term_id":"885","name":"Saul","old_id":"1285"}]},{"order":11,"id":"58912","color":"#e2f4fa","size":"1","name":"Bound Up in the Bundle of Life ","post_title":"Bound Up In The Bundle of Life","slug":"bound-up-in-the-bundle-of-life","old_id":"58912","type":"no","iframe":"","writer":{"id":33877,"post_title":"Marc Bregman","slug":"marc-bregman","old_id":"33877","first_name":"Marc","last_name":"Bregman","description":"Marc Bregman received his Ph.D. from The Hebrew University in Jerusalem in 1991. He taught at the Hebrew Union College (Jerusalem), The Hebrew University in Jerusalem, the Schechter Institute for Judaic Studies in Jerusalem, and at the Ben-Gurion University in Beer Sheba, Israel. During 1993 he was Visiting Associate Professor at Yale University, and during 1996 he was the Stroum Professor of Jewish Studies and Visiting Research Fellow at the University of Washington in Seattle. During 2005, Bregman served as the Harry Starr Fellow in Judaica at Harvard University and was awarded a Teaching Fellowship at the Center for Advanced Judaic Studies at the University of Pennsylvania. He also has served as Forchheimer Visiting Professor in the Faculty of Humanities at The Hebrew University in Jerusalem. He is the author of The Tanhuma-Yelammedenu Literature: Studies in the Evolution of the Versions (Gorgias Press, 2003). In 2006, Bregman was appointed the Herman and Zelda Bernard Distinguished Professor of Jewish Studies at the University of North Carolina in Greensboro, where he also headed the program in Jewish Studies, until 2013. Bregman retired from UNCG as of July 31, 2017. He has now returned to Jerusalem where he is continuing his research and teaching activities.","credit":"","image_url":"","short_description":"Marc Bregman is the Herman and Zelda Bernard Distinguished Professor of Jewish Studies emeritus, at the University of North Carolina in Greensboro.","hide_writer":false,"link_for_pay":false,"image":{"id":33878,"alt":"Marc Bregman","title":"Marc Bregman","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Marc-Bregman.jpg","width":361,"height":488,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Marc-Bregman-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Marc-Bregman-222x300.jpg","medium-width":222,"medium-height":300,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Marc-Bregman.jpg","medium_large-width":361,"medium_large-height":488,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Marc-Bregman.jpg","large-width":361,"large-height":488,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Marc-Bregman.jpg","1536x1536-width":361,"1536x1536-height":488,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Marc-Bregman.jpg","2048x2048-width":361,"2048x2048-height":488,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Marc-Bregman.jpg","post_full_size-width":361,"post_full_size-height":488,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Marc-Bregman-311x420.jpg","home_baner-width":311,"home_baner-height":420}},"tags":false},"related_cahpter":"257","type_929":"2","show_author_image":false,"old_create_date":"","old_url":"","post_main_content_description":"From Abigail\u2019s blessing to contemporary memorials","post_main_content_content":"

Our chapter relates the narrative of Abigail, who saves Nabal, her husband from the wrath of David by giving him and his men the provisions David had asked for but not received from Nabal (25:2-27). Abigail astutely addresses David in an apologetic and complimentary tone: \u201cPlease pardon your maid\u2019s boldness. For the Lord will grant my lord an enduring house, because my lord is fighting the battles of the Lord, and no wrong is ever to be found in you\u201d (verse 28). She continues with a prophetic promise: \u201cAnd if anyone sets out to pursue you and seek your life, the life of my lord will be bound up in the bundle of life in the care of the Lord; but He will fling away the lives of your enemies as from the hollow of a sling\u201d (verse 29).<\/span><\/p>\r\n

Abigail\u2019s beautifully poetic expression \u201cthe life of my lord will be bound up in the bundle of life with the Lord your God\u201d (\"ve-haytah nefesh \u2018adoni tzrurah bi-tzror ha-hayim \u2018et ha-shem \u2018elohekha<\/em>\u201d) reverberates in Jewish life until this day.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

The 19<\/span>th<\/span> century Biblical commentator Malbim offers a peshat<\/em> (straight-forward, contextual) interpretation: Abigail assures David that his life will be protected from death like something bound-up in a protective bundle.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

However, from early Rabbinic times this pregnant expression was interpreted to suggest the promise of eternal life \u2013 \u201cGod will gather unto Him the souls of the righteous, as Abigail says to David, with divine inspiration \u201c\u2018the life of my lord will be bound up in the bundle of life with the Lord your God\u2019\u201d (Sifre Zuta\u2019 to Numbers 27:12). A later rabbinic text (Tanna\u2019 De-Bey \u2018Eliyahu 4:1) promises this eternal reward to those who study Torah. According to the Talmud (Shabbat 152b), the souls of the righteous are hidden beneath the divine Throne of Glory in heaven, as it says: \u201cthe life of my lord will be bound up in the bundle of life with the Lord your God\u201d. Similarly, this verse suggests that the Holy One, blessed be He, cares for the souls of the righteous, as He does for their bodies, as it says: \u201c\u2026peacefully they shall rest in their resting-place, whoever walks in his uprightness\u201d (Isaiah 57:2).<\/span><\/p>\r\n

These two verses are incorporated in the prayer El Male\u2019 Rahamim<\/em> (\u201cGod, Full of Mercy\u201d) composed to memorialize those Jews martyred in the Crusades and other pogroms: \u201c\u2026May the Merciful One bind up the soul of the deceased in the bundle of life\u2026to rest in peace on his\/her\/their resting-place. And let us say Amen.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n

This prayer continues to be recited at individual burial services and in public commemorations honoring the dead.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

Jewish gravestones (matzevot<\/em>) are often inscribed with the Hebrew letters T-N-Tz-B-H<\/em>, which stand for the words Tehe\u2019 Nishmato\/Nishmatah Tzrurah Be-tzror Ha-hayyim,<\/em> \u201cMay his\/her soul be bound up in the bundle of life\u201d, recalling Abigail\u2019s blessing that David\u2019s soul should be \u201cbound up in the bundle of life\u201d.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

Image: Cimetiere Israelites, 2010, Djampa \/ 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Chapter 25 exposes some of David\u2019s darker demons. Until Abigail dissuades him against the plan, David is prepared to murder Nabal for his insolence, declaring, \u201cMay God do thus and more to the enemies of David if, by the light of morning, I leave a single male of his\u201d (v. 22). Ultimately, though, David possesses the self-awareness to overcome his own limitations. Swayed by Abigail\u2019s graciousness, he confesses, \u201cFor as sure as the Lord, the God of Israel, lives\u2014who has kept me from harming you\u2014had you not come quickly to meet me, not a single male of Nabal\u2019s line would have been left by daybreak\u201d (v. 34).\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n

David is not the first in his line to demonstrate such self-awareness. In the book of Genesis, David\u2019s forbear Judah, having sired an illicit child with his daughter-in-law Tamar, ultimately confesses publicly, \u201cShe is more right than me\u201d (Gen. 38:26). Indeed, according to an explanation cited by the rabbinic text Tosefta (<\/span>Berakhot<\/span><\/i> 4:16), Judah merited the kingship on the basis of this episode \u201cbecause he confessed to the incident of Tamar.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\r\n

Still, David\u2019s self-awareness in the earlier parts of the chapter notwithstanding, the chapter\u2019s conclusion seems to suggest that David falls short in his treatment of the women in his life. His (impulsive?) decision to marry Abigail does not necessarily reflect positively upon him. Her response, \u201cYour handmaid is ready to be your maidservant, to wash the feet of my lord\u2019s servants\u201d (v. 41), suggests that their marriage will be particularly unequal, and that she may be destined, on some level, to reenact her troubled marriage to Nabal.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

Most clearly, as a number of commentators note, by the end of the chapter, David is married to two women he desires - Abigail and Ahinoam - but apparently not Michal, Saul\u2019s daughter. This is puzzling, to say the least, as David had previously taken Michal\u2019s hand in marriage. However we resolve this difficulty, the point seems clear: David remains unsatisfied, and seeks to keep adding to his number of wives. His attitude is troubling, and foreshadows some of the difficulties to come.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n

Image: <\/span>David and Abigail<\/em>, Guido Reni, c. 1615 \/ wikimedia<\/span><\/p>","post_main_content_image":{"id":58934,"alt":"","title":"isam25-David and Abigail","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/isam25-David-and-Abigail.jpg","width":800,"height":774,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/isam25-David-and-Abigail-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/isam25-David-and-Abigail-300x290.jpg","medium-width":300,"medium-height":290,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/isam25-David-and-Abigail-768x743.jpg","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":743,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/isam25-David-and-Abigail.jpg","large-width":800,"large-height":774,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/isam25-David-and-Abigail.jpg","1536x1536-width":800,"1536x1536-height":774,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/isam25-David-and-Abigail.jpg","2048x2048-width":800,"2048x2048-height":774,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/isam25-David-and-Abigail.jpg","post_full_size-width":800,"post_full_size-height":774,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/isam25-David-and-Abigail-434x420.jpg","home_baner-width":434,"home_baner-height":420}},"post_main_content_embedded_video":"","post_main_content_video_duration":"","post_main_content_show_fb_comments":"1","post_main_content_credit_media":"","tile_top_caption":"","tile_main_caption":"David\u2019s Darker Demons","tile_main_caption_size":"1","tile_sub_caption":"David follows his precursor Judah in admitting the justice of a woman\u2019s actions against him\u00a0\u00a0","tile_preview_embedded":"","tile_preview_image":{"id":58934,"alt":"","title":"isam25-David and Abigail","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/isam25-David-and-Abigail.jpg","width":800,"height":774,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/isam25-David-and-Abigail-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/isam25-David-and-Abigail-300x290.jpg","medium-width":300,"medium-height":290,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/isam25-David-and-Abigail-768x743.jpg","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":743,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/isam25-David-and-Abigail.jpg","large-width":800,"large-height":774,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/isam25-David-and-Abigail.jpg","1536x1536-width":800,"1536x1536-height":774,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/isam25-David-and-Abigail.jpg","2048x2048-width":800,"2048x2048-height":774,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/isam25-David-and-Abigail.jpg","post_full_size-width":800,"post_full_size-height":774,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/isam25-David-and-Abigail-434x420.jpg","home_baner-width":434,"home_baner-height":420}},"tile_preview_video":"","tile_external_link":"","tile_tile_gallery_items":"","tile_credits":"","alternate_tile_top_caption":"","alternate_tile_main_caption":"","alternate_tile_main_caption_size":"1","alternate_tile_sub_caption":"","alternate_tile_hide_media":"0","tile_group_preview_image_url":"","tile_group_main_caption":"","tile_group_sub_caption":"","tile_group_popup_package_extra_content":"","tile_group_read_time":"","home_color":"","home_gallery_top":"","home_gallery_middle":"","home_gallery_book":"","home_gallery_bottom":"","seo_seo_title":"","seo_seo_description":"","seo_seo_default_title":"","seo_seo_default_description":"","links":false,"tile_link_for_pay":"0","send_noty":false,"chapter_info":{"books_group":"Prophets","book":"I Samuel","chapter":"25","chapter_main_number":"257","date":"20260824","wall_id":"257"},"link_for_pay":false,"tags":[{"term_id":"522","name":"Marriage","old_id":"922"},{"term_id":"568","name":"Judah","old_id":"968"},{"term_id":"834","name":"David","old_id":"1234"}]},{"order":14,"id":"58904","color":"#e2f4fa","size":"1","name":"Abigail ","post_title":"Abigail","slug":"abigail","old_id":"58904","type":"no","iframe":"","writer":{"id":36669,"post_title":"Yakov Azriel","slug":"yakov-azriel","old_id":"36669","first_name":"Yakov ","last_name":"Azriel","description":"Yakov Azriel, who lives in Israel, has published five books of poetry in the USA and hundreds of poems in journals and magazines. 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The Lord is my true Shepherd, I shall not want.<\/span>
\r\n<\/span>When I was very young and very pretty<\/span>
\r\n<\/span>And very poor, they took me from the city<\/span>
\r\n<\/span>And made me marry a herdsman, old and gaunt,<\/span>
\r\n<\/span>A drunken lecher who always used to flaunt<\/span>
\r\n<\/span>How rich he was.\u00a0 He\u2019d kick the ewes and hit me;<\/span>
\r\n<\/span>He\u2019d slap my face and never show us pity;<\/span>
\r\n<\/span>He only knew to beat, insult and taunt.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n

But then he died; and in his stead, God sent<\/span>
\r\n<\/span>Me David.\u00a0 Now I am a treasured sheep,<\/span>
\r\n<\/span>And only in green pastures do I graze.<\/span>
\r\n<\/span>God\u2019s rod and David\u2019s staff make me content.<\/span>
\r\n<\/span>At night, I fear no evil when I sleep,<\/span>
\r\n<\/span>And dwell in the house of God the length of days.<\/span><\/p>","post_main_content_image":{"id":86846,"alt":"","title":"ps90-harp tuning","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/ps90-harp-tuning.jpg","width":1920,"height":1305,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/ps90-harp-tuning-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/ps90-harp-tuning-300x204.jpg","medium-width":300,"medium-height":204,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/ps90-harp-tuning-768x522.jpg","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":522,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/ps90-harp-tuning-1024x696.jpg","large-width":1024,"large-height":696,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/ps90-harp-tuning.jpg","1536x1536-width":1536,"1536x1536-height":1044,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/ps90-harp-tuning.jpg","2048x2048-width":1920,"2048x2048-height":1305,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/ps90-harp-tuning-1200x816.jpg","post_full_size-width":1200,"post_full_size-height":816,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/ps90-harp-tuning-618x420.jpg","home_baner-width":618,"home_baner-height":420}},"post_main_content_embedded_video":"","post_main_content_video_duration":"","post_main_content_show_fb_comments":"1","post_main_content_credit_media":"","tile_top_caption":"929 Poetry Corner","tile_main_caption":"Abigail","tile_main_caption_size":"1","tile_sub_caption":"A psalm to David...\u00a0","tile_preview_embedded":"","tile_preview_image":{"id":86846,"alt":"","title":"ps90-harp tuning","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/ps90-harp-tuning.jpg","width":1920,"height":1305,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/ps90-harp-tuning-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/ps90-harp-tuning-300x204.jpg","medium-width":300,"medium-height":204,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/ps90-harp-tuning-768x522.jpg","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":522,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/ps90-harp-tuning-1024x696.jpg","large-width":1024,"large-height":696,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/ps90-harp-tuning.jpg","1536x1536-width":1536,"1536x1536-height":1044,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/ps90-harp-tuning.jpg","2048x2048-width":1920,"2048x2048-height":1305,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/ps90-harp-tuning-1200x816.jpg","post_full_size-width":1200,"post_full_size-height":816,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/ps90-harp-tuning-618x420.jpg","home_baner-width":618,"home_baner-height":420}},"tile_preview_video":"","tile_external_link":"","tile_tile_gallery_items":"","tile_credits":"","alternate_tile_top_caption":"","alternate_tile_main_caption":"","alternate_tile_main_caption_size":"1","alternate_tile_sub_caption":"","alternate_tile_hide_media":"0","tile_group_preview_image_url":"","tile_group_main_caption":"","tile_group_sub_caption":"","tile_group_popup_package_extra_content":"","tile_group_read_time":"","home_color":"","home_gallery_top":"","home_gallery_middle":"","home_gallery_book":"","home_gallery_bottom":"","seo_seo_title":"","seo_seo_description":"","seo_seo_default_title":"","seo_seo_default_description":"","links":false,"tile_link_for_pay":"0","send_noty":false,"chapter_info":{"books_group":"Prophets","book":"I Samuel","chapter":"25","chapter_main_number":"257","date":"20260824","wall_id":"257"},"link_for_pay":false,"tags":[{"term_id":"362","name":"Poetry","old_id":"762"},{"term_id":"834","name":"David","old_id":"1234"}]},{"order":15,"id":"58899","color":"#e2f4fa","size":"1","name":"Brainy And Beautiful ","post_title":"Brainy And Beautiful","slug":"brainy-and-beautiful","old_id":"58899","type":"no","iframe":"","writer":{"id":54356,"post_title":"Robert Alter","slug":"robert-alter","old_id":"54356","first_name":"Robert ","last_name":"Alter","description":"Robert Alter is the Class of 1937 Professor of Hebrew and Comparative Literature at the University of California at Berkeley, where he has taught since 1967. 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Norton & Co., 2019.","credit":"","image_url":"","hide_writer":false,"link_for_pay":false,"image":{"id":54357,"alt":"","title":"robert alter","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/robert-alter.jpg","width":184,"height":275,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/robert-alter-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/robert-alter.jpg","medium-width":184,"medium-height":275,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/robert-alter.jpg","medium_large-width":184,"medium_large-height":275,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/robert-alter.jpg","large-width":184,"large-height":275,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/robert-alter.jpg","1536x1536-width":184,"1536x1536-height":275,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/robert-alter.jpg","2048x2048-width":184,"2048x2048-height":275,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/robert-alter.jpg","post_full_size-width":184,"post_full_size-height":275,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/robert-alter.jpg","home_baner-width":184,"home_baner-height":275}},"tags":false},"related_cahpter":"257","type_929":"2","show_author_image":false,"old_create_date":"","old_url":"","post_main_content_description":"Abigail endears herself","post_main_content_content":"

\u201cAnd the man\u2019s name was Nabal and his wife\u2019s name was Abigail, and the woman had a good mind and lovely looks, but the man was hard and evil in deeds, and a Calebite\u201d (25:3)\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n

Commentary: <\/span>a good mind and lovely looks\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/p>\r\n

As yet, we do not know why this characterization will be important. Her shrewd intelligence will be vividly demonstrated in her brilliant speech to David, and her physical attractiveness will stir his matrimonial interest in her.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n

From: Robert Alter, <\/span>The Hebrew Bible<\/span><\/em>, <\/span><\/i>vol. 2: Prophets, W. W. Norton & Co., 2019, ad loc. By permission of the author.<\/span><\/p>","post_main_content_image":{"id":54890,"alt":"","title":"Alter-Cover","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/Alter-Cover.jpg","width":1200,"height":693,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/Alter-Cover-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/Alter-Cover-300x173.jpg","medium-width":300,"medium-height":173,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/Alter-Cover-768x444.jpg","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":444,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/Alter-Cover-1024x591.jpg","large-width":1024,"large-height":591,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/Alter-Cover.jpg","1536x1536-width":1200,"1536x1536-height":693,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/Alter-Cover.jpg","2048x2048-width":1200,"2048x2048-height":693,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/Alter-Cover-1200x693.jpg","post_full_size-width":1200,"post_full_size-height":693,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/Alter-Cover-727x420.jpg","home_baner-width":727,"home_baner-height":420}},"post_main_content_embedded_video":"","post_main_content_video_duration":"","post_main_content_show_fb_comments":"1","post_main_content_credit_media":"","tile_top_caption":"From Robert Alter's Bible Translation and Commentary","tile_main_caption":"Brainy And Beautiful","tile_main_caption_size":"1","tile_sub_caption":"Abigail endears herself","tile_preview_embedded":"","tile_preview_image":{"id":54890,"alt":"","title":"Alter-Cover","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/Alter-Cover.jpg","width":1200,"height":693,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/Alter-Cover-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/Alter-Cover-300x173.jpg","medium-width":300,"medium-height":173,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/Alter-Cover-768x444.jpg","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":444,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/Alter-Cover-1024x591.jpg","large-width":1024,"large-height":591,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/Alter-Cover.jpg","1536x1536-width":1200,"1536x1536-height":693,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/Alter-Cover.jpg","2048x2048-width":1200,"2048x2048-height":693,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/Alter-Cover-1200x693.jpg","post_full_size-width":1200,"post_full_size-height":693,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/Alter-Cover-727x420.jpg","home_baner-width":727,"home_baner-height":420}},"tile_preview_video":"","tile_external_link":"","tile_tile_gallery_items":"","tile_credits":"","alternate_tile_top_caption":"","alternate_tile_main_caption":"","alternate_tile_main_caption_size":"1","alternate_tile_sub_caption":"","alternate_tile_hide_media":"0","tile_group_preview_image_url":"","tile_group_main_caption":"","tile_group_sub_caption":"","tile_group_popup_package_extra_content":"","tile_group_read_time":"","home_color":"","home_gallery_top":"","home_gallery_middle":"","home_gallery_book":"","home_gallery_bottom":"","seo_seo_title":"","seo_seo_description":"","seo_seo_default_title":"","seo_seo_default_description":"","links":false,"tile_link_for_pay":"0","send_noty":false,"chapter_info":{"books_group":"Prophets","book":"I Samuel","chapter":"25","chapter_main_number":"257","date":"20260824","wall_id":"257"},"link_for_pay":false,"tags":false},{"order":16,"id":"58787","color":"#e2f4fa","size":"1","name":"A Lesson on the Daily Chapter- I Samuel 25 ","post_title":"A Lesson on the Daily Chapter- I Samuel 25","slug":"a-lesson-on-the-daily-chapter-i-samuel-25","old_id":"58787","type":"no","iframe":"","writer":{"id":40936,"post_title":"David Silber","slug":"david-silber-2","old_id":"40936","first_name":"David ","last_name":"Silber ","description":"Rabbi David Silber is the Founder and Dean of Drisha Institute for Jewish Education. 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\u201cAbigail\u201d<\/a> by Nechama Atlas: Who is this Biblical woman?\u00a0<\/p>\r\n

\u201cBeauty\u201d<\/a> by Eryn London: Explore what Jewish texts say about physical beauty.<\/p>","post_main_content_image":"","post_main_content_embedded_video":"","post_main_content_video_duration":"","post_main_content_show_fb_comments":"1","post_main_content_credit_media":"","tile_top_caption":"Go deeper into the chapter....","tile_main_caption":"Sefaria Source Sheets - I Samuel 25","tile_main_caption_size":"1","tile_sub_caption":"Click to get links to learning resources","tile_preview_embedded":"","tile_preview_image":{"id":42232,"alt":"","title":"sefaria-words-sunburst","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/png","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/sefaria-words-sunburst.png","width":608,"height":395,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/sefaria-words-sunburst-150x150.png","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/sefaria-words-sunburst-300x195.png","medium-width":300,"medium-height":195,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/sefaria-words-sunburst.png","medium_large-width":608,"medium_large-height":395,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/sefaria-words-sunburst.png","large-width":608,"large-height":395,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/sefaria-words-sunburst.png","1536x1536-width":608,"1536x1536-height":395,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/sefaria-words-sunburst.png","2048x2048-width":608,"2048x2048-height":395,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/sefaria-words-sunburst.png","post_full_size-width":608,"post_full_size-height":395,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/sefaria-words-sunburst.png","home_baner-width":608,"home_baner-height":395}},"tile_preview_video":"","tile_external_link":"","tile_tile_gallery_items":"","tile_credits":"Sefaria word sunburst visualization","alternate_tile_top_caption":"","alternate_tile_main_caption":"","alternate_tile_main_caption_size":"1","alternate_tile_sub_caption":"","alternate_tile_hide_media":"0","tile_group_preview_image_url":"","tile_group_main_caption":"","tile_group_sub_caption":"","tile_group_popup_package_extra_content":"","tile_group_read_time":"","home_color":"","home_gallery_top":"","home_gallery_middle":"","home_gallery_book":"","home_gallery_bottom":"","seo_seo_title":"","seo_seo_description":"","seo_seo_default_title":"","seo_seo_default_description":"","old_create_date":"","links":false,"chapter_info":{"books_group":"Prophets","book":"I Samuel","chapter":"25","chapter_main_number":"257","date":"20260824","wall_id":"257"},"link_for_pay":false,"tags":false},{"order":18,"id":"58898","color":"#e2f4fa","size":"1","name":"Points to Ponder - I Samuel 25 ","post_title":"Points to Ponder - I Samuel 25","slug":"points-to-ponder-i-samuel-25","old_id":"58898","type":"no","iframe":"","writer":{"id":38102,"post_title":"929-English","slug":"929-english","old_id":"38102","first_name":"","last_name":"929-English","description":"","short_description":"","credit":"","image_url":"","hide_writer":false,"link_for_pay":false,"image":{"id":38333,"alt":"","title":"\u05dc\u05d5\u05d2\u05d5","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/png","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/\u05dc\u05d5\u05d2\u05d5.png","width":1513,"height":860,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/\u05dc\u05d5\u05d2\u05d5-150x150.png","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/\u05dc\u05d5\u05d2\u05d5-300x171.png","medium-width":300,"medium-height":171,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/\u05dc\u05d5\u05d2\u05d5-768x437.png","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":437,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/\u05dc\u05d5\u05d2\u05d5-1024x582.png","large-width":1024,"large-height":582,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/\u05dc\u05d5\u05d2\u05d5.png","1536x1536-width":1513,"1536x1536-height":860,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/\u05dc\u05d5\u05d2\u05d5.png","2048x2048-width":1513,"2048x2048-height":860,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/\u05dc\u05d5\u05d2\u05d5-1200x682.png","post_full_size-width":1200,"post_full_size-height":682,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/\u05dc\u05d5\u05d2\u05d5-739x420.png","home_baner-width":739,"home_baner-height":420}},"tags":false},"related_cahpter":"257","type_929":"2","show_author_image":false,"old_create_date":"","old_url":"","post_main_content_description":"","post_main_content_content":"

    \r\n\t
  1. A gray area<\/span><\/i>. What does David ask of Nabal? Is it simply a fee for excellent watchmen services (as the boy reports to Abigail in verses 15-16)? Or is it a protection racket? The chapter doesn\u2019t give a clear answer to this, and it introduces us to David\u2019s life in the gray area, where shepherds live side by side with the dubious types who were part of his band: \u201cEveryone who was in straits and everyone who was in debt and everyone who was desperate joined him\u201d (I Sam 22:2).<\/span><\/li>\r\n\t
  2. What did you say your name was again?<\/span><\/i> A cruel abusive man named Nabal is a figure whose character is unmistakable: \u201cFor he is just what his name says: His name means \u2018boor\u2019 and he is a boor\u201d (verse 25 - in modern Hebrew, the word <\/span>naval<\/span><\/i> means \u201cvillain\u201d or \u201cscoundrel\u201d).\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\r\n\t
  3. Greetings and salutations! <\/span><\/i>\u201c\u2018To life! Greetings to you and to your household and to all that is yours!\u201d (verse 6) - an especially hearty blessing.<\/span><\/li>\r\n\t
  4. Good and evil<\/span><\/i>. And how to choose between them - that\u2019s one of the central themes of this chapter, which is why the word \u201cevil\u201d (<\/span>ra\u2019<\/span><\/i>) appears 8 times, and the word \u201cgood\u201d (<\/span>tov<\/span><\/i>), 5 times.<\/span><\/li>\r\n\t
  5. Just who is the king here anyway<\/span><\/i>? Nabal rebuffs David, and say of him and his men \u201cWho is David? Who is the son of Jesse? There are many slaves nowadays who run away from their masters\u201d (verse 10), even as Nabal himself \u201cwas having a feast in his house, a feast fit for a king\u201d (verse 36). But Abigail knows the truth, as she states, that David has been chosen by God and \u201cappointed ruler of Israel\u201d (verse 30).\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\r\n<\/ol>","post_main_content_image":{"id":86314,"alt":"","title":"Points to ponder","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Points-to-ponder.jpg","width":1000,"height":1000,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Points-to-ponder-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Points-to-ponder-300x300.jpg","medium-width":300,"medium-height":300,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Points-to-ponder-768x768.jpg","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":768,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Points-to-ponder.jpg","large-width":1000,"large-height":1000,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Points-to-ponder.jpg","1536x1536-width":1000,"1536x1536-height":1000,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Points-to-ponder.jpg","2048x2048-width":1000,"2048x2048-height":1000,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Points-to-ponder.jpg","post_full_size-width":1000,"post_full_size-height":1000,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Points-to-ponder-420x420.jpg","home_baner-width":420,"home_baner-height":420}},"post_main_content_embedded_video":"","post_main_content_video_duration":"","post_main_content_show_fb_comments":"1","post_main_content_credit_media":"","tile_top_caption":"I Samuel 25","tile_main_caption":"Points to Ponder","tile_main_caption_size":"1","tile_sub_caption":"Insights and questions for personal reflection and group discussion","tile_preview_embedded":"","tile_preview_image":{"id":86314,"alt":"","title":"Points to ponder","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Points-to-ponder.jpg","width":1000,"height":1000,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Points-to-ponder-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Points-to-ponder-300x300.jpg","medium-width":300,"medium-height":300,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Points-to-ponder-768x768.jpg","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":768,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Points-to-ponder.jpg","large-width":1000,"large-height":1000,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Points-to-ponder.jpg","1536x1536-width":1000,"1536x1536-height":1000,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Points-to-ponder.jpg","2048x2048-width":1000,"2048x2048-height":1000,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Points-to-ponder.jpg","post_full_size-width":1000,"post_full_size-height":1000,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Points-to-ponder-420x420.jpg","home_baner-width":420,"home_baner-height":420}},"tile_preview_video":"","tile_external_link":"","tile_tile_gallery_items":"","tile_credits":"","alternate_tile_top_caption":"","alternate_tile_main_caption":"","alternate_tile_main_caption_size":"1","alternate_tile_sub_caption":"","alternate_tile_hide_media":"0","tile_group_preview_image_url":"","tile_group_main_caption":"","tile_group_sub_caption":"","tile_group_popup_package_extra_content":"","tile_group_read_time":"","home_color":"","home_gallery_top":"","home_gallery_middle":"","home_gallery_book":"","home_gallery_bottom":"","seo_seo_title":"","seo_seo_description":"","seo_seo_default_title":"","seo_seo_default_description":"","links":false,"tile_link_for_pay":"0","send_noty":false,"chapter_info":{"books_group":"Prophets","book":"I Samuel","chapter":"25","chapter_main_number":"257","date":"20260824","wall_id":"257"},"link_for_pay":false,"tags":false}],"static_cube_title":"","static_cube_brief":"","static_cube_color":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/wall\/58702"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/wall"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/wall"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=58702"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}