David Flees to the Philistines

Continuing a chronological Bible study:

(1 Samuel 27:1) And David said in his heart, "I shall now perish one day by the hand of Saul; nothing better for me than that I should speedily escape into the land of the Philistines, and Saul shall despair of me, to seek me anymore in any coast of Israel; so shall I escape out of his hand."

In the last chapter, David had just spared Saul's life a second time.  Although Saul had said he would no longer seek to harm him (1 Samuel 26:21), David had true reason not to trust him.  It appears here that David feared that Saul would kill him someday and that he must escape to a place where he thought Saul would not desire to pursue him.  How could he believe this when God had so protected him and had promised he would be king of Israel?  As happens to the best of us, our faith slips sometimes in the midst of troubles.  As the father of the possessed son said to Jesus, "Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!" (Mark 9:24), we all need supernatural divine help sometimes to have total faith.  Oh, that we would learn to trust the Lord because He has always been trustworthy!  Then again, could it be that this was just another of David's hiding places, that he might have always thought if he stayed where he was, Saul would surely find him and kill him, so he moved on to the next place?  But again, then again, a prophet of God had told David to leave a pagan country, Moab, and go to Judah (1 Samuel 22:5), so surely God did not wish for David to go to another pagan land in which to dwell.  However, as David had previously said when he blamed Saul for driving him away from his inheritance into the land of pagans serving false gods (1 Samuel 26:19), he believed he was being driven out again, and he decided to quickly escape to the land of the Philistines where he hoped Saul would not seek to pursue him.

(2) And David arose, and he passed over with the six hundred men who were with him to Achish, the son of Maoch, king of Gath. (3) And David dwelt with Achish at Gath, he and his men, every man with his household, and David with his two wives, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail the Carmelitess, Nabal's wife.

David and his six hundred men went to the king of Gath, Achish, the son of Maoch.  He had fled to him before (1 Samuel 21:10) but he had cast him out when David feigned madness because he feared Achish.  But now with his six hundred men with him, David must have appeared a safe bet; especially if he knew David to be an enemy of Saul's, he might feel better protected against Saul with David and his men in his city.  So David and his wives, along with his men and their households, dwelt in Gath.

(4) And it was told Saul that David had fled to Gath, and he sought him no more again.

When Saul was told that David was in Gath, he did not try to go after him.  Was it because he had indeed had a change of heart for David after he had spared his life twice?  Or had David been wise in going there calculating that Saul would not want to pursue him there?  I am certain that God would have protected him in Judah, and God through a prophet had sent him to Judah in the first place, so I don't believe it was God's will that David go to a pagan country, but it appears that God blessed and protected him, regardless.

(5) And David said to Achish, "If I have now found grace in your eyes, let them give me a place in some town in the country that I may dwell there, for why should your servant dwell in the royal city with you?" (6) Then Achish gave him Ziklag that day; therefore Ziklag pertains to the kings of Judah to this day. (7) And the time that David dwelt in the country of the Philistines was a full year and four months. 

David asked the king Achish to let him have a town in the country in which to dwell, rather than living in the royal city.  Achish gave him Ziklag, twelve miles from Gath, which actually was originally Israelite land (Joshua 15:31) but must have come into the hands of the Philistines.  But now David had it back, and it remained his at least to the writing of this account.  It still makes me wonder if David had been wrong about going to a pagan land, and God blessed him anyway, or if this was a divinely inspired plan to retake some of their land.  Most likely, God just used this opportunity, knowing that David would do what he did, but it would not have been His preferred will to have David live in a pagan land.  David stayed with the Philistines for a year and four months.

(8) And David and his men went up and invaded the Geshurites, and the Gezrites, and the Amalekites, for those were of old the inhabitants of the land, as you go to Shur, even to the land of Egypt.

From Ziklag, David and his men went up and invaded the Geshurites, the Gezrites, and the Amalekites, some of the old inhabitants of the land of Canaan that had not been expelled from the promised land.  I can't say that I see any fault on David's part at this juncture, as God intended that these lands be possessed by the Israelites (Joshua 13).

(9) And David struck the land and left neither man nor woman alive, and took away the sheep, and the oxen, and the asses, and the camels, and the apparel, and returned and came to Achish.

David struck those lands, killing everyone, man and woman, and took all the livestock, camels, and apparel, and went to Achish.  According to the word of God, none of these pagan nations in the promised land were to be spared (Deuteronomy 7:2), so perhaps David felt he was finishing a job left undone.  However, the Amalekites seem to have been spread far and wide, as they will rear their ugly heads again.

(10) And Achish said, "Where have you made a road today?" And David said, "Against the south of Judah, and against the south of the Jerahmeelites, and against the south of the Kenites."

Achish asked where David had been that day.  The original word "pashat" transcribed as "road" more completely meant "to strip, invade, spread out," so in that way David had made an inroad, and Achish wanted to know where.  David told him that he had gone against people in the south of Judah, against the Jerahmeelites who were the descendants of Jerahmeel, the son of Hezron, the grandson of Judah, and the Kenites who were the posterity of Jethro, Moses's father-in-law.  This obviously wasn't exactly true.  Yes, he had been south of Judah, but not against the Jerahmeelites and the Kenites, but rather against the Geshurites, the Gezrites, and the Amalekites.  This map borrowed from Jesus Walk shows where David had actually been and where he told Achish he had been:

(11) And David saved neither man nor woman alive to bring to Gath, saying, "Lest they should tell on us, saying, 'So did David, and so his manner all the while he dwells in the country of the Philistines.'"

David did not allow any man or woman of the Geshurites, the Gezrites, and the Amalekites, to live, for fear that they would tell Achish what he had actually done.  And of course, the king and the people would expect that to be David's behavior all the while he was in the country of the Philistines.

(12) And Achish believed David, saying, "He has made his people Israel utterly abhor him; therefore he shall be my servant forever."

Achish believed David, supposing he had made his own people Israel to hate him, so he felt he was secure with a servant and ally in David.  This made David's sin of lying all the more grievous.  While Achish was a Philistine and an enemy to the Israelites, David used the king's gracious hospitality in giving him Ziklag and allowing him to stay in his country for a year and four months.  That is certainly no way to make proselytes!  Christians should always act Christ-like.  To do otherwise is hypocritical and leaves a stain on Christianity in the eyes of non-believers.  God would have certainly protected David had he stayed in Judah.  At this point, I don't know of any definite negative effects of his lying, but at the very least, it had a negative impact on David's faith and closeness with his Lord and on his conscience as he later would plead with the Lord to remove from him the way of lying (Psalm 119:29).

(1 Chronicles 12:1) Now these were they who came to David to Ziklag while he kept himself close because of Saul, the son of Kish, and they among the mighty men, helpers of the war. (2) Armed with bows and could use both the right hand and the left with the bow, of Saul's brethren of Benjamin.

1 Chronicles 12 tells of mighty men of war who joined David while he was at Ziklag hiding out from Saul.  These men were skillful with bows and could use either hand which was an advantage to them.  They were of Saul's tribe of Benjamin.

(3) The chief was Ahiezer, then Joash, the sons of Shemaah the Gibeathite; and Jeziel and Pelet, the sons of Azmaveth; and Berachah, and Jehu the Antothite, (4) And Ismaiah the Gibeonite, a mighty man among the thirty and over the thirty; and Jeremiah, and Jahaziel, and Johanan, and Josabad the Gederathite, (5) Eluzai, and Jerimoth, and Bealiah, and Shemariah, and Shephatiah the Haruphite, (6) Elkanah, and Jesiah, and Azareel, and Joezer, and Jashobeam, the Korhites, (7) And Joelah, and Zebadiah, the sons of Jeroham of Gedor.

It appears there were thirty Benjamite men who came to David at Ziklag even though only 23 are named.  Ismaiah the Gibeonite appears to have been the commander over the thirty men.  These particular men were not mentioned elsewhere in scripture, although some have the same names as others mentioned.  The only exception might be Azmaveth, but he wasn't one of the men who came to David but the father of two of his sons who did.

At this point in his season of life, things seem to be going well with David.  His plan had worked, and Saul no longer sought him.  However, he had to lie to maintain his safety, and of course, that lie would have to be maintained for the sixteen months he lived in Gath.  That would have to take a spiritual toll and cause some sort of separation from God.  He had lost faith in God to protect him and bless him and had taken matters into his own hands.  Probably the worst thing that could happen was that it had worked!  It would keep him among his enemies, lying to have peace, separated from his people and most importantly from his Lord.  Although the Lord seems to have still blessed David at this point, and perhaps even used him to conquer some territory the Israelites had failed to take, up to this point, his lack of faith and his deceits would have to take a toll and would have consequences as we will most likely see in coming chapters.  God's commands are not about His being a dictator over us; they are designed to give us a perfect and peaceful life with all the blessings of the Lord.  David could not enjoy perfect peace while living among the enemy and lying to cover his tracks.  Only in complete faith in the protection and provision of our Lord may we find perfect joy and peace.  But, as always, David's life gives us confidence that even when we sometimes fail Him, God still loves us and forgives us.  Through Jesus our intercessor, He is able to still see us as pure.  That's not to say that we have free reign to do as we want, but God knows our hearts, just as He knew that David was a man after His own heart, even though he often failed Him.

David Spares Saul's Life Again

Continuing a chronological Bible study:

(1 Samuel 26:1) And the Ziphites came to Saul to Gibeah, saying, "Does David not hide himself in the hill of Hachilah, before Jeshimon?"

David had gone to Carmel where he met and married Abigail.  He apparently then hid out in a hill of Hachilah before Jeshimon which was a wilderness north of Hachilah.  Being in close proximity to Ziph, the Ziphites knew David's movements and went to Saul a second time to tell on David (1 Samuel 23:19).  It seems strange that David would hide out in the same area where the Ziphites had told on him before, but perhaps he wanted to stay close to Abigail's home.  This map at Bible Hub shows where Ziph and Hachilah were in relation to Carmel:

(2) Then Saul arose and went down to the wilderness of Ziph, having three thousand chosen men of Israel with him, to seek David in the wilderness of Ziph.

So much for the good will Saul had seemed to offer after David had spared his life in the cave (1 Samuel 24:17-20), when he heard where David was hiding, his anger toward David was renewed, and he went to the wilderness of Ziph to seek him, taking 3000 choice men, meaning surely men of war, with him.

(3) And Saul pitched in the hill of Hachilah before Jeshimon, by the road.  But David abode in the wilderness, and he saw that Saul came after him into the wilderness.

Saul encamped at the hill of Hachilah by the road.  David had moved to the wilderness around Hachilah and saw that Saul had come after him.

(4) David therefore sent out spies and understood that Saul had indeed come. (5) And David arose and came to the place where Saul had pitched, and David beheld the place where Saul lay, and Abner, the son of Ner, the captain of his host; and Saul lay in the trench, and the people pitched round about him.

David had sent out spies who confirmed that Saul had indeed come.  He then went to where Saul was encamped and saw him in the trench with Abner, the captain of his army, and the rest of his army pitched around him.

(6) Then David answered and said to Ahimelech the Hittite and to Abishai the son of Zeruiah, brother to Joab, saying, "Who will go down with me to Saul to the camp?" And Abishai said, "I will go down with you."

David spoke to two men with him, Ahimelech, probably a Hittite at birth who had converted, and Abishai, who was the son of David's sister, Zeruiah, as was Joab.  He asked which one of them would go with him down to Saul's camp, and his nephew, Abishai, said he would go with him.

(7) So David and Abishai came to the people by night, and behold, Saul lay sleeping within the trench and his spear stuck in the ground at his bolster, and Abner and the people lay round about him.

David and Abishai went to Saul's camp at night.  Saul was sleeping in the trench with his spear stuck in the ground at his pillow, or whatever he was using as a headrest.  Abner and the rest of his army lay all around him.

(8) Then Abishai said to David, "God has delivered your enemy into your hand this day; now therefore, let me strike him, I pray you, with the spear even to the earth at once, and I will not strike him the second time."

I believe the sense of what Abishai said to David was that the Lord had delivered Saul to him, and he asked that he be allowed to strike Saul with a spear clear to the ground, and he would not have to strike a second time because Saul would surely be dead.

(9) And David said to Abishai, "Do not destroy him, for who can stretch forth his hand against the Lord's anointed and be guiltless?"

However, David told Abishai not to kill Saul, because he believed no one was able to raise a hand against the Lord's anointed king and not incur guilt for his actions.

(10) David said furthermore, "As the Lord lives, the Lord shall strike him, or his day shall come to die, or he shall descend into battle and perish. (11) The Lord forbid that I should stretch forth my hand against the Lord's anointed, but I pray you, take now the spear that is at his bolster, and the jug of water, and let us go."

David told Abishai the Lord would take his own anointed king in His time in His manner, so he would not dream of doing it himself.  However, he did tell Abishai to take Saul's spear and a jug of water which would be sufficient to let Saul know they had been there and what they could have done if they so desired.

(12) So David took the spear and the jug of water from Saul's bolster, and they got away, and no man saw nor knew, neither awaked, for they were all asleep because a deep sleep from the Lord had fallen upon them.

It was David, in fact, who took the spear and the jug of water.  Perhaps the meaning of verse 11 was more like, "let us take the spear...and go."  Even though Saul was surrounded by his captain and all his army, none of them awakened because the Lord had caused a deep sleep to come over them.  David and Abishai got away unnoticed.

(13) Then David went over to the other side and stood on the top of a hill afar off, a great space between them, (14) And David cried to the people and to Abner, the son of Ner, saying, "Do you not answer, Abner?" Then Abner answered and said, "Who are you who cries to the king?"

David went away from the camp and stood on a hill far away, but close enough, that the people would hear him when he shouted.  It seems David must have been crying out before Abner actually heard him, as he cried out to Abner to answer him as if he had not answered his previous call.  Abner asked who it was who was calling to the king.  Again, it seems evident David had been calling out to Saul before he was heard or was acknowledged.

(15) And David said to Abner, "Are you not a man? And who is like you in Israel? Why then have you not kept your lord, the king? For there came one of the people in to destroy the king your lord. (16) This thing is not good that you have done. As the Lord lives, you are worthy to die because you have not kept your master, the Lord's anointed. And now see where the king's spear is and the jug of water that was at his bolster."

David sarcastically asked Abner if he was a man like no other in Israel, and if so, why then had he let someone have access to the king to destroy him?  David told Abner he was worthy of death because he had not protected the king.  He then showed him where the king's spear and jug of water were that had been at the king's headrest while he slept.

(17) And Saul knew David's voice, and said, "Is this your voice, my son David?" And David said, "My voice, my lord, O king."

Saul knew David's voice and called out to ask if it was indeed David's voice he heard.  It's interesting that Saul still called him, "my son," even though he had given David's wife to someone else and pursued him to kill him.  David answered that it was indeed him.

(18) And he said, "Why does my lord thus pursue after his servant? For what have I done? Or what evil in my hand? (19) Now therefore, I pray you, let my lord the king hear the words of his servant. If the Lord has stirred you up against me, let Him accept an offering, but if the children of men, cursed they before the Lord, for they have driven me out this day from abiding in the inheritance of the Lord, saying, 'Go serve other gods.'"

David asked Saul why he pursued him and what he had done to stir him up against him.  He said if it was the Lord who had stirred Saul up against him, then let Him receive an offering, probably meaning himself that he would give if it was indeed the Lord's will.  I don't think David would have used such flippant language if he was sincere about an offering to the Lord to appease His anger toward himself or Saul, either one.  His point was that if God had stirred Saul to kill him, then so be it.  However, if it was men by lies and slanders, then let them be cursed before God because they had driven an innocent man away from his inheritance and forced him to dwell among pagan idolaters.

(20) "Now therefore, do not let my blood fall to the earth before the face of the Lord, for the king of Israel has come out to seek a flea, as when one hunts a partridge in the mountains."

David asked that Saul not spill his blood before the Lord who knew who was righteous and would surely avenge his death.  And that was because Saul hunted someone as insignificant as a flea, or as one out bird hunting.

(21) Then Saul said, "I have sinned. Return, my son David, for I will no more do you harm because my soul was precious in your eyes this day. Behold, I have played the fool and have erred exceedingly."

Saul once again softened toward David, even acknowledging his sin this time which is more than he did the first time David spared his life (1 Samuel 24:17).  He told David to return to his home for he would do him no harm because he had spared his life that day.  He admitted that he had been foolish and mistaken about David.

(22) And David answered and said, "Behold the king's spear! Let one of the young men come over and fetch it."

David returned Saul's spear to him.  However, he asked that one of Saul's young men go and fetch it from David, as he was not so trusting of Saul's apparent change of heart to go down and deliver it to him himself.

(23) "The Lord render to every man his righteousness and his faithfulness, for the Lord delivered you into my hand today but I would not stretch forth my hand against the Lord's anointed. (24) And behold, as your life was much set by this day in my eyes, so let my life be much set by in the eyes of the Lord, and let Him deliver me out of all tribulation."

David went on to suggest that the Lord be the one to render judgment to every man, or perhaps his point was that he had faith that the Lord would render to him according to his faithfulness.  After all, the Lord had delivered Saul into his hand that day, but he would not dare to strike the Lord's anointed.  Then he proposed to Saul that as he had valued Saul's life that day, so let the Lord value his (David's) life and deliver him out of his tribulation.  It's noteworthy that he did not say that Saul should value his life as David had valued his.  He had no confidence in Saul to do the fair thing, but he knew he could depend on his Lord.

(25) Then Saul said to David, "Blessed you, my son David; you shall both do great and also shall still prevail." So David went on his way, and Saul returned to his place.

Saul offered a blessing to David and called him his son again.  He acknowledged that David would go on to do great things, and he would prevail, which seems to be a realization that David would prevail against Saul himself and all his enemies.  So he returned to his palace, and David went on his way.  John Wesley, in his Notes on the Bible, tells us that this was the last time Saul and David saw each other.  It seems Saul may have finally come to the full realization that the Lord was with David, and he would indeed prevail against him and his army of David's enemies.

David and Abigail

Continuing a chronological Bible study:

(1 Samuel 25:1) And Samuel died, and all the Israelites were gathered together and lamented him and buried him in his house at Ramah. And David arose and went down to the wilderness of Paran.

David had spared Saul's life and returned to his stronghold.  Meanwhile, Samuel had died.  All the Israelites had gathered together to mourn his death, and they buried him at his house in Ramah.  The first 24 chapters of the book of Samuel were thought to have been written by Samuel himself, but obviously he could not have written the rest of 1 Samuel and 2 Samuel after he died.  Those have been attributed to the prophets Nathan and Gad.  

David came out of his hiding place and went down to the wilderness of Paran.  Scripture doesn't say specifically that he went there upon hearing of Samuel's death or that he went there to mourn him.  The wilderness of Paran was far south of Ramah.

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

Meanwhile, there was a man in Maon, north of the wilderness of Paran, in the tribe of Judah, who was very wealthy and had 3000 sheep and 1000 goats.  His possessions were in Carmel, just north of Maon, and he was there in Carmel shearing his sheep.

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

The name of the man was Nabal, and he was a rude and evil man of the house of Caleb.  Interestingly, his name meant "fool."  His wife was Abigail, and it appears she was a knowledgeable woman with common sense.  She was also beautiful.

(4) And David heard in the wilderness that Nabal was shearing his sheep, (5) And David sent out ten young men, and David said to the young men, "Get up to Carmel, and go to Nabal, and greet him in my name."

David heard that Nabal was shearing his sheep in Carmel, and he sent out ten men to go to Carmel to meet with Nabal and greet him in David's name.

(6) And thus you shall say to him who lives, "Peace to you, and peace to your house, and peace to all that you have. (7) And now I have heard that you have shearers. Now your shepherds who were with us, we did not hurt them, neither was anything missing from them, all the while they were in Carmel."

David told the ten young men to first offer a blessing of peace to Nabal and to his house and all that he had.  Evidently, David had had occasion to be with Nabal's shepherds, probably because the sheep were feeding near the wilderness of Paran which was not far from Maon and Carmel.  David wanted his messengers to tell Nabal this, and to let him know that he and his army had not hurt the shepherds, nor taken anything from them.

(8) "Ask your young men, and they will show you. Therefore, let the young men find favor in your eyes, for we come on a good day. Give, I pray you, whatever comes to your hand to your servants and to your son David."

David, through his messengers, would ask that Nabal ask his own shepherds to verify that he and his army had not harmed them in any way.  Therefore, David hoped one good turn deserved another and his messengers found favor in his eyes.  They had gone to Nabal on a good day when he would be making a feast for his shearers, as was the custom.  David would have his messengers ask if they might be given whatever was at hand that might be spared for David and his men.

(9) And when David's young men came, they spoke to Nabal according to all those words in the name of David and ceased.

David's messengers went to Nabal and told him all that David had told them to say.  Then they waited for Nabal's reply.

(10) And Nabal answered David's servants, and said, "Who is David? And who is the son of Jesse? There are many servants nowadays who break away every man from his master. (11) Shall I then take my bread and my water and my flesh that I have killed for my shearers and give it to men whom I do not know where they are from?"

However, Nabal answered David's servants with haughtiness and disdain.  Could it be that he actually did not know David and Jesse, or was it his way of saying that it meant nothing to him whoever had sent them?  That appears to be the more likely case.  After all, David and Nabal were from the same tribe, and surely he knew the fame of David who had slain his ten thousands (1 Samuel 21:11).  He suggested that David and his men were nothing more than rebellious servants who had broken away from their master, and he would never consider giving any of his food and drink that he had prepared for his own shearers to just anyone from who knows where.

(12) So David's young men turned their way and went again and came and told him all those sayings.

David's messengers left Nabal and went back to David and told him all that Nabal had said.

(13) And David said to his men, "Gird you every man his sword." And they girded on every man his sword, and David also girded on his sword, and there went up after David about four hundred men, and two hundred stayed by the stuff.

David did not take Nabal's rudeness and condescension lightly.  He instructed his men to gird themselves with their swords, which four hundred of them did while the other two hundred remained with their supplies.

(14) But one of the young men told Abigail, Nabal's wife, saying, "Behold, David sent messengers out of the wilderness to salute our master, and he railed on them."

One of Nabal's men told Abigail, Nabal's wife, about David sending messengers to salute her husband.  The original word "barak" that was translated as "salute" means more completely "to bless, to kneel," so David's men had certainly conveyed humility, kindness, and respect toward Nabal.  However, Nabal had berated them with contempt.

(15) "But the men were very good to us, and we were not hurt, neither did we miss anything, as long as we were conversant with them when we were in the fields. (16) They were a wall to us both by night and day all the while we were with them keeping the sheep."

The young man told Abigail how David and his men had been very good to them while they had been in close proximity to them in the wilderness.  They did not hurt them nor take anything from them all the while they were near them in the fields.  As a matter of fact, they had been a wall of protection to them, protecting and defending them against those who might have done them harm.

(17) "Now therefore, know and consider what you will do, for evil is determined against our master and against all his household, for he is a son of Belial that one cannot speak to him."

The young man told Abigail that something bad was about to happen because of how her husband had treated David and his men.  It's interesting that a servant of her husband felt comfortable enough to call him a son of Belial, an evil worthless man, to his wife.  She obviously knew what kind of man her husband was and that no one could speak to him reasonably and rationally.  The man told Abigail to consider what she should do to prevent destruction to her household.

(18) Then Abigail made haste and took two hundred loaves, and two bottles of wine, and five sheep ready dressed, and five measures of parched grain, and a hundred clusters of raisins, and two hundred cakes of figs, and laid them on asses. (19) And she said to her servants, "Go on before me; behold, I come after you." But she did not tell her husband Nabal.

Abigail hurriedly gathered many provisions, loaves, wine, dressed sheep, parched corn, raisins, and fig cakes, and laid them upon donkeys.  She sent her servants on before her, saying she would come after them.  She did not tell her husband Nabal what she was doing.

(20) And it was as she rode on the ass, that she came down by the cover of the hill, and behold, David and his men came down toward her, and she met them.

I believe the sense is that Abigail came on her donkey on the side of the hill under a cover of bushes or trees and saw David and his men before they saw her.  Then she met them.

(21) Now David had said, "Surely in vain have I kept all that he had in the wilderness, so that nothing was missed of all that was his, and he has requited me evil for good. (22) So and more also do God to the enemies of David if I leave of all that is his by the morning light any who pisses against the wall."

David HAD said, so I don't believe he said this to Abigail, but these were the things he had said and was intending to do at that moment.  David felt he had foolishly been good to Nabal's men expecting good in return, but Nabal had returned evil for David's good.  I believe the sense of what David said after that was that he wished the Lord to bless his enemies and perhaps pour evil on himself if he left even one male, man or beast, before the morning.  This was obviously rash and excessive anger on David's part that, and if followed through, would have brought death and destruction to many innocent people.

(23) And when Abigail saw David, she hasted, and lighted off the ass, and fell before David on her face, and bowed herself to the ground, (24) And fell at his feet, and said, "On me, my lord, on me this iniquity! And let your handmaid, I pray you, speak in your audience, and hear the words of your handmaid."

When Abigail saw David, she hurried and dismounted her donkey and fell on her face at David's feet.  She pleaded with him to put all the blame of her husband's actions on her and to allow her to speak in her defense.  She calls him her lord as a sign of respect and reverence to him, probably to atone for her husband's rudeness in speaking of him as a runaway servant (verse 10).

(25) "Let not my lord, I pray you, regard this man of Belial, Nabal, for as his name is, so is he; Nabal his name, and folly with him, but I your handmaid did not see the young men of my lord whom you sent."

Abigail pleaded with David not to pay any attention to such a foolish and worthless man as her husband.  She said he was just as his name indicated, a fool, and therefore his actions were foolish.  However, she said, she had not seen the young men David had sent to her husband.

(26) "Now therefore, my lord, as the Lord lives and your soul lives, seeing the Lord has withheld you from coming to bloodshed and from avenging yourself with your own hand, now let your enemies and they who seek evil to my lord, be as Nabal. (27) And now this blessing which your handmaid has brought to my lord, let it be given to the young men who follow my lord."

Abigail said that as surely as the Lord lived (and David), the Lord had so far withheld David from committing the bloodshed he had intended to avenge himself.  Therefore she prayed a curse upon the enemies of David, either that they be as foolish and utterly impotent to hurt David as was her husband, or that David's anger toward Nabal and his vengeance fall upon his enemies who deserved it more than this foolish man, her husband.  Then as a blessing, she asked that all that she had brought with her (verse 18) be given to David's men.

(28) "I pray you, forgive the trespass of your handmaid, for the Lord will certainly make my lord a sure house, for my lord fights the battles of the Lord, and evil has not been found in you all your days. (29) Yet a man has risen to pursue you and to seek your soul, but the soul of my lord shall be bound in the bundle of life with the Lord your God; and the souls of your enemies, them shall He sling out, as from the middle of a sling."

Abigail asked that David forgive her intrusion in troubling him with her petition.  She either knew the fame of David and that he was blessed by God, or she spoke under influence of the Holy Spirit.  It was probably a bit of both.  She told him that the Lord was going to make an enduring house of David because he fought the battles of the Lord.  She knew no evil had been found in him, yet a man (Saul) had risen up to pursue him and to ultimately kill him.  However, she knew that David's life was bound up in the bundle of life with the Lord, precious to Him, favored and preserved by Him.  But the lives of his enemies the Lord would cast out as quickly and forcefully as a stone slung from a slingshot.

(30) "And it shall come to pass, when the Lord shall have done to my lord according to all the good that He has spoken concerning you, and shall have appointed you ruler over Israel, (31) That this shall be no grief to you, nor offense of heart to my lord, either that you have shed blood without cause, or that my lord has avenged himself. But when the Lord shall have dealt well with my lord, then remember your handmaid."

Abigail continued with her plea to David.  She asked that when the Lord had fulfilled His promise to make him ruler over Israel, that this incident be of no grief or regret to him because he had avenged himself and shed innocent blood without cause.  However, when the Lord had dealt well with David in delivering him out of the hands of his enemies and seating him as king of Israel, she wished for him to remember her and her plea and advice not to shed blood.

(32) And David said to Abigail, "Blessed the Lord God of Israel, who sent you this day to meet me. (33) And blessed is your advice, and blessed are you, because you have kept me this day from coming to bloodshed and from avenging myself with my own hand."

David recognized the hand of the Lord in sending Abigail to meet him and praised Him.  He was also thankful to Abigail for giving him such good advice and preventing him from doing something he would surely have regretted if he had shed innocent blood just to avenge himself because of one foolish man.

(34) "For indeed, as the Lord of Israel lives, who has kept me back from hurting you, except you had hasted and come to meet me, surely there would not have been left to Nabal by the morning light any that pisses against the wall."

David admitted that as surely as the Lord lived, He who had kept David from hurting Abigail, had she not hurried and come to meet him, he would have killed Nabal and all the males of men and beasts in his house and in his employ by morning light.

(35) So David received of her hand what she had brought him, and said to her, "Go up in peace to your house; see, I have hearkened to your voice and have respected your person."

David received the gifts that Abigail had brought on her donkeys.  After all, that is all he had requested of Nabal, even less (verse 8).  He told her to go back to her house in peace for he had respected her and listened to her and had done what she requested.

(36) And Abigail came to Nabal, and behold, he held a feast in his house, like the feast of a king, and Nabal's heart was merry within him, for he was very drunk; therefore, she told him nothing, less or more, until the morning light.

When Abigail returned to her house to Nabal, she found he had held a great feast in his house, and he was very drunk.  Therefore she told him nothing of her encounter with David.

(37) But it came to pass in the morning, when the wine had gone out of Nabal, and his wife had told him these things, that his heart died within him, and he became as a stone.

The next morning, when Nabal was sober again, Abigail told him all that had transpired between her and David.  Nabal, probably terrified at the notion of what he had barely escaped and perhaps feared it might still happen, passed out and became motionless as a stone.

(38) And it came to pass about ten days after, that the Lord struck Nabal that he died.

After being in a comatose state for about ten days, the Lord struck Nabal with death.

(39) And when David heard that Nabal was dead, he said, "Blessed the Lord, who has pleaded the cause of my reproach from the hand of Nabal and has kept his servant from evil, for the Lord has returned the wickedness of Nabal upon his own head. And David sent and communed with Abigail to take her to him as wife.

When David heard that Nabal was dead, he praised the Lord for preventing him from doing evil but taking up his cause Himself and issuing judgment. "'Vengeance is Mine,' saith the Lord" (Romans 12:19).  And the Lord's way was much more just, as He just took out Nabal and no one else in his family or household.  David then sent messengers to Abigail and asked her to be his wife.

(40) And when the servants of David had come to Abigail to Carmel, they spoke to her, saying, "David sent us to you, to take you to him as wife." (41) And she arose and bowed herself on her face to the earth, and said, "Behold, your handmaid, a servant to wash the feet of the servants of my lord."

David had sent servants to Abigail at her home in Carmel, and they told her that David had sent for her to be his wife.  With the same humility she had shown to David when she met with him, Abigail bowed herself before the servants and said she considered herself only worthy to be a servant to wash the feet of David's servants.  It was as Abigail had requested, "...when the Lord shall have dealt well with my lord, then remember your handmaid." (verse 31)  The Lord had Himself dealt with this man who had done David wrong and brought this good woman to him to be his wife.

(42) And Abigail hurried, and arose, and rode on an ass, with five damsels of hers who went after her, and she went after the messengers of David, and became his wife.

Abigail hurried and rode on a donkey after the messengers of David and brought with her five damsels or maidservants who rode after her.  She indeed became David's wife.

(43) David also took Ahinoam of Jezreel, and they were also both of them his wives.

David also took Ahinoam of Jezreel, a town of Judah near Carmel.  This was not the same Ahinoam as was married to Saul (1 Samuel 14:50).  So both Abigail and Ahinoam were David's wives.

(44) But Saul had given Michal his daughter, David's wife, to Phalti, the son of Laish, who was of Gallim.

It seems that Saul had previously given David's wife Michal, who was Saul's daughter, to another man in marriage, Phalti or Phaltiel, as called elsewhere.  David’s taking of two wives could be seen as indicative of his growing power and importance, although he was still being pursued by Saul.