And David said to Abigail, “Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel, who sent you this day to meet me! Blessed be your discretion, and blessed be you, who have kept me this day from bloodguilt and from working salvation with my own hand! For as surely as the LORD, the God of Israel, lives, who has restrained me from hurting you, unless you had hurried and come to meet me, truly by morning there had not been left to Nabal so much as one male.” Then David received from her hand what she had brought him. And he said to her, “Go up in peace to your house. See, I have obeyed your voice, and I have granted your petition.”
And Abigail came to Nabal, and behold, he was holding a feast in his house, like the feast of a king. And Nabal’s heart was merry within him, for he was very drunk. So she told him nothing at all until the morning light. In the morning, when the wine had gone out of Nabal, his wife told him these things, and his heart died within him, and he became as a stone. And about ten days later the LORD struck Nabal, and he died.
Comment: What is in the first paragraph above?
- David acknowledges that God is at least involved and I suspect he is acknowledging that God is in fact in charge.
- He seems to be ashamed of his thought to take the solution of Nabal’s insult into his own hands, instead of leaving it to God. What is bloodguilt? I suspect here it means murder, and it was to be vicious, not just Nabal but every male in the family – sons, servants slaves!
- He accepted Abigail’s gift and the matter is resolved.
In the second paragraph we see a picture of Nabal’s attitude to life. He is self-indulgent to the point of equating himself like a king! He drinks himself into a stupor and Abigail is wise enough to keep her mouth shut until he is sober! It seems as if he had a severe heart attack and only survived another ten days. Was he angry because his wife went against his wishes? Was he furious because David got what he needed and Nabal was politically on Saul’s side? Trying not to be too judgemental I don’t think that many would miss him all that much!
Prayer: Let me not be concerned at what men think of me, but at what You think of me!
As I read it! 
Thank you Barry for your comments on this passage. David was certainly spared from murdering many. God used Abigail to stop this from happening. Nabal met his end possibly because of his own lifestyle with too much rich food and wine. God knows why. God bless you.
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