The Pleasure of Her Text. She was both wise[c] and beautiful, but the man was harsh and his deeds were evil. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Abigail. Do you have to repent from all sin to enter heaven? Her story is found in 1 Samuel 25. In the five contexts in which she is mentioned, her name is only once referenced after Abigail, King Davids other wife. T/F, 2. Why did King David marry Abigail when he was already married to Michal? Could Ancient Sparta Defeat Ancient Rome? Donations to this ministry aretax-deductible. December 27 2014 While the Bible names seven women as David's spouses, it's possible that he had more, as well as multiple concubines who may have borne him unaccounted-for children. When David is away, the Amalekites attack Ziklag and carry off the wives, Davids people, and his possessions, but David is able to rescue them (1 Sam 30:15, 18). This is the story as told in the Bible about King David and a woman named Abigail who was married to a man named Nabal. Nabal answered Davids servants, Who is this David? When they arrived, they reported every word. What is the meaning of 1 Timothy 4:13 when it refers to the public reading of Scripture? Start for FREE. Abigail alights from her donkey and prostrates herself before David. If David had married Merab, then his total number of legitimate spouses would have been eight -- still within the limits of the religious law, as the rabbis later interpreted it. David brought his number of spouses to seven when he later married Bathsheba in Jerusalem, so David had well under the maximum of 18 wives. Let us know. 10Nabal answered Davids servants, Who(M) is this David? 31 December 1999. David had also taken Ahinoam of Jezreel, and they both became his wives. 25Now Samuel died,(A) and all Israel assembled and mourned(B) for him; and they buried him at his home in Ramah. His wife Abigail inherited Nabal's fortune. 13David said to his men(O), Each of you strap on your sword! So they did, and David strapped his on as well. 22May God deal with David,[c] be it ever so severely,(AE) if by morning I leave alive one male(AF) of all who belong to him!. 58, corroborated by the report of Nabals own servant in vv. (T) 16Night and day they were a wall(U) around us the whole time we were herding our sheep near them. But Ahinoam could have been the wife he preferred. The first time they are mentioned is in 2 Samuel 3:2-5 and 1 Chronicles 3:1-3 repeats the same information. Modern Persecution of Christians in China, Patriarch Jacobs Well & St. Philoumenous, Slaughter of the Theban Legion C. 286 AD, LapsiChristians Who Lapse/Abandon Their Faith, Evodias Named Followers of Christ Christians. Schearing, Linda. And as for me, your servant, I did not see the men my lord sent. And let this gift, which your servant has brought to my lord, be given to the men who follow you. One of the servants told Abigail, Nabals wife, David sent messengers from the wilderness to give our master his greetings, but he hurled insults at them. Arthur Niswar. He is also identified as a Calebite, perhaps a rival clan for the Judean monarchy. 18Abigail acted quickly. Have an update or correction? What does the Bible say? They are listed twice in Scripture. The meaning of her own name then takes on new resonance, meaning my fathers joy or my father rejoices, from the Hebrew rootg-y-lto rejoice. Yet the son, Chileab, never becomes a contender for the throne and, beyond this episode, Abigail plays no role in the court history. Yet it's Nabal's rude and intemperate actions that bring Abigail and David together. 1 Samuel 18:27 (NASB). Marys Perpetual Virginity & Jesus Brothers, Why Pollen on the Shroud of Turin Proves it is Real, Christian Inscriptions in Roman Catacombs, Eruption Of Mt. Many servants are breaking away from their masters these days. Why were the Israelites still bound to their covenant to the Gibeonites even after they discovered these people were lying. Meyers, Carol, ed. 29Even though someone is pursuing you to take your life,(AS) the life of my lord will be bound securely in the bundle of the living by the Lord your God, but the lives of your enemies he will hurl(AT) away as from the pocket of a sling. What is the meaning of "peace be unto you" in the Bible? Bathsheba gave King David a total of thirteen children (1 Chronicles 3:5-8). But Scripture tells us that he had other wives plus a number of unknown concubines. After enumerating Nabals enormous wealth in flocks (1 Sam 25:2), the narrative introduces her in contrast to him. New York and London: T&T Clark, 2010. She obsequiously prostrates herself, calling David lord and herself maidservant prepared to wash [his] servants feet; though, ironically, she follows the messenger with five maids on donkeys in tow (vv. Later, King Saul plotted to murder David. Otherwise, as surely as the Lord, the God of Israel, lives, who has kept me from harming you, if you had not come quickly to meet me, not one male belonging to Nabal would have been left alive by daybreak., Then David accepted from her hand what she had brought him and said, Go home in peace. The Ipuwer PapyrusWere The 10 Biblical Plagues Real? As Adele Berlin points out: The Abigail story contains no illicit sex, though the opportunity was present; the Bathsheba story revolves around an illicit relationship. (Judges 7:7). He is such a wicked man that no one can talk to him.Abigail acted quickly. His servants went to Carmel and said to Abigail, David has sent us to you to take you to become his wife., She bowed down with her face to the ground and said, I am your servant and am ready to serve you and wash the feet of my lords servants. Abigail quickly got on a donkey and, attended by her five female servants, went with Davids messengers and became his wife. Abigail is often held up as a model spouse among King David's wives, the epitome of the virtuous woman described in Proverbs 31. (BD) So she told(BE) him nothing at all until daybreak. 1 Chronicles 14:3-5 (NASB), Resurrection Accounts Resurrection of Christ, Thus says the LORD, Let not a wise man boast of his wisdom, and let not the mighty man boast of his might, let not a rich man boast of his riches; but let him who boasts boast of this, that he understands and knows Me . The evidence once again shows that King David did marry Abishag as the verses 1 Kings 2:10-25 revealed. Abishag was considered by ancients to be his last wife (or concubine). As such, for Adonijah to attempt to marry Abishag was seen as a treasonous act by his brother, Solomon, as such he was put to death. It was said of Abigail: She exercised such concern and thoughtfulness for her husbands needs that no anxiety regarding household cares ever disturbed his public life. Copyright Like The Master Ministries. Michal and David: Michal Was King David's First Wife, Bathsheba, Mother of Solomon, Wife of King David, Biography of King Solomon: The Wisest Man Who Ever Lived, Abigail and David - Abigail Was King David's Wisest Wife. Biography of Moses, Leader of the Abrahamic Religions, The Bible Says 'No' to Talking to the Dead, 13 Thank You Bible Verses to Express Your Appreciation, Bathsheba and David: Biblical Romance and Tragedy, Maachah the daughter of King Talmai of Geshur, that she was really David's favorite wife, that because of her beauty she was nicknamed "Eglah," meaning calf or calf-like, that she died giving birth to David's son Ithream. Does Psalms 90:10 indicate that the lifespan of man should only be 70-80 years? He threatened Israel before Saul was king. We are told that she was extremely beautiful. (G) She was an intelligent and beautiful woman, but her husband was surly and mean in his dealingshe was a Calebite. February 13 2015 A non-profit, 501(c)3 corporation. He was in high(BC) spirits and very drunk. (BF) 38About ten days later, the Lord struck(BG) Nabal and he died. "Abigail and David - Abigail Was King David's Wisest Wife." Abigail. 28Please forgive(AO) your servants presumption. Based on her prescience, the Talmud identifies Abigail as one of the seven female prophets in the Hebrew Bible (b. Megillah 15a). Episode 91: Israel at 75: Voices of Protest. Many servants are breaking away from their masters these days. At that time he was shearing his sheep in Carmel. He was shearing his sheep in Carmel. Nabal appears to think David's request falls into the latter category, for he sneers at their message. 8Ask your own servants and they will tell you. She is listed six times by name in scripture. 2There was a man in Maon whose business was in Carmel. 2 Samuel 6:23 (NASB). (Judges 7:7). Help us elevate the voices of Jewish women. And when the Lord your God has brought my lord success, remember(AW) your servant.(AX), 32David said to Abigail, Praise(AY) be to the Lord, the God of Israel, who has sent you today to meet me. Why should I take my bread and water, and the meat I have slaughtered for my shearers, and give it to men coming from who knows where?. The LORD has also returned the evildoing of Nabal on his own head. Then David sent a proposal to Abigail, to take her as his wife. The meaning in Hebrew of the word day always means a 24 hour period of time. Scholars Dispute Whether David Married Merab, Amid All the Wives of David in the Bible 3 Stand Out, References for the Many Wives of David in the Bible. Adelman, Rachel. Nonetheless, scripture says that at this point, "his courage failed him, and he became like a stone. 6Say to him: Long life to you! All references to her occur with, or in close literary proximity to, Abigail (another wife of David, king of Israel, c. 1005965 B.C.E.). Mean and inhospitable, he meets his fate, measure-for-measure, in the petrification of his hard heart. Rachel Adelman Samuel the prophet had just died, and David and his men had traveled down into the Desert of Maon. Perhaps David, like other kings who appropriated the harems of their predecessors or rivals, strengthened his claim to the throne in this way. 20As she came riding her donkey into a mountain ravine, there were David and his men descending toward her, and she met them. About four hundred men went up with David, while two hundred stayed with the supplies. Help us elevate the voices of Jewish women. David repented and Psalm 51 records his repentance. Sons were born to David at Hebron: his firstborn was Amnon, by Ahinoam the Jezreelitess; and his second, Chileab, by Abigail the widow of Nabal the Carmelite; and the third, Absalom the son of Maacah, the daughter of Talmai, king of Geshur; and the fourth, Adonijah the son of Haggith; and the fifth, Shephatiah the son of Abital; and the sixth, Ithream, by Davids wife Eglah. From the former (self-styled handmaid; 1 Samuel 25:25) is derived the colloquial use of the word for a waiting woman. Jonah was in the belly of the whale 4 days. David married Abigail and traveled with her (and his first wife Ahinoam) for two years. New York: Houghton Mifflin 2000. Report. Later after Saul died (1 Samuel 31:6), David was reunited with his wife Michal (2 Samuel 3:14-16). In several places, every time Abigail is mentioned (after she married David), it's always Ahinoam and Abigail are with David during his stay with King Achish of Gath (1 Sam 27:3), are taken captive when Amalekites raid Ziklag, Davids Philistine base (1 Sam 30:5), and are among those who go with David to Hebron when he becomes king over Judah (2 Sam 2:2). Now I hear that it is sheep-shearing time. The order of the names may imply that Ahinoam was a preferred wife over Abigail since every time the wives are mentioned in Scripture Ahinoam is listed first (1 Samuel 30:5; 2 Samuel 2:2; 1 Chronicles 3:1). She got down off her high horse, threw herself to the ground, fell at his feet and pleaded with David. 40 And when the servants of David came to Abigail at Carmel, they said to her, David has sent us to you to take you Based on the common practices in David's time, he was committing no sin to take Abigail as his wife, even though he was already married. Yet, the penalty for his sin was that the sword will never depart from your house and the child would die (2 Samuel 12:10-15). Of the five contexts in which Ahinoam appears, only in her marriage notice (1 Sam 25:43) does she come after Abigail. "Abigail: Bible." Overhearing the dialogue, one of the servants runs to Abigail, begging her to intervene. He was in high spirits and very drunk. How can we know God's thoughts? Then David sent word to Abigail, asking her to become his wife. The rest of the chapter describes an avalanche of sins that follow in an attempt to cover up Davids adultery. By submitting your email address, you understand that you will receive email communications from Bible Gateway, a division of The Zondervan Corporation, 3900 Sparks Drive SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49546 USA, including commercial communications and messages from partners of Bible Gateway. Community answers are sorted based on votes. [In Hebrew.] All rights reserved worldwide. 2 Samuel 3:2-5 (NASB). Why did Jesus walk on the water? Following Abigails marriage to David (1 Sam 25:42), David also marries Ahinoam from Jezreel (v. 43). 2 Samuel 5:13-16 and 1 Chronicles 14:3-5 reveal that King David took other wives and concubines. David Atwater was born in New Haven Colony on July 13, 1650, and died on January 10, 1735/6. Her birthdate has also been reported as November 2, 1647. iii. He is just like his namehis name means Fool, and folly goes with him. Then in the morning, when Nabal was sober, his wife told him all these things. David rose up and went, he and his men, and struck down two hundred men among the Philistines. The implication of scripture is that David recognized what an asset Abigail would be to him as a wife since she was clearly someone who managed well, protected her husband's interests, and could recognize dangers in time to avert disaster. 1 Chronicles 3:1-4 states that King Davids first seven wives gave him six children, while they lived in Hebron. Even though someone is pursuing you to take your life, the life of my lord will be bound securely in the bundle of the living by the Lord your God, but the lives of your enemies he will hurl away as from the pocket of a sling. David then praises her good sense and expresses gratitude that she restrained him from bloodshed, uttering an oath to counter the prior violent one (v. 34). 33May you be blessed for your good judgment and for keeping me from bloodshed(AZ) this day and from avenging myself with my own hands. What does it mean, "Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave his life for it"? In short, violence was about to ensue. When the servants of David came to Abigail at Carmel, they spoke to her, saying, David has sent us to you to take you as his wife. She arose and bowed with her face to the ground and said, Behold, your maidservant is a maid to wash the feet of my lords servants. Then Abigail quickly arose, and rode on a donkey, with her five maidens who attended her; and she followed the messengers of David and became his wife. That is the reason they eventually married. Why did this secret disciple risk discovery after Jesus was dead (Luke 23:50-53)? T/F, 3. Here are guidelines to help facilitate a meaningful learning experience for everyone. WebAbigail quickly got on a donkey and, attended by her five maids, went with David's messengers and became his wife. David had also taken Ahinoam Jesus sent out 70 Disciples to preach His Good News. However, Abigail's husband is described in scripture as "a hard man and an evildoer," making us wonder why such a paragon of virtue as Abigail would have married him in the first place. What was a concubine in the Old Testament era? 44 But Saul had given his daughter Michal, David's wife, to Paltiel [4]son of Laish, who was from Gallim. Why choose these 300 men? 1011), the young warrior and four hundred of his men gird themselves for bloodshed. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. Report. Jewish Women says that in an effort to resolve the conflict, some rabbis argue that Merab didn't marry David until after her first husband died and that Michal didn't marry David until after her sister died. At that time he was shearing his sheep in Carmel. 11Why should I take my bread(N) and water, and the meat I have slaughtered for my shearers, and give it to men coming from who knows where?, 12Davids men turned around and went back. Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. David was the youngest of eight brothers ( 1 Samuel 17:1214 ). Yet it also anticipates his darker side, when David does not restrain himself from adultery and murder in the story of Bathsheba and Uriah (2 Samuel 1112). The man was very rich; he had three thousand sheep and a thousand goats. Merab's absence from the Davidic chronology in 1 Chronicles 3 could be explained by the fact that scripture doesn't record any children born to Merab and David. While there, the prophet Nathan tells David in 2 Samuel 12:8: "I would give you twice as much over," which the rabbis interpret to mean that the number of David's existing wives could be tripled: from six to 18. If you have any questions, please review our Privacy Policy or email us at privacy@biblegateway.com. 5 responses Holy Bible, New International Version, NIV Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission. Why was Abigail still called "Nabal's wife" even after she married David? For his part, David was captivated by Abigail's beauty and apparent wisdom. Vote Up 24 and 26), Davids restraint from slaying his rival demonstrates his worthiness of kingship. by At that time he was shearing his sheep in Carmel. Then she apologized for Nabal's behavior, telling David that her husband's name means "boor" and that Nabal had acted like a boor toward David. WebKing Davids third wife was Ahinoam of Jezreel. And as for me, your servant, I did not see the men my lord sent. Abigail had one son as Davids wifeChileab. She further portends that God will establish a sure house for David (v. 28), foreshadowing Nathans prophecy of an everlasting dynasty for the king (2 Samuel 7). Then David took more wives at Jerusalem, and David became the father of more sons and daughters. Watchthe video below. BEST VALUE in digital Bible study. We first encounter Ahinoam in Scripture in 1 Samuel 25:43 immediately after David marries Abigail. Why did Bathsheba agree to marry David, if she suspected David was responsible for Uriah's death? A good answer provides new insight and perspective. The meaning in Hebrew of the word day always means a 24 hour period of time. How can it be said that my loved one is now with our Father in heaven when the Bible tells no one sees heaven until the rapture? David, hearing that she has been widowed, sends for her. (Psalm 92:4-5). She took two hundred loaves of bread, two skins of wine, five dressed sheep, five seah of roasted grain, a hundred cakes of raisins and two hundred cakes of pressed figs, and loaded them on donkeys. (2021, September 8). 40His servants went to Carmel and said to Abigail, David has sent us to you to take you to become his wife., 41She bowed down with her face to the ground and said, I am your servant and am ready to serve you and wash the feet of my lords servants. 42Abigail(BH) quickly got on a donkey and, attended by her five female servants, went with Davids messengers and became his wife. This reveals that sometime after Uriah died, David and Bathsheba were married. Many of David's marriages were politically motivated. For example, King Saul, David's predecessor, offered both of his daughters at separate times as wives for David. Jewish Women says that equating Eglah with Michal was the rabbis' way of bringing David's marriages into line with the requirements of Deuteronomy 17:17, a law of Torah which mandates that the king "shall not have many wives." 2 Samuel 5:13-16 (NASB). Because of the hint to David (v. 34), the mysterious cause of Nabals death, and no record of mourning her boorish husband, some scholars and modern creative renditions have read Abigail as conniving. get to know the Bible better! Abigail quickly intervenes, sending a feast ahead and greeting David on the way. Please give your servants and your son David whatever(L) you can find for them.. Only one other character named Ahinoam appears in the Hebrew Bible (Sauls wife; see 1 Sam 14:50). Old Testament Part 7. Does God approve of polygamy? 1 Samuel 18:14-19 lists Merab, Saul's elder daughter, and Michal's sister, as also betrothed to David. He has kept his servant from doing wrong and has brought Nabals wrongdoing down on his own head., Then David sent word to Abigail, asking her to become his wife. Abigail was the wife of Nabal, a rich man from Carmel who refused to help David by providing food for David and his men. Wives of King David How many wives did David have? The higher the vote, the further up an answer is. David said to his men, Each of you strap on your sword! So they did, and David strapped his on as well. She took two hundred loaves of bread, two skins of wine, five dressed sheep, five seahs[b] of roasted grain,(W) a hundred cakes of raisins(X) and two hundred cakes of pressed figs, and loaded them on donkeys. Abigail Wolcott married Oliver Ellsworth on December 10, 1772, providing him with the strength and stability to continue his highly productive life. It is important to notice that in this passage the numbers refer to the sons born to David. Astle, Cynthia. Cynthia B. Astle is an award-winning journalist who covered religion for 25 years. Carmel (2 Samuel 3:2). Jewish Women's Archive. Other wives gave birth to nine more sons. (J), 7Now I hear that it is sheep-shearing time. Early Christian CommunionWine or Mingled Wine? Then the couple could marry. It was there the conflict began. She then becomes his wife. His name also appears as 3. Seven verses later in 1 Samuel 18:27, we are told that Saul gave Michal to David after he killed one hundred Philistines. Have you ever wondered how many wives David had? 2. The child eventually died (2 Samuel 12:15-23). Davids fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh wives are Maacah, Haggith, Abital and Eglah. All answers are REVIEWED and MODERATED. Astle, Cynthia. Davids men turned around and went back. Sextus Julius AfricanusWhy Did The Magi Come ? Why was Abigail still called "Nabal's wife" even after she married David? At this point in time Michal belonged to another man. 36When Abigail went to Nabal, he was in the house holding a banquet like that of a king. Sign up now for the latest news and deals from Bible Gateway! gain access to 50+ premium resources to enhance your study of Scripture. The most well-known mention of Nahash is in reference to the king of the Ammonites. There she found her boorish husband enjoying a feast fit for a king, utterly clueless to the danger he was in from David's wrath (1 Samuel 25:36-38). David had six wives while he ruled in Hebron as king of Judah. . Copyright 2019 by Zondervan. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 2000. Learn Religions, Aug. 26, 2020, learnreligions.com/davids-many-wives-in-bible-117324. When the messengers report this unhappy exchange, David orders his men to "gird on your swords" to take provisions from Nabal by force. This makes David an outlaw, camping out in the wilderness while trying to build up some following among the people. She was one of Sauls two daughters (1 Samuel 14:49) and the younger of the two daughters. May God deal with David, be it ever so severely, if by morning I leave alive one male of all who belong to him!When Abigail saw David, she quickly got off her donkey and bowed down before David with her face to the ground. In her paper published online, "David and Abigail: A Non-Traditional View," Williams argues that Abigail actually betrayed her husband Nabal by siding with the outlaw David. 3 And David dwelleth with Achish in Gath, he and his men, each one with his household, [even] David and his two wives, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail wife of Nabal the Carmelitess. As a result, David decided to engage in sexual activity with her and made her pregnant. Limited polygamy (one man married to more than one woman) was permitted during this era of Israel's history. 2 Samuel 11:1-2 tells us that one evening King David was walking on the roof of his house and saw Bathsheba bathing. The Number, Location, and Mothers of David's Children. Alternatively, according to the written text (ketiv), he is just like his heart [ke-libo]. Later, the narrative recounts that his heart [lev] died within him and he became like stone (v. 38). Sheffield: Almond, 1990. David and Abigail, by Frans Pourbus the Elder, c. 1570/80, oil on canvas, Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna, Austria. Abigail, in the Old Testament, the wife of Nabal of southern Judah, on whose death she became one of the first wives of David (1 Samuel 25) and the mother of his son Chileab. This man was very wealthy;[ a] he owned 3,000 sheep and 1,000 goats. 1 Samuel 25:39-42 (NASB). 3His name was Nabal and his wifes name was Abigail. Clarify Asked December 26 2014 Ahinoam, said to come from Jezreel, is King Davids wife and the mother of his eldest son, Amnon. Astle, Cynthia. Should I then take my bread and my water, and the meat that I slaughtered for my own shearers, and give them to men [who come] from I don't know where?". Saul did this because he knew Michal loved David and she betrayed him. 34Otherwise, as surely as the Lord, the God of Israel, lives, who has kept me from harming you, if you had not come quickly to meet me, not one male belonging to Nabal(BA) would have been left alive by daybreak., 35Then David accepted from her hand what she had brought him and said, Go home in peace. Please ensure your answer MEETS all our guidelines. (AG) 24She fell at his feet and said: Pardon your servant, my lord,(AH) and let me speak to you; hear what your servant has to say. Ask your own servants and they will tell you. But King David was not her first husband either. Abigail and David - Abigail Was King David's Wisest Wife. Garsiel, Moshe. We are told in 1 Samuel 18:20 that Michal loved David. There were only 8 people in Noahs Ark. The last statement made at the end of Michals life is that she had no children.
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