1 Samuel 25:29 Komentář

We have here some intermission of David's troubles by Saul. Providence favoured him with a breathing time, and yet this chapter gives us instances of the troubles of David. If one vexation seems to be over, we must not be secure; a storm may arise from some other point, as here to David. I. Tidings of the death of Samuel could not but trouble him (Sa1 25:1). But, II. The abuse he received from Nabal is more largely recorded in this chapter. 1. The character of Nabal (Sa1 25:2, Sa1 25:3). 2. The humble request sent to him (Sa1 25:4-9). 3. His churlish answer (Sa1 25:10-12). 4. David's angry resentment of it (Sa1 25:13, Sa1 25:21, Sa1 25:22). 5. Abigail's prudent care to prevent the mischief it was likely to bring upon her family (Sa1 25:14-20). 6. Her address to David to pacify him (Sa1 25:23-31). 7. David's favourable reception of her (Sa1 25:32-35). 8. The death of Nabal (Sa1 25:36-38). 9. Abigail's marriage to David (Sa1 25:39-44).

INTRODUCTION TO FIRST SAMUEL 25 This chapter gives an account of the death of Samuel, and of the ill treatment David met with from Nabal; it begins with the death of Samuel, which was greatly lamented in Israel, Sa1 25:1; it draws the character of Nabal, and his wife, Sa1 25:2; records a message of David to him, by his young men, desiring he would send him some of his provisions made for his sheep shearers, Sa1 25:4; and Nabal's ill-natured answer to him reported by the young men, which provoked David to arm against him, Sa1 25:10; and this being told Abigail, the wife of Nabal, and a good character given of David and his men, and of the advantage Nabal's shepherds had received from them, and the danger his family was in through his ingratitude, Sa1 25:14; she prepared a present to pacify David, went with it herself, and addressed him in a very handsome, affectionate, and prudent manner, Sa1 25:18; and met with a kind reception, Sa1 25:32; and the chapter is closed with an account of the death of Nabal, and of the marriage of Abigail to David, Sa1 25:32.

Yet a man is risen to pursue thee, and to seek thy soul,.... His life, to take it away, meaning Saul, whom she chose not to name, because he was king: but the soul of my lord shall be bound up in the bundle of life with the Lord thy God; should be dear unto the Lord, precious in his esteem, and be carefully preserved by him, among other his chosen ones, and should be safe with him, in his hands, and under his care and keeping; the Jews refer this to eternal life in the world to come, and the safety and security of his soul hereafter; so the Targum,"the soul of my lord shall be treasured up in the treasury of eternal life, before the Lord thy God:''hence they speak of the souls of the righteous being laid up under the throne of glory (e), in proof of which they produce this text; and so Maimonides (f) understands it of what should be after death, see Rev 6:9, and the souls of thine enemies, them shall he sling out, as out of the middle of a sling; that is, remove them swiftly and suddenly, and with force, out of the world, as a stone is slung out of the middle of a sling; see Jer 10:18. (e) T. Bab. Sabbat, fol. 152. 2. (f) Moreh Nevochim, par. 1. c. 41.

"For if a man ever rises to pursue you, etc." [1 Samuel 25:29] This Abigail, interceding on behalf of herself and her household, said to David, whom her husband had offended by his foolishness and drunkenness: "For if a man ever rises to pursue you and seek your life, the life of my lord will be bound up in the bundle of the living with the Lord your God. But the souls of your enemies will be whirled about, like in the circuit and sling's round; she beautifully distinguishes the state of the just from the lot of the reprobate with this comparison. For indeed she calls the souls of these living, so as to imply on the contrary that those are preoccupied with spiritual death, according to that saying of the prophet: The soul that sins shall die (Ezek. XVIII). She likens these to a bundle, and those to a stone of a sling; for a bundle is tied up, so that it may remain whole and be preserved; the stone is placed in the sling to be cast away. So indeed in this world the elect are compressed by the pressures of tribulations, so that being thus admonished, they may bind themselves more closely to each other with mutual love and be preserved forever in unity by the hand of their Redeemer. But the reprobate, the more freely they are let loose to their own pleasures in this life, the further they are cast away from the glory of the divine vision in the future, so that it may rightly be said of them: And indeed they are expelled from your hand. However, it marvelously describes the omnipotent providence of the heavenly protector when it says the soul of the holy man is necessarily kept with Him like in a bundle of the living. For as it is very easy for anyone to preserve a bundle of grass or hay held in their hand, so the power of our Lord and Savior effortlessly protects all the elect throughout the world from the beginning to the end of the age, so that none of them may perish in any way. According to what He Himself speaks of them in the Gospel under the figure of sheep: "And they follow me," He says, "and I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand" (John X). Just as a single bundle is bound with any kinds of ties, so the whole assembly of saints is bound together by the one and the same faith, hope, and love, and surrounded by one divine protection. The meaning of the letter is clearly evident, because the soul of David, despite his enemies pursuing him, was always kept in the land of the living. Moreover, his enemies, beset by adversities, were to be disturbed and driven out of their territories, like a stone whirled in a sling, or even taken away from human affairs.

The death of Samuel, Sa1 25:1. The history of Nabal, and his churlishness towards David and his men, Sa1 25:2-12. David, determining to punish him, is appeased by Abigail, Nabal's wife, vv. 13-35. Abigail returns, and tells Nabal of the danger that he has escaped: who on hearing it is thunderstruck, and dies in ten days, Sa1 25:36-38 David, hearing of this, sends and takes Abigail to wife, Sa1 25:39-42. He marries also Ahinoam of Jezreel, Saul having given Michal, David's wife, to Phalti, the son of Laish, Sa1 25:43, Sa1 25:44.

Shall be bound in the bundle of life - Thy life shall be precious in the sight of the Lord: it shall be found in the bundle of life; it shall be supported by Him who is the Spring and Fountain of life, and ever be found united to those who are most favored by the Almighty. Them shall he sling out - Far from being bound and kept together in union with the Fountain of life, he will cast them off from himself as a stone is cast out from a sling. This betokens both force and violence.

SAMUEL DIES. (Sa1 25:1-9) Samuel died--After a long life of piety and public usefulness, he left behind him a reputation which ranks him among the greatest of Scripture worthies. buried him in his house at Ramah--that is, his own mausoleum. The Hebrews took as great care to provide sepulchers anciently as people do in the East still, where every respectable family has its own house of the dead. Often this is in a little detached garden, containing a small stone building (where there is no rock), resembling a house, which is called the sepulcher of the family--it has neither door nor window. David arose, and went down to the wilderness of Paran--This removal had probably no connection with the prophet's death; but was probably occasioned by the necessity of seeking provision for his numerous followers. the wilderness of Paran--stretching from Sinai to the borders of Palestine in the southern territories of Judea. Like other wildernesses, it presented large tracts of natural pasture, to which the people sent their cattle at the grazing season, but where they were liable to constant and heavy depredations by prowling Arabs. David and his men earned their subsistence by making reprisals on the cattle of these freebooting Ishmaelites; and, frequently for their useful services, they obtained voluntary tokens of acknowledgment from the peaceful inhabitants.

the soul of my lord shall be bound in the bundle of life with the Lord thy God--An Orientalism, expressing the perfect security of David's life from all the assaults of his enemies, under the protecting shield of Providence, who had destined him for high things.

The death of Samuel is inserted here, because it occurred at that time. The fact that all Israel assembled together to his burial, and lamented him, i.e., mourned for him, was a sign that his labours as a prophet were recognised by the whole nation as a blessing for Israel. Since the days of Moses and Joshua, no man had arisen to whom the covenant nation owed so much as to Samuel, who has been justly called the reformer and restorer of the theocracy. They buried him "in his house at Ramah." The expression "his house" does not mean his burial-place or family tomb, nor his native place, but the house in which he lived, with the court belonging to it, where Samuel was placed in a tomb erected especially for him. After the death of Samuel, David went down into the desert of Paran, i.e., into the northern portion of the desert of Arabia, which stretches up to the mountains of Judah (see at Num 10:12); most likely for no other reason than because he could no longer find sufficient means of subsistence for himself and his six hundred men in the desert of Judah.