Nabal in the Bible
Meaning: fool; senseless
Exact Match
Now the name of the man was Nabal; and the name of his wife Abigail: and she was 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.
And David heard in the wilderness that Nabal did shear his sheep.
And David sent out ten young men, and David said unto the young men, Get you up to Carmel, and go to Nabal, and greet him in my name:
And when David's young men came, they spake to Nabal according to all those words in the name of David, and ceased.
And Nabal answered David's servants, and said, Who is David? and who is the son of Jesse? there be many servants now a days that break away every man from his master.
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.
And she said unto her servants, Go on before me; behold, I come after you. But she told not her husband Nabal.
Let not my lord, I pray thee, regard this man of Belial, even Nabal: for as his name is, so is he; Nabal is his name, and folly is with him: but I thine handmaid saw not the young men of my lord, whom thou didst send.
Now therefore, my lord, as the LORD liveth, and as thy soul liveth, seeing the LORD hath withholden thee from coming to shed blood, and from avenging thyself with thine own hand, now let thine enemies, and they that seek evil to my lord, be as Nabal.
For in very deed, as the LORD God of Israel liveth, which hath kept me back from hurting thee, except thou hadst hasted and come to meet me, surely there had not been left unto Nabal by the morning light any that pisseth against the wall.
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 drunken: wherefore she told him nothing, less or more, until the morning light.
But it came to pass in the morning, when the wine was gone out of Nabal, and his wife had told him these things, that his heart died within him, and he became as a stone.
And it came to pass about ten days after, that the LORD smote Nabal, that he died.
And when David heard that Nabal was dead, he said, Blessed be the LORD, that hath pleaded the cause of my reproach from the hand of Nabal, and hath kept his servant from evil: for the LORD hath returned the wickedness of Nabal upon his own head. And David sent and communed with Abigail, to take her to him to wife.
And David dwelt with Achish at Gath, he and his men, every man with his household, even David with his two wives, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail the Carmelitess, Nabal's wife.
And David's two wives were taken captives, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail the wife of Nabal the Carmelite.
So David went up thither, and his two wives also, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail Nabal's wife the Carmelite.
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Contempt » Exemplified » Nabal
Discourtesy » Nabal
Drunkenness » Exemplified » Nabal
Drunkenness » Examples of » Nabal
Drunkenness » Instances of » Nabal
Ingratitude » Exemplified » Nabal
ask thy lads, and they will show thee. Wherefore let these young men find favour in thine eyes - for we come in a good season - and give, I pray thee, whatsoever cometh to thine hand unto thy servants and to thine son David." And David's young men came and told Nabal all those words in the name of David and then stopped. And Nabal answered David's servants and said, "What is David? And what is the son of Jesse? There is plenty of servants nowadays, that break away every man from his master. Should I take my bread, my water and my flesh that I have killed for my shearers, and give it unto men which I know not whence they be?"
Ingratitude » Of man to man » Nabal
Intemperance » Examples of » Nabal
Intoxication » Examples of » Nabal
Masters' » Bad--exemplified » Nabal
Nabal » History of
he sent out ten of his young men, and said unto them, "Get you up to Carmel and go to Nabal and greet him in my name. And thus wise say unto my friend, "Peace be to thee, peace be to thine house, and peace be unto all that thou hast. I have heard say that thou hast shearers. Now the shepherds were with us, and we did them no spite, neither was there ought missing unto them, all the while they were in Carmel: ask thy lads, and they will show thee. Wherefore let these young men find favour in thine eyes - for we come in a good season - and give, I pray thee, whatsoever cometh to thine hand unto thy servants and to thine son David." And David's young men came and told Nabal all those words in the name of David and then stopped. And Nabal answered David's servants and said, "What is David? And what is the son of Jesse? There is plenty of servants nowadays, that break away every man from his master. Should I take my bread, my water and my flesh that I have killed for my shearers, and give it unto men which I know not whence they be?" And David's servants turned their way and went again, and came and told him according to all those sayings. Then David said unto his men, "Gird every man his sword about him." And they girded every man his sword on, and David thereto girded on his sword. And there followed David upon a four hundred men, and two hundred abode by the stuff. But one of the lads told Abigail, Nabal's wife, saying, "See, David sent messengers unto our master out of the wilderness to salute him, and he railed on them. And yet the men were very good unto us and did us no displeasure, neither missed we anything, as long as were conversant with them, when we were in the fields. But they were a wall of defense unto us both by night and also by day, all the while we were with them keeping sheep. Now take heed and see what thou hast to do, for it is concluded to do mischief unto our master and to all his household. And he is ungracious to speak to." Then Abigail made haste and took two hundred loaves and two bottles of wine and five sheep ready dressed and five measures of parched corn, and a hundred bundles of raisins and two hundred frails of figs, and laded them on asses, and said unto her young men, "Go before me, and see I come after you," and told her husband Nabal nothing thereof. And as she rode on her ass and was coming down in a slade of the hill, David and his men came down against her, and she met them. And David said, "In vain have I kept all that this fellow had in the wilderness: so that nought was missed that pertained unto him, for he hath quite me with evil for good. God do this and yet more unto the enemies of David, if until tomorrow in the morning I leave this man, of all that he hath, so much as one that pisseth against the wall." When Abigail saw David, she hasted and lighted off her ass and fell before David on her face, and bowed herself to the ground, and fell at his feet and said, "Let this unhappy deed be counted mine, my lord, and let thine handmaid speak in thine audience, and hear the words of thy handmaid. Let not my lord regard this unthrifty man Nabal, for as his name is, so is he. Nabal is his name and folly is with him. But I thine handmaid saw not the young men of my lord which thou sendest. And now my lord as sure as the LORD liveth and as thy soul liveth, the LORD hath withholden thee from coming to shed blood and from avenging thyself with thine own hand. Furthermore, I pray God that thine enemies and they that intend to do my lord evil, may be as Nabal. And now this blessing which thine handmaid hath brought, let it be given unto the young men that follow my lord. Forgive the trespass of thine handmaid that the LORD may make my lord a sure house, because my lord fighteth the battles of the LORD, and there could none evil be found in thee in all thy life. And if any man rise to persecute thee and to seek thy soul, the soul of my lord be bound in a bundle of life with the LORD thy God. And the souls of thy enemies be slung in the middle of a sling. And moreover when the LORD shall have done to my lord all the good that he hath promised thee, and shall have made thee ruler over Israel: then shall it be no grudge of conscience unto thee or discourage of heart unto my lord, that thou sheddest blood causeless and didst avenge thyself. And moreover when the LORD shall have dealt well with my lord, then think on thine handmaid." Then said David to Abigail, "Blessed be the LORD God of Israel which sent thee this day to meet me. And blessed be thy behaviour, and blessed be thou which hath kept me this day from coming to shed blood and from avenging myself with mine own hand. For in very deed - as sure as the LORD God of Israel liveth which hath kept me back from hurting thee - except thou hadst hasted and met me, there had not been left Nabal, by the dawning of the day, a pisser against the wall." And so David received of her hand that she brought him, and said to her, "Go in peace to thine house. And see, I have obeyed thy voice and have received thee to grace." And when Abigail came to Nabal, behold, he held a feast in his house like the feast of a king; and Nabal's heart was merry within him, and he was drunk a good. Wherefore she told him nought, neither little nor more, until the morrow day. But in the morning, when the wine was gone out of Nabal, his wife told him these words, and his heart died within him, and he became as a stone, and upon a ten days after, the LORD smote Nabal that he died.