Abigail was married to Nabal, whose name means “fool.” And he lived up to the definition.
David and his men protected famers and shepherds—including Nabal—from brigands and Bedouins. Trouble begins to brew in this story soon after the harvest. Nabal’s men are enjoying a gala celebration, and David sends ten men to request an invitation. But Nabal pretends he’s never heard of David and insults him. An angry David and his four hundred men mount up to take revenge.
Then beauty appears. Abigail stands on the trail. She agrees Nabal is a scoundrel. She begs not for justice, but for forgiveness, and she offers gifts from her house and urges David to leave Nabal to God. Proverbs 25:15 (NLT) says, “Soft speech can break bones.”
