Abigail: Beautiful, Intelligent, Wise, Prudent … and Honored by God … Lesson 7

Abigail:  Beautiful, Intelligent, Wise, Prudent … and Honored by God … Lesson 7

By Patsy Norwood © 2025  All Rights Reserved!  Any and all commercial use of this study is prohibited!

I Samuel 25: 1 – 42; 27:3; 30:1-18; II Samuel 2: 2-3; 3:3; I Chronicles 3:1

In our last lesson, we saw Abigail lose her husband to death by the hand of God and now it’s time for the rest of the story.  Let’s pick up with I Samuel 25: 39 …

Verse 39 When David heard that Nabal was dead, he said, “Praise be to the Lord, who has upheld my cause against Nabal for treating me with contempt. He has kept his servant from doing wrong and has brought Nabal’s wrongdoing down on his own head.”  Then David sent word to Abigail, asking her to become his wife.

Let’s break down what David did when he heard Nabal was dead:

He praised God for championing his cause.  In other words, God defended and supported David as a result of/because of Nabal’s treatment of him.   Hmmm, let that sink in, we could do a whole other study on God defending, helping and going to battle for those who faithfully serve Him.

He acknowledged that God had prevented him from doing wrong.

He acknowledged that God had brought Nabal’s wrongdoing down on his (Nabal’s ) own head and then …

He sent a marriage proposal to Abigail.

Verse 40 His servants went to Carmel and said to Abigail, “David has sent us to you to take you to become his wife.”

David’s servants arrived in Carmel and delivered the proposal to Abigail.  Don’t you just wonder what her first thoughts were?  I do!  Was she shocked, surprised or did she take it all in stride?

We don’t know how much time elapsed between Nabal’s death and David hearing of it, but once he knew, David wasted no time in sending a marriage proposal to Abigail.

Abigail had already shown David the kind of woman she was and if we’ll remember (verses 32-34), he was impressed!

Verse 41 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 lord’s servants.”

Abigail again shows deep humility, this time towards David’s servants, by bowing down with her face to the ground.

She identifies herself as their servant ready to serve, wash their feet and according to customs of the times, she was saying ‘yes’, by her manner of reply, to David’s marriage proposal.

Verse 42 Abigail quickly got on a donkey and, attended by her five female servants, went with David’s messengers and became his wife.

We don’t know how much time elapsed or what happened after Abigail offered to serve and wash the feet of David’s servants, but it’s apparent that a lot was accomplished between that moment and her next actions.

Abigail wasted no time in gathering her five female servants to accompany her, going with David’s messengers and becoming David’s wife.  Just like that Abigail went from widowhood to being married again … this time to a much better man.

The five female servants indicate Abigail’s wealth and status.  What else did she bring to the marriage?  What about Nabal’s property, did that come with her?  Research suggests that it did or a portion of it anyway.  According to customs of the time, the property of the wife came under the control of her husband.  Did David wind up with Nabal’s property and possessions?  Since nothing is said about Nabal’s sons, this is likely what happened.

Can you see the irony in this?  Nabal refused David’s men food and in the end, David wound up not only with Nabal’s food, but his wife and property as well.  Yes, we serve a God Who is able!

We’ve covered a major life changing event in Abigail’s life, but there are a few more things Scripture tells us about her that we want to include …

Abigal was either the second or third wife of David.  Ahinoam from Jezreel could have been the second wife or it could have been our Abigail (Nabal’s wife).  Scripture is not clear which was second and which was third.  (Michal from Maon (Saul’s daughter) was the first.  (Saul gave her to another man while she was married to David.  You can read about that in I Samuel 25:44))

We next hear of Abigail in I Samuel 27:3 where she and Ahinoam are mentioned living with David at Gath. 

In I Samuel 30:5, we see Abigail along with Ahinoam taken captive by the Amalekites during a raid while David and his men were in Ziklag.  (You can read more about this by reading all of chapter 30.)

In II Samuel 2:1-2, we see Abigail was in Hebron with David when he was inaugurated as King of Judah.

In II Samuel 3:3, we read that she bore David his second son and named him Chileab.

We find no other reference to Abigail in God’s word thereafter, so let’s close this study out by zeroing in on what we can learn from Abigail and her example:

Do the right thing, even when it’s hard.  Abigail remained faithful to God through some emotionally hard times.

Our families are worth the effort it takes to fight for them.

Women have a uniqueness about them that God can use.

Trust God regardless of the circumstances.

Pray and strive for humility.  (I Peter 5:5; Philippians 2:8)

Pray and strive for godly discernment in all situations, especially difficult ones.

Choose words and actions carefully.

God will fight for His children and …

Be a peacemaker, as much as is within your control.

What are some of your thoughts on Abigail?  What have you learned or been reminded of?  What stood out to you and or impressed you about Abigail?

I hope you’ve enjoyed this study; we’ll do another one on a different woman in January 2026.  Between now and then, I’ll post shorter Bible studies, articles and or devotions occasionally.  In the meantime, please feel free to share all of my Bible studies, etc in their entirely with other ladies you know.

Enjoy this beautiful time of the year!

Until the next time …

patsy @ From This Heart of Mine

~ a place for women to gather and study God's Word ~

Sources used for this study:

Various translations of the Holy Bible

Various commentaries

Several trusted and biblically sound online sources

Dictionary of New Testament Background, Editors: Craig A Evans & Stanley E. Porter

Archaeological Study Bible

All the Women of the Bible by Edith Deen

Daughters of Eve by Lottie Beth Hobbs

Halley’s Bible Handbook by H. H. Halley

Abigail: Beautiful, Intelligent, Wise, Prudent ... and Honored by God ... Lesson 6

Abigail:  Beautiful, Intelligent, Wise, Prudent … and Honored by God … Lesson 6

By Patsy Norwood © 2025  All Rights Reserved!  Any and all commercial use of this study is prohibited!

I Samuel 25: 1 – 42; 27:3; 30:1-18; II Samuel 2: 2-3; 3:3; I Chronicles 3:1

In our last lesson, we saw Abigail breathe a sigh of relief after David’s response.  This week Abigail’s husband’s day of reckoning arrives …

Verse 36 When Abigail went to Nabal, he was in the house holding a banquet like that of a king. He was in high spirits and very drunk. So she told him nothing at all until daybreak.

Abigail returns home to find her husband still drunk and still enjoying the feast he was giving a bit too much.  Here again we see Abigail’s discernment in action, she wisely said nothing that night, she knew she would not be able to reason with him in his current state, it would keep until morning.

Timing is critical when embarking upon a mission such as or similar to Abigail’s.  What was her mission?  It was to inform her husband of what had almost happened because of his actions and what didn’t happen because of hers.

37 Then in the morning, when Nabal was sober, his wife told him all these things, and his heart failed him and he became like a stone.

It’s the next morning and Nabal is sober.  He likely has a huge hangover and might not be in the best mood, but Abigail cannot keep the previous day’s events from him any longer, he must be told all.

Daybreak or morning light of the new day was the time David had vowed in I Sameul 25:22, that by this time not one of the male members of Nabal’s household would be alive.  Instead, it’s now the time that Abigail is having a most serious conversation with Nabal about his prior actions.

Did Abigail struggle to find the right words to tell him what he had to know or did she just come right out with it and lay it on the line.  The Bible doesn’t tell us, it could have gone either way, but what we do know is that she told him and ‘his heart failed him and he became like stone.’  In today’s medical language we would likely say he had a heart attack or stroke that left him in a coma-like paralyzed state.

What was Nabal’s verbal reaction to what Abigail told him?  We don’t know, again, the Bible doesn’t tell us, but given what we do know about Nabal, it’s easy to see how he might have flew into a rage that brought on his medical condition.

What could he have been enraged about?  Possibly three things, if you put yourself inside Nabal’s head and heart: (1) anger over Abigail’s misuse of his goods, (2) alarm at what had almost happened, and/or (3) shame and humiliation he felt that Abigail had brought upon his name by her interference.

38 About ten days later, the Lord struck Nabal and he died.

God struck Nabal ten days later.  While it’s possible that it was of the same nature as before, we don’t know that; Scripture doesn’t tell us.  What it does tell us is that Nabal died by the hand of God.

Notice that God, not David brought about Nabal’s death.  God did not want David to bring about Nabal’s death for reasons mentioned in earlier lessons … He, God, would do it Himself.

What does this tell us about the awesome God we serve?  While he is 100% love and care and has shown and continues to show this to and for His children, He is also 100% about His purpose of bringing as many people as are willing to heaven through the decisions they make on earth.  (Yes, it is our choice, we get to choose where we spend eternity.) Sometimes, God’s ways might look uncaring and unloving in our eyes, but those are the times when we have to put our full trust in the God who is able.

In our next lesson, we’ll finish up our study on Abigail, who is now a widow.  I hope you’ll join me back here then as we watch Abigail go from being a widow to  _____, well you’ll just have to come back and find out!

Until the next lesson,

patsy @ From This Heart of Mine

~ a place for women to gather and study God's Word ~

Sources used for this study:

Various translations of the Holy Bible

Various commentaries

Several trusted and biblically sound online sources

Dictionary of New Testament Background, Editors: Craig A Evans & Stanley E. Porter

Archaeological Study Bible

All the Women of the Bible by Edith Deen

Daughters of Eve by Lottie Beth Hobbs

Halley’s Bible Handbook by H. H. Halley

 

Abigail: Beautiful, Intelligent, Wise, Prudent … and Honored by God … Lesson 5

Abigail:  Beautiful, Intelligent, Wise, Prudent … and Honored by God … Lesson 5

By Patsy Norwood © 2025  All Rights Reserved!  Any and all commercial use of this study is prohibited!

I Samuel 25: 1 – 42; 27:3; 30:1-18; II Samuel 2: 2-3; 3:3; I Chronicles 3:1

In our last lesson, we saw Abigail do her best to talk David down from his anger and intended revenge on her family, friends and village.  This week we’re going to see how David responded.

Let's rejoin David and Abigail in verse 32 ...

Verse 32 David said to Abigail, “Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel, who has sent you today to meet me.”

All Abigail’s efforts paid off, she was able to get through David’s anger, hate, vengeful thoughts and intentions; she was able to get him to see reason.  What relief surely must have washed over her entire being as she realized she had been successful!  Notice the first recorded words we have that David said after hearing Abigail out …

“Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel, who has sent you today to meet me.”

David recognized and praised God for sending Abigail to him.  It seems he realized the full impact of what he intended to do and that the woman standing before him was the instrument by which God had stopped him. 

Verse 33 May you be blessed for your good judgment and for keeping me from bloodshed this day and from avenging myself with my own hands.

With the full impact of what would have been had he not listened to Abigail likely heavy on his heart, David pronounces a blessing on Abigail.

Why the blessing?  Because Abigail, in her discernment and consequent actions, had saved many lives and likely generational consequences as well and David recognized this.

This couldn’t have been easy for Abigail, but using what she had where she was, she met the challenge head on.  Isn’t that what God wants us to do … use what He equips us with, to do what we can, where we’re at, when called upon to do so?

Abigail’s counsel had been wise, and David had been wise in setting aside his feelings and listening.  Are we willing to listen to counsel of those who are wiser than we?

Verse 34 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.”

“Otherwise, as surely as the Lord, the God of Israel, lives, who has kept me from harming you”  David acknowledges that God had kept him from carrying out his vengeance on Abigail.  That would have been so easy for him to do, wouldn’t it?  Here was the wife of the man he intended to destroy, David could have started his plan of revenge on Nabal with her, but God intervened!

David goes on to confess to Abigail that, “if you had not come quickly to meet me, not one male belonging to Nabal would have been left alive by daybreak.”  It’s clear that David is impressed by Abigail and her willingness to try to right the wrongs her husband had committed.  It seems he’s also impressed with her discernment, diplomacy and courage.  One more thing to notice, David gives her the credit due her and acknowledges her efforts.  Hmmmm … those who know this account or have read ahead know where all this led.  David is impressed with Abigail … enough said … for right now!

Verse 35 Then David accepted from her hand what she had brought him and said, “Go home in peace. I have heard your words and granted your request.”

What was Abigail’s request?  Really, it was twofold: (1) not to carry out his revenge on Nabal and (2) to show kindness to herself regardless of the decision he made regarding her husband.

David accepted the food offerings and sent Abigail back to Nabal with the assurance that her requests had been granted.

Before we leave this lesson, let’s step inside of Abigail’s head and heart and take a look at what she is likely feeling …

Immeasurable relief (The kind where your knees might buckle under you if you don’t sit down.)

Anger towards her husband (You know she’s got to be feeling this!)

Overwhelming thankfulness to God (Overflowing gratitude that can’t be put into words.)

Is it possible to have such a wide range of feelings and emotions going on in our hearts at the same time.  I think we all know the answer to that; yes, it is possible and as we’ve just seen, Abigail did!

In our next lesson, Nabal’s day of reckoning arrives!  Does Abigail play a role in it, if so, what does it look like?  We’ll talk about these things when we meet again in lesson 6.

patsy @ From This Heart of Mine

~ a place for women to gather and study God's Word ~

Sources used for this study:

Various translations of the Holy Bible

Various commentaries

Several trusted and biblically sound online sources

Dictionary of New Testament Background, Editors: Craig A Evans & Stanley E. Porter

Archaeological Study Bible

All the Women of the Bible by Edith Deen

Daughters of Eve by Lottie Beth Hobbs

Halley’s Bible Handbook by H. H. Halley