Easton's Bible Dictionary Foolish, a descendant of Caleb who dwelt at Maon (1 Samuel 25), the modern Main, 7 miles south-east of Hebron. He was "very great, and he had 3,000 sheep and 1,000 goats...but the man was churlish and evil in his doings." During his wanderings David came into that district, and hearing that Nabal was about to shear his sheep, he sent ten of his young men to ask "whatsoever cometh unto thy hand for thy servants." Nabal insultingly resented the demand, saying, "Who is David, and who is the son of Jesse?" (1 Samuel 25:10, 11). One of the shepherds that stood by and saw the reception David's messengers had met with, informed Abigail, Nabal's wife, who at once realized the danger that threatened her household. She forthwith proceeded to the camp of David, bringing with her ample stores of provisions (25:18). She so courteously and persuasively pled her cause that David's anger was appeased, and he said to her, "Blessed be the Lord God of Israel which sent thee this day to meet me." On her return she found her husband incapable from drunkenness of understanding the state of matters, and not till the following day did she explain to him what had happened. He was stunned by a sense of the danger to which his conduct had exposed him. "His heart died within him, and he became as a stone." and about ten days after "the Lord smote Nabal that he died" (1 Samuel 25:37, 38). Not long after David married Abigail (q.v.). Int. Standard Bible Encyclopedia NABAL na'-bal (nabhal, "foolish" or "wicked"; Nabal): A wealthy man of Maon in the highlands of Judah, not far from Hebron, owner of many sheep and goats which he pastured around Carmel in the same district. He was a churlish and wicked man (1 Samuel 25:2). When David was a fugitive from Saul, he and his followers sought refuge in the wilderness of Paran, near the possessions of Nabal, and protected the latter's flocks and herds from the marauding Bedouin. David felt that some compensation was due him for such services (1 Samuel 25:15, 25), so, at the time of sheep-shearing-an occasion of great festivities among sheep masters-he sent 10 of his young men to Nabal to solicit gifts of food for himself and his small band of warriors. Nabal not only refused any assistance or presents, but sent back insulting words to David, whereupon the latter, becoming very angry, determined upon the extermination of Nabal and his household and dispatched 400 men to execute his purpose. Abigail, Nabal's wife, a woman of wonderful sagacity and prudence as well as of great beauty, having learned of her husband's conduct and of David's intentions, hurriedly proceeded, with a large supply of provisions, dainties and wine, to meet David and to apologize for her husband's unkind words and niggardliness, and thus succeeded in thwarting the bloody and revengeful plans of Israel's future king. Upon her return home she found her husband in the midst of a great celebration ("like the feast of a king"), drunken with wine, too intoxicated to realize his narrow escape from the sword of David. On the following morning, when sober, having heard the report of his wife, he was so overcome with fear that he never recovered from the shock, but died 10 days later (1 Samuel 25:36-38). When David heard about his death, he sent for Abigail, who soon afterward became one of his wives.y Paul) make use of expressions and analogies derived from the mystery-religions; but, so far as our present evidence goes, we cannot agree that the pagan cults exercised a central or formative influence on them. W. W. Davies

Multi-Version Concordance Nabal (18 Occurrences) 1 Samuel 25:3 Now the name of the man was Nabal; and the name of his wife Abigail; and the woman was of good understanding, and of a beautiful face: but the man was churlish and evil in his doings; and he was of the house of Caleb. (WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV) 1 Samuel 25:4 David heard in the wilderness that Nabal was shearing his sheep. (WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV) 1 Samuel 25:5 David sent ten young men, and David said to the young men, "Go up to Carmel, and go to Nabal, and greet him in my name. (WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV) 1 Samuel 25:9 When David's young men came, they spoke to Nabal according to all those words in the name of David, and ceased. (WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV) 1 Samuel 25:10 Nabal answered David's servants, and said, "Who is David? Who is the son of Jesse? There are many servants who break away from their masters these days. (WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV) 1 Samuel 25:14 But one of the young men told Abigail, Nabal's wife, saying, "Behold, David sent messengers out of the wilderness to Greet our master; and he railed at them. (WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV) 1 Samuel 25:19 She said to her young men, "Go on before me. Behold, I come after you." But she didn't tell her husband, Nabal. (WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV) 1 Samuel 25:25 Please don't let my lord regard this worthless fellow, even Nabal; for as his name is, so is he. Nabal is his name, and folly is with him; but I, your handmaid, didn't see the young men of my lord, whom you sent. (WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV) 1 Samuel 25:26 Now therefore, my lord, as Yahweh lives, and as your soul lives, since Yahweh has withheld you from blood guiltiness, and from avenging yourself with your own hand, now therefore let your enemies, and those who seek evil to my lord, be as Nabal. (WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV) 1 Samuel 25:34 For indeed, as Yahweh, the God of Israel, lives, who has withheld me from hurting you, unless you had hurried and come to meet me, surely there wouldn't have been left to Nabal by the morning light so much as one who urinates on a wall. " (WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV) 1 Samuel 25:36 Abigail came to Nabal; and behold, he held a feast in his house, like the feast of a king. Nabal's heart was merry within him, for he was very drunken. Therefore she told him nothing, less or more, until the morning light. (WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV) 1 Samuel 25:37 It happened in the morning, when the wine was gone out of Nabal, that his wife told him these things, and his heart died within him, and he became as a stone. (WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV) 1 Samuel 25:38 It happened about ten days after, that Yahweh struck Nabal, so that he died. (WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV) 1 Samuel 25:39 When David heard that Nabal was dead, he said, "Blessed is Yahweh, who has pleaded the cause of my reproach from the hand of Nabal, and has kept back his servant from evil. Yahweh has returned the evildoing of Nabal on his own head." David sent and spoke concerning Abigail, to take her to him as wife. (WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV) 1 Samuel 27:3 David lived 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. (WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV) 1 Samuel 30:5 David's two wives were taken captive, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail the wife of Nabal the Carmelite. (WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV) 2 Samuel 2:2 So David went up there, and his two wives also, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail the wife of Nabal the Carmelite. (WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV) 2 Samuel 3:3 and his second, Chileab, of Abigail the wife of Nabal the Carmelite; and the third, Absalom the son of Maacah the daughter of Talmai king of Geshur; (WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)