And Samuel died; and all Israel gathered themselves together, and lamented him, and buried him in his house at Ramah. And David arose, and went down to the wilderness of Paran.
verse value 3834
Insights
Verse structure: 13 words, 67 letters. Verse gematria: 3834 is divisible by 18, the value of chai ('life'). The shortest word is "David" (דָּוִ֔ד, 3 letters) and the longest is "for·him" (וַיִּסְפְּדוּ־ל֔וֹ, 8 letters). 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in I Samuel. Unique to this verse in I Samuel (hapax): "to·wilderness·of" (אֶל־מִדְבַּ֥ר), "Paran" (פָּארָֽן). 13 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "David" (root דוד, 262x in I Samuel); "to·wilderness·of" (root איל, 238x in I Samuel); "Samuel" (root שמואל, 103x in I Samuel). First appearance of the root קבר ("and·they·buried·him") in I Samuel. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'in·Ramah', dividing the verse into phrases of 8 and 5 words. Full calculation: וַיָּ֣מׇת [and·he·died] (456) + שְׁמוּאֵ֔ל [Samuel] (377) + וַיִּקָּבְצ֤וּ [and·they·gathered] (214) + כׇל־יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ [all·Israel] (591) + וַיִּסְפְּדוּ־ל֔וֹ [for·him] (202) + וַיִּקְבְּרֻ֥הוּ [and·they·buried·him] (329) + בְּבֵית֖וֹ [in·his·house] (420) + בָּרָמָ֑ה [in·Ramah] (247) + וַיָּ֣קׇם [and·arose] (156) + דָּוִ֔ד [David] (14) + וַיֵּ֖רֶד [and·went·down] (220) + אֶל־מִדְבַּ֥ר [to·wilderness·of] (277) + פָּארָֽן [Paran] (331) = 3834.
Radak
"And Samuel died." Scripture recounts the death of Samuel, for it is possible that Samuel died in this very section in which Saul is separated from David, and Samuel’s prophecy was fulfilled during his lifetime, since even Saul acknowledged David’s kingship. And Samuel died seven months before Saul. The four months and part of the fifth month are the period during which David dwelt in the land of the Philistines, as it is written: "And behold, the incident of Abigail occurred, and David dwelt in Gibeath-hachilah". Thus, there were two months and part of the third month, and behold, these total seven months. For so our Sages of blessed memory stated that Samuel died seven months before Saul. And it is possible that they said this because the seven months that the Ark was in the land of the Philistines are not included in the fifty-two years of Samuel’s life. Otherwise, we would find fifty-two years, as we explained in the verse: "Behold, I am old and advanced in years". And opposite those seven months are these seven months from the death of Samuel the Ramati until the death of Saul, and this marks the beginning of David’s kingship.
"In his house at Ramah." In his house, which was in Ramah, as it is written, "And his return was to Ramah, for there was his house." And we will further expound on the death of Samuel in the verse, "And Samuel died." Why is the death of Samuel mentioned in this place? In order to understand the midrashic interpretation.
Ralbag
"At his house in Ramah." This means: in the place where his house was, as it is stated, "And his return was to Ramah, for there was his house."
Metzudat David
"In his house in Ramah."—In the house that he had in Ramah.
“And he went down, etc.” Perhaps the people were traveling back and forth through the wilderness of En Gedi to mourn for Samuel, and he feared that someone from Saul’s men might find him; therefore, he went from there to the wilderness of Paran. Hence, the verse is juxtaposed with the death of Samuel.
Malbim
The questions: Why did David then change his place after the death of Samuel?
And Samuel died, etc. And David arose: During all the days of Samuel’s life, the matter that Samuel had anointed David was not revealed, because he was afraid to disclose it, as it is stated, “And Saul will hear and kill me” (above 16:2). And upon Samuel’s death, the matter was revealed, either by Samuel himself before his death, or by his disciples afterward. Therefore, David increased his fear of Saul, and while they were occupied with mourning for Samuel, he went to the wilderness of Paran.
And there was a man in Maon, whose possessions were in Carmel; and the man was very great, and he had three thousand sheep, and a thousand goats; and he was shearing his sheep in Carmel.
verse value 4122
Insights
Verse structure: 16 words, 74 letters. Verse gematria: 4122 is divisible by 18, the value of chai ('life'). The shortest word is "very" (מְאֹ֔ד, 3 letters) and the longest is "three·cattle" (שְׁלֹשֶׁת־אֲלָפִ֖ים, 9 letters). Words sharing gematria 292: in·Carmel, in·Carmel. 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in I Samuel. Unique to this verse in I Samuel (hapax): "in·Maon" (בְּמָע֜וֹן), "and·His·deed" (וּמַעֲשֵׂ֣הוּ), "when·shearing" (בִּגְזֹ֥ז). The root איש appears 2 times in this verse. 12 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·man" (root איש, 201x in I Samuel); "and·it·was" (root היה, 167x in I Samuel); "great" (root גדול, 36x in I Samuel). First appearance of the root כרמל ("in·Carmel") in I Samuel. First appearance of the root גזז ("when·shearing") in I Samuel. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'goats', dividing the verse into phrases of 12 and 4 words.
Rashi
And a man in Ma'on. The name of the city.
And his business. His flock and his property.
Great. Rich.
And he was shearing his sheep in Carmel. And it was one day when the time of shearing his sheep in Carmel arrived. And his way was to make a feast and a festival for the shearers of the sheep.
Radak
"And a man in Maon" – the name of a city mentioned among the cities of the tribe of Judah, for this man was of the tribe of Judah, of the family of Caleb.
And his business was in Carmel. A place that is cultivated with sowing and trees is called Carmel, as it is stated, “And the wilderness shall become Carmel.” And the explanation of “his business” is his property, for that which is acquired is called “business” and “work,” as it is stated, “according to the pace of the cattle that is before me.” And it is possible to interpret that this Carmel is the name of a city called thus among the cities of Judah, adjacent to Maon, as it is written, “Maon, Carmel, and Ziph, and Juttah.” And it appears that these places are adjacent to the wilderness of Paran, where David descended when he fled from Saul, after he had sworn to him, for David sent to Nabal from the wilderness, as it is written, “And David heard in the wilderness that Nabal was shearing his sheep,” or he pursued him from the wilderness of Paran to the wilderness of Ziph, for these places are close to one another, as it is written, for the Ziphites denounced him another time from there, as it is written:
"And to him [were] flocks." "Flocks" is a general term encompassing both sheep and goats, and this is the predominant usage. However, here it refers to sheep alone, as he subsequently mentions "a thousand goats." Likewise, in every instance where the term is used in the context of shearing, such as "and the fleece of your flocks shall you give him," it refers exclusively to sheep.
Ralbag
"And a man in Maon, and his business in Carmel." He said "in maon" to show that he did not dwell in the city, but had a dwelling (maon) beside his business, which was in Carmel — that is to say, that in Carmel were his fields and his gardens and his vineyards, and because of his great wealth there his dwelling was there. Or he meant by "in maon" that he dwelt in a place of honour while his business was far from him, for his business was in Carmel; and this second interpretation is the correct one in our view.
"And the man was very great." This means that his wealth was abundant.
"And it came to pass, when he was shearing his sheep in Carmel" (1 Samuel 25:2). This means that at the time of shearing his sheep, he was in Carmel.
Metzudat David
And his work. His livestock, and similarly they are called "work," as it is written (Genesis 33:14): "According to the pace of the work," because one who is occupied with livestock, all his labor and work are in them; and likewise (Jeremiah 48:7): "Because you have trusted in your works."
Very great. In abundant wealth:
In the shearing. When he was shearing his sheep, he was in Carmel:
Metzudat Zion
In Maon, in Carmel. They were from the inheritance of Judah, as it is written (Joshua 15:55): 'Maon, Carmel, and Ziph'.
Malbim
The Questions: Why did the text elaborate on the location of Nabal, the place of his deed, and his misdeeds?
"And a man in Maon"—this was stated to magnify the wickedness of Nabal, lest you say that he did not recognize David. It is therefore said that the man dwelt in Maon, where David had wandered in the wilderness of Maon. And yet, his deed took place in Carmel. B. Lest you say that he was not capable [of hosting him], it is said that the man was great and possessed great wealth. Moreover, since he was shearing his sheep, according to the multitude of his sheep, the feast was large, and his hand was not short [i.e., he was not lacking in means].
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 form; but the man was churlish and evil in his doings; and he was of the house of Caleb.
verse value 5385
Insights
Verse structure: 17 words, 70 letters. Notable word values: "and·he" (וְה֥וּא) = 18, chai, 'life'. The shortest word is "and·name·of" (וְשֵׁ֤ם, 3 letters) and the longest is "good·of·understanding" (טֽוֹבַת־שֶׂ֙כֶל֙, 7 letters). Words sharing gematria 346: and·name·of, and·name·of. 8 words in this verse appear nowhere else in I Samuel. Unique to this verse in I Samuel (hapax): "Abigail" (אֲבִגָ֑יִל), "and·the·wife" (וְהָאִשָּׁ֤ה), "good·of·understanding" (טֽוֹבַת־שֶׂ֙כֶל֙). The root שם appears 2 times in this verse. 14 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "man" (root איש, 201x in I Samuel); "and·he" (root הוא, 82x in I Samuel); "and·name·of" (root שם, 71x in I Samuel). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'Abigail', dividing the verse into phrases of 6 and 11 words.
Rashi
He was of the house of Caleb.
Radak
"And the name of the man was Nabal." What is told here is the name of the man, and its meaning is that it says, "And the man was harsh and evil in his deeds." And the name of the woman, and its meaning is that it says, "And the woman was good in understanding," regarding their future deeds, for he acted wickedly like a foolish man, and she acted with understanding and wisdom.
"Goodness of understanding." As its Targum [translates it]: "Wisdom of knowledge." And some say that "understanding" refers to the matter of contemplation and comprehension, as if it had said, "goodness of appearance." And my master and father of blessed memory wrote that "Nabal" was not his name as his fathers called him, but rather due to his great baseness, people called him Nabal.
"And he was a Calebite." The yod is for lineage: because he was of the family of Caleb he was so called; and so Jonathan rendered it, and he was of the house of Caleb. And the written form is with a vav, kalbo; and it is possible to explain the kaf as a preposition according to the written form — that is to say, so did his deeds appear evil, even as his heart was evil, for there are men whose deeds are comely and whose heart is evil, but he was inwardly as he was outwardly, and outwardly as he was inwardly, for evil. And the read form too may be explained in this way: for every man that asked of him would say of him, he is as my heart supposed — as I thought of him, that he would refuse my request, so he was. And in this way Scripture spoke concerning the evil eye, "for as one that reckoneth within himself, so is he." And one may explain kalbi from the baseness of his deeds: they likened him to a dog.
Ralbag
"And he was doglike." That is to say, that by reason of his great cruelty his disposition was like the disposition of dogs, which hate their own kind and bark at them when they come near, and will not let them eat of what is in the house, even though nothing of their own food would be diminished. And this is among the things that show that Nabal's wickedness lay in stinginess.
Metzudat David
Good sense. Possessed of good sense:
Hard and evil in deeds. Strong of heart and a doer of evil:
Kelbi: From the descendants of Caleb, son of Yefunneh, and he was a relative of David.
Malbim
And the name of the man—the man was notorious for evil on account of his name, Nabal—but his wife was renowned for praise. And it is written that according to their names were their deeds: the woman was complete both in spiritual excellences, possessing good intellect, and in bodily excellence, being fair of form; whereas the man was harsh by nature and evil in his deeds regarding his moral character (for this is the definition of the term "ma'alel" [deeds], referring to an action stemming from a moral trait, as stated in many places). Now, one who is harsh by nature but not evil in his deeds will sometimes do good on account of morality and justice; and one who is evil in his deeds but not harsh by nature will sometimes do good and justice on account of natural susceptibility, such as from compassion for the way, or from fear, as it would have been fitting here for Nabal to fear David, or to have compassion on the young men. But since he was harsh by nature and evil in his deeds, there was no hope in him. And the reason that David trusted in him to send to him, he says: A. And he was a Calebite, on account of his being of the family of Caleb of Judah, who are David's tribe.
And David heard in the wilderness that Nabal was shearing his sheep.
verse value 1365
Insights
Verse structure: 6 words, 27 letters. Verse gematria: 1365 is divisible by 13, the value of echad ('one') and ahavah ('love'). The shortest word is "David" (דָּוִ֖ד, 3 letters) and the longest is "his·flock" (אֶת־צֹאנֽוֹ, 6 letters). 1 word in this verse appears nowhere else in I Samuel. Unique to this verse in I Samuel (hapax): "that·shearing" (כִּי־גֹזֵ֥ז). 6 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "David" (root דוד, 262x in I Samuel); "and·he·heard" (root שמע, 66x in I Samuel); "Nabal" (root נבל, 20x in I Samuel). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'in·the·wilderness', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 3 words. Full calculation: וַיִּשְׁמַ֥ע [and·he·heard] (426) + דָּוִ֖ד [David] (14) + בַּמִּדְבָּ֑ר [in·the·wilderness] (248) + כִּי־גֹזֵ֥ז [that·shearing] (47) + נָבָ֖ל [Nabal] (82) + אֶת־צֹאנֽוֹ [his·flock] (548) = 1365.
Malbim
2. “And he heard...” – For he sheared [his sheep] and calculated that at the time of his joy, his heart would be inclined to do good.
And David sent ten young men, and David said to the young men: ‘Get you up to Carmel, and go to Nabal, and greet him in my name;
verse value 4518
Insights
Verse structure: 14 words, 66 letters. Verse gematria: 4518 is divisible by 18, the value of chai ('life'). The shortest word is "David" (דָּוִ֖ד, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·you·shall·ask·for·him" (וּשְׁאֶלְתֶּם־ל֥וֹ, 8 letters). Words sharing gematria 14: David, David. 5 words in this verse appear nowhere else in I Samuel. Unique to this verse in I Samuel (hapax): "ten" (עֲשָׂרָ֣ה), "young·men" (נְעָרִ֑ים), "to·Carmel" (כַרְמֶ֙לָה֙). The root דוד appears 2 times in this verse. 12 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·said" (root אמר, 418x in I Samuel); "David" (root דוד, 262x in I Samuel); "to·Nabal" (root איל, 238x in I Samuel). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'young·men', dividing the verse into phrases of 4 and 10 words. Full calculation: וַיִּשְׁלַ֥ח [and·he·sent] (354) + דָּוִ֖ד [David] (14) + עֲשָׂרָ֣ה [ten] (575) + נְעָרִ֑ים [young·men] (370) + וַיֹּ֨אמֶר [and·said] (257) + דָּוִ֜ד [David] (14) + לַנְּעָרִ֗ים [for·the·young] (400) + עֲל֤וּ [go·up] (106) + כַרְמֶ֙לָה֙ [to·Carmel] (295) + וּבָאתֶ֣ם [and·you·shall·enter] (449) + אֶל־נָבָ֔ל [to·Nabal] (113) + וּשְׁאֶלְתֶּם־ל֥וֹ [and·you·shall·ask·for·him] (813) + בִשְׁמִ֖י [in·my·name] (352) + לְשָׁלֽוֹם [for·peace] (406) = 4518.
Ralbag
"Ascended to Carmel." This refers to the fact that Nabal had relocated there at the time of the shearing.
Malbim
“And you shall inquire” — He appeased him on account of three matters: 1. On account of the honor of David, who sent to bless him; and regarding this he said, “And you shall inquire for me in my name for peace,” and he explained to them how they were to inquire after his well-being.
and thus you shall say: All hail! and peace be both to you, and peace be to your house, and peace be to all that you have.
verse value 3345
Insights
Verse structure: 10 words, 40 letters. The shortest word is "thus" (כֹּ֖ה, 2 letters) and the longest is "and·you·shall·say" (וַאֲמַרְתֶּ֥ם, 6 letters). Words sharing gematria 376: peace, peace, peace. 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in I Samuel. Unique to this verse in I Samuel (hapax): "to·life" (לֶחָ֑י), "and·your·house" (וּבֵיתְךָ֣). The root שלום appears 3 times in this verse. 8 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·you·shall·say" (root אמר, 418x in I Samuel); "that·you·have" (root אשר, 229x in I Samuel); "and·your·house" (root בית, 75x in I Samuel). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'to·life', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 7 words. Full calculation: וַאֲמַרְתֶּ֥ם [and·you·shall·say] (687) + כֹּ֖ה [thus] (25) + לֶחָ֑י [to·life] (48) + וְאַתָּ֤ה [and·you] (412) + שָׁלוֹם֙ [peace] (376) + וּבֵיתְךָ֣ [and·your·house] (438) + שָׁל֔וֹם [peace] (376) + וְכֹ֥ל [and·them] (56) + אֲשֶׁר־לְךָ֖ [that·you·have] (551) + שָׁלֽוֹם [peace] (376) = 3345.
Rashi
As he lives. So may it be next year — shearing again (as he lives — a fortunate sign, living and standing). (Another version: As he lives — they said concerning his slaughter and his drink-offering that you see — so it is fitting for a living man, for a vigorous and important man, like (II Samuel 23:20): Son of a living man, great in deeds — living and vigorous, a man of deeds. End quote).
Living. Good and lasting.
And you shall be in peace, etc. So you shall be for a long time.
Radak
"Thus [say ye] to him that liveth." Like this good shall it be to thee all the days of thy life. And so Jonathan rendered it: thus to thy life. And some explain "and ye shall say thus" as [addressed] to the rich man — like "what advantage hath the poor man, that knoweth to walk before the living?" — and its meaning would be: and ye shall say, this peace is for the rich man. And the vav of "and peace be to thee," according to this interpretation, is like the vav of "and Abraham lifted up his eyes."
Ralbag
Thus, "life." The intention is that he should have good at this appointed time in the coming year, and it is called "life" now, referring to the one who is standing, as we explained in our discussion of the Torah regarding the verse, "I will certainly return unto thee when the season cometh round."
Metzudat David
"Thus to life." This means: May it be so for the duration of your life, and may you be in peace, as well as your household, etc.
Malbim
And you shall say to him: “Thus,” meaning, “Thus you shall merit life in the coming year.” “And you be well,” encompassing the three types of peace through which a person prospers: 1. Peace for himself, which is “and you be well”; 2. Peace for his household, which is “and your household be well”; 3. Peace for his possessions and what is attached to him, which is “and all that is yours be well.”
And now I have heard that you have shearers; your shepherds have now been with us, and we did them no hurt, neither was there aught missing to them, all the while they were in Carmel.
verse value 4509
Insights
Verse structure: 18 words, 77 letters. The shortest word is "that" (כִּ֥י, 2 letters) and the longest is "we·shamed·them" (הֶכְלַמְנ֗וּם, 7 letters). 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in I Samuel. Unique to this verse in I Samuel (hapax): "shearing" (גֹזְזִ֖ים), "we·shamed·them" (הֶכְלַמְנ֗וּם), "their·being" (הֱיוֹתָ֥ם). The root עתה appears 2 times in this verse. 15 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "that·are·yours" (root אשר, 229x in I Samuel); "were" (root היה, 167x in I Samuel); "that" (root כי, 161x in I Samuel). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'to·you', dividing the verse into phrases of 5 and 13 words.
Rashi
We did not shame them. If they needed us for anything, we did not send them away empty.
And nothing was missed from them. We found them — for we were guarding them.
Radak
"We did not shame them." The letter he is with a segol, and it is as if it were with a hireq, and its meaning is: "We did not do to them any evil thing that would be a cause of shame for them; if they needed anything from us, we did not send them away empty-handed." And the Targum [renders it]: "We did not harass them."
"And nothing was missing to them." [That is,] and nothing was lacking, like "and there lacketh not one man of us." Its meaning: nothing was missing to them of all that was theirs; and the lamed is like the lamed of "until he left off numbering."
"All the days of their being in Carmel." Explanation: With us.
Ralbag
"We did not shame them." This means that we did not mock them, nor did we say to them anything to embarrass them; furthermore, we did not do anything that would bring shame upon them on our account. This statement serves to indicate that they took nothing of the cattle, on account of which shame would come upon them when Nabal should find his reckoning short.
"And nothing was visited upon them." This means that not only did harm not come to them from our side, but rather, we guarded them so that harm did not come to them from any other source. And for this reason Nabal's lads said, "They were a wall unto us, both by night and by day."
Metzudat David
"Now, etc." This means: Now I will inform you that your shepherds who were with us—we did not humiliate them with words of strife and contention, nor did we deprive them of anything, for we did not lay a hand on any of their possessions.
Metzudat Zion
Was missing. Was lacking.
Anything. Not at all.
Malbim
The questions: And do they receive reward for not having stolen or oppressed?
And now (matter B) they approached him from the aspect of obligation. A. Since this feast was for the shepherds, and they were included among the shepherds, for they were the primary ones in guarding the flock, and this is what is written: "And now I have heard that you shear your sheep." "Now" means: behold, we have taken care that no harm come to you from us, as is the way of other men of war, not even any harm at all, even in words; and this is what is written: "We shamed them not." B. That they also derived benefit through the fact that nothing was missing from them, for we guarded them from robbers and from predatory beasts; and regarding this, the shepherds themselves testified as witnesses, and this is what is written:
Ask your young men, and they will tell you; wherefore let the young men find favour in your eyes; for we come on a good day; give, I pray you, whatsoever comes to your hand, to your servants, and to your son David.’
verse value 4441
Insights
Verse structure: 19 words, 83 letters. The shortest word is "to·you" (לָ֗ךְ, 2 letters) and the longest is "your·young·men" (אֶת־נְעָרֶ֜יךָ, 7 letters). Words sharing gematria 58: favour, we·came. 5 words in this verse appear nowhere else in I Samuel. Unique to this verse in I Samuel (hapax): "your·young·men" (אֶת־נְעָרֶ֜יךָ), "for·on·a·day" (כִּֽי־עַל־י֥וֹם), "give·please" (תְּנָה־נָּ֗א). The root נער appears 2 times in this verse. 17 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "to·David" (root דוד, 262x in I Samuel); "that" (root אשר, 229x in I Samuel); "we·came" (root בוא, 161x in I Samuel). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'we·came', dividing the verse into phrases of 11 and 8 words.
Rashi
And the boys will find. Mine — favor in your eyes, through the good report your servants will give you of them.
For we have come on a feast day. On account of the feast and festival that you have — we have come now to request. Another matter: It was the evening of Rosh Hashanah, and we need a meal for the festival.
Radak
“For it is a feast day that we have come.” The aleph is missing from the written text, and it remains pronounced with a vowel sound. And the meaning is that their custom was to hold a banquet and a feast day at the time when they were shearing [the sheep], as we have seen in the matter of Absalom. And this is [what is meant by] “For it is a feast day that we have come,” namely, we have come to you at a time when you are celebrating a feast day, and you will not increase your expenditure on our account, for you are celebrating a feast day for your shearers, and you have prepared an abundance of food and drink.
Metzudat David
"And they shall tell you." That the matter is true:
“And the young men found.” They said this about themselves: for the sake of David, that they might find favor to be received with a favorable countenance.
"For on a feast day." Their custom was to make a feast day with a banquet and joy at the time of shearing the sheep, as it is stated regarding Absalom (II Samuel 13:23): "And it came to pass, when the time came for shearing... and he invited..." And David commanded him, saying: "Is it not on a feast day that we have come?" and it is fitting to receive all who come with a pleasant countenance at that time.
“Give, please.” Now give what your hand finds, whether little or much:
"To Your servants." Regarding themselves, they said:
Metzudat Zion
We came. Like 'we came,' and it lacked the alef.
Malbim
“Ask thy young men, etc.” (the third matter): They came to him on the grounds of grace and kindness. This is what is written: “And the young men found favor in your eyes”—after we have come on a festival day, which is a time when one ought to show grace to all who seek kindness on that day. And on the basis of these three reasons, give according to what your hand finds, meaning: according to the measure of your hand’s strength and your voluntary giving alone.
And when David’s young men came, they spoke to Nabal according to all those words in the name of David, and ceased.
verse value 1524
Insights
Verse structure: 10 words, 48 letters. Notable word values: "and·they·rested" (וַיָּנֽוּחוּ) = 86, equal to Elohim. The shortest word is "David" (דָוִ֔ד, 3 letters) and the longest is "as·all·the·words" (כְּכׇל־הַדְּבָרִ֥ים, 9 letters). Words sharing gematria 14: David, David. 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in I Samuel. Unique to this verse in I Samuel (hapax): "the·servants·of" (נַעֲרֵ֣י), "as·all·the·words" (כְּכׇל־הַדְּבָרִ֥ים), "and·they·rested" (וַיָּנֽוּחוּ). The root דוד appears 2 times in this verse. 8 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "David" (root דוד, 262x in I Samuel); "to·Nabal" (root איל, 238x in I Samuel); "and·they·came" (root בוא, 161x in I Samuel). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'David', dividing the verse into phrases of 9 and 1 words. Full calculation: וַיָּבֹ֙אוּ֙ [and·they·came] (25) + נַעֲרֵ֣י [the·servants·of] (330) + דָוִ֔ד [David] (14) + וַיְדַבְּר֧וּ [and·they·spoke] (228) + אֶל־נָבָ֛ל [to·Nabal] (113) + כְּכׇל־הַדְּבָרִ֥ים [as·all·the·words] (331) + הָאֵ֖לֶּה [these] (41) + בְּשֵׁ֣ם [in·name·of] (342) + דָּוִ֑ד [David] (14) + וַיָּנֽוּחוּ [and·they·rested] (86) = 1524.
Rashi
And they spoke to Nabal like all these words in the name of David, and they rested. They were weary from the toil of the way, and they hastened to fulfill David's command. And they did not rest until they spoke to him. And afterward, and they rested. And Yonatan translated: And they stopped — meaning they stopped from speaking anymore, until they hear his answer.
Radak
"And they rested." The Targum translates: "And they ceased from speaking further, until they heard Nabal's reply." And it is possible to interpret it as: "And they rested from their weariness of the journey." And this verse is cited on account of their swiftness, for they did not rest until they had spoken the words to him in the name of David.
Ralbag
"And they spoke to Nabal all these words in the name of David, and they waited." My understanding of this is that, in order to make manifest the evil of Nabal’s character, they did not speak these words to him immediately upon their arrival; rather, they rested and waited for the appropriate time to speak to him about this matter. Only then did they speak to him all these words which David had arranged for them to say, words that contained much conciliation of the heart. And despite all this, Nabal’s response was in this manner, as is mentioned in this place as being difficult.
Metzudat David
And they rested. They ceased and rested from their words, and they spoke no more at all:
Metzudat Zion
And they rested. From the word 'rest,' he means they ceased from their words.
Malbim
The questions: What is the meaning of "and they rested"?
"And the young men of David came and spoke, etc." This too was stated to inform us of Nabal's lowliness: 1. Since it had already recounted the essence of the mission, which consisted of words of appeasement and supplication, and there was in them no defect for which he would scorn and insult them, it preceded with this so that you not assume that the young men altered the words; therefore it said that they spoke all these words without alteration. 2. So that you not assume that they spoke this in their own name, and therefore he attacked them; therefore it said that they spoke in the name of David. 3. So that you not say that afterward they added words for which his anger rose against them; therefore it said, "and they rested and did not speak anything thereafter."
And Nabal answered David’s servants, and said: ‘Who is David? and who is the son of Jesse? there are many servants now-a-days that break away every man from his master;
verse value 3290
Insights
Verse structure: 16 words, 66 letters. The shortest word is "who?" (מִ֥י, 2 letters) and the longest is "the·ones·who·break·away" (הַמִּתְפָּ֣רְצִ֔ים, 8 letters). Words sharing gematria 14: David, David. 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in I Samuel. Unique to this verse in I Samuel (hapax): "be or become great" (רַבּ֣וּ), "the·ones·who·break·away" (הַמִּתְפָּ֣רְצִ֔ים), "his·lord" (אֲדֹנָֽיו). The root עבד appears 2 times in this verse. 13 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·said" (root אמר, 418x in I Samuel); "David" (root דוד, 262x in I Samuel); "man" (root איש, 201x in I Samuel). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'son·of·Jesse', dividing the verse into phrases of 9 and 7 words.
Rashi
Who is David? How important is he, that I should give him mine? Has he not come from Ruth the Moabite?
Radak
"The rebels." To flee and rebel, each man from his master.
Metzudat David
“Who is David?” This implies: Is he so important that a gift should be given to him?
"The day is multiplied." At that time, the slaves increased in number, each strengthening himself against the face of his master, saying to his master, "I am greater than you." And likewise, David considered himself greater than me, until I would give him a gift.
Metzudat Zion
The reckless. A matter of strengthening, similarly (Genesis 38:29): 'how have you made a breach upon yourself'.
Malbim
The questions: What is this “answering his request”?
And Nabal answered, etc. “Who is David?”—in response to what they said, that they came in the name of David and in his honor—he replied, “Who is David, and who is the son of Jesse?” meaning that he is not considered important either in his own right or on account of his ancestors, since he is not known by name; rather, all that is known about him is that he is the one who raised his hand against the king, and from this perspective he is notorious. And from this perspective he dares to speak arrogantly. But this was a novelty in ancient times, when no one was found who was so bold and rebellious; not so today, when there are many servants who act insolently, and this is no longer a novelty. And he meant to say that this David is not known by name even on account of the superiority of his wickedness, namely that he is a rebel against the monarchy, since even that is no longer a novelty nowadays.
shall I then take my bread, and my water, and my flesh that I have killed for my shearers, and give it to men of whom I know not whence they are?’
verse value 5809
Insights
Verse structure: 16 words, 69 letters. The shortest word is "not" (לֹ֣א, 2 letters) and the longest is "and·my·water" (וְאֶת־מֵימַ֔י, 7 letters). Words sharing gematria 501: that, whom. 5 words in this verse appear nowhere else in I Samuel. Unique to this verse in I Samuel (hapax): "and·I·will·take" (וְלָקַחְתִּ֤י), "my·bread" (אֶת־לַחְמִי֙), "and·my·water" (וְאֶת־מֵימַ֔י). The root אשר appears 2 times in this verse. 15 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "that" (root אשר, 229x in I Samuel); "to·husbands" (root איש, 201x in I Samuel); "not" (root לא, 107x in I Samuel). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'for·my·shearers', dividing the verse into phrases of 8 and 8 words.
Radak
"And my water." That is to say, all my drink, as its Targum renders: all my drink; and likewise "my bread" — yat meichli, my food. And one may explain "my bread" of bread specifically, since he afterwards mentions "my slaughtering," which is the rest of the food; and likewise one may explain "my water" in its plain sense, for water was precious in the wilderness.
"And my slaughtering." My cooked dishes and my food; and so Jonathan rendered it, and my meal. And like it, "for perfumers, and for cooks, and for bakers" — and the tabachot are those who prepare the cooked food. And so it says of what Abigail brought him, "five sheep ready dressed," that is to say, prepared and cooked.
Metzudat David
"And I will take, etc." And regarding what they asked themselves, he said: "Shall I indeed give to men whom I do not know, and where is the place they are from? And if so, all the more so that I will not give you anything."
Metzudat Zion
I slaughtered. I sacrificed.
To the shearers. To the men who shear my sheep.
Malbim
And regarding "And I took," in response to what was stated that He should provide for them on the basis of mercy, since they came on a festival day, he replied that he had prepared the feast only for his shearers, and not for other people. And this is what is written: "And I took my bread... and my slaughter which I slaughtered (only) for my shearers, and I gave to men whom I did not know from where they are." They shall eat, and my shearers go hungry. And regarding what they demanded on the basis of obligation, he answered nothing, for he made himself a stranger to them, as it is stated: "whom I did not know from where they are."
So David’s young men turned on their way, and went back, and came and told him according to all these words.
verse value 1551
Insights
Verse structure: 10 words, 48 letters. Notable word values: "to·him" (ל֔וֹ) = 36, double chai. The shortest word is "to·him" (ל֔וֹ, 2 letters) and the longest is "young·men·of·David" (נַעֲרֵֽי־דָוִ֖ד, 7 letters). 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in I Samuel. Unique to this verse in I Samuel (hapax): "and·they·turned" (וַיַּהַפְכ֥וּ), "young·men·of·David" (נַעֲרֵֽי־דָוִ֖ד). 9 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·they·came" (root בוא, 161x in I Samuel); "the·words" (root דבר, 113x in I Samuel); "as·them·of" (root כל, 71x in I Samuel). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'to·their·way', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 7 words. Full calculation: וַיַּהַפְכ֥וּ [and·they·turned] (127) + נַעֲרֵֽי־דָוִ֖ד [young·men·of·David] (344) + לְדַרְכָּ֑ם [to·their·way] (294) + וַיָּשֻׁ֙בוּ֙ [and·they·returned] (324) + וַיָּבֹ֔אוּ [and·they·came] (25) + וַיַּגִּ֣דוּ [and·they·told] (29) + ל֔וֹ [to·him] (36) + כְּכֹ֖ל [as·them·of] (70) + הַדְּבָרִ֥ים [the·words] (261) + הָאֵֽלֶּה [these] (41) = 1551.
Malbim
And they turned away; they did not taste anything with him at all, but went their own way.
And David said to his men: ‘Gird you on every man his sword.’ And they girded on every man his sword; and David also girded on his sword; and there went up after David about four hundred men; and two hundred abode by the baggage.
verse value 6301
Insights
Verse structure: 21 words, 99 letters. The shortest word is "David" (דָּוִ֨ד, 3 letters) and the longest is "by·the·baggage" (עַל־הַכֵּלִֽים, 7 letters). Words sharing gematria 617: his·sword, his·sword, his·sword. 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in I Samuel. Unique to this verse in I Samuel (hapax): "girdle" (חִגְר֣וּ), "and·they·girded" (וַֽיַּחְגְּרוּ֙), "also·David" (גַּם־דָּוִ֖ד). The root איש appears 4 times in this verse. 11 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·said" (root אמר, 418x in I Samuel); "David" (root דוד, 262x in I Samuel); "to·his·men" (root איש, 201x in I Samuel). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'his·sword', dividing the verse into phrases of 12 and 9 words.
Rashi
And David also girded his sword. From here [we learn] that they begin in capital cases from the younger ones in law first (Sanhedrin 36a).
Upon the vessels. To guard their tents and their utensils.
Radak
“And David also girded his sword upon him.” Although it was sufficient that the men who were with him [were armed], nevertheless, due to the intensity of his anger, he too girded his sword. And our Sages of blessed memory derived from this that capital cases do not begin with the greatest [authority]. In a capital case, he judged together with his colleagues, and they agreed that he was a rebel against the kingdom and liable to death, for all Israel already knew that David had been anointed king. Yet Nabal called him “servant.” And he [David] concluded with them at the end; had he stated his opinion first, the others would not have wanted to dissent from him, and they would have said according to his words. Therefore, he did not state his opinion except at the end. This is the meaning of “And David also girded his sword upon him.”
Metzudat David
"By the baggage." Beside the baggage, to guard it:
Malbim
They girded. David considered himself a king, after having been anointed by the word of a prophet and after the majority of Judah had inclined toward him. He wished to judge him according to the law of one who rebels against the kingship, a capital case before a court. And our Sages of blessed memory stated that they judged capital cases. Therefore, they began from the side, as it is written: "Girded, each man his sword," meaning that whoever girds his sword reveals his intention that he is liable to the death penalty. And David girded his sword last, because he was the head of the judges according to the law.
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 flew upon them.
verse value 3676
Insights
Verse structure: 16 words, 75 letters. The shortest word is "wife·of" (אֵ֣שֶׁת, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·to·Abigail" (וְלַאֲבִיגַ֙יִל֙, 8 letters). 5 words in this verse appear nowhere else in I Samuel. Unique to this verse in I Samuel (hapax): "and·to·Abigail" (וְלַאֲבִיגַ֙יִל֙), "one·young·man" (נַֽעַר־אֶחָ֛ד), "from·the·wilderness" (מֵהַמִּדְבָּ֛ר). The root נער appears 2 times in this verse. 15 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "saying" (root אמר, 418x in I Samuel); "David" (root דוד, 262x in I Samuel); "sent" (root שלח, 65x in I Samuel). First appearance of the root אביגיל ("and·to·Abigail") in I Samuel. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'saying', dividing the verse into phrases of 7 and 9 words.
Rashi
One of the boys. Hers.
And he swooped upon them. (Targum:) he made them fly off with words (Yalkut Shimoni, Remez 134 — its meaning being that he drove them off with his harsh words). The language of ayit, a bird of prey (Genesis 15:11).
Radak
"To salute our master." To greet him, as in "if thou meet any man, salute him not," and "and Jacob blessed Pharaoh."
“And he spoke harshly to them.” He spoke harshly to them, and this is from the meaning of “‘it” (harsh words), and from its root, since the yod has a qamats, meaning that he compelled them with his harsh words. And so in the Midrash: What is the meaning of “and he spoke harshly to them”? “They were rebuked with words.” And the Targum: “And he was angry with them.”
Ralbag
"And he dealt with them harshly." This means that not only did he not answer them with a good response, but he also treated them with the manner of an eagle, which is a bird of prey that behaves with cruelty.
Metzudat David
"And he swooped upon them." With a rebuke he drove them off to go on their way.
Metzudat Zion
And he darted. A matter of darting, similarly (above 15:19): 'and you darted to the spoils'.
Malbim
Behold, he sent a letter to her. 1. Regarding what he sinned against David, who sent messengers (the definition of the term "messenger" is one who goes on an errand of honor, in a manner befitting honor), and the mission was to bless our Lord. Yet he not only failed to receive them with honor, but rather he insulted them and cast them out in disgrace and wrath.
But the men were very good to us, and we were not hurt, neither missed we any thing, as long as we went with them, when we were in the fields;
verse value 3018
Insights
Verse structure: 13 words, 65 letters. Notable word values: "to·us" (לָ֖נוּ) = 86, equal to Elohim. The shortest word is "to·us" (לָ֖נוּ, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·not·we·missed" (וְלֹֽא־פָקַ֣דְנֽוּ, 8 letters). 5 words in this verse appear nowhere else in I Samuel. Unique to this verse in I Samuel (hapax): "choice" (טֹבִ֥ים), "we·were·insulted" (הׇכְלַ֙מְנוּ֙), "and·not·we·missed" (וְלֹֽא־פָקַ֣דְנֽוּ). 12 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·the·men" (root איש, 201x in I Samuel); "when·we·were" (root היה, 167x in I Samuel); "all·days·of" (root יום, 154x in I Samuel). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'very', dividing the verse into phrases of 4 and 9 words. Full calculation: וְהָ֣אֲנָשִׁ֔ים [and·the·men] (412) + טֹבִ֥ים [choice] (61) + לָ֖נוּ [to·us] (86) + מְאֹ֑ד [very] (45) + וְלֹ֤א [and·not] (37) + הׇכְלַ֙מְנוּ֙ [we·were·insulted] (151) + וְלֹֽא־פָקַ֣דְנֽוּ [and·not·we·missed] (277) + מְא֔וּמָה [anything] (92) + כׇּל־יְמֵי֙ [all·days·of] (110) + הִתְהַלַּ֣כְנוּ [we·walked] (516) + אִתָּ֔ם [with·them] (441) + בִּֽהְיוֹתֵ֖נוּ [when·we·were] (479) + בַּשָּׂדֶֽה [in·the·field] (311) = 3018.
Rashi
We did not shame. We were not shamed.
Metzudat David
"And the men." The men of David were very good to us.
And we were not put to shame. We were not ashamed on account of them, nor did we lack anything, etc.
Metzudat Zion
They shamed us. From the word 'shame'.
They found us lacking. A matter of lack.
Malbim
"And the men" (B). For we were obligated to recompense them on account of the obligation that the men were very good to us: (A) that we did not suffer any loss from them. Regarding this it is said, "and we were not shamed." Now, the shepherds sometimes graze and sometimes rest; that is to say, they gather the flock into the enclosures when the grazing is finished. They said: "Behold, at the time of resting, when the flocks were in their enclosures and we alone were in the field, at which time the flocks did not require guarding. Regarding this it is said, 'All the days that we walked with them,' meaning while we were in the field, then we did not suffer any loss—neither in matters of humiliation, as it is stated 'we were not shamed,' nor in monetary terms, as it is stated 'neither missed we any thing.'"
they were a wall to us both by night and by day, all the while we were with them keeping the sheep.
verse value 1706
Insights
Verse structure: 10 words, 46 letters. The shortest word is "were" (הָי֣וּ, 3 letters) and the longest is "also·night" (גַּם־לַ֖יְלָה, 6 letters). 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in I Samuel. Unique to this verse in I Samuel (hapax): "wall" (חוֹמָה֙), "also·night" (גַּם־לַ֖יְלָה), "also·day" (גַּם־יוֹמָ֑ם). The root היה appears 2 times in this verse. 8 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "were" (root היה, 167x in I Samuel); "also·day" (root יום, 154x in I Samuel); "with" (root עם, 128x in I Samuel). First appearance of the root חומה ("wall") in I Samuel. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'also·day', dividing the verse into phrases of 5 and 5 words. Full calculation: חוֹמָה֙ [wall] (59) + הָי֣וּ [were] (21) + עָלֵ֔ינוּ [upon·us] (166) + גַּם־לַ֖יְלָה [also·night] (118) + גַּם־יוֹמָ֑ם [also·day] (139) + כׇּל־יְמֵ֛י [all·days·of] (110) + הֱיוֹתֵ֥נוּ [our·being] (477) + עִמָּ֖ם [with] (150) + רֹעִ֥ים [keeping] (320) + הַצֹּֽאן [the·flock] (146) = 1706.
Metzudat David
A wall. They also guarded us against others, like this wall:
Malbim
(16–17) The questions: Why did they repeat, “When we were in the field,” and “All the days that we were with them, shepherding the flock”? B. During the time of shepherding, when the flock was in the field, they then required guarding against robbers and wolves. Regarding this it says, “All the days that we were with them, shepherding the flock,” that then they were a wall for us, both night and day, until we could say that they too were assisting in shepherding the flock. And this is what is written, “When we were with them, shepherds.”
Now therefore know and consider what you will do; for evil is determined against our master, and against all his house; for he is such a base fellow, that one cannot speak to him.’
verse value 3603
Insights
Verse structure: 13 words, 63 letters. Notable word values: "and·he" (וְהוּא֙) = 18, chai, 'life'. The shortest word is "know" (דְּעִ֤י, 3 letters) and the longest is "to·our·lord" (אֶל־אֲדֹנֵ֖ינוּ, 8 letters). 6 words in this verse appear nowhere else in I Samuel. Unique to this verse in I Samuel (hapax): "know" (דְּעִ֤י), "and·see" (וּרְאִי֙), "what·you·shall·do" (מַֽה־תַּעֲשִׂ֔י). 13 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "from·speaking" (root דבר, 113x in I Samuel); "and·against" (root על, 112x in I Samuel); "to·him" (root אל, 86x in I Samuel). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'all·his·house', dividing the verse into phrases of 9 and 4 words. Full calculation: וְעַתָּ֗ה [now] (481) + דְּעִ֤י [know] (84) + וּרְאִי֙ [and·see] (217) + מַֽה־תַּעֲשִׂ֔י [what·you·shall·do] (825) + כִּֽי־כָלְתָ֧ה [for·is·determined] (485) + הָרָעָ֛ה [the·evil] (280) + אֶל־אֲדֹנֵ֖ינוּ [to·our·lord] (152) + וְעַ֣ל [and·against] (106) + כׇּל־בֵּית֑וֹ [all·his·house] (468) + וְהוּא֙ [and·he] (18) + בֶּן־בְּלִיַּ֔עַל [son·of·worthlessness] (194) + מִדַּבֵּ֖ר [from·speaking] (246) + אֵלָֽיו [to·him] (47) = 3603.
Rashi
For the evil is determined. From David toward him.
And he is a son of Belial to speak to him. And our master is a son of Belial — too base for one to speak to him what I am saying to you — for he will be angry against us.
Radak
"And he is such a base fellow that one cannot speak to him." Our master is a base fellow, [so that none can] speak to him: had we spoken to him he would have rebuked us; therefore know thou what thou wilt do. And it is possible to explain it of David — that is to say, David is a base fellow who speaks of our master in this matter; but he will come and destroy everything with his host.
Ralbag
"And he is a base fellow, that one cannot speak to him." Beliyaal is said equivocally of the wicked man and of the miser; and it is this second sense that is meant in this place. And from it [is] their saying, "Is it fit to say to a king: Thou art base? to nobles: Ye are wicked?" (Job 34:18).
Metzudat David
What can she do? To repair the matter and to appease David:
"When the evil was finished." The evil had come to its completion, to befall him.
And he. And Nabal himself, he is too base a man to speak to him or reprove him to his face, for he would rebuke me.
Metzudat Zion
A son of Belial. A wicked man, without the yoke of the Omnipresent.
Malbim
And now, know and see what you will do to rectify the distortion, for surely they will don vengeance: a. from the side that they insulted the messengers, concerning which it is said, "for evil is determined against our lord and against all his house"; b. from the side that they insulted David himself, concerning which it is said, "and he is a son of Belial speaking to him," for it was concerning David that he was speaking, saying of him that he is a son of Belial, one who casts off the yoke and rebels, as it is written, "today the servants who break through have increased."
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 clusters of raisins, and two hundred cakes of figs, and laid them on asses.
verse value 7148
Insights
Verse structure: 21 words, 102 letters. Notable word values: "fig·cakes" (דְּבֵלִ֑ים) = 86, equal to Elohim. The shortest word is "bread" (לֶ֜חֶם, 3 letters) and the longest is "on·the·asses" (עַל־הַחֲמֹרִֽים, 8 letters). Words sharing gematria 354: and·five, and·five. 8 words in this verse appear nowhere else in I Samuel. Unique to this verse in I Samuel (hapax): "and·two" (וּשְׁנַ֣יִם), "skin-bags·of·wine" (נִבְלֵי־יַ֗יִן), "prepared" (עֲשׂוּיוֹת֙). The root מאה appears 3 times in this verse. 18 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·took" (root לקח, 78x in I Samuel); "bread" (root לחם, 46x in I Samuel); "and·two" (root שנים, 28x in I Samuel). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'fig·cakes', dividing the verse into phrases of 19 and 2 words.
Rashi
Prepared. Yonatan translated: Tachbera — filled with fine meat and eggs — pishiti'ts in the foreign tongue — as we learned in Pesachim (74a, see there carefully in Rashi on the words 'Rabbi Yishmael calls it,' etc., 'And it is a mitzvah to establish'): And one puts the legs and the intestines within it. Rabbi Tarfon calls it tachbera — what is inside it [is placed] to its outside — in accordance with Rabbi Akiva, who says: They hang it outside it. So it is stated in the Tosefta. Rabbi Kalonymus, may his memory be blessed, from Rome, explained it to us so.
Dried grapes. Dried grapes.
Pressed cakes. Rounds of dablah — crushed and pickled figs in a vessel.
Radak
And five sheep are prepared. So it is written with two vavs, and it is read as "prepared" with a yod, and it is one [word], for the letters aleph, heh, vav and yod interchange. The meaning is "prepared and cooked," like [the verse] "and he hastened to prepare it." And the Targum [translates] "prepared" as "tachbera," and I do not know what it [means]. And in another manuscript I found [the word] "tichbera," and our master Rabbi Solomon, of blessed memory, explained it in the name of Rabbi Kalonymus of Rome: "filled with minced meat and eggs, pastitsu in the vernacular." And he brought for him [as support] what our Sages of blessed memory said in [the tractate] Pesachim: "And he puts its legs and its innards inside it." Rabbi Tarfon calls it "tichbera."
Tzimonim. Dried grapes; and the explanation is "a hundred clusters," and so did Jonathan translate: "and a hundred athkelin of dried grapes."
Dablim. Dabalah is a cake of dried figs, pressed together until it becomes like a loaf of bread. And the explanation of "two hundred, two hundred" is two hundred cakes of these cakes, or alternatively, the explanation is two hundred litra. And so does the Targum render it: "ve-ma'tan manan dibilta," and the manah is a litra.
Metzudat Zion
Bottles. Skin-bottles.
Prepared. Fixed and cooked, similarly (Genesis 18:7): 'and he hastened to prepare it'.
Roasted grain. Flour from roasted ears, similarly (Leviticus 23:14): 'bread and roasted grain'.
And a hundred raisin-clusters. A hundred clusters of dried grapes, similarly (I Chronicles 12:41): 'cakes of figs and raisins'.
And two hundred dried figs. Two hundred loaves, and they are figs gathered together and trodden together, until they become one body, like a loaf of bread.
And she said to her young men: ‘Go on before me; behold, I come after you.’ But she told not her husband Nabal.
verse value 2354
Insights
Verse structure: 11 words, 48 letters. The shortest word is "not" (לֹ֥א, 2 letters) and the longest is "to·her·servants" (לִנְעָרֶ֙יהָ֙, 6 letters). 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in I Samuel. Unique to this verse in I Samuel (hapax): "to·her·servants" (לִנְעָרֶ֙יהָ֙), "after·you" (אַחֲרֵיכֶ֣ם), "and·to·her·man" (וּלְאִישָׁ֥הּ). 11 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·she·said" (root אמר, 418x in I Samuel); "and·to·her·man" (root איש, 201x in I Samuel); "going·in" (root בוא, 161x in I Samuel). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'going·in', dividing the verse into phrases of 7 and 4 words. Full calculation: וַתֹּ֤אמֶר [and·she·said] (647) + לִנְעָרֶ֙יהָ֙ [to·her·servants] (365) + עִבְר֣וּ [pass·on] (278) + לְפָנַ֔י [to·my·face] (170) + הִנְנִ֖י [they] (115) + אַחֲרֵיכֶ֣ם [after·you] (279) + בָּאָ֑ה [going·in] (8) + וּלְאִישָׁ֥הּ [and·to·her·man] (352) + נָבָ֖ל [Nabal] (82) + לֹ֥א [not] (31) + הִגִּֽידָה [she·told] (27) = 2354.
Ralbag
Pass on before me. This refers to the atonement for the face of David with this great offering:
Metzudat David
To his young men. Those who bring the meal-offering:
Malbim
"Pass on before me" — for she feared that if they went together with her it would become known to Nabal; and this is what is written, "but she told not her husband Nabal."
And it was so, as she rode on her ass, and came down by the covert of the mountain, that, behold, David and his men came down towards her; and she met them.—
verse value 5198
Insights
Verse structure: 14 words, 62 letters. Notable word values: "and·it·shall·be" (וְהָיָ֞ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "she" (הִ֣יא, 3 letters) and the longest is "on·the·ass" (עַֽל־הַחֲמ֗וֹר, 7 letters). 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in I Samuel. Unique to this verse in I Samuel (hapax): "mounting·and·ride" (רֹכֶ֣בֶת), "to·meet·her" (לִקְרָאתָ֑הּ), "and·met" (וַתִּפְגֹ֖שׁ). The root ירד appears 2 times in this verse. 13 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "David" (root דוד, 262x in I Samuel); "and·his·men" (root איש, 201x in I Samuel); "and·it·shall·be" (root היה, 167x in I Samuel). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'to·meet·her', dividing the verse into phrases of 12 and 2 words. Full calculation: וְהָיָ֞ה [and·it·shall·be] (26) + הִ֣יא [she] (16) + רֹכֶ֣בֶת [mounting·and·ride] (622) + עַֽל־הַחֲמ֗וֹר [on·the·ass] (359) + וְיֹרֶ֙דֶת֙ [and·going·down] (620) + בְּסֵ֣תֶר [in·covert·of] (662) + הָהָ֔ר [hill] (210) + וְהִנֵּ֤ה [and·behold] (66) + דָוִד֙ [David] (14) + וַאֲנָשָׁ֔יו [and·his·men] (373) + יֹרְדִ֖ים [going·down] (264) + לִקְרָאתָ֑הּ [to·meet·her] (736) + וַתִּפְגֹ֖שׁ [and·met] (789) + אֹתָֽם [them] (441) = 5198.
Rashi
Going down to meet her. A valley was between the two mountains — she descends from this mountain, and they descend from the opposite mountain.
Radak
"In the secret place of the mountain." She descended on this side of the mountain, which was a concealed place for those who came and descended from one side. The verse states this because she did not see David from afar until she encountered him, and upon seeing David, she quickly descended from the donkey. And the Targum [translates]: "In the secret place of the mountain" as "on the side of the mountain."
Metzudat David
"In the covert of the hill." In the valley between the two mountains:
Metzudat Zion
And she met. She encountered.
Malbim
"And you shall go down in the secret place of the mountain" – there were two mountains facing each other; she descended from this mountain, and David from the mountain bordering it; and necessarily, David had already encountered the youths who had gone before her.
Now David had said: ‘Surely in vain have I kept all that this fellow has in the wilderness, so that nothing was missed of all that pertained to him; and he has returned me evil for good.
verse value 5557
Insights
Verse structure: 15 words, 69 letters. The shortest word is "indeed" (אַךְ֩, 2 letters) and the longest is "of·all·that·is·his" (מִכׇּל־אֲשֶׁר־ל֖וֹ, 8 letters). 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in I Samuel. Unique to this verse in I Samuel (hapax): "to·the·lie" (לַשֶּׁ֨קֶר), "I·have·kept" (שָׁמַ֜רְתִּי), "all·that" (אֶֽת־כׇּל־אֲשֶׁ֤ר). The root אשר appears 2 times in this verse. 13 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "said" (root אמר, 418x in I Samuel); "and·David" (root דוד, 262x in I Samuel); "all·that" (root אשר, 229x in I Samuel). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'anything', dividing the verse into phrases of 11 and 4 words.
Rashi
And David said. In his heart — when his boys told him the insults of Nabal: Surely in vain have I kept, etc.
Radak
"In vain." [That is,] for nothing.
"He repaid me evil." In that he reviled me with his words:
Metzudat David
And David said: At the time when she encountered him, David said to his men: "But in vain have I guarded..."
“Evil.” In that they blasphemed, saying, “Who is David, etc.”
Metzudat Zion
In vain. He means for nothing.
And nothing was lacking. And nothing was lacking.
Malbim
The questions: Why did David say this at that moment?
And David said, when he encountered Nabal’s servants and their donkeys carrying grain and provisions (for he thought that they were going to Ma’on, to his house), he said to his men, “Indeed, in vain have I guarded all that belongs to this man (who is coming here toward us), seeing that we guarded this man’s property, and now he has repaid good with evil.”
God do so to the enemies of David, and more also, if I leave of all that pertain to him by the morning light so much as one male.’—
verse value 3427
Insights
Verse structure: 11 words, 56 letters. Notable word values: "God" (אֱלֹהִ֛ים) = 86, equal to Elohim. The shortest word is "David" (דָוִ֖ד, 3 letters) and the longest is "of·all·that·is·his" (מִכׇּל־אֲשֶׁר־ל֛וֹ, 8 letters). 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in I Samuel. Unique to this verse in I Samuel (hapax): "to·enemies·of" (לְאֹיְבֵ֥י), "if·I·leave" (אִם־אַשְׁאִ֧יר). 11 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "David" (root דוד, 262x in I Samuel); "of·all·that·is·his" (root אשר, 229x in I Samuel); "God" (root אלהים, 89x in I Samuel). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'adds', dividing the verse into phrases of 6 and 5 words. Full calculation: כֹּה־יַעֲשֶׂ֧ה [thus·shall·do] (410) + אֱלֹהִ֛ים [God] (86) + לְאֹיְבֵ֥י [to·enemies·of] (53) + דָוִ֖ד [David] (14) + וְכֹ֣ה [and·thus] (31) + יֹסִ֑יף [adds] (160) + אִם־אַשְׁאִ֧יר [if·I·leave] (553) + מִכׇּל־אֲשֶׁר־ל֛וֹ [of·all·that·is·his] (627) + עַד־הַבֹּ֖קֶר [until·the·morning] (381) + מַשְׁתִּ֥ין [one·who·urinates] (800) + בְּקִֽיר [in·wall] (312) = 3427.
Rashi
One who urinates. Yonatan translated: one who knows knowledge — that is, one who sets the walls of his heart. Another interpretation: even a dog, whose way is to urinate against a wall.
Radak
“Of the enemies of David.” This is a euphemism for David:
"That pisseth against the wall." As our Sages of blessed memory explained: even the dog, whose way is to piss against the wall. And the Targum renders: one that knoweth knowledge — that is to say, one who sets [it] in the chambers of his heart, meaning a man of understanding.
Ralbag
One who urinates against a wall. And he is the male. And it is astonishing how David agreed to kill Nabal and his household, whereas he did not agree to the killing of Saul, despite the fact that Saul was pursuing him. And it is possible to say that it had already become public knowledge among all that David had been anointed king over Israel. And since Nabal was despising the monarchy, his punishment was death, along with all those who conspired with him in this matter. And it has already been clarified from Abigail’s statement to David that this matter was then well-known among Israel.
Metzudat David
Thus shall it be done. This is the matter of an oath: he vowed but did not utter the words explicitly, as if he had said, "May God do to me like this evil if I leave..." And since in the end he retracted, the verse therefore refers to and says to the enemies of David:
One who urinates against a wall. Thus the male is called, for he produces a stream to a distance, and can therefore urinate against a wall:
Malbim
(22–23) “Thus may God do to the enemies of David, as I will do to Nabal.” And Abigail heard these words, and thereby she recognized and perceived that David was the one who had spoken all this.
And when Abigail saw David, she made haste, and alighted from her ass, and fell before David on her face, and bowed down to the ground.
verse value 5045
Insights
Verse structure: 13 words, 58 letters. The shortest word is "from·upon" (מֵעַ֣ל, 3 letters) and the longest is "Abigail" (אֲבִיגַ֙יִל֙, 6 letters). 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in I Samuel. Unique to this verse in I Samuel (hapax): "to·nostrils·of" (לְאַפֵּ֤י), "on·her·face" (עַל־פָּנֶ֔יהָ). The root דוד appears 2 times in this verse. 12 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "David" (root דוד, 262x in I Samuel); "from·upon" (root על, 112x in I Samuel); "on·her·face" (root פנים, 93x in I Samuel). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on '(he) ass', dividing the verse into phrases of 7 and 6 words.
And she fell at his feet, and said: ‘Upon me, my lord, upon me be the iniquity; and let your handmaid, I pray you, speak in your ears, and hear you the words of your handmaid.
verse value 4489
Insights
Verse structure: 13 words, 60 letters. Verse gematria: 4489 = 67². The shortest word is "and·she·fell" (וַתִּפֹּל֙, 4 letters) and the longest is "on·his·feet" (עַל־רַגְלָ֔יו, 7 letters). Words sharing gematria 461: your·handmaid, your·handmaid. 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in I Samuel. Unique to this verse in I Samuel (hapax): "upon·me·I" (בִּֽי־אֲנִ֥י), "perversity" (הֶעָוֺ֑ן), "and·let·her·speak·please" (וּֽתְדַבֶּר־נָ֤א). The root דבר appears 2 times in this verse. 11 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·she·said" (root אמר, 418x in I Samuel); "and·let·her·speak·please" (root דבר, 113x in I Samuel); "and·hear" (root שמע, 66x in I Samuel). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'perversity', dividing the verse into phrases of 6 and 7 words.
Rashi
Upon me, my lord, is the sin. At first she said so, in order that he turn his ear to her words. And at the end she said to him the truth: I, your handmaid, did not see the servants of my lord.
Radak
"Behold, I am the one." That is to say, my lord, the sin is upon myself, and I am the one who sinned before you. That is to say, consider it as if I sinned; hear the words of your maidservant.
Ralbag
And it shall fall upon his feet. This means: near his feet.
“Upon me, my lord, upon me be the iniquity.” This is after the manner of his saying, “And I, Your servant,” and the intent here is: “Upon me, my lord, be the iniquity and the transgression,” and she began with this confession so that her words might enter David’s ears and appease his anger with this statement, for in it lies a reconciliation that cannot be overlooked. Only after this did she entreat his favour, so that he would hear her words, and she clarified to him that she had not sinned in this matter, but rather Nabal, her husband, had sinned because of the wickedness of his conduct and character, for his name was Nabal, and folly was with him.
Metzudat David
"I am the one, etc." For David did not recognize her, and therefore she said what she had heard, that her lord had spoken to his servants concerning what had happened to him: "Know, my lord, that this guilt is mine," meaning: the deed was committed in my house.
And she spoke. To this end your handmaid will speak, to request and to supplicate concerning the matter:
Malbim
"Upon me, my lord, upon me be the iniquity." She said: behold, this Nabal is reckoned as nothing; he has riches and possessions, and God hath not given him power to eat thereof, and what is known of him under the name of a man of substance is through me — and had I not been his wife, my lord would not have sent to him. If so, the iniquity is chiefly mine, inasmuch as I am the mistress of the house. But for this very reason, "and let thy handmaid speak," etc. — that is to say: a) give me leave to speak; b) "and hear," etc., and receive my words.
Let not my lord, I pray you, regard this base fellow, even Nabal; for as his name is, so is he: Nabal is his name, and churlishness is with him; but I your handmaid saw not the young men of my lord, whom you did send.
verse value 5964
Insights
Verse structure: 23 words, 93 letters. The shortest word is "for" (כִּ֤י, 2 letters) and the longest is "worthlessness" (הַבְּלִיַּ֨עַל, 6 letters). Words sharing gematria 82: do·not·I·pray, so·is·he, Nabal. 9 words in this verse appear nowhere else in I Samuel. Unique to this verse in I Samuel (hapax): "his·heart" (אֶת־לִבּ֡וֹ), "to·man" (אֶל־אִישׁ֩), "worthlessness" (הַבְּלִיַּ֨עַל). The root איל appears 2 times in this verse. 19 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "do·not·I·pray" (root איל, 238x in I Samuel); "whom" (root אשר, 229x in I Samuel); "for" (root כי, 161x in I Samuel). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'with', dividing the verse into phrases of 15 and 8 words.
Metzudat David
"unto a man." This implies: unto his words of reproach.
"And folly is with him." He holds fast to folly, to speak harsh words and revilings.
I have not seen it. In order to rectify the matter and appease them:
Metzudat Zion
And worthless things. A matter of derogatory and foul words, similarly (Isaiah 32:6): 'the worthless speaks worthlessness'.
Malbim
“Let not my lord set his heart upon it” means that the insult should not be regarded as significant only when it comes from a distinguished person or from one of equals, but not from a lowly and contemptible person, whose insult is not felt. Now, this Nabal is contemptible in the eyes of people, for “Nabal” is his name; and he is also contemptible in his own nature, for folly is with him. Moreover, an insult is not considered such unless it comes from a person whose nature is not characterized by such behavior; but not so from Nabal, whose way it is to act thus. This is what is written: “For as his name is, so is he.” Therefore, you should not be concerned about his insult. The primary concern is for me, since I am a woman of valor. But as for me, your maidservant, I did not see my lord's young men.
Now therefore, my lord, as Hashem lives, and as your soul lives, seeing Hashem has withholden you from bloodguiltiness, and from finding redress for thyself with your own hand, now therefore let your enemies, and them that seek evil to my lord, be as Nabal.
verse value 3918
Insights
Verse structure: 19 words, 85 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָה֙) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "to·you" (לָ֑ךְ, 2 letters) and the longest is "and·the·ones·seeking" (וְהַֽמְבַקְשִׁ֥ים, 8 letters). Words sharing gematria 481: now, now. 7 words in this verse appear nowhere else in I Samuel. Unique to this verse in I Samuel (hapax): "and·as·your·soul·lives" (וְחֵֽי־נַפְשְׁךָ֙), "withholded·you" (מְנָעֲךָ֤), "and·saving" (וְהוֹשֵׁ֥עַ). The root עתה appears 2 times in this verse. 16 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem·lives" (root יהוה, 316x in I Samuel); "seeing" (root אשר, 229x in I Samuel); "let·it·be" (root היה, 167x in I Samuel). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'to·you', dividing the verse into phrases of 12 and 7 words.
Rashi
That has withheld you. That sent me to meet you to withhold you from shedding blood.
And from your own hand saving you. From taking your vengeance yourself and being punished.
Let your enemies be like Nabal. She prophesied with the Holy Spirit that he will not prolong his days.
Radak
"Who hath withholden thee." It is joined to "as the Lord liveth."
“And save your hand for yourself.” God restrained you from entering into bloodshed, and He saved your hand for yourself, so that your hand did not shed innocent blood. For this is not considered rebellion against the kingdom, as you had thought, for your nature had not yet been revealed in the world, and Saul was still alive.
Let them be like Nabal, who has no power to do you harm.
Ralbag
“May the Lord prevent you from entering in blood, and thine own hand delivering thee.” Behold, she swore that such was the case: that she had not seen David’s young men. And with her oath, she stated what indicates that she was not afraid that David would ruin her husband and her household. Rather, it was well known to her that David would already be restrained from this after the reconciliation with which she had appeased him. And all of this was due to the goodness of her wisdom. She said that God, blessed be He, prevented him from entering in blood—that is, from entering into the killing of people—and prevented him from his own hand delivering him to take vengeance on his enemies, the Hebrews, through his strength and the might of his hand.
Metzudat David
“‘As the Lord lives...’ She swore by the Lord and by his soul, and said: ‘Behold, it is the will of the Lord to restrain you from entering upon the guilt of shedding blood, and that your hand will save you in your cause. For if it had been the will of the Omnipresent that your hand should save you by taking vengeance and shedding blood, the matter would not have been revealed to me to go and appease you. Moreover, the haste, the encounter, and the hearing of your words by your men—all these are from the Lord, by His providence.’”
"And now." Since the Lord has withheld from you the entering in by bloodshed, surely He will contend your cause and he will be put to death by the hand of Heaven, and all your enemies will be like Nabal, that they will be slain by the hand of Heaven, and as David himself said to Saul (above 24:12), "The Lord shall judge between me and you... and my hand shall not be upon you."
Malbim
(26–27) The questions: Why did she speak three statements, each beginning with the word "And now"?
And now she clarified three reasons why one ought to refrain from going to take vengeance, for if he goes to take vengeance, it will be in one of three ways: 1. That he considers that Nabal is liable to death by the law of a rebel against the kingdom; 2. That he intends to take vengeance so that others will not embolden themselves to act like him; 3. That he intends to take by force what is due to his servants according to the law, since they were guarding the flock. Regarding the first [reason], she said, “As the Lord lives... who has restrained you from coming to bloodshed,” meaning that your nature has not yet emerged into the world, and Saul is still alive; and if you had killed him, you would have shed blood unjustly. Or, in any case, even according to your view that you have the authority of a king, it is not fitting that you extend your hand to take vengeance yourself for your honor. This is through the providence of the Lord, who restrained you from killing him or from the inappropriate force; rather, you should hope in the Lord. Regarding the second [reason], she said, “Do not worry about taking vengeance, lest others do as he did,” for now this reason does not apply. For would that your enemies were like Nabal! They would not have the power to do evil to you, only what Nabal had the power to do, which was that he could do nothing to you, for your command was carried out against his will. And she said “your enemies” referring to those who seek to humble your honor and those who seek your life to kill you.
And now this present which your servant has brought to my lord, let it be given to the young men that follow my lord.
verse value 4319
Insights
Verse structure: 11 words, 58 letters. The shortest word is "now" (וְעַתָּה֙, 4 letters) and the longest is "the·ones·walking" (הַמִּֽתְהַלְּכִ֖ים, 8 letters). 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in I Samuel. Unique to this verse in I Samuel (hapax): "blessing" (הַבְּרָכָ֣ה), "that·he·brought" (אֲשֶׁר־הֵבִ֥יא), "the·ones·walking" (הַמִּֽתְהַלְּכִ֖ים). The root אדון appears 2 times in this verse. 10 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "that·he·brought" (root אשר, 229x in I Samuel); "the·ones·walking" (root הלך, 133x in I Samuel); "and·will·be·given" (root נתן, 69x in I Samuel). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'to·my·lord', dividing the verse into phrases of 6 and 5 words. Full calculation: וְעַתָּה֙ [now] (481) + הַבְּרָכָ֣ה [blessing] (232) + הַזֹּ֔את [this] (413) + אֲשֶׁר־הֵבִ֥יא [that·he·brought] (519) + שִׁפְחָתְךָ֖ [your·maid] (808) + לַֽאדֹנִ֑י [to·my·lord] (95) + וְנִתְּנָה֙ [and·will·be·given] (511) + לַנְּעָרִ֔ים [for·the·young] (400) + הַמִּֽתְהַלְּכִ֖ים [the·ones·walking] (550) + בְּרַגְלֵ֥י [in·feet·of] (245) + אֲדֹנִֽי [my·lord] (65) = 4319.
Rashi
And let it be given to the lads. 'And let it be given to the lads that follow,' etc. — 'natnah' is past tense, and 'nitnah' is future.
Radak
"The blessing." Like "the present," as in "take, I pray thee, my blessing."
“Who brought your maid-servant.” And it says “your maid-servant” without mentioning the boy, because she is the primary element of the bringing.
"And he gave it to the young men." This was a way of showing honor.
Metzudat David
And now, the blessing. “Be appeased, I pray, on account of this blessing, etc.”
"And she gave" etc. Out of respect, it did not say "and she gave to you," for that would be considered demeaning to his status; rather, it said "and she gave to the young men" etc.
Metzudat Zion
The blessing. A gift and an offering, similarly (Genesis 33:11): 'take my blessing, I pray'.
At the feet of my lord. He means with his walking and behind him, similarly (Judges 8:5): 'to the people who are at my feet'.
Malbim
And now, regarding the third point—that he withheld from the young men what was due to them according to the law—behold, this blessing which your maidservant brought (and it says "brought" in the masculine form, so that it is counted as if he himself brought it, since it was from his own money), and a little good in charity (this is the explanation of the Abarbanel) (28) "Pardon, I pray, the transgression of your maidservant." After she had removed the three claims on account of which he would go to take vengeance, she began to clarify for him that if he were to do this, great harm would ensue for him from it. And to appease him, because her heart had presumed to speak thus before him, she began to calculate three stages of his life: 1. The first stage, when he began to wage the wars of the Lord against Goliath and the Philistines; 2. The second stage, when he was pursued by Saul; 3. The third stage, when he would merit the kingship, as promised by the mouth of the prophet. From all these perspectives, it is fitting that he should cease from doing this. 1. "For the Lord will surely do for my lord a faithful house, because my lord has fought the wars of the Lord." That is to say, since what he hopes the Lord will do for him, namely, to establish a faithful house for him, stems from the fact that he fights the wars of the Lord, fighting the enemies of Israel who are the enemies of the Lord, therefore it is not fitting that you should mix among your wars a war for your own honor, which is not a war of commandment or obligation, but rather a war of permission or transgression. And this is what is meant by "and you shall find no evil in you all your days," meaning that then people would say that you fight according to chance, like a man who loves war to shed blood whenever the opportunity arises.
Forgive, I pray you, the trespass of your handmaid; for Hashem will certainly make my lord a sure house, because my lord fights the battles of Hashem; and evil is not found in you all your days.
verse value 4515
Insights
Verse structure: 18 words, 74 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָ֨ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "forgive" (שָׂ֥א, 2 letters) and the longest is "because·battles·of" (כִּֽי־מִלְחֲמ֤וֹת, 8 letters). Words sharing gematria 26: Hashem, Hashem. 7 words in this verse appear nowhere else in I Samuel. Unique to this verse in I Samuel (hapax): "the·offense·of" (לְפֶ֣שַׁע), "surely·will·do" (עָשֹֽׂה־יַעֲשֶׂה֩), "because·battles·of" (כִּֽי־מִלְחֲמ֤וֹת). The root כי appears 2 times in this verse. 15 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 316x in I Samuel); "for" (root כי, 161x in I Samuel); "from·your·days" (root יום, 154x in I Samuel). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'your·handmaid', dividing the verse into phrases of 4 and 14 words.
Rashi
For the Lord will make for my lord a sure house. To be king over Israel. Therefore, no evil will be found in you — for it does not become you to do what is not according to law, to bring reproach upon your kingship.
Radak
A faithful house. As Targum Jonathan renders it, "His kingdom is established," and this was said by way of prophecy, for she is one of the seven prophetesses, according to the opinion of our Sages of blessed memory. And there is an interpretation that the matter was heard and known in Israel that David had been anointed king, as it is stated, "According to all that He spoke to you for your good, and commanded you to be a prince over Israel."
"For the battles are the Lord's." Its Targum: "For the wars of the people of the Lord."
"Shall not be found in thee." The future in place of the past, like "was not found"; and the word "all thy days" proves this. And so its Targum: was not found.
Metzudat David
“Lift up now, etc.” She prioritized asking forgiveness in case she would err in her speech, to speak something in the presence of his honor.
"For He shall surely do." This is the beginning of her words: "I know that the Lord will make for my lord a sure house that will endure, and the kingdom will never be removed from his house, unlike Saul, from whose seed the kingdom will be removed."
"For the battles of the Lord." All your battles are the battles of the Lord, to execute vengeance upon the Philistines. But you will not find evil in yourself in your days to fight and kill men of Israel, as Saul did when he killed the priests of Nob. For this reason, the kingdom departed from Saul, and it will not depart from you.
Metzudat Zion
Forgive. A matter of forgiveness.
Faithful. Established, similarly (Isaiah 22:23): 'a nail in a reliable place'.
And though man be risen up to pursue you, and to seek your soul, yet the soul of my lord shall be bound in the bundle of life with Hashem your God; and the souls of your enemies, them shall he sling out, as from the hollow of a sling.
verse value 6188
Insights
Verse structure: 21 words, 88 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָ֣ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. Verse gematria: 6188 is divisible by 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "with" (אֵ֚ת, 2 letters) and the longest is "your·soul" (אֶת־נַפְשֶׁ֑ךָ, 6 letters). Words sharing gematria 430: soul, soul. 8 words in this verse appear nowhere else in I Samuel. Unique to this verse in I Samuel (hapax): "to·pursue·you" (לִרְדׇפְךָ֔), "and·to·seek" (וּלְבַקֵּ֖שׁ), "bound" (צְרוּרָ֣ה). The root נפש appears 3 times in this verse. 17 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 316x in I Samuel); "and·it·shall·be" (root היה, 167x in I Samuel); "your·God" (root אלהים, 89x in I Samuel). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'your·soul', dividing the verse into phrases of 5 and 16 words.
Rashi
The pouch of the sling. A piece of broad leather made like a kind of palm in the middle of the sling, in which one places the stone.
Radak
"And though a man be risen up." [This is] Saul; and she called him "a man" and not "a king," by way of contempt — that is to say, that he has no standing before thee.
“And the soul of my lord” – so that those who pursue you will not be able to kill you, and you shall be among the living. “With the Lord” – meaning that you shall walk in His ways all your days. And similarly, “and no harm shall befall you all your days.” And the Lord, blessed and exalted be He, will slay those who pursue you, and He will scatter their souls like a stone from a sling and the palm of the sling. The term “palm of the sling” refers to the socket of the sling, which is shaped like a palm. According to the interpretation of Jonathan [the Aramaic translator], the phrase “the soul of my lord” means “bound in the bundle of the living” for the World to Come. He translated the verse accordingly: “And the soul of my lord shall be stored in the storehouse of the life of the world before the Lord your God, and the souls of your enemies shall be scattered like stones are scattered from a sling.” And similarly, in the words of our Sages of blessed memory: Rabbi Eliezer says, “The souls of the righteous are stored beneath the Throne of Glory, as it is stated, ‘With the Lord your God is the bundle of the living.’ And the souls of the wicked are torn and wander from one end of the world to the other, and they have no rest, as it is stated, ‘He shall scatter it within the palm of the sling.’”
Ralbag
"And a man rose to pursue you." This is an allusion to Saul.
"And the soul of my lord shall be bound up in the bundle of the living." This refers to the World to Come, for there the soul will be united with its intelligibles, which are the "bundle of the living," and from their side it will be with God, blessed be He, as we have explained in the first book of Milchamot Hashem.
"And the soul of Your enemies He will cast into the sling." This means that they shall have no continuation or existence. And she said this to indicate that David would already have sinned if he were to destroy him, and the spiritual success—which is the measure of true success—would be withheld from him. And she further said that, since he is a leader over Israel, this sin would be for him a stumbling block and a trap for his heart if he were to destroy them, and perhaps this would be the cause for the kingdom to be removed from him, as happened to Saul. And with this, it was part of the goodness of her wisdom that she appeased David’s face, so that he would remember her when the Lord would do well to him and reward her with kindness. Or perhaps her statement was on the side of prophecy, and she foresaw that Nabal was destined to die and she would become David’s wife.
Metzudat David
“And the man arose.” This implies: When Saul arose to pursue you, etc., and you could have killed him in the cave, nevertheless you did not lay a hand upon him, and no evil was found in you from your days.
"And the soul of my lord." And for this reason, the soul of my lord shall be bound up in the bundle of the eternal, spiritual lives, after separation from the body.
"THE LORD." To indicate that it returns to the place from which it was hewn.
"יקלענה" – She will wander about, moving to and fro, like a stone cast from a sling; and she said this to flatter him, so that he would not shed the blood of Israel, as Saul did.
Metzudat Zion
Bound. A matter of binding, similarly (Genesis 42:35): 'the bundle of his silver'.
He will sling it. Its meaning is throwing in the vessel shaped like a stick and at its head like a cup, and in it the thrown stone is placed, and therefore it is called 'cup of the sling'.
Malbim
And a man is risen (the second stage) — when a man rises to pursue you, while you are being pursued because of Saul, at this it is fitting that “the soul of my lord shall be bound up in the bundle of life.” This means that your soul shall be guarded from the death that lies in wait for it, like something bound in a bundle, protected and guarded from every side. And this bundle in which you shall be guarded is “the life of the Lord your God,” namely, the providence of the Lord that will keep it in life, for with Him is the source of life, and death shall not approach its boundary. But the soul of your enemies who pursue you, He shall hurl into the sling’s pouch. This is a metaphor: from the sling’s pouch, from where arrows and stones are thrown at you to take your soul, from there He shall hurl their souls, as if their souls lie there, and when they throw stones, they are throwing their own souls. This is in accordance with the verse, “And the stone shall return to him,” and also alludes here to the reward of the World to Come: through their pursuing you, and you being a wanderer and fugitive in this world, your soul shall dwell in the tranquility and ease of the eternal bundle of life. But the soul of your enemies shall not dwell in its proper rest; rather, it shall be outside its place, like a stone thrown by a catapult. Not like a stone thrown from a sling, which comes to rest where it falls, but like one who hurls a stone into the sling’s pouch, where it too finds no rest, but is hurled from one sling to another. This is what our Sages of blessed memory said in Shabbat (Chapter She’eil): “The intermediate ones and the wicked are delivered to Dumah” (meaning, they are outside their proper place). These have rest, and these do not have rest.
And it shall come to pass, when Hashem shall have done to my lord according to all the good that He has spoken concerning you, and shall have appointed you prince over Israel;
verse value 2757
Insights
Verse structure: 11 words, 55 letters. Notable word values: "and·it·shall·be" (וְהָיָ֗ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "as·them" (כְּכֹ֛ל, 3 letters) and the longest is "the·good" (אֶת־הַטּוֹבָ֖ה, 7 letters). Words sharing gematria 26: and·it·shall·be, Hashem. 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in I Samuel. Unique to this verse in I Samuel (hapax): "when·He·does" (כִּֽי־יַעֲשֶׂ֤ה), "the·good" (אֶת־הַטּוֹבָ֖ה), "and·He·will·appoint·you" (וְצִוְּךָ֥). The root על appears 2 times in this verse. 10 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 316x in I Samuel); "that·he·spoke" (root אשר, 229x in I Samuel); "and·it·shall·be" (root היה, 167x in I Samuel). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'concerning·you', dividing the verse into phrases of 8 and 3 words. Full calculation: וְהָיָ֗ה [and·it·shall·be] (26) + כִּֽי־יַעֲשֶׂ֤ה [when·He·does] (415) + יְהֹוָה֙ [Hashem] (26) + לַֽאדֹנִ֔י [to·my·lord] (95) + כְּכֹ֛ל [as·them] (70) + אֲשֶׁר־דִּבֶּ֥ר [that·he·spoke] (707) + אֶת־הַטּוֹבָ֖ה [the·good] (428) + עָלֶ֑יךָ [concerning·you] (130) + וְצִוְּךָ֥ [and·He·will·appoint·you] (122) + לְנָגִ֖יד [to·leader] (97) + עַל־יִשְׂרָאֵֽל [over·Israel] (641) = 2757.
Rashi
And it shall be when the Lord does, etc. And you will reign.
Metzudat David
"the good" etc. And it returns and expounds: "and has appointed you prince" etc.
Malbim
And he wished to say that from this very pursuit in which you are being hunted, the third stage will necessarily arise, whereby you will attain the kingship. This is what is meant by: “And it shall be when the Lord has done for my lord as He has spoken” (1 Samuel 24:22). If so, it is not fitting that you should perform this act now, lest it become for you a stumbling block and a trap. For Saul will already find merit in this very act of pursuing you according to law, since you shed innocent blood, for you have not yet attained the kingship. Moreover, as our Sages of blessed memory said: if a case comes before you in which a poor man begged charity from a rich man and killed him because he refused to give it to him, you could not execute judgment upon him, for you too did something similar.
There is a difference between “stumbling block” (pukah) and “trap” (mekashol). The root *pik* there shares its second meaning related to “bringing out,” as in: “Further not his evil device” (Psalms 140:9) and “He obtaineth favour of the LORD” (Proverbs 12:2). Its definition is that which brings out something that is closed, bound, and absorbed in its place, as if it emerges from concealment into revelation. This often applies to the bringing forth of intellectual entities. From this comes *pik b’rakhim* (“stumbling block”) in conjunction with “trap,” which brings forth the hidden evil and bad inclination into action, and one stumbles upon it. From this comes *pik b’rakhim*, meaning that the joints of the tendons and the ligaments of the knees are loosened from their binding. Likewise, some interpret *paku peilav* (“they brought out his sins”) as meaning they brought forth the sins that emerge from bad mental dispositions out of their confines, as in: “This also were an iniquity to be punished by the judges” (Job 31:28). And the Lord will do good for my lord at this time, then remember thine handmaid, for you have restrained him from something of which he would have regretted all his days.
that this shall be no stumbling-block to you, nor offence of heart to my lord, either that you have shed blood without cause, or that my lord has found redress for himself. And when Hashem shall have dealt well with my lord, then remember your handmaid.’
verse value 4449
Insights
Verse structure: 18 words, 79 letters. Notable word values: "to·himself" (ל֑וֹ) = 36, double chai. The shortest word is "to·you" (לְךָ֡, 2 letters) and the longest is "and·to·stumbling·block·of" (וּלְמִכְשׁ֨וֹל, 7 letters). Words sharing gematria 95: to·my·lord, to·my·lord. 6 words in this verse appear nowhere else in I Samuel. Unique to this verse in I Samuel (hapax): "for·stumbling" (לְפוּקָה֩), "and·to·stumbling·block·of" (וּלְמִכְשׁ֨וֹל), "and·to·pour·out·blood" (וְלִשְׁפׇּךְ־דָּם֙). The root אדון appears 3 times in this verse. 14 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 316x in I Samuel); "it·will·be" (root היה, 167x in I Samuel); "and·not" (root לא, 107x in I Samuel). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'to·himself', dividing the verse into phrases of 13 and 5 words.
Rashi
And there not be, etc. — for a stumbling. For a downfall — like (Nahum 2:11): tottering of knees — for if you were doing this, there will not be for you an opening of the mouth to chastise anyone in generations to come on account of shedding blood.
And to save my lord for himself. That you take your vengeance yourself.
Radak
"And that this shall be no stumbling-block unto thee." This vengeance which thou desirest to take on Nabal.
Lefokah. Like "vafik birkhei" regarding a stumbling block, and its Targum is "litzpa."
And regarding "a stumbling block for the heart": for sin is a stumbling block for the heart. The doubling of the terms "a guilt" and "a stumbling block" serves to strengthen the meaning, for such is the way of the Scriptural verse, and it contains a midrashic interpretation: for David sought to take Abigail as his wife, and she said to him, "Let not this be a guilt for you, nor a stumbling block, concerning the shedding of blood, nor concerning a married woman."
"And that my lord hath saved himself." For himself — that he should not shed innocent blood.
"And thou shalt remember thy handmaid." When the Lord shall deal well with my lord and thou shalt reign, thou shalt remember me for good; for I have done thee good, in that I withheld thee from shedding blood without cause.
Metzudat David
And this shall not be a reproach to you. This means: When you shall reign, the words of insult of the fool shall not harm you at all, so that you will not be despised in the eyes of the people on account of this; and even for a stumbling block to the heart of my lord it shall not be, for you will not then heed the words of such a fool. And when you do not kill him, you will be removed from disgrace, for they will not then say of you that your way is to shed innocent blood and to save yourself by the strength of your arm. And as if she said: Behold, now, while you are still pursued in the mountains because of Saul, you are concerned about the insult of the fool; but you do not heed what they will say, that you are shedding innocent blood and saving yourself by the strength of your arm, for now your status is not so great as to be concerned with such matters. But after you shall reign, it will be the opposite. (And indeed, in the understanding of these words, there is a contradiction, for she diminishes his status now; and therefore she asked at the beginning of her speech: “Pardon, I pray, the iniquity of your maidservant.”)
"And the Lord dealt well with my lord." This means: "Indeed, I know that when the Lord has dealt well with my lord and he will reign as his soul desires, you will surely remember your handmaid, to show me kindness for the advice that was given, to prevent you from coming to bloodshed."
Metzudat Zion
To a stumbling block. It too is a matter of a stumbling block, similarly (Nahum 2:11): 'and the knees stumble'.
And David said to Abigail: ‘Blessed be Hashem, the God of Israel, who sent you this day to meet me;
verse value 2866
Insights
Verse structure: 12 words, 51 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָה֙) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "David" (דָּוִ֖ד, 3 letters) and the longest is "to·Abigail" (לַאֲבִיגַ֑ל, 6 letters). 1 word in this verse appears nowhere else in I Samuel. Unique to this verse in I Samuel (hapax): "to·Abigail" (לַאֲבִיגַ֑ל). 12 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·said" (root אמר, 418x in I Samuel); "Hashem" (root יהוה, 316x in I Samuel); "David" (root דוד, 262x in I Samuel). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'to·Abigail', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 9 words. Full calculation: וַיֹּ֥אמֶר [and·said] (257) + דָּוִ֖ד [David] (14) + לַאֲבִיגַ֑ל [to·Abigail] (76) + בָּר֤וּךְ [blessed] (228) + יְהֹוָה֙ [Hashem] (26) + אֱלֹהֵ֣י [God·of] (46) + יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל [Israel] (541) + אֲשֶׁ֧ר [who] (501) + שְׁלָחֵ֛ךְ [sent·you] (358) + הַיּ֥וֹם [day] (61) + הַזֶּ֖ה [this] (17) + לִקְרָאתִֽי [to·meet·me] (741) = 2866.
Radak
"To Abigal." It is written thus, as though "to Abigail," for it is close [in form], and she was called both this and that; and many such are found among names. And there is a midrash on it: that when she said "and remember thy handmaid" she made herself free to him, and since she made herself free to him Scripture blemished her in the reading — for above it called her Abigail, and here Abigal.
“Who sent you.” He placed in your heart to go out to meet me.
Malbim
And David said to Abigail: He recognised that the truth was with her, and he acknowledged it. 1. To the Lord, who sent her through His providence to prevent him from the deed.
and blessed be your discretion, and blessed be you, that have kept me this day from bloodguiltiness, and from finding redress for myself with mine own hand.
verse value 2692
Insights
Verse structure: 13 words, 50 letters. The shortest word is "you" (אָ֑תְּ, 2 letters) and the longest is "and·blessed" (וּבְרוּכָ֣ה, 6 letters). 5 words in this verse appear nowhere else in I Samuel. Unique to this verse in I Samuel (hapax): "and·blessed" (וּבָר֥וּךְ), "your·taste" (טַעְמֵ֖ךְ), "and·blessed" (וּבְרוּכָ֣ה). The root ברך appears 2 times in this verse. 12 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "that" (root אשר, 229x in I Samuel); "from·the·vicinity·of" (root בוא, 161x in I Samuel); "day" (root יום, 154x in I Samuel). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'you', dividing the verse into phrases of 4 and 9 words. Full calculation: וּבָר֥וּךְ [and·blessed] (234) + טַעְמֵ֖ךְ [your·taste] (139) + וּבְרוּכָ֣ה [and·blessed] (239) + אָ֑תְּ [you] (401) + אֲשֶׁ֨ר [that] (501) + כְּלִתִ֜נִי [you·restricted·me] (510) + הַיּ֤וֹם [day] (61) + הַזֶּה֙ [this] (17) + מִבּ֣וֹא [from·the·vicinity·of] (49) + בְדָמִ֔ים [in·blood] (96) + וְהֹשֵׁ֥עַ [and·saved] (381) + יָדִ֖י [my·hand] (24) + לִֽי [to·me] (40) = 2692.
Rashi
You have restrained me. You have withheld me — like (Psalms 40:12): 'withhold not Thy compassions'; 'none shall withhold from you' (Genesis 23:6).
And from saving myself with my own hand. It refers back to 'from coming into bloodguilt' — the mem of 'mi-bo' carries over to 'v-hoshea', as though it read: 'from coming into bloodguilt and from saving myself with my own hand.'
Radak
"Thy discretion." Thy counsel and thy good word; and so Jonathan rendered it: and blessed be thy discernment.
"Thou hast kept me back." Thou hast restrained me, like "none shall withhold from thee."
Metzudat David
“An entrance with blood.” An entrance through the guilt of shedding blood, and by the salvation of my own hand.
Metzudat Zion
Your counsel. Your speech and counsel, similarly (Job 12:20): 'and the discernment of the elders He takes away'.
You have restrained me. You prevented me.
Malbim
2. And blessed is Your understanding, for besides this, her arguments too are sound and true. 3. And blessed are You, for even on Your own merit you were already worthy of this, that I should not destroy your house.
For in very deed, as Hashem, the God of Israel, lives, who has withholden me from hurting you, except you hadst made haste and come to meet me, surely there had not been left to Nabal by the morning light so much as one male.’
verse value 7830
Insights
Verse structure: 21 words, 92 letters. Verse gematria: 7830 is divisible by 18, the value of chai ('life'). The shortest word is "for" (כִּ֣י, 2 letters) and the longest is "living·Hashem" (חַי־יְהֹוָה֙, 6 letters). Words sharing gematria 30: for, for. 8 words in this verse appear nowhere else in I Samuel. Unique to this verse in I Samuel (hapax): "withholded·me" (מְנָעַ֔נִי), "from·harming" (מֵהָרַ֖ע), "unless" (לוּלֵ֣י). The root כי appears 2 times in this verse. 19 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "living·Hashem" (root יהוה, 316x in I Samuel); "who" (root אשר, 229x in I Samuel); "for" (root כי, 161x in I Samuel). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'you', dividing the verse into phrases of 8 and 13 words.
Radak
“From harming you.” Just as it says “to you”:
"And thou camest." So it is written, and the reading is v-tavat. And in the written word there are two feminine markers, of the past and of the future — for the future form is tavo and the past form is bat — and this doubling in the word indicates the swiftness of her coming; and so too in the reading, from the two markers.
Metzudat David
"As the Lord lives." I hereby swear, as the Lord lives, etc., that He prevented me from doing you harm, meaning: to your household and to all that is yours.
"If there remains, etc. Then the penalty of an oath shall apply to me:"
Metzudat Zion
But indeed. But in truth.
Had it not been. If not.
Malbim
And yet, He said that this providence was not for Nabal's sake, but for your sake. This is what withheld me from hurting you, for had you not hastened, you would have destroyed everything—the righteous together with the wicked—and it would have been from the appearance of God that no evil would reach you.
So David received of her hand that which she had brought him; and he said to her: ‘Go up in peace to your house; see, I have hearkened to your voice, and have accepted your person.’
verse value 4075
Insights
Verse structure: 16 words, 63 letters. Notable word values: "to·him" (ל֑וֹ) = 36, double chai. The shortest word is "to·him" (ל֑וֹ, 2 letters) and the longest is "that·she·brought" (אֲשֶׁר־הֵבִ֖יאָה, 8 letters). 6 words in this verse appear nowhere else in I Samuel. Unique to this verse in I Samuel (hapax): "from·her·hand" (מִיָּדָ֔הּ), "that·she·brought" (אֲשֶׁר־הֵבִ֖יאָה), "and·to·her" (וְלָ֣הּ). 14 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "said" (root אמר, 418x in I Samuel); "David" (root דוד, 262x in I Samuel); "that·she·brought" (root אשר, 229x in I Samuel). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'to·him', dividing the verse into phrases of 6 and 10 words.
Metzudat Zion
And I showed you favor. A matter of showing favor, to fulfill the request.
Malbim
"From her hand" — by way of honour. "And to her he said": until now he had spoken of Nabal's affairs; now he promised her that he would accept her person in time to come and would keep no enmity.
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.
verse value 4717
Insights
Verse structure: 22 words, 94 letters. Notable word values: "and·he" (וְה֥וּא) = 18, chai, 'life'. The shortest word is "to·him" (לּ֗וֹ, 2 letters) and the longest is "and·not·she·told" (וְלֹא־הִגִּ֣ידָה, 8 letters). 8 words in this verse appear nowhere else in I Samuel. Unique to this verse in I Samuel (hapax): "and·came" (וַתָּבֹ֣א), "and·behold·to·him" (וְהִנֵּה־לוֹ֩), "feast" (מִשְׁתֶּ֨ה). The root משתה appears 2 times in this verse. 20 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "to·Nabal" (root איל, 238x in I Samuel); "and·came" (root בוא, 161x in I Samuel); "thing" (root דבר, 113x in I Samuel). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'until·very', dividing the verse into phrases of 15 and 7 words.
Metzudat Zion
Good to him. He means happy.
Malbim
The questions: What is the need for the narrative to mention that he had a feast like the king’s feast, etc.?
"And behold, he had," etc., "and she told him nothing": he relates three reasons why she did not tell him at once. a) That if there had been a lack at the feast through the present she had carried off, such that he would have felt the want at once, she would have been obliged to tell him; but behold, "he had a feast in his house like the feast of a king," everything being in very great abundance, and he did not feel the lack of what she had taken. b) For "Nabal's heart was merry within him," and she did not wish to grieve him or to spoil his gladness. c) "And he was drunken exceedingly," and she feared lest his wrath flare up in his wine and he do her hurt; and therefore "she told him nothing, less or more," etc.
And it came to pass 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.
verse value 3809
Insights
Verse structure: 15 words, 65 letters. Notable word values: "and·he" (וְה֖וּא) = 18, chai, 'life'. Verse gematria: 3809 is divisible by 13, the value of echad ('one') and ahavah ('love'). The shortest word is "his·heart" (לִבּוֹ֙, 3 letters) and the longest is "the·things" (אֶת־הַדְּבָרִ֖ים, 8 letters). 6 words in this verse appear nowhere else in I Samuel. Unique to this verse in I Samuel (hapax): "when·went·out" (בְּצֵ֤את), "wine" (הַיַּ֙יִן֙), "from·Nabal" (מִנָּבָ֔ל). The root היה appears 2 times in this verse. 14 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·it·was" (root היה, 167x in I Samuel); "the·things" (root דבר, 113x in I Samuel); "and·he" (root הוא, 82x in I Samuel). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'these', dividing the verse into phrases of 9 and 6 words.
Rashi
When the wine went out from Nabal. (Translation:) Kad pag chamra m'Nabal.
And his heart died. That he grieved over the gift that was brought to David.
Radak
“On the going out of the wine.” The letter bet indicates “at the time,” meaning when his drunkenness departed. Its Targumic translation is: “When the wine has departed from the vessel.” And so did the Syriac translate “your wine from you”: “Do you not dispel your wine?”
"And his heart died." This means that he was rendered speechless and became as though dead, because he was distressed over the offering that his wife had brought to David.
Ralbag
"And his heart died within him, and he became like a stone." He said this in a hyperbolic sense, due to the great anxiety he felt over the magnitude of the offering, and due to the intense fear he had of David.
Metzudat David
“Upon the going out of the wine.” This means: at the time when the intoxication has passed.
“And his heart died.” He spoke in a manner of exaggeration and hyperbole, due to the magnitude of his terror from fear of David, for he thought that perhaps despite all this, David would come upon him.
"And he was like a stone." This means that his senses were nullified due to the excess of his terror.
Malbim
And his heart failed him; fear fell upon him because of David and the danger he was in, and his blood turned cold, and he became like a stone.
And it came to pass about ten days after, that Hashem smote Nabal, so that he died.
verse value 2190
Insights
Verse structure: 7 words, 31 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָ֛ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "and·it·was" (וַיְהִ֖י, 4 letters) and the longest is "about·ten·of" (כַּעֲשֶׂ֣רֶת, 5 letters). 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in I Samuel. Unique to this verse in I Samuel (hapax): "about·ten·of" (כַּעֲשֶׂ֣רֶת), "and·plagued" (וַיִּגֹּ֧ף), "Nabal" (אֶת־נָבָ֖ל). 7 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 316x in I Samuel); "and·it·was" (root היה, 167x in I Samuel); "day" (root יום, 154x in I Samuel). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'day', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 4 words. Full calculation: וַיְהִ֖י [and·it·was] (31) + כַּעֲשֶׂ֣רֶת [about·ten·of] (990) + הַיָּמִ֑ים [day] (105) + וַיִּגֹּ֧ף [and·plagued] (99) + יְהֹוָ֛ה [Hashem] (26) + אֶת־נָבָ֖ל [Nabal] (483) + וַיָּמֹֽת [and·he·died] (456) = 2190.
Rashi
Like ten days. Seven days of Samuel's mourning the Holy One, blessed be He, suspended for him — so that the mourning of the wicked not be mixed with his mourning. And afterward he was ill three days and died — like what is said: And the Lord struck Nabal, and our Master said (Semachot 3:9): He was ill three days and died — this is the death of the plague. And our Sages said (Rosh Hashanah 18a): These are the ten days of repentance — that the Holy One, blessed be He, waited for him to return in repentance. And there are those who say: Corresponding to ten mouthfuls that Nabal gave to David's servants — that David sent him ten boys and fed them.
Radak
“Like ten days.” The letter kaf, the true kaf, means “for ten days,” and similarly, “like three months” means “for three months.” During these ten days, the severe illness afflicted him, and at the end of the ten days, God struck him and he died. These sufferings were the punishment for his sin, accompanying his death. And some interpret that ten days were granted to him for repentance. And so they said: “For ten” is not written, but “like ten,” referring to the ten days between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, perhaps he would repent. But this is far-fetched, for the Scripture testifies concerning him that during these ten days his heart was dead and he was like a stone; how could such a person repent? Furthermore, they interpreted it as corresponding to the ten mouthfuls he gave to the ten young men of David whom he had sent to him. And I say that these ten days were for his harm, not for his benefit. Moreover, in the interpretation of “And it came to pass, like ten days, that the Lord struck Nabal”: surely a plague does not occur except for three days, as it is taught: One who dies on the first day, this is a death of anger; on the second day, a death of panic; on the third day, a death of plague. Rather, they suspended for him the seven days of mourning for Samuel the righteous, so that the mourning of the wicked would not be intermingled with the mourning of the righteous.
Malbim
Regarding the ten days, our Sages of blessed memory expounded upon them in numerous homiletic interpretations, based on the general principle that a number abstracted from its associated description alludes to a specific, well-known number. These are the ten well-known days of repentance that fall between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur.
And when David heard that Nabal was dead, he said: ‘Blessed be Hashem, that has pleaded the cause of my reproach from the hand of Nabal, and has kept back His servant from evil; and the evil-doing of Nabal has Hashem returned upon his own head.’ And David sent and spoke concerning Abigail, to take her to him to wife.
verse value 8359
Insights
Verse structure: 30 words, 116 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָ֡ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. Verse gematria: 8359 is divisible by 13, the value of echad ('one') and ahavah ('love'). The shortest word is "that" (כִּ֣י, 2 letters) and the longest is "and·his·servant" (וְאֶת־עַבְדּוֹ֙, 7 letters). Words sharing gematria 82: Nabal, Nabal, Nabal. 7 words in this verse appear nowhere else in I Samuel. Unique to this verse in I Samuel (hapax): "the·cause·of" (אֶת־רִ֨יב), "and·his·servant" (וְאֶת־עַבְדּוֹ֙), "withholded" (חָשַׂ֣ךְ). The root נבל appears 3 times in this verse. 24 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·said" (root אמר, 418x in I Samuel); "Hashem" (root יהוה, 316x in I Samuel); "David" (root דוד, 262x in I Samuel). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'in·his·head', dividing the verse into phrases of 23 and 7 words.
Rashi
My reproach's quarrel. His insults with which he reviled me (above, verse 10): Today there are many servants who break through.
And He kept back His servant from evil. That I did not kill him.
Radak
“חרפתי” – He reviled me, saying, “Who is David, and who is the son of Jesse?” Today, many servants are becoming insolent, each fleeing from his master.
Metzudat David
"He kept back from evil." That he should not be killed by my hand:
"And the evil of." The recompense for the evil of:
Metzudat Zion
Withheld. Prevented, similarly (Genesis 22:16): 'and you have not withheld'.
Malbim
Blessed be the Lord. He gave thanks for three matters: 1. That he was punished for having cursed him; 2. That He guarded him so that he would not take vengeance himself; 3. That He also returned the evil of Nabal and his other sins upon his own head, in such a way that he was not punished solely by means of David. For anyone whose companion is punished through him is not brought into the portion of the Holy One, blessed be He, but rather dies through his own sins.
And when the servants of David were come to Abigail to Carmel, they spoke to her, saying: ‘David has sent us to you, to take you to him to wife.’
verse value 2456
Insights
Verse structure: 14 words, 63 letters. Notable word values: "slave" (עַבְדֵ֥י) = 86, equal to Elohim. The shortest word is "to·him" (ל֖וֹ, 2 letters) and the longest is "to·Abigail" (אֶל־אֲבִיגַ֖יִל, 8 letters). Words sharing gematria 14: David, David. 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in I Samuel. Unique to this verse in I Samuel (hapax): "to·Abigail" (אֶל־אֲבִיגַ֖יִל), "sent·us" (שְׁלָחָ֣נוּ), "to·take·you" (לְקַחְתֵּ֥ךְ). The root דוד appears 2 times in this verse. 11 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "saying" (root אמר, 418x in I Samuel); "David" (root דוד, 262x in I Samuel); "to·Abigail" (root איל, 238x in I Samuel). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'to·Carmel', dividing the verse into phrases of 5 and 9 words. Full calculation: וַיָּבֹ֜אוּ [and·they·came] (25) + עַבְדֵ֥י [slave] (86) + דָוִ֛ד [David] (14) + אֶל־אֲבִיגַ֖יִל [to·Abigail] (87) + הַכַּרְמֶ֑לָה [to·Carmel] (300) + וַיְדַבְּר֤וּ [and·they·spoke] (228) + אֵלֶ֙יהָ֙ [to·her] (46) + לֵאמֹ֔ר [saying] (271) + דָּוִד֙ [David] (14) + שְׁלָחָ֣נוּ [sent·us] (394) + אֵלַ֔יִךְ [to·you] (61) + לְקַחְתֵּ֥ךְ [to·take·you] (558) + ל֖וֹ [to·him] (36) + לְאִשָּֽׁה [to·wife] (336) = 2456.
Malbim
“Hakarmelah” – for immediately after the feast she fell ill and did not return to her dwelling, and she remained on Mount Carmel after his death.
And she arose, and bowed down with her face to the earth, and said: ‘Behold, your handmaid is a servant to wash the feet of the servants of my lord.’
verse value 4406
Insights
Verse structure: 12 words, 51 letters. Notable word values: "slave" (עַבְדֵ֥י) = 86, equal to Elohim. The shortest word is "they" (הִנֵּ֤ה, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·she·bowed·down" (וַתִּשְׁתַּ֥חוּ, 6 letters). 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in I Samuel. Unique to this verse in I Samuel (hapax): "as·a·maid" (לְשִׁפְחָ֔ה), "to·wash" (לִרְחֹ֕ץ). 12 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·she·said" (root אמר, 418x in I Samuel); "slave" (root עבד, 71x in I Samuel); "they" (root הן, 55x in I Samuel). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'land', dividing the verse into phrases of 4 and 8 words. Full calculation: וַתָּ֕קׇם [and·she·arose] (546) + וַתִּשְׁתַּ֥חוּ [and·she·bowed·down] (1120) + אַפַּ֖יִם [face] (131) + אָ֑רְצָה [land] (296) + וַתֹּ֗אמֶר [and·she·said] (647) + הִנֵּ֤ה [they] (60) + אֲמָֽתְךָ֙ [your·handmaid] (461) + לְשִׁפְחָ֔ה [as·a·maid] (423) + לִרְחֹ֕ץ [to·wash] (328) + רַגְלֵ֖י [foot] (243) + עַבְדֵ֥י [slave] (86) + אֲדֹנִֽי [my·lord] (65) = 4406.
Ralbag
"Behold, your handmaid is a maid to wash the feet of my lord’s servants." She said this in a spirit of humility, to indicate that it would be sufficient for her if she were to become the wife of one of David’s servants and wash his feet, as is the custom of a wife toward her husband.
Metzudat David
"To a maidservant, etc." – As if she had said, "I am not worthy to be his wife, but only a maidservant, to wash the feet of his slaves."
Metzudat Zion
Faces. Upon her face.
Malbim
"Behold, your maidservant spoke to the messengers in your presence," for a person's agent is considered as himself.
And Abigail hastened, and arose, and rode upon an ass, with five damsels of hers that followed her; and she went after the messengers of David, and became his wife.
verse value 5646
Insights
Verse structure: 15 words, 74 letters. The shortest word is "David" (דָוִ֔ד, 3 letters) and the longest is "upon·the·ass" (עַֽל־הַחֲמ֔וֹר, 7 letters). 5 words in this verse appear nowhere else in I Samuel. Unique to this verse in I Samuel (hapax): "and·mounted·and·ride" (וַתִּרְכַּב֙), "her·maidens" (נַעֲרֹתֶ֔יהָ), "that·go" (הַהֹלְכ֖וֹת). The root הלך appears 2 times in this verse. 14 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "David" (root דוד, 262x in I Samuel); "and·she·became·to·him" (root היה, 167x in I Samuel); "that·go" (root הלך, 133x in I Samuel). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'to·her·foot', dividing the verse into phrases of 9 and 6 words.
Metzudat David
"And her five maidens." She rode, and also her five maidens, etc.:
David also took Ahinoam of Jezreel; and they became both of them his wives.
verse value 2851
Insights
Verse structure: 8 words, 42 letters. Notable word values: "to·him" (ל֖וֹ) = 36, double chai. The shortest word is "to·him" (ל֖וֹ, 2 letters) and the longest is "and·Ahinoam" (וְאֶת־אֲחִינֹ֛עַם, 9 letters). 6 words in this verse appear nowhere else in I Samuel. Unique to this verse in I Samuel (hapax): "and·Ahinoam" (וְאֶת־אֲחִינֹ֛עַם), "took" (לָקַ֥ח), "from·Jezreel" (מִֽיִּזְרְעֶ֑אל). 7 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "David" (root דוד, 262x in I Samuel); "and·they·were" (root היה, 167x in I Samuel); "took" (root לקח, 78x in I Samuel). First appearance of the root יזרעאל ("from·Jezreel") in I Samuel. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'from·Jezreel', dividing the verse into phrases of 4 and 4 words. Full calculation: וְאֶת־אֲחִינֹ֛עַם [and·Ahinoam] (586) + לָקַ֥ח [took] (138) + דָּוִ֖ד [David] (14) + מִֽיִּזְרְעֶ֑אל [from·Jezreel] (358) + וַתִּהְיֶ֛יןָ [and·they·were] (481) + גַּֽם־שְׁתֵּיהֶ֥ן [also·two·of·them] (808) + ל֖וֹ [to·him] (36) + לְנָשִֽׁים [to·women] (430) = 2851.
Radak
“Both of them.” One is included to teach the other. And this was stated to inform us that these two were his wives, but not Michal, for Saul had given her to Palti, son of Laish. Therefore it says, “And Saul gave Michal his daughter…” One might ask: Since Michal was David’s wife, how could she be given to Palti? And how could Palti, son of Laish, take her, while she was David’s wife? And you might say that they did this through a transgression and a prohibition; then how could David later take her back, since she was forbidden to him, as she had been sexually united with another man willingly while still his wife? Some of our Sages of blessed memory stated that Palti’s betrothal to Michal was done in a transgression. And some of them said that David’s betrothal to Michal was a mistaken betrothal, as it says, “The king will enrich him with great wealth.” And on that day he was acting as a debtor to Saul. A betrothal performed while one is a debtor is not a valid betrothal. And even though the Philistine foreskins were also intended for betrothal, Saul thought that David’s intention was regarding the wealth he owed, whereas David’s intention was regarding the two hundred foreskins, for he gave them quickly for the purpose of betrothal. And some of them said that Palti, son of Laish, did not have sexual relations with her, and all the days she was with him, he would place a sword between them so that he would not touch her. And what is said, “Go and weep after her,” refers to this commandment, that he had restrained himself from his evil inclination to such an extent. And all these matters are distant from the simple meaning.
And the correct view in my eyes is that David gave Michal a bill of divorce, for we see that Saul hated David after he had married him, until David fled from Saul. And when Saul saw that David was fleeing, even though he would sometimes return to him, he forced him to give a bill of divorce to his daughter so that she would not remain an agunah (a chained woman unable to remarry). And he did so, and Saul gave her as a wife to Palti, son of Laish. And you might say: If so, it was forbidden for David to take her back, for it is forbidden for a man to take back his divorced wife after she has married another or even become betrothed to another. And we say that he did not give this bill of divorce of his own free will. And if you say, who forced him? Was he not fleeing from Saul? Even though he fled, we see that he was with Saul afterwards, as it says, “If my father will inquire for me.” And the entire matter indicates that after he fled, he would return to him. And while he was with him, he was forced to give the bill of divorce. And a bill of divorce made among Israelites not according to law is invalid. And if you say, did not Saul’s court know that the bill of divorce was invalid? It is possible that their intention was that it was valid, since it was the king’s will. And better than this is what is said: that David, before giving the bill of divorce, said in the presence of two witnesses from among his friends, “See, I am coerced in giving the bill of divorce,” and they concealed the matter, and he gave the bill of divorce. And thus the bill of divorce was not a valid bill of divorce, and Palti, son of Laish, did not know, and Michal did not know, and they assumed that the bill of divorce was valid. And it is also possible that the bill of divorce was valid from the beginning, and David sent it through an agent, and afterwards they annulled it before the bill of divorce reached her hand, and they did not know. And thus Michal was sexually united with him through mistake, and she was not forbidden to David, and this was like one who was sexually united with her through coercion, for she assumed that the bill of divorce was valid, for coercion and mistake are equal in the case of a married woman. And so it says, “And she was not seized,” excluding one who was coerced, and “he has committed a trespass against the Lord,” excluding one who sinned through mistake, who is permitted to her husband.
Metzudat David
“Both of them as well.” In addition to Michal, daughter of Saul, whom he had sanctified from that time:
Malbim
“Both of them” – he means in addition to Michal, daughter of Saul, whom he already had.
Now Saul had given Michal his daughter, David’s wife, to Palti the son of Laish, who was of Gallim.
verse value 3642
Insights
Verse structure: 10 words, 41 letters. The shortest word is "gave" (נָתַ֛ן, 3 letters) and the longest is "Michal" (אֶת־מִיכַ֥ל, 6 letters). Words sharing gematria 501: Michal, who. 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in I Samuel. Unique to this verse in I Samuel (hapax): "to·Palti" (לְפַלְטִ֥י), "son·of·Laish" (בֶן־לַ֖יִשׁ), "from·Gallim" (מִגַּלִּֽים). 10 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "David" (root דוד, 262x in I Samuel); "who" (root אשר, 229x in I Samuel); "and·Saul" (root שאול, 226x in I Samuel). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'David', dividing the verse into phrases of 6 and 4 words. Full calculation: וְשָׁא֗וּל [and·Saul] (343) + נָתַ֛ן [gave] (500) + אֶת־מִיכַ֥ל [Michal] (501) + בִּתּ֖וֹ [his·daughter] (408) + אֵ֣שֶׁת [wife·of] (701) + דָּוִ֑ד [David] (14) + לְפַלְטִ֥י [to·Palti] (159) + בֶן־לַ֖יִשׁ [son·of·Laish] (392) + אֲשֶׁ֥ר [who] (501) + מִגַּלִּֽים [from·Gallim] (123) = 3642.
Ralbag
"And Saul gave Michal his daughter, David’s wife, to Palti the son of Laish, etc." It is astonishing how Saul could do this, for she was already a married woman. And our Sages of blessed memory have already stated that Palti the son of Laish did not have sexual relations with her. It appeared to be so, for David had already returned and taken her back. This indicates that it had become public knowledge that he had not touched her. And because she was already barren and unfit for bearing children in this regard, the sons of Merab, her sister, were given to her to raise them, and she raised them as if they were her own sons. And for this reason they were called "the sons of Michal," as it is stated at the end of this book: "And the five sons of Michal the daughter of Saul, whom she bore to Adriel the son of Barzillai the Meholathite."
Metzudat David
He gave Michal, his daughter. For he considered David’s betrothal to be a betrothal of error, and our Sages of blessed memory (Sanhedrin 19b) disputed this matter.
Malbim
And Saul gave Michal his daughter. Here we are astonished: how did Saul give his daughter, who was already a married woman, to another man? And how did David later take her back after she had become ritually defiled? The Radak says that Saul forced David to divorce her, and nevertheless David took her back because it was a coerced bill of divorce and therefore invalid. And Abarbanel says that she was not given to Paltiel as a wife, but only to be kept safe, but all this is far-fetched. How was it within his power to coerce David, who had fled from him? And the verse says (below, II Samuel 3:16), “and her husband went with her.” But the main point is according to the words of our Sages of blessed memory, that Saul erred and thought that Michal’s betrothal was not valid according to the law, because he had betrothed her through a loan of wealth that was promised for the slaying of Goliath, or that David thought that the hundred foreskins of the Philistines were worth a perutah, while Saul thought they were worth nothing. Therefore, David was precise in his wording (below, ibid., v. 14): “Give me my wife, Michal, whom I betrothed to myself for the hundred foreskins of the Philistines.” And nevertheless, David was permitted to take her back, because she had been coerced by the court of Saul, who had erred in the law, just as is the halakhah regarding a woman to whom they said, “Your husband has died,” and she remarried on the basis of a court ruling; she is not forbidden. And apparently, Saul was provoked by this because he saw that David had taken additional wives besides his wife without her permission, which is like showing contempt for the king’s daughter by taking a rival wife to bind her in jealousy. And this too aroused new hatred in Saul. Therefore, David was moved to wander far from the wilderness of Paran to another place, to escape because Saul’s anger had been rekindled.
Radak
Ralbag
Metzudat David
Malbim