Abigail – Woman of Valor Or Woman of Wile?

Home , Ahinoam, Baruch Halpern, Chileab, Nabal

Abigail – Woman of Valor or Woman of Wile? Weigh oath with oath, and you will nothing weigh: Your vows to her and me, put in two scales, Will even weigh, and both as light as tales. (Shakespeare, Midsummer Night’s Dream, Act III, scene ii) Limmud England, Prof. Rachel Adelman, December, 2015

Preamble: The Story of the Abigail-Nabal-David Triangle in Context The story is framed by the two episodes in the altercations between David and Saul – the first in Ein Gedi (1 Samuel, ch. 24) and the second in the wilderness of Ziph (1 Samuel ch. 26), where Saul comes to acknowledge David as “the anointed one” and David refrains from taking the life of his murderous rival, the older incumbent king. Yet it is Abigail who first relays the message, inadvertently to David – that God has appointed him rule over Israel (1 Sam. 25:30). Jan Fokkelman entitles this chapter, ‘A Woman’s Intervention stops David from a Bloodbath;’ Shimon Bar Efrat, calls this chapter: ‘Woman of Valor [’eshet hayiḷ ].’ Adele Berlin characterizes her as a “type” – the perfect wife. But the perfect wife of whom? Jon Levenson, on the other hand, understands the marriage to Abigail (in the aftermath) as a politically savvy move, where consistently David takes the wives of his rivals in order to secure his kingship. But these literary readings empty Abigail of any real personality and agency. In exploring her motive and character, how might we enhance our understanding of the plot? Do we read her as a ‘woman of valor’ or, rather, a ‘woman of wile’? 1. Introducing Nabal & Abigail שמואל א פרק כה There was a man in Maon whose possessions were in 2 … וַיָּקָּם דדָּוִ וַיֵּרֶד אֶלמִדְ בַרפָּארָּ ן: ס Carmel. The man was very wealthy; he owned three )ב(וְאִיׁש בְמָּ עֹון ּומַ עֲשֵּ הּובַכַרְ למֶ וְהָּאִ יׁשגָּדֹול מְ אֹד וְ לֹו צֹאן thousand sheep and a thousand goats. At the time, he was ׁשְֹלׁשֶתאֲלָּפִ ים וְאֶ לֶף עִזִ ים וַיְהִי בִגְ זֹז תאֶ צֹאנֹו בַכַרְ מֶ ל: shearing his sheep in Carmel. 3 The man's name was )ג(וְׁשֵּם הָּאִ יׁש נָּבָּל וְׁשֵּםאִׁשְ ּתֹו אֲבִ גָּיִל Nabal, and his wife's name was Abigail. The woman was וְהָּאִ שָּ הטֹובַת שֶ כֶל וִ יפַת ּתֹאַ ר intelligent and beautiful, but the man, a Calebite, was a וְהָּאִ יׁש קָּׁשֶ הוְרַ עמַ עֲלָּלִים וְ הּוא כלבו כָּלִבִ י: (.hard man and an evildoer. (1 Samuel 25:2-3, NJPS trans

 Nabal = “base fellow”, “cur”, “churl”, “fool” – later he will be called ben/’ish beliya‘al “a worthless man” or “a good for nothing” or “scoundrel” (vv. 17, 25); Abigail will refer to his character as being just like his name (v. 25).  Nabal = fool as in Prov. 17:21 (embarrassment to father) and 30:22 (glutton) Jer 17:11 (hoarder) Ps 14:1 = 53:1 (non-believer); nebalah = foolishness; Most significantly in Isa. 32:6 – a nabal refuses to feed the hungry and give drink to the thirsty; KRI: a) And a Calebite, The Calebites were non-Israelites who in effect joined the tribe of Judah. (Alter, Bar Efrat, p. 314); they were associated with Kenizzite (Num. 32:12; Josh. 14:6, 14: Gen. 15:19); b) OR is this a reference to Caleb of tribe of Judah? Tg.Jon. = from the house of Caleb (ben Yefuneh), of the tribe of Judah (Num 14:20-25; Deut 1:22-36; Josh 14:6-15; 15:13-19; Jud. 1:20) = 3rd son of Hezron, brother of Ram (1 Chron. 2:9), one of the forefathers of David (Ruth 4:18-22) – that is, he is part of the royal lineage; shares a great- great grandfather with David. c) LXX reads “dog-like” (anthropos kunikos) d) KTIV: Kelibo, lit. “like his heart” – he who was “hard [qasheh] anticipates his death by hardening of the heart, quite literally petrified (in v. 37) “and his heart died within him; he became like a stone”. 2. The Threat )ד( ַו ִי ְׁש ַמע ָּד ִוד ַב ִמ ְד ָּבר ִכי ֹג ֵּזז ָּנ ָּבל ֶאת צֹאנֹו: David was in the wilderness when he heard that Nabal was 4 )ה( ַו ִי ְׁש ַלח ָּד ִוד ֲע ָּש ָּרה ְנ ָּע ִרים ַויֹא ֶמר ָּד ִוד ַל ְנ ָּע ִרים ֲעלּו shearing his sheep. 5 David dispatched ten young men, and David כַרְמֶלָּה ּובָּאתֶםאֶ ל נָּבָּלּוׁשְאֶ םלְּתֶ לֹו יבִׁשְמִ לְׁשָּ לֹום: instructed the young men, "Go up to Carmel. When you come to )ו( וַאֲמַרְ ּתֶ ם כֹהלֶחָּ יוְאַּתָּ הׁשָּ לֹום ּובֵּ יתְ ָך ׁשָּ לֹום וְ כֹל Nabal, greet him in my name. 6 Say as follows: 'To life! Greetings to אֲׁשֶרלְָך ׁשָּ לֹום:)ז( וְעַּתָּה ׁשָּמַעְּתִ יכִ י גֹזְזִ ים לְָּךעַּתָּ ה you and to your household and to all that is yours! 7 I hear that you הָּ רֹעִים אֲׁשֶ ר לְָך הָּ יּועִמָּ נּו לֹא הֶכְ לַמְ נּום וְ לֹא נִפְקַ ד are now doing your shearing. As you know, your shepherds have 1

לָּהֶם מְ האּומָּ כָּל ייְמֵּ םהֱיֹותָּ בַכַרְ מֶל:)ח( ׁשְאַל אֶ ת been with us; we did not harm them, and nothing of theirs was נְעָּרֶ יָךוְ יַגִ ידּו לְָּך וְיִמְצְ אּוהַ נְעָּרִ ים חֵּ ן בְ עֵּינֶיָך יכִ עַל יֹום missing all the time they were in Carmel. 8 Ask your young men and טֹובבנו בָּאנּו ּתְ נָּהנָּא אֵּ ת אֲׁשֶר ּתִמְ צָּ איָּדְ ָךלַעֲבָּדֶ יָך they will tell you. So receive these young men graciously, for we ּולְבִ נְָך לְדָּוִ ד: have come on a festive occasion. Please give your servants and your )ט( וַיָּבֹאּו נַעֲרֵּ י דָּוִ ד וַיְדַבְ רּואֶ ל נָּבָּל כְ כָּל הַדְ בָּרִ ים "'.son David whatever you can 9 הָּאֵּלֶה םבְׁשֵּ דָּוִ ד וַיָּנּוחּו:)י( וַיַעַןנָּבָּ ל אֶ תעַבְדֵּי דָּוִ ד David's young men went and delivered this message to Nabal in the name of David. When they stopped speaking, וַיֹאמֶ ר מִי דדָּוִ יּומִ בֶןיִׁשָּ יהַ יֹום רַ בּו עֲבָּדִ ים 10 הַמִתְ פָּרְ צִ יםאִיׁש מִ פְ נֵּיאֲ דֹנָּיו:)יא( וְלָּקַחְּתִי אֶ ת לַחְמִ י Nabal answered David's servants, "Who is David? Who is the son of Jesse? There are many slaves nowadays who run away from their וְאֶתמֵּ ימַ י וְאֵּת יטִבְחָּתִ אֲׁשֶ ר טָּ יבַחְּתִ לְגֹזְזָּיוְ נָּתַּתִ י masters. 11 Should I then take my bread and my water, and the meat לַאֲ נָּׁשִ ים ראֲׁשֶ לֹא ייָּדַעְּתִ אֵּ י מִ זֶההֵּמָּ ה: that I slaughtered for my own shearers, and give them to men who )יב( וַיַהַפְ כּו ינַעֲרֵּ דדָּוִ לְדַרְ כָּםוַיָּׁשֻׁבּו וַיָּבֹאּו וַיַגִ דּו לֹו "?come from I don't know where כְכֹלהַדְ בָּרִ יםהָּאֵּ לֶה:)יג( וַיֹאמֶר דָּוִ דלַאֲ נָּׁשָּ יו חִ גְ רּו Thereupon David's young men retraced their steps; and when they 12 אִיׁש תאֶ חַרְ בֹווַיַחְ גְ רּו אִ יׁש אֶ תחַרְ בֹו וַיַחְ גֹר גַם דָּוִ ד got back, they told him all this. 13 And David said to his men, "Gird אֶ ת חַרְ בֹו וַיַעֲלּו אַ יחֲרֵּ דָּוִדכְאַרְ בַעמֵּ אֹות אִ יׁש on your swords." Each girded on his sword; David too girded on his ּומָּאתַ יִםיָּׁשְ בּו עַל הַ כֵּלִים: sword. About four hundred men went up after David, while two hundred remained with the baggage.  “David and his ragtag band of dispossessed men and malcontents” (Alter, p. 154); see 1 Sam. 22:2 (as the biblical Robin Hood)  Meir Shalev suggests David is running a Mafioso protection racket. They were not ‘nice’ boys. YET contrast Nabal’s objection (vv. 10-11) to the servant’s testimony (vv. 15-16). 3. Abigail’s Strategy )יד( וְלַאֲבִ יגַיִל תאֵּׁשֶ נָּבָּל הִ גִ יד נַעַר אֶחָּ ד One of Nabal's young men told Abigail, Nabal's wife, that David 14 מֵּהַ נְעָּרִ ים לֵּאמֹרהִ נֵּהׁשָּ לַחדָּוִד מַ לְאָּכִ ים had sent messengers from the wilderness to greet their master, and that מֵּהַמִדְ בָּר לְבָּרְֵּךאֶ ת אֲ דֹנֵּינּו וַיָּעַט בָּהֶ ם:)טו( he had spurned them. 15 "But the men had been very friendly to us; we וְהָּאֲ נָּׁשִ ים טֹבִ ים לָּנּומְ אֹדוְ לֹא הָּכְ לַמְ נּו וְ לֹא were not harmed, nor did we miss anything all the time that we went פָּקַדְ נּומְ אּומָּ הכָּל יְמֵּ י הִתְ הַ לַכְ נּו םאִּתָּ בִהְ יֹותֵּ נּו about with them while we were in the open. 16 They were a wall about בַשָּדֶ ה:)טז(חֹומָּ ה הָּ יּו עָּלֵּינּו גַם לַיְלָּה גַםיֹומָּ ם us both by night and by day all the time that we were with them כָּל יְמֵּ י הֱיֹותֵּ נּו עִמָּ ם רֹעִ ים הַ צֹאן: 17 )יז( וְעַּתָּה דְ יעִ ּורְאִ י מַ הּתַ יעֲשִ כִי הכָּלְתָּ הָּרָּ עָּה tending the flocks. So consider carefully what you should do, for אֶלאֲ דֹנֵּינּו וְעַלכָּל בֵּיתֹו וְ הּוא בֶן בְ לִיַ עַל מִדַ בֵּר harm threatens our master and all his household; he is such a nasty fellow that no one can speak to him." אֵּ לָּיו: 18 )יח( וַּתְ מַהֵּ ראבוגיל אֲבִ יגַיִלוַּתִ קַח מָּאתַ יִם לֶחֶ ם Abigail quickly got together two hundred loaves of bread, two jars ּוׁשְ נַיִם נִבְ לֵּי יַיִן וְחָּמֵּ ׁשצֹאן עשוות עֲשּויֹת וְחָּמֵּ ׁש of wine, five dressed sheep, five seahs of parched corn, one hundred סְאִים קָּ לִי ּומֵּאָּהצִ מֻׁקִ יםּומָּאתַ יִם דְ בֵּלִים cakes of raisin, and two hundred cakes of pressed figs. She loaded וַּתָּשֶ םעַל הַ חֲמֹרִ ים:)יט( וַּתֹאמֶ ר לִנְעָּרֶ יהָּ עִבְ רּו them on asses, 19 and she told her young men, "Go on ahead of me, and לְפָּנַי הִ נְנִי אַ חֲרֵּ יכֶם בָּאָּ ה ּולְאִ יׁשָּ ּהנָּבָּל לֹא I'll follow you"; but she did not tell her husband Nabal. 20 She was הִ גִידָּ ה: riding on the ass and coming down under the cover of the mountain )כ( וְהָּ יָּה הִ יא רֹכֶבֶת עַל הַ חֲמֹור וְ יֹרֶ דֶ ת בְּסֵתֶ ר seter ha-har], and, look, David and his men appeared, coming down] הָהָ ר וְהִנֵּה דָּוִ דוַאֲ נָּׁשָּ יויֹרְ דִ יםלִקְרָּאתָּ ּהוַּתִ פְ גֹׁש toward her; and she met them. -- 21 Now David had been saying, “All אֹתָּ ם:)כא( וְדָּוִדאָּמַר אַ ְך לַשֶקֶרׁשָּמַרְּתִי תאֶ כָּל in vain did I guard everything that belonged to this [man] in the אֲ ׁשֶר לָּזֶהבַמִדְ בָּר וְ לֹא דנִפְקַ מִ כָּל ראֲׁשֶ לֹו wilderness and nothing was missing from all that was his, and he paid מְאּומָּ ה בוַיָּׁשֶ לִי רָּ עָּה ּתַחַ תטֹובָּה: me back evil for good! This may God do to David and even more [koh )כב( כֹה יַעֲשֶהאֱ ֹלהִ ים לְאֹיְבֵּי דָּוִ ד וְ כֹה יֹסִ יף אִ ם ya‘aseh ’Elohim ve-koh yosif],1 if I leave from all that is his by אַׁשְאִירמִ כָּל אֲׁשֶ רלֹו עַד הַ בֹקֶרמַׁשְּתִ ין בְקִ יר: 23 )כג( אוַּתֵּרֶ אֲבִ יגַיִל אֶת דָּוִ ד וַּתְ רמַהֵּ דוַּתֵּרֶ מֵּ עַל -- ”![morning [‘ad boqer], a single pisser against the wall [beqir When Abigail saw David, she quickly dismounted from the ass and הַחֲמֹור וַּתִ פֹל לְאַ פֵּי דדָּוִ עַל פָּנֶיהָּ וַּתִׁשְּתַ חּו אָּרֶ ץ: 24 )כד( וַּתִ פֹל עַל רַ גְלָּיו וַּתֹאמֶ ר … .threw herself face down before David, bowing to the ground Prostrate at his feet, she pleaded…(my trans.)

1 The text, here, literally says ‘So may God do to the enemies of David…’ but this is clearly an amendment on the part of the Masoretes (lashon sagi nahor). The oath implies a punishment that will befall the speaker if he fails to fulfill the conditions of the oath. Having never followed through on the threat, a danger hovers over the House of David as a consequence of this religious speech act, which the tradition takes very seriously. Notably, the LXX (version-L) omits the term ‘enemies’ in the self-imprecation. 2

 She comes bearing gifts of food; appeasement just as Jacob did to Esau (Gen. 32:14-22); but she goes alone, “her goal is more than the safety of Nabal’s household: she offers victuals to David’s men (v. 27); for David she offers herself (v. 31)” (Levenson, p. 19). Whereas Jacob offers minha, “tribute” (or gift) (Gen. 32:19, 21, 22; 33:9), Abigail euphemistically offers David a berakhah, “blessing”, which she asks be given to the boys who march under my lord’s command” (v. 27) –countered by David’s blessing of her in v. 33.  She comes under the cover of the mountain [seter ha-har], v. 20. The ‘crag in the hill [seter ha-har]’ is suggestive of secrecy,2 of erotic response,3 the womb itself.4  Question: Why are we told that of David’s oath ONLY after we see her rounding the mountain, replete with supplies for the men?  Levenson: “The episode of Nabal is the very first revelation of evil in David's character. He can kill. This time he stops short. But the cloud that chap. 25 raises continues to darken our perception of David's character.” (1978:22).  David reiterates the formula of the curse, once it has been averted, in 1 Sam. 25.34. The epithet for the decimation of all males as they ‘that pisseth against the wall’ (KJV), is found in 1 Kgs. 14:10 (House of Jeroboam I), 1 Kgs. 16:11 (House of Baasha), 1 Kgs. 21:21 and 2 Kgs. 9:8 (House of Achab). It is reserved for the Israelite regnal line that is wiped out, and is invoked by the prophet’s doom toll. This resonance reinforces Levenson and Halpern’s theory that the House of Nabal represented rival Judean line to the Davidic claim to the throne. 4. Abigail’s speech: Oath counter Oath בִי אֲ נִיאֲ דֹנִי הֶ עָֹּון ּותְ דַ בֶר נָּא אֲמָּתְ ָךבְאָּ זְ נֶיָך ;[24b"24‘Me, mine, my lord is the blame [bi ’ani ’adoni ha-‘avon ּוׁשְמַעאֵּת דִבְרֵּ יאֲמָּתֶ ָך: ,Please let your servant [’amatekha] speak in your ears )כה( אַ ל נָּא יָּשִ יםאֲ דֹנִיאֶ תלִבֹו לאֶ אִ יׁש .[and hear the words of your servant [’amatekha הַבְ לִיַעַל הַ זֶה עַל נָּבָּל כִי כִׁשְ מֹוכֶן הּוא נָּבָּלׁשְ מֹו My lord [’adoni], do not pay attention to his heart, to this scoundrel of a 25 ּונְבָּלָּהעִ מֹווַאֲנִי אֲמָּתְ ָך לֹא רָּאִיתִי אֶ ת נַעֲרֵּ י man, Nabal; for as his name is, so is he; Nabal is his name, and baseness is אֲ דֹנִי אֲׁשֶר ׁשָּ לָּחְּתָּ : with him; but I, your servant [’amatekha], did not see the young men of )כו( וְעַּתָּ ה אֲ דֹנִי חַ י יְֹּקוָֹק וְּחֵ י נַפְּשְּ ָך אֲשֶ ר .my lord, whom you sent 26 NOW then, my lord, as the LORD lives, and as you yourself live, since מְּנָעֲָך יְֹּקוָֹק מִ בואבְּדָמִ ים וְּ הושֵ עַ יָדְּ ָךלְָך וְּעַתָ ה the LORD has restrained you from bloodguilt and from taking vengeance יִהְּיּו כְּ נָבָלאֹיְּבֶיָך וְּהַמְּ בַֹקְּשִ ים אֶ ל אֲ דֹנִי רָ עָה: with your own hand, NOW let your enemies and those who seek to do evil )כז( וְעַּתָּ ההַבְרָּ כָּה הַ זֹאת אֲ ׁשֶר הֵּבִיא ׁשִ פְחָּתְ ָך .to my lord be like Nabal לַאדֹנִיוְנִּתְ נָּהלַנְעָּרִ ים הַמִתְ הַ לְכִים בְרַ גְלֵּי אֲ דֹנִי: NOW here is the present which your maidservant has brought to my 27 )כח(שָּ א נָּא לְפֶׁשַעאֲמָּתֶ ָךכִ י עָּשֹהיַעֲשֶ היְקֹוָּק lord; let it be given to the young men who are the followers of my lord. 28 לַאדֹנִי בַיִת נֶאֱמָּ ןכִי מִ לְחֲמֹות יְקֹוָּק אֲ דֹנִי נִלְחָּ ם NOW Please forgive the trespass of your maidservant; for the LORD‘ וְרָּ עָּה לֹאתִ מָּצֵּאבְ ָךמִ יָּמֶ יָך: will certainly make my lord a sure house [bayit ne’eman], because my )כט( וַיָּקָּם אָּדָּ םלִרְ דָּפְ ָךּולְבַקֵּׁש אֶ תנַפְׁשֶ ָך lord is fighting the battles of the LORD; and evil shall not be found in you ְו ָּה ְי ָּתה ֶנ ֶפׁש ֲא ֹד ִני ְצרּו ָּרה ִב ְצרֹור ַה ַח ִיים ֵּאת so long as you live. 29 If anyone should rise up to pursue you and to seek יְקֹוָּק אֱֹלהֶ יָך וְאֵּ ת נֶפֶׁש אֹיְבֶיָך יְקַ לְעֶנָּה בְ תֹוְך כַף your life, the life of my lord shall be bound in the bundle of the living with הַקָּ לַע: the LORD your God; but the lives of your enemies he shall sling out as 30 )ל( וְהָּ יָּהכִ י היַעֲשֶ יְקֹוָּק לַאדֹנִי כְ כֹל אֲׁשֶר דִ בֶ ר from the hollow of a sling. When the LORD has done to my lord

,meaning ‘to hide, conceal’ (BDB entry 6700); the nominal form, seter, refers to ‘a hiding place, covering ,]סתר[ From the root str 2 secrecy’ (BDB entry 6701), as in David’s place of hiding from Saul (1 Sam. 19.2). 3 As Cant. 2:14: ‘O my dove, in the clefts of the rock, in the covert of the cliff [seter ha-madregah], let me see your face, let me hear your voice; for your voice is sweet, and your face is lovely.’ 4 As in Ps. 139.15: ‘My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret [va-seter], intricately woven in the depths of the earth.’ 3

אֶתהַ ּטֹובָּה עָּלֶיָךוְצִּוְ ָך לְנָּגִ יד עַליִשְרָּאֵּ ל: according to all the good that he has spoken concerning you, and has )לא(וְ לֹא תִהְ יֶה זֹאתלְָך לְפּוקָּ ה ּולְמִ כְ ׁשֹול לֵּב appointed you prince over Israel [naggid ‘al yisrael],31 This will not be a לַאדֹנִי וְלִׁשְ פְָּך דָּ םחִ נָּם ּולְהֹוׁשִ יעַ אֲ דֹנִילֹו וְהֵּיטִ ב trembling or stumbling block of the heart to my lord, to have shed blood יְקֹוָּק לַאדֹנִי וְזָּכַרְ ּתָּאֶ תאֲמָּתֶ ָך: ס for no cause, or for my lord having saved himself. And when the LORD has dealt well with my lord, then remember your maidservant.” )לב( רוַיֹאמֶ דָּוִ ד לַאֲבִ יגַל בָּרּוְך יְקֹוָּקאֱֹלהֵּ י :David’s Counter-oath יִשְרָּאֵּלאֲׁשֶר ׁשְ לָּחֵּ ְך הַ יֹום הַ זֶה לִקְרָּ אתִ י: David said to Abigail, "Praised be the LORD, the God of Israel, who 32 )לג( ּובָּרּוְך טַעְמֵּ ְך ּובְ רּוכָּה אָּּתְ אֲׁשֶר כְ לִתִ נִי הַ יֹום sent you this day to meet me! 33 And blessed be your prudence, and blessed הַ זֶה מִ בֹואבְדָּמִ יםוְ הֹׁשֵּ עַיָּדִ י לִי: be you yourself for restraining me from seeking redress in blood by my )לד(וְ אּולָּם חַ י יְקֹוָּק אֱ יֹלהֵּ יִשְרָּאֵּלאֲׁשֶר מְ נָּ עַנִי .own hands מֵּהָּרַ ע אֹתָּ ְך יכִ לּולֵּי מִהַרְּתְ ותבאתי וַּתָּ בֹאת For as sure as the LORD, the God of Israel, lives -- who has kept me 34 ילִקְרָּאתִ כִי אִ ם נֹותַ ר לְנָּבָּל עַד אֹור הַ בֹקֶ ר from harming you -- had you not come quickly to meet me, not a single מַׁשְּתִ ין בְקִ יר: ".male of Nabal's line would have been left by daybreak )לה( ַו ִי ַקח ָּד ִוד ִמ ָּי ָּדּה ֵּאת ֲא ֶׁשר ֵּה ִבי ָּאה לֹו ְו ָּלּה David then accepted from her what she had brought him, and he said to 35 אָּמַרעֲלִי לְׁשָּ לֹוםלְבֵּיתֵּ ְך ירְאִ ׁשָּמַעְּתִ יבְ קֹולְֵּך her, "Go up to your home safely. See, I have heeded your plea and אוָּאֶשָּ פָּנָּיְִך: (.respected your wish." (my trans

 The speech may be divided into TWO PARTS: the present (punctuated by ve‘atah x 3) vv. 24b-28a and the future, vv. 28b-31. Her oath in vv. 26 COUNTERS David’s oath in v. 22. LIFE vs. DEATH.  “God prevented you from incurring blood (guilt) and taking the law into your own hands. This is the center of gravity of the content of the entire speech and refers to the main purpose of the entire intervention: preventing bloodbath. Abigail now contrasts David’s oath of total destruction (which was not heard by her) with her own oath against bloodshed. She does not use the negative introduction of self-cursing, “so may God do to me, and worse still!” as David did when he decided to kill, but starts with the positive formula hay…vẹ heị , because she is concerned with survival, and in keeping with the fact that her application of pressure to David is generally by way of positive aspects (his future!). The rhetorical temptation of v. 26a is that David is now put next to Yahweh and such good company helps to restrain him from murder” (Fokkelman, p. 501)  She is the first to publicly identify David as naggid ‘al yisrael (ruler over Israel, in v. 30) and someone who will establish a dynasty (bayit ne’eman, v. 28) on condition that he refrain from committing bloodguilt. See 2 Sam. 7:8 and 16. NRS 2 Samuel 7:8 Now therefore thus you shall say to my servant David: Thus says the LORD of hosts: I took you from the pasture, from following the sheep to be prince [naggid] over my people Israel;… 16 Your house [beitekha ne’eman] and your kingdom shall be made sure forever before me; your throne shall be established forever. רד"ֹק שמואל א פרֹק כה )כח( בית נאמן - כתרגומו מלכו קיימא ודרך נבואה אמרה זה כי היא אחת משבע נביאות על דעת רז"ל ויש לפרש כי היה הדבר נשמע ונודע בישראל כי דוד נמשח למלך כמו שאמרה ככל אשר דבר את הטובה עליך וצוך לנגיד על ישראל: 5. Denouement: The Death of Nabal )לו(וַּתָּ בֹא אֲבִ יגַיִלאֶ ל נָּבָּל וְהִ נֵּה לֹומִׁשְּתֶה בְ בֵּיתֹו When Abigail came home to Nabal, he was having a feast in his 36 כְמִׁשְּתֵּ ה הַמֶ לְֶך וְלֵּב נָּבָּל טֹוב עָּלָּיו וְ הּוא ׁשִ כֹר עַד ,house, a feast fit for a king; Nabal was in a merry mood and very drunk מְאֹדוְ לֹאהִ גִ ידָּ ה לֹודָּ בָּר קָּ טֹן וְ גָּדֹול עַד אֹור so she did not tell him anything at all until daybreak. 37 The next הַ בֹקֶ ר:)לז( יוַיְהִ בַבֹקֶר בְצֵּ את הַ יַיִן מִ נָּבָּלוַּתַ גֶד לֹו morning, when Nabal had slept off the wine, his wife told him אִׁשְּתֹואֶ תהַדְ בָּרִ יםהָּאֵּ לֶה תוַיָּמָּ לִבֹו בְקִרְ בֹו וְ הּוא everything that had happened; and his courage died within him, and he הָּ יָּה לְאָּ בֶן:)לח( ַו ְי ִהי ַכ ֲע ֶש ֶרת ַה ָּי ִמים ַו ִי ֹגף ְיק ָֹּוק became like a stone. 38 About ten days later the LORD struck Nabal and אֶ ת נָּבָּל וַיָּמֹת: .he died 39 )לט( ַו ִי ְׁש ַמע ָּד ִוד ִכי ֵּמת ָּנ ָּבל ַויֹא ֶמר ָּברּוְך ְיק ָֹּוק When David heard that Nabal was dead, he said, "Praised be the אֲׁשֶר רָּ באֶת רִ יבחֶרְ פָּתִי מִ יַד נָּבָּל תוְאֶ עַבְ דֹו חָּשַ ְך LORD who championed my cause against the insults of Nabal and held ֵּמ ָּר ָּעה ְו ֵּאת ָּר ַעת ָּנ ָּבל ֵּה ִׁשיב ְיק ָֹּוק ְברֹאׁשֹו ַו ִי ְׁש ַלח back His servant from wrongdoing; the LORD has brought Nabal's דָּוִד וַיְדַ בֵּר בַאֲבִ יגַיִל לְקַחְּתָּ ּהלֹו לְאִ שָּ ה: wrongdoing down on his own head." David sent messengers to propose

)מ( וַיָּבֹאּו יעַבְדֵּ דָּוִדאֶ ל אֲבִ יגַיִל הַ כַרְ מֶ לָּה וַיְדַבְ רּו marriage to Abigail, to take her as his wife. 40 When David's servants אֵּ לֶיהָּלֵּאמֹר דָּוִדׁשְ לָּחָּ נּואֵּ לַיְִך לְקַחְּתֵּ ְךלֹו לְאִ שָּ ה: came to Abigail at Carmel and told her that David had sent them )מא( וַּתָּקָּ ם וַּתִׁשְּתַ חּו אַ פַיִםאָּרְ צָּ ה רוַּתֹאמֶ הִ נֵּה to her to make her his wife, 41 she immediately bowed low with אֲמָּתְ ָך לְׁשִ הפְחָּ לִרְ חֹץ רַ גְלֵּי עַבְדֵּי אֲ דֹנִי: )מב( וַּתְ רמַהֵּ וַּתָּקָּ םאֲבִ יגַיִלוַּתִרְ כַב עַל הַ חֲמֹור her face to the ground and said, "Your handmaid is ready to be וְחָּמֵּ ׁש נַעֲרֹתֶיהָּהַ הֹלְכֹות לְרַ גְלָּּהוַּתֵּ לְֶך אַ חֲרֵּ י your maidservant, to wash the feet of my lord's servants." 42 Then מַ לְאֲכֵּי דדָּוִ וַּתְהִ ילֹו לְאִ שָּ ה: Abigail rose quickly and mounted an ass, and with five of her maids in attendance she followed David's messengers; and she became his wife. (NJPS)

 Ambiguity: How does Nabal die? Why does he turn comatose upon hearing what Abigail did? Why the ten-day delay until God struck him dead?  Rashi on v. 37 And his heart died: (He became paralyzed and lifeless, because) he was shocked concerning the gift which had been brought to David.  Meir Shalev suggests that she poisoned him with rosh ha-’aqod = hemlock, well-known in Greece, grows rampant in this area of Judea. (p. 22) Now we know why she said, “And remember you maidservant…”

Epilogue: David’s wedding, bedding, and claim to throne  1 Sam. 25: 42c and she (Abigail) became his wife. 43 Now David had taken Ahinoam of Jezreel; so both of them became his wives. 44 But Saul had given his daughter Michal, David's wife, to Palti son of Laish from Gallim.

 TNK 2 Samuel 2:2 So David went up there, along with his two wives, Ahinoam of Jezreel and Abigail wife of Nabal the Carmelite.  2 Samuel 32 Sons were born to David in Hebron: His first-born was Amnon, by Ahinoam of Jezreel;3 his second was Chileab, by Abigail wife of Nabal the Carmelite; the third was Absalom son of Maacah, daughter of King Talmai of Geshur; 4 the fourth was Adonijah son of Haggith; the fifth was Shephatiah son of Abital; 5 and the sixth was Ithream, by David's wife Eglah. These were born to David in Hebron.

 Question: Why does she never shed the epithet “Nabal’s wife”? Why is “their” son called Chileab? He is never a contender for the throne. Goes from Abshalom to Amnon to Adonijah…  Kile’av = he was like his father; (which father?) מדרש תנחומא )ורשא( פרשת תולדות סימן ו מנין שכן כתיב )שמואל ב ג( ויהי בכורו אמנון לאחינועם היזרעאלית ומשנהו כלאב לאביגיל אשת נבל הכרמלי מה תלמוד לומר כלאב שהיה כולו אב שכל הרואהו אומר דוד אביו של זה, TNK 1 Chronicles 3:1 These are the sons of David who were born to him in Hebron: the first-born Amnon, by Ahinoam the Jezreelite; the second Daniel, by Abigail the Carmelite; Bibliography: Rachel Adelman, The Female Ruse: Women’s Deception and Divine Sanction in the Hebrew Bible (Sheffield: Sheffield Phoenix Press 2015), pp. 151-161. Robert Alter, The David Story. New York and London: Norton 1999. Shimon Bar-Efrat, 1 and II Shmuel: With an Introduction and Commentary. Tel Aviv: Am Oved 1996. [Heb.] Jan Fokkelman, Narrative Art and Poetry in the Books of Samuel: A Full Interpretation Based on Stylistic and Structural Analyses: The Crossing Fates (Studia Semitica Neerlandica 23).Assen/Maastricht: Van Gorcum, 1986. Jon D. Levenson, ‘1 Sam. 25 as Literature and as History,” Catholic biblical Quarterly 40 (1978), pp. 11-28. Jon D. Levenson and Baruch Halpern, “The Political Import of David's Marriages” Journal of Biblical Literature, 99:4 [1980], pp. 507-518 Robert Polzin, Samuel and the Deuteronomist. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1989. Meir Shalev, The Bible Now [Tanakh ‘Akshav]. Tel Aviv: Schocken, 1985. [Heb.]

Supplementary Sources (from the Babylonian Talmud):

תלמוד בבלי מסכת מגילה דף יד עמוד א שבע נביאות מאן נינהו? שרה, מרים, דבורה, חנה, אביגיל, חולדה, ואסתר. … אביגיל - דכתיב +שמואל א' כ"ה+ והיה היא רכבת על החמור וירדת בסתר ההר. בסתר ההר? מן ההר מיבעי ליה! אמר רבה בר שמואל: על עסקי דם הבא מן הסתרים. נטלה דם והראתה לו. אמר לה: וכי מראין דם בלילה? – אמרה לו: וכי דנין דיני נפשות בלילה? – אמר לה:[ עמוד ב ]מורד במלכות הוא, ולא צריך למידייניה. - אמרה לו: עדיין שאול קיים, ולא יצא טבעך בעולם. - אמר לה: +שמואל א' כ"ה+ וברוך טעמך וברוכה את אשר כלתני ]היום הזה[ מבוא בדמים. דמים תרתי משמע! אלא מלמד שגילתה את שוקה, והלך לאורה שלש פרסאות. אמר לה: השמיעי לי! – אמרה לו: +שמואל א' כ"ה+ לא תהיה זאת לך לפוקה, זאת - מכלל דאיכא אחריתי, ומאי ניהו - מעשה דבת שבע, ומסקנא הכי הואי. +שמואל א' כ"ה+ והיתה נפש אדני צרורה בצרור החיים. כי הוות מיפטרא מיניה אמרה ליה +שמואל א' כ"ה+ והטיב ה' לאדני וזכרת את אמתך, אמר רב נחמן: היינו דאמרי אינשי: איתתא בהדי שותא פילכא. איכא דאמרי: שפיל ואזיל בר אווזא ועינוהי מיטייפי. ‘Seven prophetesses’. Who were these? — Sarah, Miriam, Deborah, Hannah, Abigail, Hulda and Esther…. ‘Abigail’, as it is written, “And it was so, as she rode on her ass and came down by the cover of the mountain [seter ha-har]” (1 Sam. 25:20). ‘By the cover [seter] of the mountain’? It should say from the mountain’! — Rabbah b. Samuel said: It means that she came with reference to blood that came from the hidden parts [setarim]. She brought some blood and showed it to him. He said to her: Is blood to be shown by night? She replied: Are capital cases tried at night? He said to her: He [Nabal] is a traitor against the king and no trial is necessary for him. She replied: Saul is still alive, and your fame is not yet spread abroad in the world. Then he said to her: “Blessed be your discretion and blessed are you, having kept me this day from bloodguilt [damim]” (v. 33). The word Damim [bloodguilt] is plural, to indicate two kinds of blood [i.e. the blood of menstrual impurity and the blood of capital punishment]. The passage teaches that she bared her thigh and he went three parasangs by the light of it. He said: Listen to me. She replied: “Let not this be a stumbling-block to thee” (v. 31). The word ‘this’ implies that something else would be, and what was that? The incident of Bathsheba; and so it was eventually. The soul of thy lord shall be bound up in the bundle of life (v. 29). When she left him she said to him, “And when the Lord shall have done good to my lord... then remember thy handmaid (v. 31). R. Nahman said: This bears out the popular saying, While a woman talks she spins. Some adduce the saying: The goose stoops as it goes along, but its eyes peer afar. (b. Megillah 14a)