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 ָּלֶהְם מאּוָּמָּה כלְיֵּמיֱ היָֹּותםַ בַכְרֶמְל:)ח( ׁשַאֶל את been with us; we did not harm them, and nothing of theirs was ְנָּעֶריָך ְוַיִגידּו ָּלְך ְוִיְמְצאּוַ הְנָּעִריםֵּ חןְבֵּעיֶנִיָך כי ַעל יֹום missing all the time they were in Carmel. 8 Ask your young men and טֹובבנָּו באנְּו ּתָּנה ָּנאֵּ אֲת אֶׁשִר ּתְמָּצא ָּיְדָך ַלֲעָּבֶדיָך 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( ַוָּיֹבאּו ַנֲעֵּרָּי דִוד ַוְיַדְברּו ֶאל ָּנָּבְל כָּכלַ הְדָּבִרים "'.son David whatever you can 9 ָּהֵּאֶלְה בֵּׁשםָּדִוד ַוָּינּוחּו:)י( ַוַיַען ָּנָּב את ֶל ַעְבֵּדָּי דִוד David's young men went and delivered this message to Nabal in the name of David. When they stopped speaking, ַויֶֹאמר ִמָּי דִודִּומֶי בן ִיָּׁשי ַהיַֹוםרבּו ֲעָּבִדים 10 ַהִמְתָּפְרִצים ִאִיׁש מְפֵּנֲי אֹדָּניו:)יא( ְוָּלַקְחִּתֶי את ַלְחִמי Nabal answered David's servants, "Who is David? Who is the son of Jesse? There are many slaves nowadays who run away from their ְוֶאֵּת מיַמי ְוֵּאִת טְבָּחִתֲי אֶׁשרָּ טַבְחִּתי ְלֹגְזָּזי ְוָּנַתִּתי masters. 11 Should I then take my bread and my water, and the meat ַלֲאָּנִׁשֲים אֶׁשר לֹא ָּיַדְעִּתי ֵּ אי ִמֶזהֵּ הָּמה: that I slaughtered for my own shearers, and give them to men who )יב( ַוַיַהְפכּו ַנֲעֵּרָּי דִוד ְלַדְרָּכם ַוָּיֻׁׁשבּו ַוָּיֹבאּו ַוַיִגדּו לֹו "?come from I don't know where ְכֹכלַ הְדָּבִריםָּ הֵּאֶלה:)יג( ַויֶֹאמָּרדִוד ַלֲאָּנָּׁשיוִ חְגרּו Thereupon David's young men retraced their steps; and when they 12 ִאֶיׁש אתַ חְרבֹו ַוַיְחְגרִּו איׁש ֶאתַ חְרבֹו ַוַיְחֹגַרגָּם דִוד got back, they told him all this. 13 And David said to his men, "Gird ֶאתַחְרבֹו ַוַיֲעלּו ַאֲחֵּרי ָּדִוְד כַאְרַבֵּע מאֹות ִאיׁש on your swords." Each girded on his sword; David too girded on his ָּּומַאתִים ָּיְׁשבּו ַעלַ הֵּכִלים: 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( ְוַלֲאִבַיגִיֵּל אֶׁשת ָּנָּבלִ הִגיד ַנַעֶראָּחד One of Nabal's young men told Abigail, Nabal's wife, that David 14 ֵּמַהְנָּעִרים ֵּלֹאמרִ הֵּנה ָּׁשַלח ָּדִוַדמְלָּאִכים had sent messengers from the wilderness to greet their master, and that ֵּמַהִמְדָּבר ְלָּבֵּרְֶך אֲת אֹדֵּנינּו ַוָּיַעָּט בֶהם:)טו( he had spurned them. 15 "But the men had been very friendly to us; we ְוָּהֲאָּנִׁשֹים טִבים ָּלנּוְ מֹאד ְולֹאָּ הְכַלְמנּו ְולֹא were not harmed, nor did we miss anything all the time that we went ָּפַקְדנּוְ מאָּּומָּהכל ְיֵּמי ִהְתַה ַלְכנִּו אָּּתם ִבְהיֵֹּותנּו 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 ָּכל ְיֵּמיֱ היֵֹּותנּו ִעָּמֹם רִעיםַהצֹאן: 17 )יז( ְוַעָּּתְה דִעי ְּורִאַימה ַּתֲעִשִי כָּי כְלָּתהָּ הָּרָּעה tending the flocks. So consider carefully what you should do, for ֶאֲל אֹדֵּנינּו ְוַעָּל כֵּל ביתֹו ְוהּואֶבְן בִלַי ַעִלמַדֵּבר harm threatens our master and all his household; he is such a nasty fellow that no one can speak to him." ֵּאָּליו: 18 )יח( ַוְּתַמֵּהר אבוגילֲ אִביַגִיל ַוִּתַקָּח מַאתִים ֶלֶחם Abigail quickly got together two hundred loaves of bread, two jars ְּוׁשַנִים ִנְבֵּלי ַיִין ְוָּחֵּמׁש צֹאן עשוות ֲעשּוֹית ְוָּחֵּמׁש of wine, five dressed sheep, five seahs of parched corn, one hundred ְסִאָּים קִליֵּּומָּאִה צֻׁמִקים ּוָּמַאתִיְםדֵּבִלים cakes of raisin, and two hundred cakes of pressed figs. She loaded ַוָּּתֶשם ַעל ַהֲחֹמִרים:)יט( ַוּתֶֹאמרִלְנָּעֶרָּיה ִעְברּו them on asses, 19 and she told her young men, "Go on ahead of me, and ְלָּפַניִ הְנִני ַאֲחֵּרֶיכָּם בָּאהּוְלִאָּיׁשּה ָּנָּבל לֹא I'll follow you"; but she did not tell her husband Nabal. 20 She was ִהִגָּידה: riding on the ass and coming down under the cover of the mountain )כ( ְוָּהָּיהִ היֹארֶכֶבת ַעלַ הֲחמֹור ְוֹיֶרֶדת ְּבֵסֶתר seter ha-har], and, look, David and his men appeared, coming down] הָהָ ר ְוִהֵּנָּה דִוד ַוֲאָּנָּׁשיו ֹיְרִדים ִלְקָּרָּאתּה ַוִּתְפֹגׁש toward her; and she met them. -- 21 Now David had been saying, “All ֹאָּתם:)כא( ְוָּדִוָּד אַמַר אְךַלֶשֶקָּר ׁשַמְרִּתֶיאת ָּכל in vain did I guard everything that belonged to this [man] in the אֲ ֶׁשר ָּלֶזַה בִמְדָּבר ְולֹא ִנְפַקדִ מָּכֲל אֶׁשר לֹו wilderness and nothing was missing from all that was his, and he paid ְמאָּּומה ַוָּיֶׁשב ִלָּי רָּעַה ּתַחת טָֹּובה: me back evil for good! This may God do to David and even more [koh )כב( ֹכה ַיֲעֶשֱה אֹלִהים ְלֹאְיֵּביָּדִוד ְוֹכה ֹיִסיִף אם ya‘aseh ’Elohim ve-koh yosif],1 if I leave from all that is his by ַאְׁשִאִיר מָּכֲל אֶׁשר לֹו ַעדַ הֹבֶקַר מְׁשִּתיְן בִקיר: 23 )כג( ַוֵּּתֶרֲא אִבַיגִיֶלאָּת דִו ד ַוְּתַמֵּהר ַוֵּּתֶרד ֵּמַעל -- ”![morning [‘ad boqer], a single pisser against the wall [beqir When Abigail saw David, she quickly dismounted from the ass and ַהֲחמֹור ַוִּתֹפל ְלַאֵּפָּי דִוד ַעל ָּפֶנָּיה ַוִּתְׁשַּתחָּּו אֶרץ: 24 )כד( ַוִּתֹפל ַעַל רְגָּליו ַוּתֶֹאמר … .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).