A Missing Voice

I Samuel Chapter 25, the Strange and the Spectacular

Verses: 44

Is It Read At Synagogue?: No.

Famous Quotes/Phrases: When David’s men first greet Nabal (Verse 6), they say “ko lechi”, which is typically translated as “to life”. Yet that interpretation seems to just be a guess — after all, we’re more accustomed to saying “l’chaim” when saying “to life.”

Basic Plot: The chapter starts abruptly with Samuel’s death, and he is mourned by the Israelites (they seem to treat him better after death than during his lifetime).

We quickly turn back to David, who is in the wilderness of Paran and decides to offer protection to a wealthy local shepherd named Nabal. Nabal is not especially agreeable in general, and he rejects David’s offer with insults. Having been insulted, David prepares to destroy Nabal and his family.

But before David takes action, he is accosted by Nabal’s wife, Abigail, who is described as a far lovelier person than her boorish husband. She begs David for clemency, which a smitten David willingly grants. But it turns out to be all for naught because when Abigail returns to Nabal and she tells him what had happened, God turns Nabal to stone, then allows him to die 10 days later.

David wastes no time before proposing marriage to Abigail. The text tells us that David now has three wives: Abigail, Ahinoam, and Michal, though Saul, Michal’s father, had given Michal to another man.

What’s Strange: Why does God suddenly kill Nabal? Eric A. Seibert points to this passage as an example of God’s harshest instincts in his book Disturbing Divine Behavior: Troubling Old Testament Images of God. He suggests that one reason might not be because the ancient Israelites thought God would act this way, but “because that was necessary to make a story work … [they] believed the needs of good storytelling sometimes were allowed to override a writer’s personal beliefs about God’s character, resulting in literary portrayals of God that were at odds with the writer’s own theological convictions.” In other words, perhaps some ancient Israelites just wanted a good story, regardless of how it made God look.

What’s Spectacular: As David continues to outfox Saul and his threats, his confidence is growing exponentially. While having more than one wife is certainly permissible for biblical Israelite men, it’s still shocking to read how quickly David pounces on the opportunity to wed Abigail. This instinct will manifest more nefariously later in his life, most notably once he meets Bathsheba.

It makes me wonder whether Samuel’s death, though barely even mentioned, represents a turning point in Israel’s leadership dynamic. Even though he’s often disregarded by Saul and the public alike, Samuel is a moral voice shouting against the corruption of those who intend to rule. Now, with his passing, that voice is gone, and no sooner is David beginning to collect wives left and right. Israelite royal behavior will get worse before it gets better.

Shabbat Shalom!