“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.”
My Notes
What Does 1 Samuel 25:2 Mean?
The introduction of Nabal establishes a wealthy man with zero wisdom: three thousand sheep, a thousand goats, great possessions—and a character that will prove to be the opposite of his wealth. The description "very great" (gadol me'od) refers to his economic status, not his character. The wealth is impressive. The man behind the wealth is a fool—literally, since "Nabal" means "fool" (verse 25).
The setting—sheep shearing in Carmel—was ancient Israel's equivalent of harvest festival: the most profitable moment of the agricultural year, when wool was collected and sold. Sheep shearing was a time of celebration, generosity, and communal feasting. Custom required the wealthy shepherd to share his abundance with those who had protected his flocks. David's men had guarded Nabal's shepherds in the wilderness (verse 15-16). The request for provisions was culturally expected and morally owed.
The juxtaposition of Nabal's wealth and David's need creates the story's tension: the richest man in the region and the fugitive king-in-waiting. One has everything and shares nothing. The other has nothing and asks for what's owed. The story that follows—Nabal's refusal, David's rage, Abigail's intervention—is one of the most dramatically satisfying narratives in 1 Samuel.
Reflection Questions
- 1.Have you encountered a 'Nabal'—someone whose wealth far exceeds their generosity? How did you respond?
- 2.When someone owes you and refuses to pay, is your response more like David's rage or Abigail's wisdom?
- 3.Nabal's wealth made his stinginess more offensive. How does abundance create greater responsibility for generosity?
- 4.The name means 'fool.' When has someone's character proven their name accurate?
Devotional
Three thousand sheep. A thousand goats. Very great. And very foolish. Nabal is introduced as a man whose wealth exceeds his character by the widest possible margin. He has everything money can buy. He lacks everything money can't. His name means fool—and his life will prove the name accurate.
Sheep-shearing was the time to be generous: the wool was in, the money was coming, and custom required the wealthy man to share with those who had helped him. David's men had protected Nabal's shepherds for months—a wall of defense around his flocks (verse 16). The request for food during shearing season wasn't charity. It was compensation. Nabal owed David. And Nabal refused.
The story of Nabal is the story of every person whose wealth exceeds their wisdom: the resources are massive and the generosity is absent. The abundance that should produce sharing produces hoarding. The prosperity that should make you generous makes you stingy. Nabal had three thousand sheep. He couldn't spare a few meals for the men who kept his flock alive.
If you've ever encountered a Nabal—someone with enormous resources and zero generosity, someone who owes you and refuses to pay, someone whose wealth makes their stinginess more offensive rather than less—this story validates your frustration while warning about your response. David's initial reaction (verse 22: I'll kill every male in his household) is understandable but wrong. Abigail's intervention will save both Nabal from David's sword and David from his own rage. The fool's refusal doesn't justify the king's violence.
Commentary
Trusted original commentary from respected historical Bible scholars and theologians.
And there was a man in Maon,.... A city of the tribe of Judah, from whence the wilderness had its name before mentioned;…
Carmel - Not Mount Carmel on the west of the plain of Esdraelon, but the Carmel close to Maon (marginal references).…
Here begins the story of Nabal.
I. A short account of him, who and what he was (Sa1 25:2, Sa1 25:3), a man wee should…
Nabal's churlish behaviour to David
2. a man in Maon Nabal's home was in the city of Maon, and his possessions (or, his…
Cross References
Related passages throughout Scripture