---
title: "Clarke"
description: "Verse 1 Samuel 25:1. And Samuel died — Samuel lived, as is supposed, about ninety-eight years; was in the government of Israel before Saul from sixteen to"
image: "/images/missing.jpg"
url: "https://realbiblebelievers.com/commentaries/clarkes-commentary/1-samuel/25"
---

Verse [1 Samuel 25:1](../../../kjv/1-samuel/25/1). ***And Samuel died*** — Samuel lived, as is supposed, about *ninety-eight* years; was in the government of Israel before Saul from *sixteen* to *twenty* years; and ceased to live, according to the Jews, about *four months* before the death of Saul; but according to *Calmet* and others, *two years*. But all this is very uncertain; how long he died before Saul, cannot be ascertained. For some account of his character, see the end of the chapter. [1 Samuel 25:44](../../../kjv/1-samuel/25/44).
***Buried him in his house*** — Probably this means, not his *dwelling-house*, but the *house* or *tomb* he had made for his sepulture; and thus the *Syriac* and *Arabic* seem to have understood it.
***David - went down to the wilderness of Paran.*** — This was either on the confines of Judea, or in Arabia Petraea, between the mountains of Judah and Mount Sinai; it is evident from the history that it was not far from *Carmel*, on the south confines of Judah.

Verse [1 Samuel 25:3](../../../kjv/1-samuel/25/3). ***The name of the man*****was*****Nabal*** — The word נבל *nabal* signifies to be *foolish, base*, or *villanous*; and hence the Latin word *nebulo, knave*, is supposed to be derived.
***The name of his wife Abigail*** — The *joy* or *exultation of my* *father*. A woman of sense and beauty, married to the boor mentioned above, probably because he was *rich*. Many women have been thus sacrificed.
***Of the house of Caleb*** — והוא כלבי *vehu Chalibbi*, "he was a Calebite." But as the word *caleb* signifies *a dog*, the *Septuagint* have understood it as implying a man of a *canine disposition*, and translate it thus, και ὁ ανθρωπος κυνικος, *he was a doggish man*. It is understood in the same way by the *Syriac* and *Arabic*.

Verse [1 Samuel 25:6](../../../kjv/1-samuel/25/6). ***Peace*****be*****both to thee*** — This is the ancient form of sending greetings to a friend: *Peace to THEE, peace to thy* *HOUSEHOLD, and peace to all that THOU HAST*. That is, May both *thyself*, thy *family*, and all that *pertain* unto thee, be in continual *prosperity*!
Perhaps David, by this salutation, wished Nabal to understand that he had acted so towards him and his property that nothing had been destroyed, and that all had been protected; see [1 Samuel 25:15-17](../../../kjv/1-samuel/25/15-17).

Verse [1 Samuel 25:7](../../../kjv/1-samuel/25/7). ***Thy shepherds which there with us, we hurt them not*** — It is most evident that David had a *claim* upon Nabal, for very essential services performed to his herdmen at Carmel. He not only did them *no hurt*, and took none of their *flocks* for the supply of his necessities, but he protected them from the rapacity of others; *they were a WALL unto us*, said Nabal's servants, *both by* *night and day*. In those times, and to the present day, wandering hordes of Arabs, under their several *chiefs*, think they have a right to exact contributions of provisions, c., wherever they come David had done nothing of this kind, but protected them against those who would.

Verse [1 Samuel 25:8](../../../kjv/1-samuel/25/8). ***Whatsoever cometh to thine hand*** — As thou art making a great feast for thy servants, and I and my men, as having essentially served thee, would naturally come in for a share were we present; send a portion by my ten young men, for me and my men, that we also may rejoice with you. Certainly this was a very reasonable and a very modest request. This mode of address is not unfrequent among the Hindoos: "O father, fill the belly of thy son; he is in distress."

Verse [1 Samuel 25:10](../../../kjv/1-samuel/25/10). ***Who is David?*** — Nabal's answer shows the *surliness* of his disposition. It was unjust to refuse so reasonable a request; and the *manner* of the refusal was highly insulting. It is true what his own servants said of him, *He is such a son of Belial that* *one cannot speak to him*, [1 Samuel 25:17](../../../kjv/1-samuel/25/17).

Verse [1 Samuel 25:18](../../../kjv/1-samuel/25/18). ***Took two hundred loaves*** — The Eastern bread is ordinarily both *thin* and *small*; and answers to our *cakes*.
***Two bottles of wine*** — That is, two goat-skins full. The hide is pulled off the animal without *ripping up*; the places where the legs, c., were are sewed up, and then the skin appears one *large* *bag*. This is properly the Scripture and Eastern *bottle*. There is one such before me.
***Five sheep*** — Not one sheep to one hundred men.
***Clusters of raisins*** — Raisins dried in the sun.
***Cakes of figs*** — Figs cured, and then pressed together. We receive the former in jars, and the latter in small *barrels* and both articles answer the description here given.
Now all this provision was a matter of little worth, and, had it been granted in the first instance, it would have perfectly satisfied David, and secured the good offices of him and his men. Abigail showed both her wisdom and prudence in making this provision. Out of *three thousand sheep* Nabal could not have missed *five*; and as this claim was made only in the time of sheep-shearing, it could not have been made more than once in the year: and it certainly was a small price for such important services.

Verse [1 Samuel 25:20](../../../kjv/1-samuel/25/20). ***She came down - and David - came down*** — David was coming down Mount Paran; Abigail was coming down from Carmel. - *Calmet*.

Verse [1 Samuel 25:22](../../../kjv/1-samuel/25/22). ***So and more also do God*** — Nothing can justify this part of David's conduct. Whatever his provocation might have been, he had suffered, properly speaking, no wrongs; and his resolution to cut off a whole innocent family, because Nabal had acted ungenerously towards him, was abominable and cruel, not to say diabolic. He who attempts to vindicate this conduct of David is, at least constructively, a foe to God and truth. David himself condemns this most rash and unwarrantable conduct, and thanks God for having prevented him from doing this evil, [1 Samuel 25:32](../../../kjv/1-samuel/25/32), c.
***Any that pisseth against the wall.*** — This expression certainly means either *men* or *dogs*, and should be thus translated, *if I* *leave-any male* and this will answer both to *men* and *dogs*, and the offensive mode of expression be avoided. I will not enter farther into the subject: *Bochart* and *Calmet* have done enough, and more than enough; and in the *plainest language* too.

Verse [1 Samuel 25:28](../../../kjv/1-samuel/25/28). ***And evil hath not been found in thee*** — Thou hast not committed any act of this kind hitherto.

Verse [1 Samuel 25:29](../../../kjv/1-samuel/25/29). ***Shall be bound in the bundle of life*** — Thy life shall be precious in the sight of the Lord: it shall be found in the bundle of life; it shall be supported by Him who is the *Spring and* *Fountain of life*, and ever be found *united* to those who are most favoured by the Almighty.
***Them shall he sling out*** — Far from being *bound* and *kept together* in union with the Fountain of life, he will cast them off from himself as a stone is cast out from a sling. This betokens both *force* and *violence*.

Verse [1 Samuel 25:37](../../../kjv/1-samuel/25/37). ***His heart died within him, and he became*****as*****a stone.*** — He was thunderstruck, and was so terrified at the apprehension of what he had escaped, that the fear overcame his mind, he became insensible to all things around him, probably refused all kinds of nourishment, and died in ten days.

Verse [1 Samuel 25:39](../../../kjv/1-samuel/25/39). ***To take her to him to wife.*** — It is likely that he had heard before this that Saul, to cut off all his pretensions to the throne, had married Michal to Phalti; and this justified David in taking Abigail or any other woman; and, according to the then custom, it was not unlawful for David to take several wives. By his marriage with Abigail, it is probable he became possessed of all Nabal's property in Carmel and Maon.

Verse [1 Samuel 25:43](../../../kjv/1-samuel/25/43). ***David also took Ahinoam*** — Many think that this was his wife before he took Abigail; she is always mentioned first in the list of his wives, and she was the mother of his eldest son Ammon.
***Of Jezreel*** — There were two places of this name; one in the tribe of Issachar, the other in the tribe of Judah.

Verse [1 Samuel 25:44](../../../kjv/1-samuel/25/44). ***Phalti*** — Called also *Phaltiel*, [2 Samuel 3:16](../../../kjv/2-samuel/3/16).
***Of Gallim.*** — Probably a city or town in the tribe of Benjamin; see [Isaiah 10:30](../../../kjv/isaiah/10/30). It is likely therefore that Saul chose this man because he was of his own tribe.
IN this chapter we have the account of the death of Samuel, who from his infancy had been devoted to God and the service of his people. He was born at a time in which religion was at a very low ebb in Israel, as there were but very few prophets, and *no open* *vision*- scarcely any revelation from God. Those who might be called *prophets* had no regular ministry of God's word; they were extraordinary messengers sent for a particular purpose, and not continued in the work any longer than the time necessary to deliver their extraordinary message.
Samuel is supposed to have been the first who established *academies* or *schools for prophets*, at least we do not hear of them before his time; and it is granted that they continued till the Babylonish captivity. This was a wise institution, and no doubt contributed much to the maintenance of pure religion, and the prevention of idolatry among that people.
Samuel reformed many abuses in the Jewish state, and raised it to a pitch of political consequence to which it had been long a stranger. He was very zealous for the honour of God, and supported the rights of pure religion, of the king, and of the people, against all encroachments. He was *chief magistrate* in Israel before the appointment of a *king*, and afterwards he acted as *prime* *minister* to Saul, though without being chosen or formally appointed to that station. Indeed, he seems on the whole to have been the *civil* and *ecclesiastical governor*, Saul being little more than *general of the Israelitish forces*.
In his office of *minister* in the state, he gave the brightest example of zeal, diligence, inflexible integrity, and uncorruptedness. He reproved both the people and the king for their transgressions, with a boldness which nothing but his sense of the Divine *authority* could inspire, and yet he tempered it with a sweetness which showed the interest he felt in their welfare, and the deep and distressing concern he felt for their back-slidings and infidelities.
He was incorrupt; he received no man's *bribe*; he had no *pension* from the *state*; he *enriched* none of his *relatives* from the *public purse*; left no *private debts* to be discharged by his country. He was among the Hebrews what *Aristides* is said to have been among the Greeks, so poor at his death, though a minister of state, that he did not leave property enough to bury him. *Justice* was by him duly and impartially administered, and oppression and wrong had no existence.
If there ever was a *heaven-born minister*, it was Samuel; in whose public and private conduct there was no blemish, and whose parallel cannot be found in the ancient or modern history of any country in the universe.
Let ministers of state who have sought for nothing but their own glory, and have increased the public burdens by their improvident expenditure; who have endeavoured, by their wordy representations, to dazzle and elude the people, and impose *false grandeur* in the place of *true greatness* and *solid prosperity*; who have *oppressed* the *many*, and *enriched* the *worthless few*; fall down at the feet of THIS *heaven-born man*, and learn, from this immaculate judge of Israel, what a faithful servant to his king, and an incorruptible *minister of state*, means, and in retiring from their high station, or in going to appear before the judgment-seat of God, see whether, in the presence of their king, and in the face of the thousands of their people, they can boldly say, "Behold, here am I! Witness against me before the Lord and before his anointed. Whose ox have I taken? Whose ass have I seized? Whom have I defrauded? Whom have I oppressed, by the imposition of heavy taxes for the support of *needless expenses*, and the payment of *venal* *men*? Or of whose hand have I taken any bribe to blind my eyes? Scrutinize my conduct, examine the state of my family, compare their present circumstances with what they were previously to my administration, and see if you can find aught in my hands." See [1 Samuel 12:1](../../../kjv/1-samuel/12/1), c.
O, how seldom in the annals of the world, from the assembled heads of the great body politic, can the departing prime minister hear, "Thou hast not defrauded us, thou hast not oppressed us neither hast thou taken aught of any man's hand! " This voice call be heard from Gilgal; but of what other minister can this be spoken but of *Samuel the seer*, who was the gift of God's mercy to the people of Israel; whose memory was too precious to be intrusted to public monuments, but stands, and alas; almost *unique* in the BOOK OF GOD? Of *Daniel*, and his administration, I shall have occasion to speak elsewhere.
A prime minister, deeply devoted to God and faithful to his king and to his country, is so rare a character in the world, that when he does occur, he should be held up to public admiration. But I have no *parallel* for Samuel. See the notes on [1 Samuel 12:1-25](../../../kjv/1-samuel/12/1-25) and on [1 Samuel 24:6](../../../kjv/1-samuel/24/6).

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