Ver. 1. And Samuel died.] After a long race run without cessation or cespitation: he was one of those few that lived and died with honour. Nabal did not; so: Contraria iuxta se posita, &c. “The memory of the just is blessed; but the name of the wicked doth rot.” (Proverbs 10:7) And lamented him.] As well they might, and their own folly in laying him aside; “ Virtutem incolumem odimus: Sublatam ex oculis quaerimus invidi.’’—Horat. And buried him in his house at Ramah.] Where he had, likely, prepared himself a sepulchre; for so was the custom of that people, and others also. The Thebans had a law, that no man should make a house for himself to dwell in, but he should first make his grave. And David arose.] He had lost a fast friend in Samuel, — cuius consilio subsidioque fretus commodius in regno versabatur, -and therefore speedeth away to the wilderness of Paran, whereof see Numbers 10:12. Jun.
Ver. 2. And there was a man.] Or rather, A golden brute, χρυσουν προβατον, -as Caligula called that rich wretch, his father-in-law, Syllanus, -or a great Colosse full of rubbish. And he had three thousand sheep.] Men’s wealth of old consisted most in their herds of cattle; whence money also in Latin hath its name: Omnis enim pecuniae pecus fuit fundamentum, saith Columella. Dion. A pecudibus pecunia, et peculium. -Liv. vi.
Ver. 3. Now the name of the man was Nabal.] Nebulo; a man in whom all grace and good nature is faded and dried up; a sapless fellow, not a natural fool, but worse; an Atheist, (Psalms 14: 1) a Mammonist. Conveniunt rebus nomina saepe suis, Nabal had not his name for naught. And the name of his wife Abigail,] i.e., My father’s joy. But what meant her father to match her to such an ill-conditioned churl? It is likely he married her to the wealth, not to the man. Many a child is cast away upon riches. Of good understanding, and of a beautiful countenance.] Not fair and foolish, but καλη και σοφη, as was Aspasia Milesia, beautiful and wise; this was a sweet mixture. But the man was churlish.] Durus, inhumanus, a hardhead, a miser. And he was of the house of Caleb.] But nothing like him. Virtue is not, as lands, heritable. Aelian,
Ver. 4. That Nabal did shear his sheep.] At which time the Jews used to make great feasts, in remembrance of their forefathers that were shepherds, saith Lyra.
Ver. 5. Go to Nabal, and greet him in my name.] Here a man might have seen—as Ecclesiastes 10:7 —“servants on horses, and princes walking on foot”: poor David speaking supplications, and rich Nabal answering him roughly. Ludit in humanis divina potentia rebus.
Ver. 6. And thus shall ye say to him that liveth.] Rich men only seem to live, -the Irish ask such what they meant to die; -poor people are reckoned among the dead, as it were; there is little account made of them, they stand for ciphers and shadows.
Ver. 7. And now I have heard that thou hast shearers.] And makest a feast: so that it will be easy for thee to spare us somewhat, who crave not much, and yet have deserved more. Thus David moveth him by many topical places in rhetoric; sed surdo fabulam, but he lost all his sweet words upon him.
Ver. 8. For we come in a good day.] A festival; wherein thou art bound by the law to relieve the necessitous. (Deuteronomy 15:7) Hilaria celebras, illorum ergo particulam in nos deriva, nosque tecum exhilara, let us partake of thine exceedings. Give, I pray thee.] Annonam et alimoniam; we will not be our own carvers, but take thankfully what thou canst well spare us. Thus he omitteth nothing whereby he might insinuate; but this matter was not malleable.
Ver. 9. And ceased.] Heb., And rested; quiete se continuerunt, they patiently heard Nabal inveighing against themselves and David, and replied not; this was excellent. “Incessunt, taceo: culpant, fero; crimina spargunt, Dissimulo: mordent, absque dolore meo. Obtrectant, sileo: ringuntur, rideo: vulgo Traducunt, patior: dant mihi damna, sino. Exagitant, non exagitor: vexant, neque vexor: Laedunt, non laedor: probra refutat honos.” - Buchler., Gnomolog. Jun.
Ver. 10. Who is David?] q.d., I know him not: and yet all Israel knew and honoured David as their deliverer. But this unworthy Pamphagus, to save his victuals, will either make him a man of no merits, or ill; either an obscure man, or a fugitive: and yet he was of his own tribe: but one had as good deal with a cannibal, as with a truly covetous captive. That break away every man from his master.] As dammed rivers break the banks; or as refractory cattle break their bands, and run away from their owners. Here he maketh no better of David and his men than rogues and runaways. But David was now poor, and himself rich, therefore he thought he might say or do anything. David asked him bread; he gave him a stone. “ Stultitiam patiuntur opes. ”