Abigail Biblical Character Study

Scripture References

1 Samuel 25

First Impression and Observations

Abigail(meaning "My Father's Joy"), the wife of Nabal, was a beautiful and sensible woman (the only woman in the Hebrew bible to mentioned as being both). She gave generously to David and his army and spoke eloquently including a prophetic word that David would become king. This was enough to appease David and his army so they wouldn't slaughter her husband and her family. When her husband died, she married David and bore a son.

Outline of Life

Nabal was a very wealthy herdsman who offended David by not welcoming his servants and sending them away.
David's anger was roused because he and his army had been protecting Nabal.
David gathered his army to destroy Nabal and all his holdings.
Abigail gathered food and drink and brought them to meet David without Nabal knowing.
Abigail pleaded with David eloquently and prophesied that he would become king.
David was appeased and blessed her.
Abigail returned to a drunken Nabal, and when he sobered up, told him what happened.
Nabal died, perhaps of a heart attack at hearing these things.
Later, when David heard of Nabal's death, he sent for Abigail to become his wife although he was already married to Michal.
She accepted and bore him a son.
David took care of her and protected her for the rest of her life.

General Insights [Answers to Questions]

Questions to ask in a Biographical Character Study

Why do you think God allowed this person to be mentioned in the Bible?

The story of Abigail shows the impulsiveness of David and that he can be reasoned with but that his Achilles Heal is a beautiful woman. She does well to eloquently convince him to turn away from his plan to shed innocent blood and glorifies God in the process. Later he will get himself deep into sin with Bathsheeba and shed innocent blood which is a disgrace to God. In that sin against God, he is also sinning against Abigail.

What can you discover about his family and ancestry?

Abigail's husband Nabal is called a Calebite which probably means that he is a descendant of Caleb, one of the spies that Moses sent to recon the land of Canaan. This clan was part of the tribe of Judah and flourished in wealth in the conquest of Canaan.

Character Qualities Defined

Courage - the ability to do something that frightens you.
Eloquence - fluent or persuasive speaking or writing.
Generosity - the quality of being kind and generous.
Truthfulness - the fact of being true; truth.
Sensible - possessing or displaying prudence.
Beautiful - pleasing the senses or mind aesthetically.
Observant - quick to notice things.

Bible Truths Illustrated in Life

Be a peacemaker:

Matthew 5:9 "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God."

Be sensible:

Proverbs 17:24 "A discerning person keeps wisdom in view, but a fool's eyes wander to the ends of the earth."

Be shrewd but innocent:

Matthew 10:16 "I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves."

Be gentle when dealing with people:

Proverbs 15:1 "A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger."

Summary of Lessons Learned from Life

Don't let fear hold you back. Move forward in God's courage and wisdom.
Be humble and kind, seek peace with those around you.
Our words and actions are powerful. Look to the bigger picture.
A true warrior is loyal and faithful, thinking of others before themselves.
Remember, God will fight for you. You are never alone

Check out the rest of my Biblical Character Studies Here

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