What is the meaning of 1 Samuel 25:36? When Abigail returned to Nabal Abigail had just interceded with David and averted bloodshed (1 Samuel 25:23-34). • She comes back in submission to her household duties, mirroring Proverbs 31:10-12 where a capable wife “does him good and not evil all the days of her life.” • Her return underscores the contrast between her peacemaking and Nabal’s folly (1 Samuel 25:19, 25). • James 1:19 reminds us that righteousness is shown in being “quick to listen,” and Abigail models this by first surveying the situation before speaking. there he was in the house • Nabal’s comfort indoors highlights his self-absorption; he had refused food to David’s men (1 Samuel 25:11) yet sits secure within abundant walls. • Luke 12:19 pictures the rich fool who says, “Take life easy,” while Amos 6:4-6 condemns those who “lie on beds of ivory” but ignore looming judgment. • The setting exposes a heart turned inward, oblivious to the danger Abigail has just removed. holding a feast fit for a king • Sheep-shearing time was traditionally festive (2 Samuel 13:23), but Nabal elevates the celebration to royal excess. • Esther 1:3-4 and Genesis 40:20 show how kings marked occasions with lavish banquets; Nabal mimics that grandeur for himself. • Ecclesiastes 10:17 blesses a land whose rulers feast “at the proper time—for strength and not for drunkenness.” Nabal’s motive is plainly indulgence, not gratitude. in high spirits and very drunk • Scripture warns that “Wine is a mocker” (Proverbs 20:1) and that woe awaits those who “rise early to run after strong drink” (Isaiah 5:11). • Ephesians 5:18 contrasts drunkenness with being “filled with the Spirit.” Nabal is filled with spirits instead. • His intoxication makes meaningful conversation impossible—an illustration of Hosea 4:11: “Wine and new wine take away understanding.” So she told him nothing until morning light • Abigail exercises restraint; Proverbs 15:23 values “a word spoken in due season,” and Ecclesiastes 3:7 says there is “a time to be silent.” • Approaching a drunk man could have provoked violence or fallen on deaf ears (Proverbs 23:9). Waiting safeguards her message and her safety. • The wisdom of her timing is confirmed in the next verse: “In the morning, when Nabal was sober… his heart died within him” (1 Samuel 25:37), showing that God used her prudence to bring conviction. summary Verse 36 paints a sharp contrast: Abigail, fresh from a courageous act of faith, meets a husband lost in selfish revelry. Nabal’s gluttonous, drunken feast exposes the emptiness of worldly abundance, while Abigail’s silence showcases the power of godly timing and restraint. Together they remind us that true wisdom fears the Lord, serves others, and speaks only when hearts are ready to hear. |
    |