阅读经文 

大卫和他的士兵住在旷野已有一段时间了，他们一直在看护这一带村庄旷野、保护农夫和牧羊人不被盗贼和劫掠的人袭击。其中一个仆人回想着：“那些人待我们甚好。我们在田野与他们来往的时候，没有受他们的欺负，也未曾失落什么。……他们昼夜作我们的保障。”（参撒上 25:15-16）

可是主人拿八不理会大卫为他提供的保护，他更没有兴趣款待这些人，他只想如惯常一样：单单为自己求益处。当大卫请他供应一些食粮和物资时，拿八连一句感谢的话也没有说。根据那个时代的习俗，这样的回应是一种侮辱，是不可原谅的。拿八需要有人教他这一课，而大卫也准备去教训他。

拿八的妻子亚比该则较明白事理，她知道拿八的愚顽行为将会使他送命，所以她急忙采取行动，把食粮送给还在路上的大卫和跟随他的人。

亚比该的明智之举帮助大卫维持他良善的性情，她提醒大卫他是谁，以及神赐他怎样的身份。他没有理由像拿八那样愚顽，大卫感谢亚比该拦阻了他出手报复。

David and his fighting men had been living in the wilderness for a while. They had been watching over the countryside and protecting farmers and shepherds from thieves and raiders. A servant recalled, “These men were very good to us. They did not mistreat us, and the whole time we were out in the fields near them nothing was missing. Night and day they were a wall around us…”（see 1 Samuel 25:15-16）

But Nabal took no notice of David’s protection, and he had no interest in hospitality. He only wanted to go about business as usual: what was good for him alone. When David asked for some food and supplies, Nabal did not even offer a simple thank-you to David. In the culture of that day, this kind of response was an insult. It was unforgivable. Nabal had to be taught a lesson, and David was willing to teach it.

Nabal’s wife, Abigail, had more sense. She knew that Nabal’s foolish ways were about to cost him his life. So she worked quickly to go and bring gifts of food to David and his men on the road.

Abigail’s wise actions restored humanity to David. She reminded him of who he was and what the Lord had called him to be. There was no reason for him to be a fool like Nabal, and David thanked her for keeping him from taking vengeance into his own hands.