The BibleGospel Companion

Abigail

אֲבִיגַ֫יִל, אֲבִיגַ֫ל · a.vi.ga.yil · H0026G“the father's joy” Hitchcock's 186914 mentions in 3 books, most in 1 Samuel (11)

Who she was

Abigail was a wise and beautiful woman who was initially married to a wealthy but foolish man named Nabal. When David and his men were in the wilderness, Nabal refused to provide them with food and supplies. Abigail, learning of this, quickly gathered provisions and went to meet David, apologizing for her husband's behavior and urging David not to seek revenge.

Impressed by her wisdom and courage, David accepted her appeal and spared Nabal's life. When Abigail told Nabal about this incident, he had a heart attack and died ten days later. After Nabal's death, David sent for Abigail and married her.

Abigail became one of David's wives and bore him a son named Chileab, who is also known as Daniel (2 Samuel 3:3; 1 Chronicles 3:1). She accompanied David during his time in Ziklag, where he sought refuge from King Saul (1Sa.27.3; 30.5). Abigail's story demonstrates her wisdom, diplomacy, and faith in God.

Article: STEPBible, Tyndale House Cambridge · CC BY 4.0

Family

SpouseDavid, NabalChildrenChileab
Family relations: STEPBible, Tyndale House Cambridge · CC BY 4.0

Every mention

14 references, counted from STEPBible, Tyndale House Cambridge · CC BY 4.0 · verse text: World English Bible (public domain)
1 SamuelChapter 25: 9 mentionsChapter 27: 1 mentionChapter 30: 1 mention11 mentions
1 Samuel 25:3Now the name of the man was Nabal; and the name of his wife Abigail. This woman was intelligent and had a beautiful face; but the man was surly and evil in his doings. He was of the house…1 Samuel 25:14But one of the young men told Abigail, Nabal’s wife, saying, “Behold, David sent messengers out of the wilderness to greet our master; and he insulted them.1 Samuel 25:18Then Abigail hurried and took two hundred loaves of bread, two containers of wine, five sheep ready dressed, five seahs of parched grain, one hundred clusters of raisins, and two hundred…1 Samuel 25:23When Abigail saw David, she hurried and got off her donkey, and fell before David on her face and bowed herself to the ground.1 Samuel 25:32David said to Abigail, “Blessed is Yahweh, the God of Israel, who sent you today to meet me!1 Samuel 25:36Abigail came to Nabal; and behold, he held a feast in his house like the feast of a king. Nabal’s heart was merry within him, for he was very drunk. Therefore she told him nothing until…1 Samuel 25:39When David heard that Nabal was dead, he said, “Blessed is Yahweh, who has pleaded the cause of my reproach from the hand of Nabal, and has kept back his servant from evil. Yahweh has…1 Samuel 25:40When David’s servants had come to Abigail to Carmel, they spoke to her, saying, “David has sent us to you, to take you to him as wife.”1 Samuel 25:42Abigail hurriedly arose and rode on a donkey with her five maids who followed her; and she went after the messengers of David, and became his wife.1 Samuel 27:3David lived with Achish at Gath, he and his men, every man with his household, even David with his two wives, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess and Abigail the Carmelitess, Nabal’s wife.1 Samuel 30:5David’s two wives were taken captive, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail the wife of Nabal the Carmelite.
2 SamuelChapter 2: 1 mentionChapter 3: 1 mention2 mentions
2 Samuel 2:2So David went up there with his two wives, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail the wife of Nabal the Carmelite.2 Samuel 3:3and his second, Chileab, of Abigail the wife of Nabal the Carmelite; and the third, Absalom the son of Maacah the daughter of Talmai king of Geshur;
1 ChroniclesChapter 3: 1 mention1 mention
1 Chronicles 3:1Now these were the sons of David, who were born to him in Hebron: the firstborn, Amnon, of Ahinoam the Jezreelitess; the second, Daniel, of Abigail the Carmelitess;

What the dictionary says

Father (i.e., “leader”) of the dance, or “of joy.”

Easton's Bible Dictionary (1897)
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Sources