What does 1 Samuel 25:44 Mean?

Verse Meaning

As mentioned before, this chapter opens and closes with a tragedy in David"s life, the death of Samuel and the departure of Michal. Evidently Saul considered David as good as dead, and Song of Solomon , sometime during these events, he gave his daughter, David"s wife, to another man. He may also have done this to remove the possibility of David claiming Saul"s throne because he was Saul"s Song of Solomon -in-law. David later reclaimed Michal ( 2 Samuel 3:13-16), which proved to be a source of grief for David since Michal did not appreciate how David constantly bowed to Yahweh"s authority (cf. 2 Samuel 6:16-23; 1 Chronicles 15:29). [source][source]

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David"s second sparing of Saul"s life ch26[source]

Again the scene shifts to Saul (cf. ch24). The writer contrasted his improper attitudes and behavior, and their consequences, with David"s proper attitudes and behavior, and their consequences. There are many similarities between this chapter and chapter24 , which records David sparing Saul"s life in the cave of Adullam. Perhaps the most significant difference is that in chapter24David was on the defensive whereas in chapter26 he was on the offensive. Chapter26 is the third and final episode in the mini-section on David"s treatment of two fools: Saul and Nabal. A prominent theme in this pericope is David"s learning to trust God to repay his enemies rather than taking vengeance himself. [source][source]

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The general structure of the chapter is chiastic. [source][source]

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"A.Saul searches for David, who then responds ( 1 Samuel 25:1-5).B.David keeps his man Abishai from killing Saul ( 1 Samuel 25:6-12).B".David rebukes Saul"s man Abner for not protecting Saul ( 1 Samuel 25:13-16).A".Saul talks to David, who then responds ( 1 Samuel 25:17-25)." ^[1] [source]

Context Summary

The lowly obeisance of this beautiful woman at the young soldier's feet, her frank confession of the injustice done him, her thankfulness that he had been withheld from hasty vengeance, her appreciation of his desire to fight only as a soldier of the Lord, brought David back to his best self.

What a revelation is here given of the agencies by which God seeks to turn us from our evil ways! And, above all, those that enter our lives as sweet human ministries are those arresting influences of the Holy Spirit, pleading with us, striving against our passion and selfishness, and calling us to a nobler, better life. Blessed Spirit, come down more often by the covert of the hill, and stay us in our mad career. Let us not press past thee to take our own wild way, and we shall review thy gracious arrest with ceaseless gratitude.

The idyll ended happily. Nabal died in an apoplectic fit, caused by his debauch and anger. Then David made proposals of marriage to the woman to whom he owed so much, and she gracefully but humbly accepted, declaring herself unworthy. 1 Samuel 25:35 is our Lord's answer to every soul that casts itself upon Him, and every such soul becomes married to Him, when the former husband is dead. See Romans 7:4. [source]

Chapter Summary: 1 Samuel 25

¹  Samuel dies
²  David in Paran sends to Nabal
¹⁰  Provoked by Nabal's rudeness, he minds to destroy him
¹⁴  Abigail understanding thereof
¹⁸  takes a present
²³  and by her wisdom
³²  pacifies David
³⁶  Nabal hearing thereof, dies
³⁹  David takes Abigail and Ahinoam to be his wives
⁴⁴  Michal is given to Phalti