Bible Dictionary: Abigail

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Hitchcock's Bible Names Dictionary

Abigail

the father's joy

Smith's Bible Dictionary

Abigail

(father, i.e. source, of joy).

The beautiful wife of Nabal, a wealthy owner of goats and sheep in Carmel. (B.C. 1060.) When David's messengers were slighted by Nabal, Abigail supplies David and his followers with provisions, and succeeded in appeasing his anger. The days after this Nabal died, and David sent for Abigail and made her his wife. (1 Samuel 25:14) etc. By her he had a son, called Chileab in (2 Samuel 3:3) but Daniel in (1 Chronicles 3:1)
A sister of David, married to Jether the Ishmaelite , and mother, by him , of Amasa. (1 Chronicles 2:17) In (2 Samuel 17:25) for Israelite read Ishmaelite. (B.C. 1068.)

ATS Bible Dictionary

Abigail

1. Formerly the wife of Nabal of Carmel, and afterwards of David. Upon receiving information of Nabal's ingratitude to David, 1 Samuel 25:14, she loaded several asses with provisions, and attended by some of here domestics went out to meet him. Her manners and conversation gained for her his esteem, and as soon as the days of mourning for Nabal's death, which happened soon afterwards, were over, he made her his wife. The issue of the marriage was, as some critics suppose, two sons, Chileab and Daniel, 2 Samuel 3:3; 1 Chronicles 3:1; but it is most probable that these names were borne by one person.

2. A sister of David, and mother of Amasa, 1 Chronicles 2:16,17.

Easton's Bible Dictionary

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

(1.) The sister of David, and wife of Jether an Ishmaelite (1 Chronicles 2:16, 17). She was the mother of Amasa (2 Samuel 17:25).

(2.) The wife of the churlish Nabal, who dwelt in the district of Carmel (1 Samuel 25:3). She showed great prudence and delicate management at a critical period of her husband's life. She was "a woman of good understanding, and of a beautiful countenance." After Nabal's death she became the wife of David (1 Samuel 25:14-42), and was his companion in all his future fortunes (1 Samuel 27:3; 30:5; 2 Samuel 2:2). By her David had a son called Chileab (2 Samuel 3:3), elsewhere called Daniel (1 Chronicles 3:1).

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary

(n.) A lady's waiting-maid.

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

ABIGAIL; ABIGAL

ab'-i-gal, ab'-i-gal ('abhighayil, or 'abhighal, three times, or 'abhughayil, once, or 'abhighayil, once; "father," or "cause of joy"):

(1) The wife of Nabal, a rich shepherd of southern Judea, whose home was Maon (1 Samuel 25:2, 3); shortly after Nabal's death she became the wife of David. Nabal grazed his flocks in or along the Southern Wilderness, where David and his men protected them from marauding tribes, so that not a sheep was lost. When Nabal was sheep-shearing and feasting at Carmel (in Judea), David sent messengers requesting provisions for himself and men. But Nabal, who was a churlish fellow, answered the messengers insultingly and sent them away empty-handed. David, angered by such mean ingratitude, gathered his 400 warriors and set out to destroy Nabal and all he had (1 Samuel 25:22). Meanwhile Abigail, a woman "of good understanding, and of a beautiful countenance" (1 Samuel 25:3), heard of the rebuff given the men of David by her husband; and fearing what vengeance David in his wrath might work, she gathered a considerable present of food (1 Samuel 25:18), and hastened to meet the approaching soldiers. Her beautiful and prudent words, as also her fair face, so won David that he desisted from his vengeful purpose and accepted her gift (1 Samuel 25:32-35). When Abigail told Nabal of his narrow escape, he was stricken with fear, and died ten days afterward. Shortly after this David took Abigail to be his wife, although about the same time, probably a little before, he had also taken Ahinoam (1 Samuel 25:43); and these two were with him in Gath (1 Samuel 27:3). After David became king in Hebron, Abigail bore him his second son, Chileab (2 Samuel 3:3) or Daniel, as he is called in 1 Chronicles 3:1.

(2) Sister of David and mother of Amasa, at one time commander of David's army (1 Chronicles 2:16, 17; Abigal 2 Samuel 17:25). In the first passage she is called David's sister, along with Zeruiah; while in the second she is called the "daughter of Nahash." Several explanations of this connection with Nahash have been suggested, any one of which would be sufficient to remove contradiction:

(1) That Nahash was another name of Jesse, as in Isaiah 14:29, mish-shoresh nachash yetse' (Qimchi);

(2) That Nahash was the wife of Jesse and by him mother of Abigail, which is least probable;

(3) That Nahash, the father of Abigail and Zeruiah, having died, his widow became the wife of Jesse, and bore sons to him;

(4) That the text of 2 Samuel 17:25 has been corrupted, "daughter of Nahash" having crept into the text. At all events she was the sister of David by the same mother.

Edward Mack

Strong's Hebrew

26. Abigayil -- "my father is joy," two Israelite women
... 25, 26. Abigayil. 27 . "my father is joy," two Israelite women. Transliteration:
Abigayil Phonetic Spelling: (ab-ee-gah'-yil) Short Definition: Abigail. ...
/hebrew/26.htm - 6k

Library

Abigail's Sensible Advice
... THE OLD TESTAMENT ABIGAIL'S SENSIBLE ADVICE. Then David went away into the Wilderness
of Maon. ... His name was Nabal, and his wife's name was Abigail. ...
/.../christianbookshelf.org/sherman/the childrens bible/abigails sensible advice.htm

The Heavenly Banquet.
... of Ziklag, and took it, and burned it with fire, and departed, carrying away with
them the two wives of David, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail, who had ...
/.../the village pulpit volume ii trinity to advent/lvii the heavenly banquet.htm

David's Deserts
... Abigail's meeting with David under the covert of the hill; her turning him from
his purpose of wild revenge by graceful compliments, by the frank, and yet most ...
//christianbookshelf.org/kingsley/david/sermon iv davids deserts.htm

The History of Saul
... One of the servants of Nabal told to Abigail, Nabal's wife, how that David had sent
messengers from the desert unto his lord, and how wroth and wayward he was ...
/.../wells/bible stories and religious classics/the history of saul.htm

The Children's Bible
... JONATHAN'S LOVE FOR DAVID. THE COST OF A LIE. A SOLDIER WHO SPARED HIS ENEMY. ABIGAIL'S
SENSIBLE ADVICE. MAKING THE BEST OF TROUBLE. THE DEATH OF TWO BRAVE WARRIORS ...
//christianbookshelf.org/sherman/the childrens bible/

Appendix.
... quotations. * * * *. A. Abigail, Mrs., 'A Female Skirmish, &c,' 1700.
Addison, Jos., 'Works,' 4 vols. (Tickell), 1804. 'Address ...
/.../abbey/the english church in the eighteenth century/appendix.htm

The Exile --Continued.
... We must pass over even that exquisite episode of Abigail, whose graceful presence
and "most subtle flow of silver-paced counsel" soothed David's ruffled spirit ...
//christianbookshelf.org/maclaren/the life of david/viii the exilecontinued.htm

Mothers, Daughters, and Wives in Israel
... In the times of the kings the praises of Israel's maidens stir the jealousy of Saul;
Abigail knows how to avert the danger of her husband's folly; the wise ...
/.../edersheim/sketches of jewish social life/chapter 9 mothers daughters and.htm

CHAP. I. -II. 3 (II. 1).
... admissible. Thus 1 Samuel 25:39, where Simson's explanation, "David sent and
ordered to speak about Abigail," is set aside by ver.40. The ...
/.../hengstenberg/christology of the old testament/chap i -ii 3 ii 1.htm

The Wonderful Estate of Matrimony.
... Then Ahasuerus' eye First doth quiet Esther see; To where Sara peacefully Dwells,
Tobias leadeth He; David then, with pliant will, Fetcheth prudent Abigail. ...
/.../gerhardt/paul gerhardts spiritual songs/the wonderful estate of matrimony.htm

Thesaurus

Abigail (18 Occurrences)
... Int. Standard Bible Encyclopedia. ABIGAIL; ABIGAL. ... When Abigail told Nabal of his
narrow escape, he was stricken with fear, and died ten days afterward. ...
/a/abigail.htm - 17k

Ab'igail (16 Occurrences)
Ab'igail. Abigail, Ab'igail. Abigal . Multi-Version Concordance Ab'igail
(16 Occurrences). 1 Samuel 25:3 Now the name of the man ...
/a/ab'igail.htm - 10k

Ahinoam (7 Occurrences)
... She and Abigail, the widow of Nabal, seem to have been David's only wives
prior to the beginning of his reign in Hebron. His marriage ...
/a/ahinoam.htm - 10k

Abigal (1 Occurrence)
... Int. Standard Bible Encyclopedia ABIGAIL; ABIGAL. ... When Abigail told Nabal of his
narrow escape, he was stricken with fear, and died ten days afterward. ...
/a/abigal.htm - 10k

Nabal (18 Occurrences)
... One of the shepherds that stood by and saw the reception David's messengers had
met with, informed Abigail, Nabal's wife, who at once realized the danger that ...
/n/nabal.htm - 16k

Carmelite (6 Occurrences)
... Those who are thus named are Nabal, the husband of Abigail (1 Samuel 30:5, etc.),
and Hezro (the King James Version Hezrai), one of David's mighty men (2 ...
/c/carmelite.htm - 9k

Nabal's (7 Occurrences)
... 1 Samuel 25:14 But 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 ...
/n/nabal's.htm - 8k

Jizreelitess (5 Occurrences)
... David abode with Achish at Gath, he and his men, every man with his household; David
with his two wives, Ahinoam the Jizreelitess, and Abigail the Carmelitess ...
/j/jizreelitess.htm - 7k

Jezreelitess (5 Occurrences)
... 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 ...
/j/jezreelitess.htm - 8k

Ahin'o-am (7 Occurrences)
... dwelt 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 ...
/a/ahin'o-am.htm - 8k

Bible Concordance

Abigail (18 Occurrences)

1 Samuel 25:3 Now the name of the man was Nabal; and the name of his wife Abigail; and the woman was of good understanding, and of a beautiful face: but the man was churlish and evil in his doings; and he was of the house of Caleb.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS NIV)

1 Samuel 25:14 But 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 railed at them.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS NIV)

1 Samuel 25:18 Then Abigail hurried and took two hundred loaves of bread, two bottles of wine, five sheep ready dressed, five measures of parched grain, one hundred clusters of raisins, and two hundred cakes of figs, and laid them on donkeys.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS NIV)

1 Samuel 25:23 When Abigail saw David, she hurried, and alighted from her donkey, and fell before David on her face, and bowed herself to the ground.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS NIV)

1 Samuel 25:32 David said to Abigail, "Blessed is Yahweh, the God of Israel, who sent you this day to meet me!
(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS NIV)

1 Samuel 25:36 Abigail 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 drunken. Therefore she told him nothing, less or more, until the morning light.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS NIV)

1 Samuel 25:39 When 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 returned the evildoing of Nabal on his own head." David sent and spoke concerning Abigail, to take her to him as wife.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS NIV)

1 Samuel 25:40 When the servants of David had come to Abigail to Carmel, they spoke to her, saying, "David has sent us to you, to take you to him as wife."
(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS NIV)

1 Samuel 25:42 Abigail hurried, and arose, and rode on a donkey, with five ladies of hers who followed her; and she went after the messengers of David, and became his wife.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS NIV)

1 Samuel 27:3 David 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.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS NIV)

1 Samuel 30:5 David's two wives were taken captive, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail the wife of Nabal the Carmelite.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS NIV)

2 Samuel 2:2 So David went up there, and his two wives also, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail the wife of Nabal the Carmelite.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS NIV)

2 Samuel 3:3 and 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;
(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS NIV)

2 Samuel 17:25 Absalom set Amasa over the army instead of Joab. Now Amasa was the son of a man, whose name was Ithra the Israelite, who went in to Abigail the daughter of Nahash, sister to Zeruiah, Joab's mother.
(WEB KJV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS NIV)

1 Chronicles 2:16 and their sisters were Zeruiah and Abigail. The sons of Zeruiah: Abishai, and Joab, and Asahel, three.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS NIV)

1 Chronicles 2:17 Abigail bore Amasa; and the father of Amasa was Jether the Ishmaelite.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS NIV)

1 Chronicles 3:1 Now 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;
(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS NIV)

2 Chronicles 11:18 And Rehoboam taketh to him a wife, Mahalath, child of Jerimoth son of David, 'and' Abigail daughter of Eliab, son of Jesse.
(YLT)

Subtopics

Abigail

Abigail: Nabal's Wife: Her Wisdom and Tact, and Marriage to David

Abigail: Nabal's Wife: Mother of Chileab by David

Abigail: Nabal's Wife: Taken Captive and Rescued by David

Abigail: Sister of David, and Mother of Amasa

Obsequiousness: Abigail

Related Terms

Ab'igail (16 Occurrences)

Ahinoam (7 Occurrences)

Abigal (1 Occurrence)