Daily Tanach Shmuel 1 Chapter 25: Naval refuses to recognize Dovid and to give him or his men any food

1.      Naval refuses to recognize Dovid and to give him or his men any food:

• The young man that Dovid sent arrived to Naval and spoke to him all the words that he was sent to relay in the name of Dovid, and they then rested from their journey [awaiting a reply from Naval[1]]. Naval responded to the servants of Dovid saying, “Who is Dovid and who is the son of Yishai [that I should listen to their request, as does he not come from Ruth the Moabite[2]]. Today, there are many servants who are rebelling against their masters [telling their masters what to do as if that they are greater than them, and Dovid too has rebelled against Shaul[3]]. I will take my bread and my water and my slaughtered meat and give them only to my shepherds, to those who shear my sheep. Do you really think I will give my food to people who I do not know from where they have come?”

2.      Dovid and his men prepare to annihilate Naval:

• The young men that were sent by Dovid returned back to Dovid and when they arrived, they told him the response of Naval. Dovid then instructed his men that they should each garb themselves with their sword. So, they all put on their sword and Dovid as well put on his sword [as he was personally very angry at the response of Naval, viewing it as treason to his monarchy which was by then already well known throughout all Israel that he had been anointed to be king, even though he had enough men to take care of the issue themselves[4]].
• There were 400 men who went with Dovid while 200 men remained to guard their possessions.

3.      Avigayil appeases Dovid and sends food to him and his men:

• Avigayil is warned of the imminent threat to her household: Avigayil, the wife of Naval, was informed by a certain lad from amongst her lads that Dovid had sent messengers from the desert to give blessings to their master. Naval had instead shunned them and shooed them away [acting like a cruel bird[5]]. The lad told Avigayil, that the men of Dovid were very good to them and, “They did not shame us, and on the contrary, they protected us, and thereby throughout all the days that we traveled with them within the field we did not lose any of our flock. They were a wall of protection for us both by night and by day, throughout all the days that they were with us when we were shepherding the flock. Now, pay attention and see what you can do as the anger of Dovid and his men have erupted against Naval and against all of his household. Naval is a wicked man and should not have spoken to Dovid the way he did.”
• Avigayil prepares food for Dovid and his men: Avigayil hurried and took 200 loaves of bread, two jugs of wine, five prepared stuffed sheep, five Seah of roasted wheat, 100 raisins, and 200 dates, and she placed them all on the donkeys. She told her lads that they should pass in front of her and that she will come behind them [to greet Dovid and his men with the food]. She did not inform her husband Naval of what she was doing. She was riding on a donkey and went down the mountain into the valley that was before another mountain [on which Dovid and his men were located]. Dovid and his men were going down towards her from their mountain which was before the valley and she then met them there.
• Dovid confronts Avigayil and threatens to annihilate everything of her husbands: Dovid said [to himself[6]], it was for nothing that all this time I had guarded all that belong to Naval while in the desert and assisted to make sure that none of his flock would get lost. He has now returned evil to me in place of the good I did for him. Dovid then made a swear to avenge the betrayal of Naval, “I swear that so should G-d do to the enemies of Dovid and so He should add if I leave any remnant of Navals [household or property] until the morning. I will not even allow spare those which urinate on the wall [i.e. all male creatures including dogs[7]].” [Dovid had the right to kill Naval and his family being that he was already publicized as the anointed king of Israel and Naval was therefore considered a rebel who was deserving of death.[8]]

[1] Rashi 25:9

[2] Rashi 25:10

[3] Mahariy Karo 25:10

[4] Radak 25:13

[5] Ralbag 25:14

[6] Rashi 25:21

[7] 2^nd Pirush in Rashi 25:22

[8] Ralbag 25: 22