Abigail

In Bible versions:

Abigail: NET AVS NIV NRSV NASB TEV

the widow of Nabal; wife of David
daughter of Jesse; sister of King David; wife of Ithra/Jether

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the father's joy

Arts:

Arts Topics: David and Abigail

Hebrew

Strongs #026: lygyba 'Abiygayil or shorter lgyba 'Abiygal

Abigail = "my father is joy"

1) wife of Nabal, then of David
2) sister of David

26 'Abiygayil ab-ee-gah'-yil

or shorter Abiygal {ab-ee-gal'}; from 1 and 1524; father
(i.e. source) of joy; Abigail or Abigal, the name of two
Israelitesses:-Abigal.
see HEBREW for 01
see HEBREW for 01524

Abigail [EBD]

father (i.e., "leader") of the dance, or "of joy." (1.) The sister of David, and wife of Jether an Ishmaelite (1 Chr. 2:16,17). She was the mother of Amasa (2 Sam. 17:25).

(2.) The wife of the churlish Nabal, who dwelt in the district of Carmel (1 Sam. 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 Sam. 25:14-42), and was his companion in all his future fortunes (1 Sam. 27:3; 30:5; 2 Sam. 2:2). By her David had a son called Chileab (2 Sam. 3:3), elsewhere called Daniel (1 Chr. 3:1).

Abigail [NAVE]

ABIGAIL
1. Nabal's wife. Her wisdom and tact, and marriage to David, 1 Sam. 25; 27:3; 2 Sam. 2:2.
Mother of Chileab by David, 2 Sam. 3:3; 1 Chr. 3:1.
Taken captive and rescued by David, 1 Sam. 30:1-18.
2. Sister of David, and mother of Amasa, 2 Sam. 17:25; 1 Chr. 2:16, 17.

ABIGAIL [SMITH]

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

1. 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)
2. 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.)

ABIGAIL; ABIGAL [ISBE]

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 Sam 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 Sam 25:22). Meanwhile Abigail, a woman "of good understanding, and of a beautiful countenance" (1 Sam 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 Sam 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 Sam 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 Sam 25:43); and these two were with him in Gath (1 Sam 27:3). After David became king in Hebron, Abigail bore him his second son, Chileab (2 Sam 3:3) or Daniel, as he is called in 1 Ch 3:1.

(2) Sister of David and mother of Amasa, at one time commander of David's army (1 Ch 2:16,17; Abigal 2 Sam 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 Isa 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 Sam 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