Ahinoam

39David heard that Nabal was dead. He said, "Thank the LORD. He stood up for me when Nabal insulted me. He kept me, his servant, from doing wrong. Nabal's own meanness came back on his own head." Then David sent a message to Abigail. He asked her to be his wife.

And when David heard that Nabal was dead, he said, Blessed be the LORD, that hath pleaded the cause of my reproach from the hand of Nabal, and hath kept his servant from evil: for the LORD hath returned the wickedness of Nabal upon his own head. And David sent and communed with Abigail, to take her to him to wife.

NoteSaying the wickedness came back "upon his own head" was an old way of saying the bad he did came back on him.

40David's servants came to Abigail in Carmel. They said, "David sent us to you. He wants you to be his wife."

And when the servants of David were come to Abigail to Carmel, they spake unto her, saying, David sent us unto thee, to take thee to him to wife.

41She stood up and bowed with her face to the ground. She said, "I am here to serve. I will even wash the feet of my lord's servants."

And she arose, and bowed herself on her face to the earth, and said, Behold, let thine handmaid be a servant to wash the feet of the servants of my lord.

NotePeople wore sandals on dusty roads, so feet got very dirty. Washing a guest's feet was the job of the lowest servant.

42Abigail hurried and got on a donkey. Five of her servant girls went with her. She followed David's messengers, and she became his wife.

And Abigail hasted, and arose, and rode upon an ass, with five damsels of hers that went after her; and she went after the messengers of David, and became his wife.

43David had also married Ahinoam from the town of Jezreel. So both women were his wives.

David also took Ahinoam of Jezreel; and they were also both of them his wives.

NoteIn those days an important man was allowed to have more than one wife.

44But Saul had given his daughter Michal to another man. Michal had been David's wife. Saul gave her to Phalti, son of Laish, from Gallim.

But Saul had given Michal his daughter, David’s wife, to Phalti the son of Laish, which was of Gallim.

NoteMichal was King Saul's daughter and David's first wife. Saul was angry at David, so he gave her to another man.

1David thought to himself, "Someday Saul will kill me. The best thing I can do is run away to the land of the Philistines. Then Saul will give up looking for me in Israel. That way I will get away from him."

And David said in his heart, I shall now perish one day by the hand of Saul: there is nothing better for me than that I should speedily escape into the land of the Philistines; and Saul shall despair of me, to seek me any more in any coast of Israel: so shall I escape out of his hand.

NoteThe Philistines lived by the sea, next to Israel. They had strong cities and often fought against Israel. Saul was the king of Israel. He had been trying to catch David for a long time.

2So David left. He took the six hundred men who were with him. They went to Achish, the son of Maoch, who was king of the city of Gath.

And David arose, and he passed over with the six hundred men that were with him unto Achish, the son of Maoch, king of Gath.

NoteGath was one of the biggest Philistine cities. David was hiding in the land of Israel's enemies. He hoped Saul would not follow him there.

3David and his men lived in Gath with Achish. Each man brought his family with him. David brought his two wives. They were Ahinoam from Jezreel and Abigail from Carmel, who had been married to Nabal.

And David 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, Nabal’s wife.

NoteLong ago, some men had more than one wife. Nabal had been Abigail's husband before. He died, and then David married her.

4Someone told Saul that David had run away to Gath. So Saul stopped looking for him.

And it was told Saul that David was fled to Gath: and he sought no more again for him.

5David said to Achish, "If you are pleased with me, please do this. Give me a place in one of the smaller towns to live. Why should I live here in the king's city with you?"

And David said unto Achish, If I have now found grace in thine eyes, let them give me a place in some town in the country, that I may dwell there: for why should thy servant dwell in the royal city with thee?

NoteThe king's city was where the king lived. It was busy and crowded with the king's people. David wanted a town of his own, farther away.

6That day Achish gave David the town of Ziklag. That is why Ziklag has belonged to the kings of Judah ever since.

Then Achish gave him Ziklag that day: wherefore Ziklag pertaineth unto the kings of Judah unto this day.

NoteJudah was the part of Israel where David's family lived. Later, Judah had its own kings. "Ever since" means the town still belonged to them when this story was written down.

7David lived in the land of the Philistines for one year and four months.

And the time that David dwelt in the country of the Philistines was a full year and four months.

1David and his men got back to their town, Ziklag, on the third day. While they were gone, raiders called Amalekites had attacked the south. They attacked Ziklag and burned it down.

And it came to pass, when David and his men were come to Ziklag on the third day, that the Amalekites had invaded the south, and Ziklag, and smitten Ziklag, and burned it with fire;

NoteThe Amalekites were a desert people who lived by raiding. They rode in fast, took what they wanted, and rode away. Ziklag was the town where David and his men lived. A Philistine king had given it to David to use.

2They took the women away, and everyone else, young and old. They did not kill anyone. They carried them off as they left.

And had taken the women captives, that were therein: they slew not any, either great or small, but carried them away, and went on their way.

NoteTaken captive means taken away as prisoners. They would be forced to work for the people who took them.

3David and his men came to the town. It was burned. Their wives, sons, and daughters were gone.

So David and his men came to the city, and, behold, it was burned with fire; and their wives, and their sons, and their daughters, were taken captives.

4David and the men with him cried out loud. They cried until they had no strength left to cry.

Then David and the people that were with him lifted up their voice and wept, until they had no more power to weep.

NoteLong ago people cried out loud when something terrible happened. Nobody hid their tears. Crying together was the normal thing to do.

5David's two wives were taken too. They were Ahinoam from Jezreel, and Abigail, who had been Nabal's wife.

And David’s two wives were taken captives, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail the wife of Nabal the Carmelite.

NoteIn those days a man could have more than one wife. David had two.

6David was very upset. The men were so sad about their children that they talked about throwing stones at him. But David found new strength in the LORD his God.

And David was greatly distressed; for the people spake of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and for his daughters: but David encouraged himself in the LORD his God.

NoteThrowing stones at a person was how angry crowds killed someone. The men were sad and angry enough to talk about doing it. LORD in big letters stands for God's own name.

7David spoke to Abiathar the priest, the son of Ahimelech. David said, "Please bring me the ephod." So Abiathar brought it to him.

And David said to Abiathar the priest, Ahimelech’s son, I pray thee, bring me hither the ephod. And Abiathar brought thither the ephod to David.

NoteAn ephod was a special vest that a priest wore. It held stones that were used to ask God a question. God would answer yes or no. A priest was a man who served God for the people.

8David asked the LORD, "Should I chase these raiders? Will I catch them?" The LORD said, "Go after them. You will catch them, and you will get everyone back."

And David enquired at the LORD, saying, Shall I pursue after this troop? shall I overtake them? And he answered him, Pursue: for thou shalt surely overtake them, and without fail recover all.

9So David went, and his six hundred men went with him. They came to a stream called Besor. Some of the men stayed there.

So David went, he and the six hundred men that were with him, and came to the brook Besor, where those that were left behind stayed.

NoteThe six hundred men were David's whole group of fighters. They had followed him for years while King Saul chased him.

10Two hundred men were too tired to cross the stream, so they stayed behind. David kept going with four hundred men.

But David pursued, he and four hundred men: for two hundred abode behind, which were so faint that they could not go over the brook Besor.

11Out in a field the men found a man from Egypt. They brought him to David. They gave him bread to eat and water to drink.

And they found an Egyptian in the field, and brought him to David, and gave him bread, and he did eat; and they made him drink water;

NoteEgypt was a large country far away to the south. This man was a long way from home.

12They gave him a piece of fig cake and two bunches of raisins. He ate, and he felt strong again. He had eaten and drunk nothing for three days and three nights.

And they gave him a piece of a cake of figs, and two clusters of raisins: and when he had eaten, his spirit came again to him: for he had eaten no bread, nor drunk any water, three days and three nights.

NoteA fig cake was dried figs pressed flat into a block. It was sweet and easy to carry on a long trip. Raisins are dried grapes.

13David asked him, "Who do you belong to? Where are you from?" He said, "I am a young man from Egypt. I am the servant of an Amalekite. My master left me behind three days ago when I got sick.

And David said unto him, To whom belongest thou? and whence art thou? And he said, I am a young man of Egypt, servant to an Amalekite; and my master left me, because three days agone I fell sick.

NoteThe man was a slave. Someone owned him and made him work.

14We raided the south where the Cherethites live. We raided land that belongs to Judah, and the south of Caleb. We burned Ziklag down."

We made an invasion upon the south of the Cherethites, and upon the coast which belongeth to Judah, and upon the south of Caleb; and we burned Ziklag with fire.

NoteThe Cherethites were a people who lived near the sea, south of Israel. Judah was the part of Israel that David's family came from. Caleb was a famous man from long before, and his family lived in that land.

15David asked him, "Can you take me to those raiders?" He said, "Promise me before God that you will not kill me. Promise you will not hand me back to my master. Then I will take you to them."

And David said to him, Canst thou bring me down to this company? And he said, Swear unto me by God, that thou wilt neither kill me, nor deliver me into the hands of my master, and I will bring thee down to this company.

NotePromising before God was the most serious promise a person could make. People believed God heard it and would not forget it.

16The man led David down to them. The Amalekites were spread out all over the ground. They were eating and drinking and dancing. They were glad about all they had taken from the land of the Philistines and from Judah.

And when he had brought him down, behold, they were spread abroad upon all the earth, eating and drinking, and dancing, because of all the great spoil that they had taken out of the land of the Philistines, and out of the land of Judah.

NoteThe Philistines lived near the sea. They and Israel fought each other often.

17David fought them from early evening until the evening of the next day. Not one of them got away, except four hundred young men who rode off on camels.

And David smote them from the twilight even unto the evening of the next day: and there escaped not a man of them, save four hundred young men, which rode upon camels, and fled.

NoteCamels are tall animals with humps on their backs. They can run fast and travel far without water.

18David got back everything the Amalekites had carried away. He rescued his two wives.

And David recovered all that the Amalekites had carried away: and David rescued his two wives.

19Nothing at all was missing. Not one child, young or old. Not one thing the raiders had taken. David brought it all back.

And there was nothing lacking to them, neither small nor great, neither sons nor daughters, neither spoil, nor any thing that they had taken to them: David recovered all.

20David also took all the sheep and cattle. His men drove them ahead of the other animals. They said, "This belongs to David."

And David took all the flocks and the herds, which they drave before those other cattle, and said, This is David’s spoil.

NoteThe leader of a raid got a special share of what was brought back. These animals were David's share.

1After this, David asked God a question. He said, "Should I go up to one of the towns of Judah?" God said, "Go up." David asked, "Which one?" God said, "Hebron."

And it came to pass after this, that David enquired of the LORD, saying, Shall I go up into any of the cities of Judah? And the LORD said unto him, Go up. And David said, Whither shall I go up? And he said, Unto Hebron.

NoteDavid asked God by going to a priest, one of God's special helpers. The priest had a way of bringing back God's answer, yes or no. Judah was one of the big family groups in Israel.

2So David went to Hebron. His two wives went too. They were Ahinoam from Jezreel and Abigail, who had been married to Nabal from Carmel.

So David went up thither, and his two wives also, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail Nabal’s wife the Carmelite.

NoteLong ago, important men often had more than one wife. That was normal then.

3David also brought the men who were with him. Each man brought his family. They all made their homes in the towns near Hebron.

And his men that were with him did David bring up, every man with his household: and they dwelt in the cities of Hebron.

4The men of Judah came to Hebron. There they poured oil on David's head to make him their king. Then they told David, "The men of Jabesh-gilead were the ones who buried Saul."

And the men of Judah came, and there they anointed David king over the house of Judah. And they told David, saying, That the men of Jabeshgilead were they that buried Saul.

NotePouring oil on a man's head was how people made him king. It was a sign that God had picked him. Saul was the king before David, and Saul had just died.

2Sons were born to David in the town of Hebron. His first son was Amnon. His mother was Ahinoam from Jezreel.

And unto David were sons born in Hebron: and his firstborn was Amnon, of Ahinoam the Jezreelitess;

NoteIn those days a king often had many wives. Hebron was the town where David lived and ruled at this time. A first son held a special place in the family.

3His second son was Chileab. His mother was Abigail, who had been the wife of Nabal from Carmel. His third son was Absalom. His mother was Maacah, the daughter of Talmai, the king of Geshur.

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;

NoteGeshur was a small kingdom close to Israel. David married a princess from there.

4His fourth son was Adonijah, and his mother was Haggith. His fifth son was Shephatiah, and his mother was Abital.

And the fourth, Adonijah the son of Haggith; and the fifth, Shephatiah the son of Abital;

5His sixth son was Ithream, and his mother was Eglah, David's wife. All these sons were born to David in Hebron.

And the sixth, Ithream, by Eglah David’s wife. These were born to David in Hebron.