Chapter Note Matthew Henry Commentary (Complete)
F I R S T S A M U E L
CHAP. XXV.
We have here some intermission of David's troubles by Saul. Providence favoured him with a breathing time, and yet this chapter gives us instances of the troubles of David. If one vexation seems to be over, we must not be secure; a storm may arise from some other point, as here to David. I. Tidings of the death of Samuel could not but trouble him, 1 Samuel 25:1 . But, II. The abuse he received from Nabal is more largely recorded in this chapter. 1. The character of Nabal, 1 Samuel 25:2 ; 1 Samuel 25:3 . 2. The humble request sent to him, 1 Samuel 25:4 - 9 . 3. His churlish answer, 1 Samuel 25:10 - 12 . 4. David's angry resentment of it, 1 Samuel 25:13 ; 1 Samuel 25:21 ; 1 Samuel 25:22 . 5. Abigail's prudent care to prevent the mischief it was likely to bring upon her family, 1 Samuel 25:14 - 20 . 6. Her address to David to pacify him, 1 Samuel 25:23 - 31 . 7. David's favourable reception of her, 1 Samuel 25:32 - 35 . 8. The death of Nabal, 1 Samuel 25:36 - 38 . 9. Abigail's marriage to David, 1 Samuel 25:39 - 44 .
Book Note Matthew Henry Commentary (Complete)
AN
EXPOSITION,
W I T H P R A C T I C A L O B S E R V A T I O N S,
OF THE FIRST BOOK OF
S A M U E L.
This book, and that which follows it, bear the name of Samuel in the title, not because he was the penman of them (except of so much of them as fell within his own time, to the twenty-fifth chapter of the first book, in which we have an account of his death), but because the first book begins with a large account of him, his birth and childhood, his life and government; and the rest of these two volumes that are denominated from him contains the history of the reigns of Saul and David, who were both anointed by him. And, because the history of these two kings takes up the greatest part of these books, the Vulgar Latin calls them the First and Second Books of the Kings, and the two that follow the Third and Fourth, which the titles in our English Bibles take notice of with an alias: otherwise called the First Book of the Kings, c. The LXX. calls them the first and second Book of the Kingdoms. It is needless to contend about it, but there is no occasion to vary from the Hebrew verity. These two books contain the history of the last two of the judges, Eli and Samuel, who were not, as the rest, men of war, but priests (and so much of them is an appendix to the book of Judges), and of the first two of the kings, Saul and David, and so much of them is an entrance upon the history of the kings. They contain a considerable part of the sacred history, are sometimes referred to in the New Testament, and often in the titles of David's Psalms, which, if placed in their order, would fall in these books. It is uncertain who was the penman of them it is probable that Samuel wrote the history of his own time, and that, after him, some of the prophets that were with David (Nathan as likely as any) continued it. This first book gives us a full account of Eli's fall and Samuel's rise and good government, 1 Samuel 1:1 - 81 Samuel 1:1 - 8 Of Samuel's resignation of the government and Saul's advancement and mal-administration, 1 Samuel 9:1 - 151 Samuel 9:1 - 15 The choice of David, his struggles with Saul, Saul's ruin at last, and the opening of the way for David to the throne, 1 Samuel 16:1 - 311 Samuel 16:1 - 31 And these things are written for our learning.
