John Gill's Bible Commentary Ver. 5. And David sent out ten young men , etc.] Such persons, and such a number of them, he sent to show honour and reverence to Nabal: and David said, unto the young men, get ye up to Carmel ; which lay higher than the wilderness, in which he was: and go to Nabal, and greet him in my name ; ask him of his peace and welfare, as the Targum; wish all health and happiness in my name, present my service and best respects to him.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 2-11 - We should not have heard of Nabal, if nothing had passed between his and David. Observe his name, Nabal, "A fool;" so it signifies. Riche make men look great in the eye of the world; but to one that take right views, Nabal looked very mean. He had no honour or honesty; he was churlish, cross, and ill-humoured; evil in his doings, hard an oppressive; a man that cared not what fraud and violence he used it getting and saving. What little reason have we to value the wealth of this world, when so great a churl as Nabal abounds, and so good a ma as David suffers want!, David pleaded the kindness Nabal's shepherd had received. Considering that David's men were in distress and debt and discontented, and the scarcity of provisions, it was by goo management that they were kept from plundering. Nabal went into passion, as covetous men are apt to do, when asked for any thing thinking thus to cover one sin with another; and, by abusing the poor to excuse themselves from relieving them. But God will not thus be mocked. Let this help us to bear reproaches and misrepresentations with patience and cheerfulness, and make us easy under them; it has ofte been the lot of the excellent ones of the earth. Nabal insists much of the property he had in the provisions of his table. May he not do what he will with his own? We mistake, if we think we are absolute lords of what we have, and may do what we please with it. No; we are but stewards, and must use it as we are directed, remembering it is not ou own, but His who intrusted us with it.
Original Hebrew וישׁלח7971 דוד1732 עשׂרה6235 נערים5288 ויאמר559 דוד1732 לנערים5288 עלו5927 כרמלה3760 ובאתם935 אל413 נבל5037 ושׁאלתם7592 לו בשׁמי8034 לשׁלום׃7965
