1Sa 25:10 | KingComments | STEP | The ten young men come to Nabal and speak in name of David what he has told them. The testimony is given by ten men. The number ten is the number of responsibility. Nabal is responsible for his response to David’s question. The question is whether the claims of God’s anointed king, even though he is on the run, are recognized. The fact that David as a person does not seem to live on the height of faith does not in any way diminish the test to which Nabal is subjected by this question. When they have spoken and are silent, Nabal immediately answers. His answer is a deep insult to David and shows contempt for the anointed king. Derisively he says: “Who is David?” It sounds like Pharaoh’s derisive question to Moses: “Who is the LORD?” ( ; cf. ). Then he says: “And who is the son of Jesse?” This shows that he does know David and that he despises him, as is the case with Saul, who also calls David this way ( ). By the way, the question “who is David”, and if we see David as a picture of the Lord Jesus, is a question that is asked of every human being. Every human being will have to answer the question: “What do you think about the Christ?” ( ). The answer to this question determines eternity. If we do not know the answer to this question, it is guilty ignorance. As for David, Abigail knows, while Nabal does not. As for Christ, anyone can know, because it is written in God’s Word. If we do not know, it is because we do not want to know. Nabal sees everything as his property, obtained by his own efforts. The recurring word “my” indicates this. It never comes to him that he owes his wealth largely to the protection of his property by David and his men. Because of this he has lost nothing ( ). Nabal is remarkably similar to the rich man about whom the Lord Jesus tells a parable, in response to someone’s question of whether He wants to judge in a dispute about an inheritance ( ). In the parable God also addresses that rich man with the name “Fool” ( ). Whoever looks at his possessions as purely the result of his own merit, without any sense of gratitude to God, is a fool.

‏ 1 Samuel 25:10

Nabal’s Response

The ten young men come to Nabal and speak in name of David what he has told them. The testimony is given by ten men. The number ten is the number of responsibility. Nabal is responsible for his response to David’s question. The question is whether the claims of God’s anointed king, even though he is on the run, are recognized. The fact that David as a person does not seem to live on the height of faith does not in any way diminish the test to which Nabal is subjected by this question.

When they have spoken and are silent, Nabal immediately answers. His answer is a deep insult to David and shows contempt for the anointed king. Derisively he says: “Who is David?” It sounds like Pharaoh’s derisive question to Moses: “Who is the LORD?” (Exo 5:2; cf. Job 21:15a). Then he says: “And who is the son of Jesse?” This shows that he does know David and that he despises him, as is the case with Saul, who also calls David this way (1Sam 20:27).

By the way, the question “who is David”, and if we see David as a picture of the Lord Jesus, is a question that is asked of every human being. Every human being will have to answer the question: “What do you think about the Christ?” (Mt 22:42). The answer to this question determines eternity. If we do not know the answer to this question, it is guilty ignorance. As for David, Abigail knows, while Nabal does not. As for Christ, anyone can know, because it is written in God’s Word. If we do not know, it is because we do not want to know.

Nabal sees everything as his property, obtained by his own efforts. The recurring word “my” indicates this. It never comes to him that he owes his wealth largely to the protection of his property by David and his men. Because of this he has lost nothing (1Sam 25:15-16).

Nabal is remarkably similar to the rich man about whom the Lord Jesus tells a parable, in response to someone’s question of whether He wants to judge in a dispute about an inheritance (Lk 12:13-21). In the parable God also addresses that rich man with the name “Fool” (Lk 12:20). Whoever looks at his possessions as purely the result of his own merit, without any sense of gratitude to God, is a fool.