N is for Nabal

Nabal

The Hebrew word Nabal [na bel] means fool. "Nabal" refers to a fool in the spiritual and moral sense. It gives the idea of  "one who is impious and ignoble. Based on this Hebrew definition it sounds to me like the very last name I would want to be named. However, we find a "Nabal" in the Old Testament. (I Samuel 25)

Nabal was a very wealthy man who lived in Moab. He was a descendant of Caleb. (Caleb was one of two spies among the twelve who were sent into the land of Canaan to scout it out prior to invading the land) Nabal lived in Carmel near Hebron in the land of Israel.

His own wife's description of him is an apt and fitting depiction, "for as his name is, so is he: Nabal is his name and folly is [his game, oops sorry couldn't resist,] with him." Nabal's name depicted his character before his actions and behavior are even recorded in this biblical passage.

What did Nabal, this fool do? He prepared a great banquet for himself and his friends when he was aware that King David and his men were starving in a nearby camp. Nabal rejected David's request for food. David reminded Nabal of how he and his men had been protector's of Nabal's shepherds in the field. Like the fool described in Isaiah 32:6, "For the fool [nabal] speaks folly, and his mind plots iniquity..." 

When David heard the rejection of his request for food, David determined to attack Nabal and destroy him. Nabal did one thing right however, he married well. His wife Abagail heard of Nabal's foolish words and actions and went out to meet David herself with a generous gift of food. She begged David not to attack her husband and household and to spare them.

It seems that Nabal did not know what his wife had done because he got "snockered." He got drunk. But when he sobered up the next morning and she told him, the bible says, "and his heart died within him, and he became as a stone." I don't know if this was a stroke or a coma, but it lasted ten days and then Nabal, the fool died. The moral of that mode of death is that Nabal died as he lived, he died with a heart of stone unresponsive to the needs of others.

By the way, and for the record, not only was Abagail wise, but the bible says she was beautiful. With Nabal the fool dead, David decided to marry Abagail and took her as a wife. So David not only got the food and wine, but David got the "girl."

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2010 A-Z Challenge: N is for "Nevers of the Gospel"
2011 A-Z Challenge: N is for Nabal