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New Defender's Study Bible Notes
25:1 And Samuel died. It was providential that Samuel died after Saul had acknowledged that David would become king (I Samuel 24:20), and there was at least temporary peace between them. Thus all Israel could come together to mourn Samuel.
25:7 we hurt them not. Nabal lived in Maon, near where David and his men had been for some time while fleeing from Saul (see I Samuel 23:24). While there, they had been careful not to do anything hurtful to the extensive holdings of Nabal. In fact, his men had protected Nabal’s sheep and his servants (I Samuel 25:l5-16).
25:8 find favour. David’s men had protected Nabal’s possessions against the very real threat of thieves in the large wilderness where they were (I Samuel 25:16), so it was reasonable for them to expect some kind of appreciation, especially on a feast day. For Nabal to respond as he did was inexcusable in David’s mind.