Atomic Bible

Wife of Nabal, later married David

Abigail

Named in 14 verses across 3 books, first in 1 Samuel 25:3.

אֲבִיגַ֫יִל, אֲבִיגַ֫לAbigail

The name means “the father's joy.” Hitchcock's Bible Names, 1869

Married to
David, Nabal
Children
Chileab

About Abigail Written by AI

Abigail was a wise and beautiful woman who was initially married to a wealthy but foolish man named Nabal. When David and his men were in the wilderness, Nabal refused to provide them with food and supplies. Abigail, learning of this, quickly gathered provisions and went to meet David, apologizing for her husband's behavior and urging David not to seek revenge. Impressed by her wisdom and courage, David accepted her appeal and spared Nabal's life. When Abigail told Nabal about this incident, he had a heart attack and died ten days later. After Nabal's death, David sent for Abigail and married her. Abigail became one of David's wives and bore him a son named Chileab, who is also known as Daniel (2 Samuel 3:3; 1 Chronicles 3:1). She accompanied David during his time in Ziklag, where he sought refuge from King Saul (1 Samuel 27:3). Abigail's story demonstrates her wisdom, diplomacy, and faith in God.

Drafted by an AI model for STEPBible's TIPNR (Tyndale House Cambridge, CC BY 4.0). Check it against the verses below.

Easton's Bible Dictionary, 1897

This entry is on the name Abigail, and may cover more than one person or place by that name.

Father (i.e., “leader”) of the dance, or “of joy.” (1.) The sister of David, and wife of Jether an Ishmaelite (1 Chr. 2:16,17). She was the mother of Amasa (2 Sam. 17:25).

(2.) The wife of the churlish Nabal, who dwelt in the district of Carmel (1 Sam. 25:3). She showed great prudence and delicate management at a critical period of her husband’s life. She was “a woman of good understanding, and of a beautiful countenance.” After Nabal’s death she became the wife of David (1 Sam. 25:14-42), and was his companion in all his future fortunes (1 Sam. 27:3; 30:5; 2 Sam. 2:2). By her David had a son called Chileab (2 Sam. 3:3), elsewhere called Daniel (1 Chr. 3:1).

M. G. Easton, Illustrated Bible Dictionary, third edition (1897), public domain, from CrossWire. Shown as written; its Scripture quotes are from older translations.

GenesisMatthewRevelation

Where the Bible names her

  1. 1 Samuel 25:3

    His name was Nabal, and his wife’s name was Abigail. She was an intelligent and beautiful woman, but her husband, a Calebite, was harsh and evil in his dealings.

  2. 1 Samuel 25:14

    Meanwhile, one of Nabal’s young men informed Nabal’s wife Abigail, “Look, David sent messengers from the wilderness to greet our master, but he screamed at them.

  3. 1 Samuel 25:18

    Then Abigail hurried and took two hundred loaves of bread, two skins of wine, five butchered sheep, five seahs of roasted grain, a hundred clusters of raisins, and two hundred cakes of figs. She loaded them on donkeys

  4. 1 Samuel 25:23

    When Abigail saw David, she quickly got off the donkey, fell facedown, and bowed before him.

  5. 1 Samuel 25:32

    Then David said to Abigail, “Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel, who sent you to meet me this day!

  6. 1 Samuel 25:36

    When Abigail returned to Nabal, there he was in the house, holding a feast fit for a king, in high spirits and very drunk. So she told him nothing until morning light.

  7. 1 Samuel 25:39

    On hearing that Nabal was dead, David said, “Blessed be the LORD, who has upheld my cause against the reproach of Nabal and has restrained His servant from evil. For the LORD has brought the wickedness of Nabal down upon his own head.” Then David sent word to Abigail, asking her to become his wife.

  8. 1 Samuel 25:40

    When his servants came to Abigail at Carmel, they said, “David has sent us to take you as his wife.”

  9. 1 Samuel 25:42

    So Abigail hurried and got on a donkey, and attended by five of her maidens, she followed David’s messengers and became his wife.

  10. 1 Samuel 27:3

    David and his men settled in Gath with Achish. Each man had his family with him, and David had his two wives: Ahinoam of Jezreel and Abigail of Carmel, the widow of Nabal.

  11. 1 Samuel 30:5

    David’s two wives, Ahinoam of Jezreel and Abigail the widow of Nabal of Carmel, had been taken captive.

  12. 2 Samuel 2:2

    So David went there with his two wives, Ahinoam of Jezreel and Abigail the widow of Nabal of Carmel.

  13. 2 Samuel 3:3

    his second was Chileab, by Abigail the widow of Nabal of Carmel; his third was Absalom, the son of Maacah daughter of King Talmai of Geshur;

  14. 1 Chronicles 3:1

    These were the sons of David who were born to him in Hebron: The firstborn was Amnon by Ahinoam of Jezreel; the second was Daniel by Abigail of Carmel;

From STEPBible's TIPNR, Tyndale House Cambridge (CC BY 4.0): names, family, references and the AI written article. Verse text is the BSB.