Nabal

Nabal ( Hebrew נָבָל) is a male figure from the Tanakh , the Hebrew Bible .

etymology

The name Nabal is derived from the verb נבל meaning "to act contemptuously". Nabal is consequently Gate , fool .

Biblical narration

According to 1 Sam 25 EU, Nabal is a large landowner in Maon. His wife Abigail is described as smart and beautiful. She is considered a prophetess in the Jewish tradition .

Nabal comes into conflict with a delegation of David, who is fleeing from Saul . The men demand material support from him, which Nabal refuses out of selfishness. When this is reported to David, he decides to ambush Nabal. But his wife Abigail repents for her husband, whom she characterizes as malicious and foolish (25.25 EU ), asks for mercy for him and brings David rich gifts behind Nabal's back. This moves David to spare Nabal. Nabal, however, does not escape a punishment, which is presented in 25.36-39 EU as God's judgment against him: First "the heart in his chest failed and he was petrified", then "the Lord struck Nabal so that he died" (25.37-38 EU ). Abigail then becomes David's wife.

The story about Nabal is also interpreted in social-historical biblical exegesis as a criticism of the rich upper class in Israel , who did not need the Israelite monarchy that emerged under David as a protective power for the enslaved and poor, and who opposed it. The people of this class could " afford to refuse allegiance without having to expect serious sanctions ."

filming

In The Bible - David from 1997, the only film that reconstructs the story of Nabal, Abigail and David, who embodied British actor Peter Woodthorpe Nabal.

Web links

Commons : Nabal - collection of images, videos and audio files

A. Gierke-Ungermann: Nabal. In: Michaela Bauks, Klaus Koenen, Stefan Alkier (Eds.): The Scientific Biblical Lexicon on the Internet (WiBiLex), Stuttgart 2006 ff.

Individual evidence

↑ cf. Wilhelm Gesenius: Hebrew and Aramaic concise dictionary on the Old Testament. Berlin, Göttingen, Heidelberg 1962, p. 480.
↑ cf. Wilhelm Gesenius: Hebrew and Aramaic concise dictionary on the Old Testament. Berlin, Göttingen, Heidelberg 1962, p. 481.
^ Rainer Kessler , Social History of Ancient Israel. An introduction, Darmstadt 2006, page 82.

[1] . Wilhelm Gesenius: Hebrew and Aramaic concise dictionary on the Old Testament. Berlin, Göttingen, Heidelberg 1962, p. 480.

[2] . Wilhelm Gesenius: Hebrew and Aramaic concise dictionary on the Old Testament. Berlin, Göttingen, Heidelberg 1962, p. 481.

[3] Rainer Kessler , Social History of Ancient Israel. An introduction, Darmstadt 2006, page 82.