David's wife living at the time of United Monarchy
Abigail, initially the wife of Nabal, became one of David's wives after Nabal's death and bore him a son named Chileab.
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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 (2Sa.3.3; 1Ch.3.1). She accompanied David during his time in Ziklag, where he sought refuge from King Saul (1Sa.27.3; 30.5). Abigail's story demonstrates her wisdom, diplomacy, and faith in God.
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14 verses in 3 books · English text: BSB (change it from the menu at the top) · Strong’s H0026
His name was Nabal, and his wifeʼs name was Abigail. She was an intelligent and beautiful woman, but her husband, a Calebite, was harsh and evil in his dealings.
Meanwhile, one of Nabalʼs young men informed Nabalʼs wife Abigail, “Look, David sent messengers from the wilderness to greet our master, but he screaed at them.
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
When Abigail saw David, she quickly got off the donkey, fell facedown, and bowed before him.
Then David said to Abigail, “Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel, who sent you to meet me this day!
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.
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 for her to become his wife.
When his servants came to Abigail at Carmel, they said, “David has sent us to take you as his wife.”
So Abigail hurried and got on a donkey, and attended by five of her maidens, she followed Davidʼs messengers and became his wife.
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.
Davidʼs two wives, Ahinoam of Jezreel and Abigail the widow of Nabal of Carmel, had been taken captive.
So David went there with his two wives, Ahinoam of Jezreel and Abigail the widow of Nabal of Carmel.
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;
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;
Names, family links and references: STEPBible TIPNR (Tyndale House Cambridge, CC BY 4.0). Short descriptions were drafted with AI assistance by STEPBible. Family links follow STEPBible’s scholarly decisions where genealogies are ambiguous.