AS A STONE

‘He became as a stone’, v. 37. The word ‘as’ is an interpolation; the Hebrew is ‘became a stone’ (JND - ‘became [as] a stone’). This is a concrete metaphor, tactile and visual, apt in conveying to us lessons from Nabal’s life. The word ‘stone’ suggests someone unresponsive, senseless, insensible, solid, cold and imperme­able. This is Nabal.

Nabal is as a stone: to David’s service and kindness to him, guarding the shepherds who guarded his sheep, v. 16; to David as a fellow Israelite, to be helped in need; to the kingship of David, the Lord’s chosen and anointed ruler, though yet in abey­ance. He shows ingratitude, scornfully dismissing David as a nobody, a good-for-nothing, v. 10. His hardness of heart is a result of living for possessions. We note that these are mentioned before we learn his name, vv. 2, 3, and he uses the word ‘my’ four times in his brief reply - ‘my bread, and my water’, v. 11. An astute businessman, yet a rich fool in God’s eyes.

He is also ‘stoned’, senselessly drunk, the result of self-indul­gence, at the sheep shearing when Abigail would speak to him, v. 36. The following morning she informs him of the incident narrated here. His response, v. 37, is described, ‘his heart died within him’: a hyperbole, designed to show the extent of the shock. Was this traumatic shock, probably a stroke, the result of learning of the quantity of his possessions given away, or of the independent action of his wife and her humbling herself before David - she addresses him as ‘my lord’ fourteen times, vv. 24-31, or of his narrow escape from danger and death, of which he had been oblivious. ‘He became … a stone’ for ten days, unable to respond or communicate, quite insensible. Finally, he is stone dead, literally, v. 38, as God intervened in judgement, unlike in David’s case, when He intervened to preserve him spiritually. This He did, mainly through Abigail, vv. 26, 32, 33, ‘God … sent thee this day to meet me’.

He was a stone spiritually, God-ward, totally unresponsive to God and devoid of faith. In this he contrasts with his wife - her faith is strong, seen particularly in verse 30, ‘a faith that sur­passed [David’s]’, W. Kelly.