Commentaria in I Regum (I Samuelis)
AND TWO HUNDRED CAKES OF FIGS,—that is, of figs dried or dried in the sun, from which masses of figs are made, and forms like cheeses.
22. MAY GOD DO SO AND SO TO THE ENEMIES OF DAVID,—that is, to David himself, for otherwise this imprecation would be ridiculous. It is a euphemism. For David here swears with an oath of imprecation after the manner of the common people: but the common people do not dare to imprecate evils on themselves in swearing, because they fear that if they imprecate any evil on themselves it will really befall them: they swear therefore by imprecating evil on others, but by others they mean themselves.
So David imprecates evil on “his enemies,” that is, on himself. So Abulensis. By a like euphemism Daniel, chapter 4, verse 16, says to king Nabuchodonosor: “My lord, may the dream be to them that hate thee, and the interpretation thereof to thy enemies,” though it is about the king himself.
IF I LEAVE OF ALL THAT BELONG TO HIM TILL THE MORNING ANY THAT PISSETH AGAINST THE WALL,—as though David said: I swear that I will kill all in Nabal’s house before dawn; so that I will not leave even a dog alive in it. For dogs lift the leg and wet the wall, while the other animals wet the ground. So in common speech we say: he killed all so that he left neither cat nor dog alive. So Lyranus, Cajetan, Vatablus. Others by “him that pisseth against the wall” understand a male, whether great or small. Whence the Chaldee renders, knowing knowledge, that is, a man or male endowed with knowledge and judgment. David without doubt sinned in thus swearing, as is plain from verse 31, and would have sinned more if he had actually fulfilled the oath: for in Nabal’s house there were many, nay all except himself, innocent. For Nabal alone had insulted David: for his servants had been displeased at his answer. Whence they reported it to Abigail, that she might correct it; Nabal, however, deserved to be chastised. Whence Theodoret, Question 57, says that David justly wished to kill Nabal on account of the most unworthy reproaches and insults with which he assailed David in act. But David could have refuted and restrained these otherwise: wherefore he does not seem to have been able lawfully to kill Nabal; because he was not yet king, so as by public authority to condemn Nabal to death. He swore therefore from juvenile and military impulse and heat, carried away by anger and choler on account of the atrocity of the injury, but returning to himself, and his anger being calmed, he repented and restrained his hand from slaughter, as is plain from what follows. So the Emperor Aurelian, when the people of Tyana shut their gates against him, said in anger: “I will not leave a dog in this town.” The city being taken, and the soldiers demanding the sack of the town according to his promise, he answered: “Come, I said I would not leave a dog; kill all the dogs.” And so he satisfied his promise and treated his enemies mercifully, says Flavius Vopiscus in Aurelian.
Impute to me the iniquity of my husband Nabal, not to him: for he is a fool and knows not what he does; me therefore, who am his wife, blame, punish me, I will atone for what he has sinned. For in Hebrew it is: On me, I (understand: have sinned), my lord, be this iniquity. Or, as though to say: Granted I have sinned, yet hear kindly the words which I shall speak for my excuse and for thy advantage. So Vatablus.
25. LET NOT MY LORD THE KING, I PRAY THEE (anointed king by Samuel, though thou hast not yet entered on possession of the kingdom), REGARD THIS WICKED MAN (Belial in Hebrew, that is untamed, unbridled, wicked) NABAL, FOR ACCORDING TO HIS NAME, HE IS A FOOL.—For Nabal in Hebrew is the same as fool, or bad and malignant, or rascal. Be not angry with Nabal for his inhumanity and the reproaches which he hurled at thee; for he is truly Nabal, that is, a fool; and no one cares for the taunts and insults of a fool and madman; for a fool lacks reason like a brute, and knows not what he does and says. “Nabal,” says St. Ambrose, epistle 35, “in Latin means senseless, harsh, inhospitable, inhuman, ungrateful, who knew not how to render duties.”
Tropologically St. Ambrose urges, on Psalm therefore thy passions, curb anger, tame vengeance. For, as St. Ambrose says: “Whoever has subdued his own body, and has not allowed his soul to be disturbed by its passions, being ruler of himself with fitting vigour; he, restraining himself well by a certain royal power, is called king: because he knows how to rule himself, he is master of his own right; so that he is not dragged captive into fault, nor carried headlong into vice. His soul perishes not for ever; nor does anyone snatch it out of the hand of the Father almighty or of the Son. For the hand of God, which made firm the heaven, does not lose those whom it has held.”
26. AS THE LORD LIVETH, AND AS THY SOUL LIVETH,—as though to say: I swear by the life of God and by thy life that I will say the truth, and that the matter happened as I have said, namely that I did not see thy servants, nor was I aware of the inhumanity exercised by Nabal against thee.
AND HATH SAVED THY HAND TO THEE,—as though to say: God hath restrained thy hand, that thou mightest not defile thyself by it with the slaughter and blood of my innocent sons and servants.
AND NOW LET THY ENEMIES BE AS NABAL,—as though to say: As Nabal is in thy power and mercy, so may all thine enemies be subject to thee, and be compelled to implore thy favour and mercy, as I implore the same for Nabal. So Cajetan.
Or, as though to say: May all thine enemies be esteemed as Nabal, fools and senseless, of whose words and deeds no wise man takes heed or notice. So Abulensis.
27. RECEIVE THIS BLESSING,—that is, kindness: or the gift of provisions, which I have brought to thee and thine.
28. TAKE AWAY THE INIQUITY OF THY HANDMAID,—as though to say: Remit and forgive the iniquity of Nabal my husband, which I desire to be transferred to me, that I may pay the penalty of his fault.
A FAITHFUL HOUSE,—that is, a firm and stable family, stock and posterity; so that the sons and grandsons begotten of thee in unbroken succession may reign in Israel, the posterity of Saul being excluded on account of his iniquity.
LET NOT EVIL THEREFORE BE FOUND IN THEE.—“Evil,” that is, sin, and vengeance, which is unbecoming to the royal person to which thou art destined by God, and which will hinder thee from the kingdom: for all desire a king merciful and forgetful of injury, not mindful of it and desirous of vengeance.
29. FOR IF A MAN AT ANY TIME RISE UP PERSECUTING THEE, AND SEEKING THY LIFE, THE SOUL OF MY LORD SHALL BE KEPT AS IN THE BUNDLE OF THE LIVING WITH THE LORD THY GOD: BUT THE SOULS OF THY ENEMIES SHALL BE WHIRLED AS WITH THE VIOLENCE AND WHIRLING OF A SLING,