A New Look at Abigail’s Wisdom

Abstract

This paper offers a new look at the design of Abigail’s character as a wise woman in 1 Sam 25, based on an analysis of the argumentative component of Abigail’s speech and the connections between her speech and the book of Proverbs. According to this analysis, Abigail is not only portrayed as a rescuer, but is also designed in the image of the wise educator in the book of Proverbs, who teaches David a fundamental theological principle about relying on God instead of on his own strength—despite the essential legitimacy to harm Nabal. This message is relevant to David’s status as an anointed king de jure, but as a refugee de facto. David’s adherence to Abigail’s message designs his character as a wise person who is willing to learn, indicating that the narrative justifies David’s monarchy through his encounter with Abigail.