나발은 유다지파 사람으로 다윗이 사울을 피해 도망다닐 때에 만난 부자이다.
1 Samuel died; and all Israel gathered themselves together, and mourned for him, and buried him at his house at Ramah. Then David arose, and went down to the wilderness of Paran .
2 There was a man in Maon, whose possessions were in Carmel ; and the man was very great. He had three thousand sheep and a thousand goats; and he was shearing his sheep in Carmel.
3 Now the name of the man was Nabal ; and the name of his wife Abigail. This woman was intelligent and had a beautiful face; but the man was surly and evil in his doings. He was of the house of Caleb.
다윗은 나발이 소유하던 목축을 보호하는 역할을 감당했다. 당시 치안이 불안정한 시대였기에 다윗이 거느린 무력집단은 나발의 재산을 보호하는데 도움이 되었을 것이다. 다윗은 이를 바탕으로 자신의 무리를 유지할 지원을 요청한다. 일종의 보호세의 개념이었을 것으로 추정된다.
4 David heard in the wilderness that Nabal was shearing his sheep.
5 David sent ten young men, and David said to the young men, “Go up to Carmel , and go to Nabal , and greet him in my name.
6 Tell him, ‘Long life to you! Peace be to you! Peace be to your house! Peace be to all that you have!
7 Now I have heard that you have shearers. Your shepherds have now been with us, and we didn’t harm them. Nothing was missing from them all the time they were in Carmel .
8 Ask your young men, and they will tell you. Therefore let the young men find favor in your eyes; for we come on a good day. Please give whatever comes to your hand, to your servants, and to your son David .’ ”
그러나 나발은 그런 다윗을 조롱하고 멸시하게 되고, 다윗은 이에 분노하여 나발의 가문은 진멸하려 결심하게 된다.
9 When David ’s young men came, they spoke to Nabal all those words in the name of David, and waited.
10 Nabal answered David ’s servants, and said, “Who is David? Who is the son of Jesse ? There are many servants who break away from their masters these days.
11 Shall I then take my bread, my water, and my meat that I have killed for my shearers, and give it to men who I don’t know where they come from?”
12 So David ’s young men turned on their way, and went back, and came and told him all these words.
13 David said to his men, “Every man put on his sword!” Every man put on his sword. David also put on his sword. About four hundred men followed David, and two hundred stayed by the baggage.
이에 나발의 아내였던
아비가일 이 다윗을 만류하게 되고, 다윗은 아비가일의 지혜로운 조언을 듣고 진정하고 복수를 하나님에게 맡기고 돌아간다.
그리고 이 사실을 전해들은 나발은 상심하여 병이 나고 하나님의 징계를 받아 죽고 만다.
36 Abigail came to Nabal ; and behold, he held a feast in his house, like the feast of a king. Nabal’s heart was merry within him, for he was very drunk. Therefore she told him nothing until the morning light.
37 In the morning, when the wine had gone out of Nabal , his wife told him these things, and his heart died within him, and he became as a stone.
38 About ten days later, Yahweh struck Nabal , so that he died.