The United Kingdom of Israel:
Saul, David & Solomon
Foreshadow Christ the King
Lesson 9 David & Abigail; David Again Spares Saul’s Life
the First Book of Samuel 25:1—27:12
Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (RSVCE)*
New American Bible Revised Edition (NABRE)*
Catechism of the Catholic Church
ex libris (in our library)
glossary for The United Kingdom of Israel
cross references in The United Kingdom of Israel
next lesson: Saul Consults a Medium at En-Dor
This material coordinates with Lesson 9 on pages 55–61 in The United Kingdom of Israel: Saul, David & Solomon Foreshadow Christ the King.
When your days are fulfilled and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring after you, who shall come forth from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom for ever.”
—the Second Book of Samuel 7:12–13
welcome to our in-depth study of Saul, David & Solomon
We invite interested groups and individuals to check out the sample first lesson from this 28-
lesson 
Turning to God’s Word Catholic Bible study. These online study pages link to our free lesson videos, as well as to a glossary and cross references in the biblical text. Other study aids include maps, additional commentary, and prayers based on the primary Scripture in each lesson. The United Kingdom of Israel: Saul, David & Solomon Foreshadow Christ the King has been granted an imprimatur and may be purchased from our website shop. If you have a Bible-related question or comment, click on the “ask us your question” or “what do you think” button on any study page.
open with prayer
It’s always wise to begin any Bible study with prayer, whether reading the Scriptures alone or meeting with others in a discussion study group. You can pray using your own words or use one of the opening prayers on our website. We especially like the following:
Lord Jesus, you promised to send your Holy Spirit
to teach us all things.
As we read and study your word today,
allow it to touch our hearts and change our lives. Amen.
let’s review—the First Book of Samuel 23:1—24:22
In Lesson 8 David Eludes Saul in the Wilderness, David and his men rescue Keilah from attack by the Philistines. Abiathar, the sole survivor from Saul’s massacre of the priests at Nob, joins David at Keilah. David inquires of the LORD regarding safety at Keilah, and then seeks shelter instead in the natural fortifications in the wilderness of Ziph. Jonathan finds David, and the two friends make a covenant before Jonathan returns home. The Ziphites report David’s whereabouts to Saul, who gathers men to chase David. David narrowly escapes, but Saul temporarily quits the chase in order to fight the Philistines. Saul later returns to search for David. Not realizing David and his men are in a cave, Saul enters to relieve himself. Although David’s men encourage him to attack Saul, David refuses. Instead, he stealthily cuts off a portion of Saul’s robe. After Saul leaves the cave, David shows him the piece of robe and assures Saul that he means him no harm. Saul seems properly chastised, and he announces that he knows David will succeed him as king. Saul asks David to promise not to destroy his descendants, and David agrees. Saul returns home, and David and his men return to their wilderness stronghold.
map notes—Carmel, Gallim, Ziklag, wilderness of Paran & wilderness of Shur
We might expect the settlement of Carmel, where Nabal’s business is, to be located near Mt. Carmel, 
but this isn’t the case. The Carmel mentioned in the twenty-fifth chapter in the First Book of Samuel is on the southwestern side of the Dead Sea in territory allotted by God to the descendants of Judah. Mt. Carmel—a term that unexpectedly describes a range of mountains rather than a single peak—is located to the north in territory allotted to the tribe of Issachar. The exact sites of Gallim and Ziklag are unknown, but Ziklag would have been in land occupied by the Philistines in the vicinity of Gath. Both the wilderness of Paran and the wilderness of Shur are southwest of the Israelite territories. Click on the map (right) to enlarge it. The original map is on page 60 in The United Kingdom of Israel: Saul, David & Solomon Foreshadow Christ the King.
similarities & differences (22:11)
In the overview for this Lesson 9, “David & Abigail; David Again Spares Saul’s Life,” 
Turning to God’s Word author Matthew Phelps discusses the differences between the two similar versions of David’s encounter with Saul. How do you think it is that both versions came to be included in the canon of the Old Testament? Which version do you find easiest to accept? What about that version suggests to you that it might possibly be the most factual? Consider how it is that Scripture can 
include two different and true accounts of the same event. Consider what might constitute the difference between a factual account of an event and a truthful account in Scripture?
The Scripture ranges for the videos that accompany this Catholic Bible study match the Scripture ranges for the sets of questions in The United Kingdom of Israel: Saul, David & Solomon Foreshadow Christ the King. You can follow along as Turning to God’s Word author Matthew Phelps discusses Lesson 9, “David & Abigail; David Again Spares Saul’s Life,” on pages 55–61 in the study book.
biblical vocabulary—shalom
Shalom, the Hebrew word for peace, is used as an everyday greeting as well as a farewell, and so it’s the equivalent of both hello and goodbye. In the First Book of Samuel 25:6, David sends a greeting of peace to Nabal as a gesture of friendship: “Peace be to you, and peace be to your house, and peace be to all that you have.” The Hebrew root for shalom or peace means to be healthy, whole, and complete, so offering Nabal peace carries with it the idea of desiring his well-being.
hospitality—you could look it up in our archives
Although the secular world associates hospitality with good manners, in the spiritual life hospitality 
represents more than common courtesy. Members of the Benedictine religious order consider hospitality a charism or special gift given to them by the Holy Spirit to build and maintain the Church. Learn more about the word “hospitality” by reading Lost in Translation, an online column in which Turning to God’s Word author Matthew Phelps helps readers connect with ideas expressed in the original languages of the Scriptures. New Lost in Translation entries are posted on Mondays, and past entries are archived on our website. Contact us if you’d like to receive Lost in Translation by email every week.
Abigail’s prophetic words
The First Book of Samuel 25:28–31 records Abigail’s prophetic speech to David. How many of the things that Abigail says eventually come to pass? Notice that in the First Book of Samuel 25:29, Abigail makes reference to the LORD slinging out the lives of David’s enemies as from the hollow of a sling, an allusion to David’s defeat of Goliath that was described in the seventeenth chapter in the First Book of Samuel. Also notice that when Abigail argues against David taking vengeance himself, she seems to be suggesting that the LORD will handle all matters relating to vengeance, an idea often repeated throughout the Scriptures. It’s worthwhile to pause a moment to consider what it is that distinguishes the justice and vengeance of the LORD from human understandings of these concepts.
pray with the Psalms—a spiritual ode to a bride
Abigail’s generousity in the twenty-fifth chapter in the First Book of Samuel leads to her 
marriage to David. Psalm 45 describes a royal wedding, interpreted by Christians as the union between Christ and his Church, or between divinity and humanity. Consider what makes a bride a fitting image for Jesus’ Church. Abigail can be seen as a type of royal bride being addressed in Psalm 45:10–11: “Hear, O daughter, consider, and incline your ear; forget your people and your father’s house; and the king will desire your beauty. Since he is your lord, bow to him.” Prayed at Wednesday Vespers (Week I), Psalm 45 is included 
as part of Lesson 9 An Overflowing Heart in the Turning to God’s Word Catholic Bible study Sing a New Psalm: Communicating with God Through the Prayers of the Church—Volume I: Lauds & Vespers.
making allowances for women in Scripture
Throughout the First and Second Books of Samuel, David’s wife Abigail is referred to as “Abigail of Carmel, Nabal’s widow.” Although it can appear sexist to identify David’s wife by her relationship to a man, sexism probably has little to do with it. Instead, David’s wife Abigail needs to be clearly distinguished from another woman named Abigail—one of David’s sisters mentioned in the First Book of the Chronicles 2:13–17. The authors of the First and Second Books of Samuel apparently wanted to avoid any suggestion that David married his sister. The passage in the First Book of the Chronicles records basic genealogical information about some of the immediate descendants of Jesse.
St. John Chrysostom speaks about David
The following is an excerpt of a homily by St. John Chrysostom, who was named archbishop of Constantinople in 397. After a tumultuous few years that included his banishment from the city, he died in 407. He was known for being a great orator, and he spoke about Saul’s response to David that’s recorded in the First Book of Samuel 26:17. The saint’s words regarding how we’re to behave toward our own enemies aren’t lessened because Saul’s change of attitude toward David is of short duration:
“The fact that David did not plunge his sword into his enemy or cut off his head is praiseworthy and most admirable, but he deserved to be rewarded even more for so changing his enemy’s dispositions, reforming him, and converting him to his own gentleness. The second service is greater than the first. There is no comparison between sparing a life and showing someone how to lead a good life. When an enraged man is bent on murder, it is one thing to save his life and another to free him from the passion that leads to such a crime. … And when your enemy falls into your hands, do not consider how you can pay him back and let him feel the sharp edge of your tongue before sending him packing; consider rather how you can heal him and restore him to a better frame of mind. Continue to make every effort by both word and deed until your gentleness has overcome his aggressiveness.”
deja vu—what’s going on with similar versions of the same story?
Scripture scholars sometimes refer to two versions of the same biblical event as a diptych, a literary form that’s obvious throughout the book of Genesis. Accounts of David refusing to harm Saul because Saul has been anointed by God appear in the twenty-fourth and twenty-sixth chapters in the First Book of Samuel. “Diptych” on page 59 in The United Kingdom of Israel: Saul, David & Solomon Foreshadow 
Christ the King offers information about a way to think about such related yet different biblical stories. Learn about diptychs specific to the first book of the Old Testament in the Turning to God’s Word Catholic Bible study In the Beginning: The Book of Genesis.
a rather remarkable statement
In the First Book of Samuel 26:20, it would be an easy matter to read over one of the more astonishing things that David says: “Now therefore, let not my blood fall to the earth away from the presence of the LORD.” After asking Saul to consider the reason behind his relentless pursuit, David voices a concern about where he’ll be killed, which really appears to be a concern about whether the LORD is present. In bringing up his own standing in relation to the LORD, David is forcing Saul to think about where he himself stands with God. David knows himself to be blameless in regard to Saul, which means a couple of things—neither particularly good news for Saul. It means the LORD probably is present to protect David, and if Saul continues to seek David’s life then Saul isn’t blameless before the LORD.
WHAT DO YOU THINK about David’s behavior?
When Saul stops fighting war in order to chase David, David hightails it to Gath, where he becomes a vassal of the Philistines. David then goes on the lam as a fugitive and lives by banditry and the protection racket. This raises a number of questions.
? What has characterized David’s previous dealings with the Philistines?
? Even though Saul has been engaging in war with the Philistines, consider why he might be unwilling to take on his enemy at Gath.
? Why might David’s past behavior not represent much of a concern to the Philistines?
? How does David go about serving Achish, the king of Gath?
? What restrictions does David seem to have placed on his work for Achish?
? Consider why David lies to Achish about his activities.
? What does David do to ensure that Achish doesn’t find out what he and his men really are doing on their raids?
? How can David’s behavior be justified?
who are the Philistines?
The word Philistines literally means “wanderers,” and their land is located along the Mediterranean Sea. Although the Philistines pose a serious threat to the descendants of Jacob during the reign of Saul, their i
nfluence is short-lived. Eventually, their people are absorbed by other nations. The Philistines play a major role in the First Book of Samuel, but most readers are unaware that the term refers to territory that was under the rule of five different lords in five different cities—Ashdod, Ashkelon, Ekron, Gath, and Gaza. After fleeing the territory allotted to the tribe of Judah, David becomes a vassal of the king (lord) of Gath. You can look up any proper noun that appears in the biblical text of The United Kingdom of Israel: Saul, David & Solomon Foreshadow Christ the King in our online glossary.
oops—a correction in the study book
Despite our best efforts proofing our Bible studies before we send them to be printed, occasional errors sneak past us. The updated Scripture range in Question 5 in The United Kingdom of Israel: Saul, David & Solomon Foreshadow Christ the King has been corrected. The revised Question 5 now reads:
Question 5—Read the First Book of Samuel 25:32–38. How does David respond to Abigail’s entreaty? What might explain why Abigail waits to tell her husband what she has done? How does Nabal react when he learns what has happened? According to the biblical text, why does Nabal die? What does this suggest about how the LORD feels about Nabal’s behavior toward David and David’s men?
the best Catholic commentary about Scripture
To find out more about how Church teaching is supported by Scripture passages in The United Kingdom of Israel: Saul, David & Solomon Foreshadow Christ the King, check out the Index of Citations in the Catechism of the Catholic Church. Links to the primary Scripture passages in the lesson (Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition [RSVCE*]) and relevant paragraphs in the Catechism are provided here. Not every passage in the biblical text for this Catholic study is referenced in a Catechism paragraph, however, including the passage in this lesson from the First Book of Samuel 25:1—27:12.
ways our glossary might prove helpful
In addition to providing extra information about geographical locations, our glossary also points out persons and places mentioned in the biblical text under multiple names or spellings. If you can remember a name but aren’t sure in which lesson it shows up, you can find it in the glossary, which lists every proper noun that appears in the primary biblical text for The United Kingdom of Israel: Saul, David & Solomon Foreshadow Christ the King.
to learn more, read more Scripture
If you’re having difficulty with a particular passage of Scripture, it can be helpful to read the relevant 
cross references—but looking these up can take time. To make that easier, we’ve compiled the cross references from the Revised Standard Version Second Catholic Edition (RSV2CE)—the translation that we reprint in our study books. That list can be found at the top of every online study page, and it includes links to cross references in the primary biblical text for The United Kingdom of Israel: Saul, David & Solomon Foreshadow Christ the King.
don’t forget about our indexes & extra online material
If you’re trying to locate information about a specific Scripture passage, you can look it up in the index at the back of the study book or sample lesson. If you want to find a particular commentary, you can look up its title in the topics index. To learn more about another book of the Bible for which there’s a Turning to God’s Word study, visit the online study directories to read the commentaries and watch any accompanying videos. Finally, if you have a question or would like to make a comment about any of our studies, you can use one of the “ask us your question” or “what do you think” buttons to email our authors.
ex libris—Church documents & books about religious topics
Link to magisterial documents referred to in our Bible studies at ex libris—magisterial documents. 
This listing includes significant recent encyclicals as well as a number of historical Church documents. Recommended books related to Scripture study can be found at ex libris—main bookshelf.
wondering how to pronounce some of these words?
The following link is to a reading from the New International Version (NIV) Bible. To listen, click on the audio icon above the printed text. Although not taken from the translations used in our study materials, the NIV reading provides an audio guide to pronunciation of words in this lesson’s primary biblical text. A close online version of the translation of the Bible used in Catholic liturgy in the United States as well as an audio guide for daily Mass readings for the current month can be found on the website of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB).
the First Book of Samuel 25:1—27:12 (NIV)
close with Bible-based prayer related to this lesson
Many of our Catholic study groups like to conclude their discussions with a prayer based on the 
scriptural focus of their lesson, and some participants include Scripture-specific prayer in their individual study. If you’re uncomfortable composing your own Bible-based prayers you can follow our four easy steps. If you prefer, you can use the following prayer based on the biblical text in this lesson in the study book The United Kingdom of Israel: Saul, David & Solomon Foreshadow Christ the King.
O God, you watch over and protect those
who are faithful to your commandments
and who treat others with generosity and respect.
Foster in us a spirit of hospitality that will enable us
to see your Son Jesus in everyone we meet
and to treat all persons with love.
Guide our steps away from unseen dangers.
We ask this in the name of Jesus Christ,
who adjusted to living among men and women
without compromising his divinity. Amen.
Lesson 10 Saul Consults a Medium at En-Dor—the First Book of Samuel 28:1—29:11
Lesson 8 David Eludes Saul in the Wilderness—the First Book of Samuel 23:1—24:22
you also may like our study of the book of Genesis
The first seven lessons of In the Beginning: The Book of Genesis, a 28-lesson Catholic Bible study with an imprimatur, provide an in-depth look at the very earliest biblical history—including the two accounts of Creation, events surrounding the Fall of Adam and Eve, the relationship between Cain and Abel, and the baptismal foreshadowing present in the account of Noah and the Flood. Remaining lessons look at lives of the patriarchs Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph. Click on the book’s cover to view a sample lesson.
start a Turning to God’s Word Bible study
Thank you for your interest in The United Kingdom of Israel: Saul, David & Solomon Foreshadow Christ the King. 
Information about beginning a Turning to God’s Word Bible study can be found at start a Bible study. Tami, Matthew, and I are available to answer questions. Contact us if you’d like to start one of our studies or have your schedule listed with other TtGW study groups on our website. —Jennifer
*There are seven deuterocanonical books in the Old Testament—the Books of Tobit, Judith, Wisdom, Sirach, Baruch, and First and Second Maccabees, as well as some passages in the Books of Esther and Daniel. Protestants usually refer to these works as “apocryphal,” a word that means “outside the (Protestant) canon” because they’re excluded from most Protestant Bibles. The word “deuterocanonical” means “second canon”; Catholics use that word to refer to any section of the Catholic Old Testament for which there are no extant, or existing, Hebrew manuscripts. All of the deuterocanonical books appear in the Septuagint, the earliest remaining versions of which date to the 1st century B.C. This Greek translation of the Old Testament was in common use by Jews at the time of Jesus. Learn more by reading How Do Catholic & Protestant Bibles Differ?
Turning to God’s Word printed Bible studies use the 2006 Revised Standard Version Second Catholic Edition (RSV2CE) translation for all Scripture references except those to the Psalms, which are taken from The Abbey Psalms and Canticles, prepared by the Benedictine monks of Conception Abbey and published in 2020 by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB). All Scripture links for the online study pages for The United Kingdom of Israel: Saul, David & Solomon Foreshadow Christ the King are to the 1966 Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (RSVCE) translation. The New International Version (NIV) audio recordings follow the same chapter and verse numbering as the RSV Catholic translations, but the NIV translation doesn’t include the deuterocanonical books and passages.
The 1966 RSVCE uses archaic pronouns and verb forms such as “thee,” “thou,” “didst” in the Psalms and in direct quotations attributed to God. The 2006 RSV2CE replaces these with more accessible English. The few significant translation changes in the RSV2CE include rendering almah as “virgin” in the Book of Isaiah 7:14 and restoring the term “begotten” in the Gospel According to John 3:16.
Numbering varies for some passages in this Bible study. Turning to God’s Word studies (print and digital) follow the numbering in the Revised Standard Version Catholic translations (RSV2CE and RSVCE). Discrepancies in the New American Bible Revised Edition (NABRE) are noted in the Index of Scripture Citations in the study book and the online sample.
You can learn more about the Psalms by viewing a sample lesson from the Turning to God’s Word Catholic Bible study Sing a New Psalm: Communicating with God Through the Prayers of the Church—Volume I: Lauds & Vespers. The second part of that study, Sing a New Psalm: Communicating with God Through the Prayers of the Church—Volume II: Vigils, Day Prayer & Compline, is scheduled for publication in 2025. Some verse numbers may vary in different translations of the Psalms.