Bible Study: The Story of Abigail and Nabal (A Role Model for Wise Women)

The name Abigail is Hebrew and it means "my father's joy". Because of the story about this man in the Bible the name Nabal gained the figurative meaning of being shamelessly malodorous.

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• For those who are not familiar with the Old Testament story of Abigail and Nabal, it is as follows:

She is described as “a woman of good understanding” (1 Samuel 25), the wife of an unreasonable scoundrel, named Nabal, who provoked the anger of a future king of Israel, David. So ferocious was David's anger that he determined to wipe out the entire house of Nabal. The servants told Abigail what her husband had done and also clarified their report by saying that David had been very kind to them and had protected them from ruthless marauders. She immediately prepared food and took it to David and his men; apologizing for her husband's disrespect and insult; and imploring David to have mercy on those who were innocent and meant him no harm. Her actions caused David to have a change of heart. She also won his heart. When she informed her husband that he had almost caused the death and destruction of his entire family, servants included, he apparently died from shock!

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Bible Women: Women Named in the Lineage of Jesus

There are 4 books referred to as Gospels in the New Testament.  Only two of those gospels include the genealogy of Jesus.  Of course, whether a believer or a non-believer, the story of Jesus is known around the world and almost everyone knows that the name of His mother was Mary. A careful examination of the scriptures reveals the names of several women in the lineage of Jesus Christ.  One woman was a harlot (prostitute) and another was an evil wicked queen.

These are 5 names that can be extracted from the gospel accounts:  Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, Bathsheba (“the wife of Uriah”), and Mary.

These are 12 names extracted from books in the Old Testament:  Sarah, Rebecca, Leah, Naamah, Maacah, Azubah, Athaliah, Jerusha, Abijah, Hephzibah, Jedidah, and Zebidah.

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Content previously published at Virily.com

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Interesting Facts About These Bible Women:

• Sarah was the wife of the Hebrew patriarch, Abraham; and her name means “Princess”.

• Ruth was the great grandmother of King David, a notable king of Israel.

• Bathsheba was the mother of King Solomon, a notable Jewish monarch.

• Tamar was the daughter-in-law of Judah, a Jewish patriarch.

• Rahab was a harlot who believed the reports about how God had delivered the Jews had been delivered from bondage in Egypt and was proselytized into the Jewish faith.

• Rebecca was the daughter-in-law of the Hebrew patriarch, Abraham; and the mother of Jacob, the man whose name was changed to Israel.

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Related Links:

• 12 Women: Bible Women From Ur to Nazareth
• 5 Women in the Lineage of Jesus

• Women of the Bible: Character Study: Bathsheba: The Innocent Victim

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