I think of Abigail as the woman who made a man king. See I Sam., chap. 25 While David was an outlaw, hiding from Saul in the Judean hills, his men kept encountering the shepherds of Nabal, who kept the flocks in the same hills. David and his men respected the shepherds and sheep, in fact, helped to protect them. When shearing time came, and provisions were brought for the shearers' work and some merrymaking, David sent to Nabal and asked for some food for his men. According to the custom, Nabal should have been grateful for the protection his men and property had received from David and sent him food. Instead, Nabal rudely rejected David's request.
David was enraged and set out with his men to avenge the insult and to kill Nabal. News of this reached the Nabal household. When one of the young men informed Abigail, Nabal's wife, that David was on the way, he added that David had made polite request, and he put in a good word for David.
Abigail is described as beautiful and intelligent. She certainly was wise, for she pulled together a large quantity of food and went to head off David in his anger. This was a very courageous act: to countermand her husband's decision, to give his provisions to another man, to have a face-to-face encounter with David. Her strategy worked.
