ABIGAIL, ABIGAL ăb’ ə gāl (אֲבִיגַ֨יִל׃֙, the (my) father rejoices or source of joy). The name is written variously in the Heb. text: אֲבִיגַ֨יִל׃֙ (1 Sam 25:14ff.), אֲבִיגַ֑ל (1 Sam 25:32; 2 Sam 3:3), אֲבִגָ֑יִל (1 Sam 25:3). 1. The wife of Nabal, a rich man of Maon in Judah, and after Nabal’s death, a wife of David, to whom, at Hebron, she bore his second son, Chileab (2 Sam 3:3, called Daniel in 1 Chron 3:1, or Daluias in the LXX of 2 Sam 3:3). When, at sheepshearing time, Nabal refused to give provisions to David and his men in payment for the protection which David had given him, Abigail, a wise and beautiful woman, herself brought provisions to David persuading him not to take vengeance on her husband. About ten days later Nabal died. Subsequently Abigail became David’s wife.

2. Apparently a half-sister of David and of Zeruiah, the mother of Joab (1 Chron 2:16; 2 Sam 17:25). She was the daughter of Nahash and the mother of Amasa (17:25). It has been suggested that “daughter of Nahash” might be a text corruption, or that Nahash was another name for Jesse, or that Jesse married the widow of Nahash. Whether or not any of these surmises are true, Abigail and David had the same mother. Her husband was called Jether the Ishmaelite (1 Chron 2:16, 17 KJV) and Ithra the Israelite (2 Sam 17:25 KJV). Since Israelite or Ishmaelite might refer to the area in which he lived or to his race, both could be true. Abigail was the mother of Amasa who for a while was commander of David’s army (2 Sam 20:4).