Nabal is wealthy, self-important, and surrounded by people who depend on him. When David's men arrived with a respectful request, he dismisses them with contempt. In response, David straps on his sword, and 400 armed men begin marching toward a household that has no idea what it has just started. Most of us have said something we shouldn't have and felt the consequences close in before we could take it back. This passage is about the voices that lead us there and what it costs when we listen to the wrong one.
