Charles Ellicott Commentary 1 Samuel 25:4

"And David heard in the wilderness that Nabal was shearing his sheep." — 1 Samuel 25:4 (ASV)

And David heard in the wilderness. The question of supporting the large band of devoted followers who obeyed David must usually have been a very anxious one. No doubt, contributions from the farmers and sheep owners substantially contributed to the supplies David and his men obtained from their raids across the Philistine borders. It is quite likely that some of these contributions were not always willingly made; still, there is no doubt that the presence of the armed band of David during the latter years of Saul provided considerable protection to the borderland.

His position resembled that of a modern Arab sheikh of a friendly Bedouin tribe, and it is clear that, on the whole, his career as head of an army of free lances tended to make him popular among the southern tribes of Israel. Nabal’s conduct appears to have been more than churlish and foolish, for David, according to the accounts of Nabal’s own shepherds, had on many occasions been of substantial service to them as they tended their flocks in exposed and dangerous locations. The testimony of these shepherds can generally be accepted as the popular estimate of David and his acts during this rough and severely tested period of his life.