Pearls of the Word

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The fool says in his heart...

by Jean-Louis Coraboeuf

"The fool [nabal] says in his heart, There is no God! They are corrupt, their deeds are vile; there is no one who does good" (Psalm 14:1).

The Hebrew word nabal [נבל] means fool, insane, stupid, criminal. The fool didn't recognize God nor His anointed ones. The Word instructs us by the example of the couple, Abigail and Nabal [נבל], "She was a woman of good understanding, and beautiful of form. But the man was cruel and evil in his dealings" (1 Samuel 25:3).

A fool neither recognizes God, as he says in his heart "There is no God!", nor does he recognize those who are anointed by Him, "Who is David, and who is the son of Jesse?" (1 Samuel 25:10). Since he has no respect for God nor His creatures, he bullies people and commits heinous acts. He is therefore unable to do good and cannot seek God.