The Rabbis depict Abigail as a wise and practical woman, capable of acting at the right moment and in the right way. She saves David from committing unnecessary bloodshed, while at the same time assuring her future. This good woman and David were suited for one another, and their marriage was ordained by Heaven; it was not based on political or economic considerations, but rather on love and mutual appreciation, the roots of which had already been planted the first time they met.

The Rabbis’ positive attitude to Abigail is evident from their deliberations about the number of wives that a king may take. The Torah she-bi-khetav: Lit. "the written Torah." The Bible; the Pentateuch; Tanakh (the Pentateuch, Prophets and Hagiographia)Torah (Deut. 17:17) mandates that the king “shall not have many wives,” which the Rabbis understood as limiting him to eighteen wives. In this context they add the proviso: “‘he shall not have many wives’—even though they be like Abigail” (M Sanhedrin 2:4). In other words, even if the king’s wives are blessed with good traits and are as righteous as Abigail, he may not take too many. Another view, however, understands that this prohibition is meant to prevent the king from leaving the path of the Lord. Consequently, if a person has wives like Abigail, there is no reason to limit the number of his spouses (T Sanhedrin 4:5; BT Bava Mezia 115a). Both approaches, regardless of the differences between their interpretations, highlight Abigail’s uniqueness: she is the only one of David’s wives mentioned in this context and she symbolizes positiveness and goodness.

The Rabbis include Abigail among the four most beautiful women who ever lived. The mere thought of her, even without seeing her, inspired lust (BT Lit. "scroll." Designation of the five scrolls of the Bible (Ruth, Song of Songs, Lamentations, Ecclesiastes, Esther). The Scroll of Esther is read on Purim from a parchment scroll.Megillah 15a). She is also mentioned among the seven women prophets of Israel (BT Megillah 14a). Although the Bible does not depict her as such, Abigail’s entreaty to David in I Sam. 25:24–31, which forecasts his military victory over his enemies and his future as king over Israel, was perceived as prophecy (Lit. "order." The regimen of rituals, songs and textual readings performed in a specific order on the first two nights (in Israel, on the first night) of Passover.Seder Eliyahu Rabbah 21). Since she was blessed with divine inspiration, the Rabbis learned of the afterlife from what Abigail pronounced. She tells David (v. 29): “the life of my lord will be bound up in the bundle of life,” from which the Rabbis derive that God bundles up the souls of the righteous with pleasure and honor (Sifrei Zuta on Numbers, 27:12).

The Rabbis tell how Abigail managed to conduct a weighty discussion with David. She came to him on a pretext, asking him to rule whether she was pure or impure after her menstruation. They deduce this from the verse (I Sam. 25:20): “She was riding on the ass and going down the covert of the mountain,” that is, she addressed him concerning covert things, namely, questions concerning menstruation. David told her: “Can blood be seen at night? Menstrual blood must be seen in the daylight!” Taking advantage of this opportunity, Abigail also responded on matters of “blood”: “Are capital cases judged at night? [David had come to kill her husband Nabal at night.] The decision in capital cases must be rendered in daylight!” David replied: “Since I am king and Nabal refuses my orders, he is deemed to be rebelling against the king, and as such may be put to death without a trial.” Abigail retorted: “Saul still reigns, and you are not the ruler. Your coin (matbea) bearing your name, declaring you to be king, has not yet been issued.” This argument won over David, and he conceded to Abigail (v. 33): “And blessed be your prudence” (BT Megillah 14a–b).

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