The fact that Nabal was a Calebite may indicate that he descended from Caleb, one of the faithful spies (Numbers 13:1 – 14:45) whose inheritance was in the area of Hebron (Joshua 14:13–14; Joshua 15:13). It could also be a slur, implying that he was rough, stubborn, and thoughtless like a dog (the Hebrew word for dog, keleb
is very similar to Caleb
).1
3 Now the name of the man was Nabal, and the name of his wife Abigail. The woman was discerning and beautiful, but the man was harsh and badly behaved; he was a Calebite.