שמואל א, פרק כ״ה, פסוק ל״ח

Following the initial shock that paralyzes Nabal, leaving his heart dead within him, a specific and defined period passes before God strikes him and brings about his death [ביאור שטיינזלץ]. This waiting period lasts exactly ten days, rather than being a rough estimate [רד״ק]. Furthermore, this duration refers to a known and recognized timeframe, rather than a random span of time [מלבי״ם].

Commentators offer several explanations for why God waited exactly ten days before ending Nabal's life. One perspective suggests he died from a plague, an illness that traditionally lasts three days. According to this view, God delayed the punishment for seven days to honor the mourning period for the recently deceased prophet Samuel. This delay ensured that the mourning for a wicked man would not mix with the grief for a righteous one. Only after those seven days passed did Nabal fall ill for three days and die [רש״י, רד״ק].

Another approach connects this timeframe to a season of mercy and forgiveness, specifically identifying it as the ten days of repentance between the Jewish New Year and the Day of Atonement. In this light, God granted Nabal one final opportunity to change his ways [רש״י, מלבי״ם]. However, others argue against this idea, maintaining that a man whose heart had already turned to stone was completely incapable of repenting [רד״ק].

A third explanation views the delay as a temporary reward, corresponding precisely to the ten portions of food Nabal had previously given to the ten young men sent by David [רש״י]. Conversely, a final perspective entirely rejects the notion that these days were given for Nabal's benefit or as a window of grace. Instead, this view asserts that the entire ten-day period was filled with severe illness and agony, serving as a harsh punishment for his sins before his ultimate death [רד״ק].