1 Samuel 25:8
Ask thy young men, and they will shew thee. Wherefore let the young men find favour in thine eyes: for we come in a good day: give, I pray thee, whatsoever cometh to thine hand unto thy servants, and to thy son David. Ask thy young men, and they will shew thee. Wherefore let the young men find favour in thine eyes: for we come in a good day: give, I pray thee, whatsoever cometh to thine hand unto thy servants, and to thy son David.
David and his men were in the wilderness of Paran in sore need of provisions for themselves. Nabal was a wealthy man with vast possessions in that region, a descendant of Caleb, and of churlish and niggardly character. The Carmel involved is not Mount Carmel but a place in the territory of Judah near the hill-town of Maon.
The request was sent at sheep-shearing time, a season of hospitality in accordance with the custom of the times, so coming in a good day means coming at a favorable time. David sent ten young men to Nabal to greet him in David's name with peace to him and his house and all that he had. The messengers were to state that David's men had done no harm to Nabal's shepherds at Carmel and nothing had been missing while they were there, because David and his men had protected Nabal's flocks and herds from marauders, and they were to appeal to Nabal's own young men to confirm it.
The verse is a courteous request to let the young men find favor and to give whatever was available to David's servants and to David as his son. Nabal answered insolently and refused to share his abundance, thus returning evil for good.