The king kept a strict watch upon David, hoping to find some occasion of indiscretion or rashness that might serve as an excuse to bring him into disgrace. He felt that he could not be satisfied 652 until he could take the young man's life and still be justified before the nation for his evil act. He laid a snare for the feet of David, urging him to conduct the war against the Philistines with still greater vigor, and promising, as a reward of his valor, an alliance with the eldest daughter of the royal house. To this proposal David's modest answer was, "Who am I? and what is my life, or my father's family in Israel, that I should be son-in-law to the king?" The monarch manifested his insincerity by wedding the princess to another.

Kongen holdt David under skarpt opsyn i håb om at finde et påskud til at bringe ham i miskredit. Han var ikke rolig, før han havde fundet ud af, hvorledes han kunne dræbe den unge mand og forsvare sin onde dåd over for nationen. Han lavede en fælde for David ved at opfordre ham til at føre krig mod filisterne med endnu større energi og lovede at give ham sin ældste datter til hustru som belønning for hans tapperhed. Da David hørte dette forslag, svarede han beskedent: "Hvem er jeg, og hvad er min familie, min faders slægt i Israel, at jeg skulle blive kongens svigersøn?" Kongen viste imidlertid sin uærlighed ved at gifte prinsessen bort til en anden.