But the princes angrily persisted in their demand: "Make this fellow return, that he may go again to his place which thou hast appointed him, and let him not go down with us to battle, lest in the battle he be an adversary to us: for wherewith should he reconcile himself unto his master? should it not be with the heads of these men? Is not this David, of whom they sang one to another in dances, saying, Saul slew his thousands, and David his ten thousands?" The slaughter of their famed champion and the triumph of Israel upon that occasion were still fresh in the memory of the Philistine lords. They did not believe that David would fight against his own people; and should he, in the heat of battle, take sides with them, he could inflict greater harm on the Philistines than would the whole of Saul's army.

Men høvdingene blev vrede og fastholdt deres krav: "Send den mand tilbage til det sted, du har anvist ham. Han må ikke drage i kamp med os, for at han ikke skal vende sig imod os under slaget; thi hvorledes kan denne mand bedre vinde sin herres gunst end med disse mænds hoveder? Det var jo David, om hvem man sang under dans: Saul slog sine tusinder, men David sine titusinder!" Filisternes høvdinger havde stadig drabet på deres berømte kæmpe og Israels sejr i frisk erindring. De troede ikke, at David ville kæmpe imod sit eget folk, og hvis han i kampens hede gik over til hebræerne, kunne han gøre filisternes hær mere fortræd end hele Sauls hær.