And Saul took him that day and would not let him return to his father's house — Saul's *va'lo natan lo lashuv b'vet avihu*, would not permit him to return to his father's house, represents the immediate consequence of victory: David is elevated from provincial shepherd to royal retainer, permanently incorporated into the court. The verb *va'yikachehu* (took him) suggests both honor and a kind of captivity; David gains access to power but loses freedom of movement. His severing from Jesse's household is complete; he no longer belongs to his father but to the king.

COMMUNITY REFLECTIONS

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