And Saul spoke to Jonathan his son and to all his servants that they should kill David — Saul's explicit command (*va'yomer Shaul el Yehonatan beno v'el kol avadav*) represents the full emergence of murderous intent, no longer concealed but publicly proclaimed to the royal household. The verb *lehemit David*, to kill David, is blunt and unambiguous; Saul has moved from passive attempts to active conspiracy. The inclusion of *Yehonatan*, Jonathan, is significant: Saul assumes his own son will participate in or at least tolerate the assassination. His assumption reveals a fundamental misunderstanding of Jonathan's covenant loyalty, his bond with David that supersedes family obligation.

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