David said to the young man who brought him the news — David now turns to interrogate the Amalekite with direct authority. His 'son' (בְנִי, bənî) is a form of address used by superiors to inferiors, signaling David's judicial stance. David will now extract the full confession and pass judgment. The interrogation is controlled and precise: David will establish the facts before executing sentence. This shows David's care for justice—even when the outcome is seemingly clear, David wants the full truth. In covenant theology, the king must judge righteously (יִשְׁמְרוּ אֶת־הַמִּשְׁפָּט, yišməru 'et-hammiš־păṭ); David's careful questioning establishes him as a just judge, not a hasty executioner.

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