For as long as the son of Jesse liveth upon the ground, thou
shalt not be established, nor thy kingdom
He would not, though heir to the crown, be sure of it; it would be precarious to him, he would be in great danger of being deprived of it on the death of his father; and therefore it would be his highest wisdom to deliver David up to be slain, as it was his greatest folly to protect him, and provide for his satiety:
wherefore now send and fetch him unto me;
send to Bethlehem for him to come to court directly:
for he shall surely die;
or he is "the son of death" F7; guilty of death, as the Targum, deserves to die, and Saul was determined upon his death if possible.