שמואל ב, פרק י״ט, פסוק ל״ט

The king's response to the request reveals a deep generosity and gratitude that goes far beyond a simple answer. Instead of merely accepting the proposal, the king divides his promise into two distinct areas: his care for the son, Chimham, and his ongoing personal commitment to the father. By adopting the exact phrasing that was used to make the request, the king signals his complete willingness [ביאור שטיינזלץ]. The primary approach among commentators is that bringing the son into the royal entourage is not presented as a forced favor or a reluctant concession, but rather as an obvious outcome. The king makes it clear that even if he had not been asked, he would have taken the son with him of his own free will, simply out of a desire to do good for him [מלבי״ם, מצודת דוד, אברבנאל].

To emphasize the extent of this generosity, the king establishes a unique standard for the kindness that will be bestowed upon the son. The level of care will not be determined by what the king himself considers appropriate, but exactly according to the father's own wishes and satisfaction [מלבי״ם]. Furthermore, there is a fundamental distinction agreed upon by the commentators regarding the father's reward. The generosity extended to the son is not considered a repayment or a cancellation of the king's debt to the father. Because of this, the king declares a separate, personal obligation. He promises that any future request the father might choose to make for himself will be fully granted, completely independent of the good done for his son [מצודת דוד, אברבנאל, מלבי״ם].