שמואל א, פרק י״ח, פסוק כ״א

A king's outward generosity can sometimes mask a deadly intention. Saul publicly offers a prestigious royal marriage to David, but his internal plan is far more sinister. He intends to use his daughter Michal as a tool to eliminate his young rival by pushing him into a dangerous military campaign against Israel's enemies. Saul hopes this union will serve as a deadly trap. The primary approach among commentators is that the trap lies in the battlefield itself. Saul knows that David will risk his life for love, and that by continuously provoking the Philistines, he will invite their deadly retaliation [מצודת דוד, ביאור שטיינזלץ, מלבי״ם]. Alternatively, the trap may be spiritual and legal in nature. If David's earlier betrothal to Saul's older daughter, Merab, was still legally binding, marrying her sister Michal would constitute a severe transgression [מלבי״ם].

In presenting his offer, Saul speaks of forming a family bond through "two." He does not mean David will marry both of his daughters. The primary approach among commentators is that Saul means the marriage will happen through one of the two daughters. Even though the promise regarding the first daughter fell through, Saul is now offering his second daughter, whether it is Michal willingly or Merab against her will [רש״י, רד״ק, מצודת דוד, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. Another perspective suggests that Saul is actually trying to apologize and justify himself for giving Merab to another man without David's knowledge. Through this statement, Saul declares his continued approval of the marriage, viewing himself as David's father-in-law through both daughters [מלבי״ם]. A completely different approach argues that the number two does not refer to the daughters at all, but rather to David's personal qualities. David had previously argued that he was unworthy of marrying into the royal family because he lacked the proper family lineage, personal status, and wealth. Saul reassures him that David possesses the first two of these three traits, which is entirely sufficient to marry into the royal family [אלשיך].

Despite the king's grand offer, David withdraws and offers no response. His silence is rooted in deep distrust, as he clearly remembers how Saul deceived him during the previous arrangement with Merab. This lack of response forces Saul to send his servants to speak privately with David and persuade him [רד״ק, אלשיך]. David's primary hesitation is his poverty; he knows he cannot afford a dowry fitting for a king's daughter. To resolve this, the servants suggest that he pay the dowry with a hundred Philistine foreskins, an offer David accepts. Beyond demonstrating immense bravery, this specific act serves as a highly valuable acquisition that creates a complete and legally binding betrothal. For David, this provides crucial legal security, ensuring that Saul will not be able to back out of his promise as he had done in the past [אלשיך].