שמואל א, פרק י״ט, פסוק ט״ו

King Saul remains relentless in his pursuit of David, constantly devising new excuses to capture him. Upon hearing that David is ill, Saul dispatches messengers under the guise of paying a traditional visit to the sick [מצודת ציון]. This innocent front is carefully designed to mask their true, deadly mission [מצודת דוד].

Saul harbors a deep suspicion that David is merely faking his illness to avoid appearing before the king. He commands his men to bring David to him, bed and all, with the ultimate goal of putting him to death. Saul anticipates that the messengers will discover a perfectly healthy David. Exposing such a deception would prove that David is mocking the crown and actively rebelling, providing the public justification needed for an execution [מצודת דוד].

The king has planned his moves to ensure a fatal outcome regardless of what the messengers find. If the illness is indeed fake, it constitutes a clear act of treason. Yet, even if David is genuinely sick, Saul is prepared to frame him, claiming that the illness is the only thing preventing David from fleeing and launching a full-scale rebellion. Under this calculated approach, the final order stands absolute: David must be carried in on his bed and executed immediately [מלבי״ם].