שמואל א, פרק כ״א, פסוק ט״ו

The king of Gath reacts with sharp disbelief and frustration upon seeing a man displaying unmistakable signs of madness [מצודת ציון]. He immediately dismisses the claim that this erratic individual could be David. Because the real David is widely known as a highly intelligent and sensible person, the king reasons that the wild behavior unfolding before him proves this man cannot possibly be him [מצודת דוד].

Turning his anger toward his servants, the king preemptively shuts down any excuses they might offer. They cannot claim they failed to notice the man's fragile mental state, as his madness is entirely exposed and clear for anyone to see [מלבי"ם].

The king demands to know why they brought such a person into his presence, completely rejecting the possibility that the man wandered into the palace on his own. Royal security is strict; even a perfectly sane person cannot pass through the outer and inner guards without explicit permission. A man in this deranged condition certainly could not have breached the gates unless the king's own servants intentionally escorted him inside [אלשיך].

The king's outrage over this intrusion is not just about the disruption, but about a deep personal disrespect. The man's madness is not viewed as harmless amusement, but rather as a direct and degrading insult. His erratic actions were aimed directly at the king, as he was writing messages on the palace doors claiming the king owed him money. This behavior turned his presence from a mere oddity into an offensive and humiliating nuisance [אלשיך].