שמואל א, פרק כ״ו, פסוק י״ד

Standing far off in the darkness, David shatters the quiet of the night by shouting toward the sleeping royal camp. He directs his voice at the army commander, Abner, demanding an immediate response. David's direct challenge comes only after his initial calls to the soldiers and their commander go completely ignored, prompting him to insist that Abner finally answer [מצודת דוד, רד״ק]. Beneath the surface of this demand lies a sharp taunt meant to leave the commander speechless. During a previous encounter, Abner had dismissed David's ability to get close to the king, making excuses that a torn royal robe was merely snagged by a passing thorn. Now, however, David has taken the king's personal spear and water jug, leaving Abner without any possible defense or excuse [רד״ק].

Furious at this boldness, Abner scolds David for daring to shout so loudly and risking waking the sleeping king [מצודת דוד]. Yet, his angry response raises a question about his reasoning. Abner questions why David is calling out to the king, even though David clearly addressed his shouts to the commander and the troops.

Commentators offer different ways to understand Abner's reaction. One approach suggests that Abner is simply shocked by the physical location of the disturbance. He is asking how David could lack the fear to shout so closely to where the king is resting [מצודת ציון, רד״ק, ביאור שטיינזלץ].

Another perspective views the exchange through the strict rules of royal etiquette and military rank. In this system, a person who wishes to speak with an army commander would normally call out to the commander's servant. Bypassing the servant to shout directly at the commander implies that the caller actually intends to speak with the highest authority. Therefore, Abner assumes that David's direct call is a way of passing a message to the king himself [מלבי״ם].

A contrasting view suggests that Abner's words are driven by a sense of insulted pride. Proper protocol requires a person to address the most important figure first, moving down the ranks only if there is no response. When David demands to know why the commander is ignoring him, Abner feels slighted. He wonders if David had actually been calling out to the king first, and is only addressing him now as a last resort because the king failed to wake up and answer [אלשיך].