This chapter presents various news items and episodes connected by two contrasting and escalating themes: David’s success and Saul’s growing fear. The opposition creates a dialectical movement because it is precisely Saul’s fear that fuels David’s success, and vice versa. David’s success spreads quickly and widely: the king’s son becomes fond of him, the king’s daughter falls in love with him, the troops admire him, the ministers respect him, and Judah and Israel cherish him; he wins battles, survives an assassination attempt, and ultimately, the Lord is with him. Meanwhile, Saul, after David’s victory over Goliath, becomes increasingly annoyed, then afraid, and eventually tries to kill David, turning against him. The monarchical principle was new in Israel, and the dynastic principle had not yet taken hold; if Saul was accepted because of his military victories, there was now someone else who surpassed him, possibly leading the people to choose a different king.