“Who is David? And who is the son of Jesse?” The answer to Nabal's question in 1 Samuel 25:10 remains complex and elusive (and that Nabal died for his lack of perception serves as a sobering warning to the adventuresome critic). The story of David, 1 Samuel 16–1 Kings 2, has the makings of tragedy: David's moment of hubris – his compound sin of adultery and murder – and the reversal of his fortunes as a result. But David defies easy categorization as a tragic figure, just as he defies Nabal's attempt to cast him as an ordinary outlaw. Modern critical assessments stress the multifaceted picture the text gives of David and the difficulty of unraveling his manifold personality. At times he appears pious, trusting, and faithful, as when he faces Goliath armed with only sling and stone and bold words about Yhwh's protective power. But he may also be calculating and manipulative – in his first recorded speech, he inquires about the reward for slaying Goliath. He can appear magnanimous, as in his dealings with Jonathan's son Mephibosheth. But then again, his decision to have Mephibosheth “eat at the king's table always” (2 Sam. 9:7, 13) could stem from a desire to keep an eye on the hapless Saulide.