David sent ten young men, and David said to the young men, Go up to Carmel, and go to Nabal, and greet him in my name:
By referring to himself as Nabal’s "son" (1 Samuel 25:8) David was placing himself in a subordinate position to Nabal. David had earlier called Saul his "father" (cf. 1 Samuel 24:11; 1 Samuel 24:16). This is another clue that suggests that the writer wanted us to view Nabal as Saul’s alter ego. One writer suggested that David’s request for food and his reference to himself as Nabal’s "son" implied more.