This phrase is used here to mark the beginning of a new part of the story. If your language has a way for doing this, you could consider using it here.
The princes asked this question to turn the king against David. This question can be translated as a statement. AT: "You should not think that David is honoring your father because he has sent men to comfort you." (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-rquestion]])
The princes asked this question to turn the king against David. It can be translated as a statement. AT: "Surely his servants come to you to explore the land in order to overthrow it." (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-rquestion]])