David's flight to Moab 22:3-4

Moab was a reasonable place for David's parents to seek protection since David's great-grandmother, Ruth, was a Moabitess. The exact location of Mizpah (lit. watchtower) of Moab is unknown. David may have wanted to secure the support of the Moabites since he could use help from neighboring kingdoms if Saul's antagonism led to full-scale war. The stronghold (v. 4) was probably another name for Mizpah or another place close to it in Moab.