In Honor of the Owner

Yishai had a son Dovid. Dovid had a son Natan. All three names have 3 letters that read the same way forwards and backwards.


Visualize:

ישי

דוד

נתן

Here's an improvised reason, albeit inadequate, but at least provides food for thought:

The Song of Songs (1,9), in describing the profound love G-d has for the Jewish people, refers to the beloved Israel in the eyes of Hashem, as, "My horse among the chariots of Pharoah." Not much of a complement - unless you understand the verse correctly.

Horses were the military pride of Egypt. They hauled the chariots that comprised Egypt's "tanks". Horses were probably the sole property of the army.

We know from the Midrash Egyptian soldiers would elaborately decorate their steeds with expensive jewelry, as when the Jews enriched themselves with this booty when the dead Egyptians, together with their horses, were disgorged onto the shore where the Jews had crossed the Reed Sea.

The horse, despite all the wealth it toted, remained a horse, of course. Similarly, Jews, although they too were adorned with the most valuable of all possessions, the Torah, and with the most valuable mores, the mitzvot of the Torah, thereby earning a closeness to The Creator, they remained a humble people.

In other words, all that Jews had and all that they did, served them only to offer praise to G-d, who gave them these presents. The adornments they prided themselves in were for the sole purpose of bringing honor to the owner of the universe. It did not make them arrogant.

You will recall how King David would dance, whistle and flip about all along the route to Jerusalem, when transporting the Holy Ark to its rightful place. In fact, his wife Michal, the daughter of King Saul, upon seeing this, chastised him for behavior she thought was beneath his dignity. This did not faze him, however, because David loved G-d thoroughly and everything he did, he did for G-d's glory.

David externally reflected his inner convictions. Inside or outside, there was no difference. Most probably he learned this attitude and love of G-d from his father Yishai, And most probably his son Natan copied this attitude from his father.

They all behaved like that beloved horse that, no matter his possessions and no matter his esteemed status - he remained a horse, behaving steadfastly for the sake of his boss, without letting things "get to his head".

Horse, in Hebrew,

סוס

is also a 3-letter word that reads the same forwards and backwards, probably because it behaves with the same devotion to its rider, any way you dress it up.