David

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King David

Statue of David by Nicolas Cordier, in the basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore, Rome
Reign over Judah c.1010 - 1003 BC; over Judah and Israel c.1003 - 970 BC.
Born c 1040 BC
Birthplace Bethlehem
Died c.970 BC
Place of death Jerusalem
Predecessor Saul
Successor Solomon
Consort Michal, Ahinoam, Abigail, Maachah, Haggith, Abital, Eglah and Bathsheba.
Royal House House of David
Father Jesse
Mother not named in the Bible; identified by the Talmud as Nitzevet daughter of Adael.

David Hebrew: דָּוִד, Modern David Tiberian dɔwið, "beloved"; Arabic: دَاوُۥدَ‎, Dāwud; Greek: Δαβιδ was the second king of the united Kingdom of Israel according to the Bible. He is depicted as a righteous king, although not without fault, as well as an acclaimed warrior, musician and poet, traditionally credited for composing many of the psalms contained in the Book of Psalms.

Thiele dates his life to c.1040–970 BC, his reign over Judah c.1010–1003 BC, and his reign over the united Kingdom of Israel c.1003–970 BC.^{[citation needed]} The Books of Samuel, 1 Kings, and 1 Chronicles are the only source of information on his life and reign, although the Tel Dan stele records the existence in the mid-9th century of a Judean royal dynasty called the "House of David".

David's life is particularly important to Jewish, Christian, and Islamic culture. In Islam, David (Dawood) is a prophet and the king of a nation, as well as the young warrior who slew Goliath before gaining power and ruling his kingdom. He is remembered for his eloquent speech and the beautiful recitation of God's word.

Biblical narrative

David is chosen

God withdraws his favor from Saul, king of Israel. "Saul's final sin was his refusal to carry out the ban against the Amalekites..."[1] Saul has previously sinned during the battle of Michmash where he leads Israel against the Philistines.[1] The prophet Samuel had driven the Philistines from Israel but at Michmash the Philistines threaten again. In these passages Saul is presented as a type of anti-Gideon.[2] Saul stops Ahijah in the middle of his consultation, "an unparalleled act in Scripture"[3]..."[S]aul silenced the Lord; and in response the Lord became silent."[4]

Later, when Saul seeks Yahweh, He does not answer, and Saul goes to a medium (1 Sam. 28)."[5]

The prophet Samuel seeks a new king for his people from the sons of Jesse of Bethlehem. Seven of Jesse's sons pass before Samuel, but Samuel says "The LORD has not chosen these." He then asks "Are these all the sons you have?" and Jesse answers, "There is still the youngest but he is tending the sheep." David is brought to Samuel, and "the LORD said, 'Rise and anoint him; he is the one.'"[6]

God sends an evil spirit to torment Saul and his attendants suggest he send for David. Saul does so and makes David one of his armor-bearers and "whenever the spirit from God came upon Saul, David would take his harp and play. Then relief would come to Saul; he would feel better, and the evil spirit would leave him."

David and Goliath

The Israelites are facing the Philistines in the Valley of Elah. David is bringing food to his older brothers who are with King Saul. David's father Jesse has given David instructions similar to those given by Jacob to Joseph calling for David to look into the welfare of his brothers. (See Genesis 37:12-17 compare 1 Sam. 17:17-19).[7] Giant Goliath challenging the Israelites to send their own champion to decide the outcome in single combat. Goliath is dressed in scale armor, the Hebrew word literally meaning "scales".[7](1 Sam. 17:5) Typologically this harkens back to the scales of the Serpent in the Garden of Eden.[8] Goliath has been taunting the Israelites for forty days, which is analogous to Israel's wilderness experience during the Exodus of forty years prior to Joshua's conquest and deliverance, (see Numbers 14:33-34) making David a type of new Joshua who would deliver the Israelites. As in Numbers 13:25-33, during the time of the Conquest, the Israelites are afraid of a giant or giants in the land.[9] Likewise Goliath is described as a "giant" whose hometown is Gath[9], a city where the Anakim giants, who were conquered by Joshua years earlier, had relocated, making Goliath a possible descendant.[9]

So David goes to Saul and tells Saul he is prepared to face Goliath because he has killed a bear and a lion (1 Sam. 17:37). David insists that he can defeat Goliath. "Goliath had committed blasphemy, a capital crime, and David was going out to stone him to death."[10]

Saul wants him to make the attempt. Saul attempts to dress David in his own armor but David will not take it. Instead David chooses a staff and a sling to confront Goliath. The sling is significant because Saul is of the tribe of Benjamin, and should be a good slinger, presumably capable of defeating Goliath with a sling (an earlier work called the Book of Judges, indicates that warriors in Saul's tribe, the Benjamites, were known as excellent slingers (Judges 20:16)[11]). David, however, is not a Benjamite but he chooses to fight Goliath using a weapon that the King's own tribe is indicated to have been proficient in, after the king has delayed action for forty days.(see Judges 20:15-16)[12]

David is victorious, striking Goliath's head with a stone from his sling. "Goliath was dressed like a serpent with his scale armor, and he died like a serpent, with a head wound, just as the Philistine god Dagon had his head crushed. As the Psalm says, all those who worship idols will be like them (Ps. 155:1-8)".[13] An earlier passage, 1 Samuel 5.2–7, relates how the ark of Yahweh was captured by the Philistines and taken to Dagon's temple in Ashdod. The following morning they found the image of Dagon lying prostrate before the ark. They set the image upright, but again on the morning of the following day they found it prostrate before the ark.

The Philistines flee in terror and the Israelites win a great victory. David cuts off the giant's head and takes it to Jerusalem, perhaps as a warning to the Jebusites who still rule there.[13]

Saul asks who the young hero is; and David replies, "I am the son of your servant Jesse of Bethlehem." 1 Samuel 17:58 Significantly perhaps, Saul is often seen holding a spear, Goliath's weapon of choice, throughout the rest of First Samuel.[14]

King Saul and David

Saul makes David a commander over his armies and offers him his daughter Michal in marriage.[15]

David is successful in many battles, and the women say, "Saul has slain his thousands, and David his tens of thousands." His popularity awakes Saul's fears — "What more can he have but the kingdom?" — and by various stratagems the jealous king seeks his death. But the plots all prove futile, and only endear David the more to the people, and especially to Saul's son Jonathan, who loves David (1 Samuel 18:1, 2 Samuel 1:25-26).[16]

The covenant David and Jonathan form eventually leads to David offering the "kindness of God"[17][18] to Jonathan's son Mephibosheth, a cripple, by seating him at David's own table instead of eradicating Saul's line.[18][19] Warned by Jonathan, David flees into the wilderness.

In the wilderness David gathers a band of followers and becomes the champion of the oppressed while evading the pursuit of Saul. He accepts Ziklag as a chief from the Philistine king Achish of Gath, but continues secretly to champion the Israelites. Achish then marches against Saul, but David is excused from the war on the accusation of the Philistine nobles that his loyalty to their cause cannot be trusted.

David in the wilderness

While David is hiding for his life, Saul gives Michal as a wife to Palti, son of Laish, and David takes two other wives, Ahinoam and Abigail. 1 Samuel 25 Later when David became king of Judah and Ish-bosheth Michal's brother (and Saul's son) ruled the northern tribes of Israel, David demanded her return to him, in return for peace between them. This Ish-bosheth did, despite the public protests of Palti.[20]