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David

 
Who2 Profiles:

King David, Biblical Figure

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  • Born: c. 1040 B.C.
  • Birthplace: Bethlehem, Judea
  • Died: c. 970 B.C.
  • Best Known As: The child giant-slayer who became Israel's king

The heroic yet human life of David, ancient Israel's most important king, is told in the biblical books 1 Samuel, 2 Samuel, 1 Kings and 1 Chronicles. The eighth and youngest son of Jesse of Bethlehem, David is appointed to be court musician and armor-bearer for Israel's first king, Saul. The boy kills a giant enemy soldier, Goliath, becomes intimate friends with Saul's son, Jonathan, and eventually succeeds Saul as king. Under David's rule (circa 1010 to 970 B.C.), Israel's regions unite and win battles with surrounding enemies. Jerusalem comes to be known as the "City of David" and the center of government and worship. David's turbulent personal life includes adultery with a soldier's wife, Bathsheba, and the death of his own rebel son, Absalom. Before he dies he anoints another son, Solomon, the next king. David's lineage holds an honored place in two religions: Judaism, which awaits the coming of the "Messiah, son of David," and Christianity, whose scriptures trace Jesus's Davidic ancestry.

Many prayers and songs in the biblical book of Psalms have headings that associate them with David. Their actual authorship is uncertain... Islam's Koran lists David as a prophet (Sura 6), noting in Sura 38 his repentance for his sin with Bathsheba... Michelangelo's sculpture of David is considered a classic of Renaissance art... The Star of David, a Jewish symbol in recent centuries, appears on the flag of the modern state of Israel... David has been portrayed many times in the movies, by actors including Gregory Peck (David and Bathsheba, 1951), Richard Gere (King David, 1985) and Max von Sydow (the TV movie Solomon, 2005).

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Britannica Concise Encyclopedia:

David

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(born Bethlehem, Judah — died c. 962 BC, Jerusalem) Second of the Israelite kings (r. c. 1000 – c. 962 BC). David was an aide at the court of Saul until the monarch's jealousy forced him into outlawry. He became king of Israel on Saul's death. He captured Jerusalem from the Jebusites and made it his capital, defeated the Philistines, and gained control of many bordering kingdoms. He faced several revolts, including one by his third son, Absalom. He unified all Israel into one kingdom and made Jerusalem both the religious and political centre. He made the name Yahweh the supreme name for the god of Israel, who was worshiped in Jerusalem, and ruled that all other names for God were mere titles or attributes of Yahweh. Though the kingdom split under David's son and successor Solomon, religious unity endured, and the house of David symbolized the bond between God and Israel. The word messiah comes from hameshiach, the title of kings of the line of David.

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Gale Encyclopedia of Biography:

David

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David, the second king of the Israelites (reigned ca. 1010-ca. 970 B.C.), was regarded as a model king and founded a permanent dynasty.

David was born in Bethlehem, the youngest son of Jesse of the tribe of Judah. The prophet Samuel, after revoking Saul's designation as king, secretly anointed David as Saul's successor. David attained great popularity by killing the Philistine giant Goliath in combat (1 Samuel 17:49), although another biblical source attributes this feat to one named Elhanan (2 Samuel 21:19). A skilled harpist, David was brought to the royal court to divert Saul with music and alleviate the depression that Saul had succumbed to under the strain of his responsibilities. At court David won the undying friendship of the crown prince, Jonathan, whose sister Michal he married.

After Saul's jealousy had forced David to flee for his life, he had two opportunities to slay the King but magnanimously spared him. Saul eventually met his end at Gilboa, together with three of his sons, including Jonathan. After a period of mourning, David proceeded to Hebron, where he was chosen king by the elders of Judah. Saul's general Abner, however, proclaimed Ishbaal (Ishbosheth), a surviving son of the dead king, as the sovereign. In the civil war that ensued, Ishbaal and Abner were slain. Their deaths removed the last obstacles from David's path to the throne, and about 1010 B.C. he was crowned king of all the Israelites.

After numerous battles David liberated Israel from the yoke of the Philistines and ushered in a golden era for his people. He captured Jerusalem and made it his capital because of its strategic military position and its location outside the boundaries of any tribe. He placed the Ark of the Covenant in a tent near his residence, thereby making Jerusalem the religious, as well as the national, center of all of Israel and preparing the way for his son and successor, Solomon, to erect the Holy Temple there.

David expanded his kingdom to Phoenicia in the west, the Arabian Desert in the east, the Orontes River in the north, and Etzion Geber (Elath) in the south. But internal political troubles overtook David. His son Absalom led a rebellion which was finally suppressed when Joab, David's general, killed him, although the King had ordered that he be spared. David also had to quash an uprising of Saul's tribe, the Benjaminites.

The Bible idealizes David as a warrior, statesman, loyal friend, and gifted poet, yet it does not fail to mention his faults and moral lapses. At one time David callously plotted the death in battle of one of his officers, Uriah the Hittite, so that he could marry Uriah's beautiful wife, Bathsheba. For this he was denounced by the prophet Nathan, and, recognizing that he had committed a great moral wrong, the King fasted and prayed in repentance.

Jewish tradition ascribes to David the authorship of the Book of Psalms and refers to him as the "sweet singer of Israel." The Messiah, too, was to come forth from "the stock of Jesse" (Isaiah 9:5, 11:10), and indeed the New Testament speaks of Jesus as a descendant of the House of David (Matthew 1:16). David's tomb, traditionally assumed to be on Mt. Zion, has become a venerated place of pilgrimage.

Further Reading

The Bible portrays the life and achievements of David in 1 Samuel 16 through 2 Samuel 5, 2 Samuel 19-20, 1 Kings 1-2, and 1 Chronicles 10-29. The chapter on King David in Harry Meyer Orlinsky, Ancient Israel (1954), is recommended. See also Martin North, The History of Israel (1953; 2d ed. 1960); John Bright, A History of Israel (1959); and Mortimer J. Cohen, "David the King," in Simon Noveck, ed., Great Jewish Personalities in Ancient and Medieval Times (1959).

Encyclopedia of Judaism:

David

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(c. 1040-c. 970 BCE). Israel's second and greatest king, founder of a dynasty that lasted four centuries. He was the son of Jesse, great-grandson of Boaz and Ruth, and was born in Bethlehem of the tribe of Judah. His early years were spent as a shepherd, but he later joined the entourage of King Saul. The prophet Samuel, after rejecting Saul, clandestinely anointed David as Saul's successor (I Sam. 16:13). When Saul was dejected, one of his aides recommended David, an accomplished musician, to bring him solace, and thus began David's rapid rise at court---culminating in his victory over Goliath, which made him a national hero. David's marriage with Saul's daughter Michal and his great popularity with the masses convinced Saul that he represented a threat to the succession of Jonathan and Saul's attitude turned to envy and then to uncontrollable hatred. For most of the rest of Saul's life, David was a fugitive, evading the king's attempts to kill him. The tragic end came when Saul's army was routed by the Philistines in a battle on Mount Gilboa, Saul and Jonathan being among the slain.

David was now crowned king over Judah in Hebron (II Sam. 2:4). After he defeated in battle the forces of Saul's son, Ishbosheth, the other tribes accepted his leadership, and he ruled the entire country. He then proceeded to subdue Israel's hostile neighbors, destroying the power of the Philistines, Moab, Edom, Ammon, and Aram and extending the country's borders. He stationed garrisons in Damascus and created the most far-flung empire in Israel's history.

Sensing the need to cement the people's unity and create a neutral center of administration not identified with any of the tribes, he captured the city of Jerusalem (Jebus), establishing it as his capital ("the City of David"). He installed there the Ark of the Covenant but his desire to build a Temple was frustrated by the prophet Nathan, who told him that no man involved in wars could build a temple of peace (I Chr. 22:8); that task was to be accomplished by his son and successor, Solomon.

The Bible does not gloss over David's faults, notably his adultery with Bathsheba and his engineering of the death of her husband. Unrest grew in his own household and his son Absalom led a revolt which, after initial success, was crushed with Absalom killed. Even in his last years, his son Adonijah tried to engineer a palace coup to secure the succession; this was frustrated and Solomon was proclaimed David's heir.

David, "the sweet singer of Israel," became idealized in Jewish tradition. The Psalms were ascribed to his authorship and the groundwork for music in the Temple was also attributed to him. On every occasion in the Jewish calendar, David is recalled in hope and prayer. The Amidah, Grace After Meals, and the blessings following the Reading of the Law are regarded as invalid if the prayer for the restoration of the House of David is omitted from them. The blessing of the New Moon contains the declaration "David, King of Israel, lives on," while David is one of the seven guests (Ushpizin) in the Sukkah. His personality intrigued future generations and the Jewish national tradition invested his memory with a mystique and prestige, so that he became a symbol of messianic aspirations. The Messiah would emerge from the House of David (and in Christian tradition, Jesus' genealogy is traced back to David and his birthplace located at Bethlehem, where David was born). David was the subject of many stories in the Aggadah and Jewish legend. A thousand-year-old tradition places his tomb on what is now called Mount Zion and, during the period between 1948 and 1967, when Jews were cut off from the Western Wall, this became a major site of pilgrimage, especially for Jews from Oriental lands. David has also been a favorite subject of Western literature, music, painting, and sculpture.

Bible Dictionary and Concordance:

David

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The youngest son of Jesse, the great-grandson of Boaz and Ruth; born in Bethlehem of the tribe of Judah. He was Israel's second and greatest king and his united kingdom achieved the status of an intermediate power between Mesopotamia and Anatolia in the north and Egypt in the south. David's early years were spent as a shepherd, but later he joined the entourage of Saul, Israel's first king. Each of the three different accounts of David's appearance emphasize one of the qualities later to characterize him: I Samuel 16:1-13 stresses the anointment of David as chosen by God; I Samuel 16:14-23 describes David as an extraordinary musician and poet; and chapter 17 presents him as the warrior hero in the story of the slaying of Goliath the Philistine. Although at first Saul favored David, he became increasingly jealous (I Sam 18:8). Furthermore, Saul encouraged his son Jonathan, who had become David's closest friend to slay this potential threat, but Jonathan intervened on David's behalf, convincing the king of David's loyalty (I Sam 19:1-6). But the continuous attempts made on his life by the mentally disturbed king eventually forced David to flee the monarch's wrath. During his period as a political fugitive from Saul, Jonathan remained David's faithful companion assisting him in every way (I Sam chaps. 18-20, 23). David improved his position with different social groups within Judah (I Sam 22:20-23; 23:1-5; 25:1-43) and even among the Philistines with whom he sought refuge (I Sam 21:10-15; 27:2-12).

With the defeat of the Israelites and the death of Saul and his sons at the hands of the Philistines, David was anointed king over Judah (II Sam 2:4) at Hebron. David subsequently defeated Ishbosheth, Saul's son who had been crowned king of northern Israel at Mahanaim by Abner, Saul's commander. Thereafter, the northern tribes of Israel accepted David's leadership and by the eighth year of his reign, David felt himself strong enough to unite all tribes under an independent kingdom. Jerusalem, hitherto a Jebusite enclave, between Judah and the northern kingdom of Saul, was captured by David and became the political, military and religious capital of the United Kingdom when David brought the ark into the city. David resumed hostilities against the Philistines and in two decisive battles, at Baal Perazim and Rephaim near Jerusalem, they were defeated and forced to withdraw to the coastal plain, thus ceasing to pose a serious threat to Israel (II Sam 8:1).

However, Philistines were enroleld in his own personal guard, called the Cherethites and Pelethites, mercenary troops from independent Philistine cities, who joined David's ranks under the command of Benaiah son of Jehoiada.

David embarked on the creation of an empire, in five distinct phases: (a) Tribal kingdom: this period saw intense military activity combined with diplomatic marriages (II Sam 3:2-3; 10:7-19). (b) National kingdom: the alliance between David and the northern tribes of Israel. (c) Consolidated territorial state: having quelled the Philistines, David was free to attack the last strongholds and enclaves of the native Canaanites in the north: Megiddo, Beth Shean and Taanach. These were reduced, putting David in control of an integrated kingdom, comprising the territory of all the tribes. The Philistine monopoly of metal manufacture (I Sam 13:19-20) must also have fallen into Israelite hands at this stage. (d) Multinational state: having broken through the hostile western flank surrounding Israel, David then undertook a series of campaigns against the peoples around his borders: first the Moabites (II Sam 8:2) were defeated and subjugated, then Edom (II Sam 8:14), and finally the Ammonites (II Sam 12:30), from whom Ezion Geber was captured, giving the Israelites an outlet on the Red Sea. It was during the Ammonite war that David committed adultery with Bathsheba and sent her husband, Uriah the Hittite to his death. For this God rebuked David through Nathan the prophet who courageously confronted the king with his crime (II Sam 12:1-15) and imposed the penalty that the sword should never depart from his house. Despite David's repentance (II Sam 12:13; Ps 51) the child of this adulterous union died. (e) Empire: the most remarkable territorial expansion was David's defeat of the Arameans and his annexation of Aram-Zobah and Damascus (II Sam 8:3-8), winning the vassal states of Aram-Zobah as well, so that the borders of his kingdom reached as far as the Euphrates River. Thus David forged a mighty empire (cf I Kgs 4:21; Ps 72:1, 8, 10-11).

In spite of David's overwhelming prestige, the old rivalries between the southern and northern parts of his kingdom continued. After nearly 30 years of almost unchallenged supremacy over the Israelites, several major crises emerged over the questions of the succession (e.g. Absalom's revolt, II Sam chap. 15), and the actual unity of the kingdom (the rebellion of Sheba, II Sam chap. 20).

David undertook far-reaching reforms in national institutions and administration. He also began preparations for building a central sanctuary in Jerusalem, and chose the site of the future Temple. The worship of Israel's God became the official state religion, and the priesthood was organized under the chief priest who, along with other leading priests, became royal officials, members of David's court in Jerusalem (II Sam 8:17-18). David also laid the foundations for the division of the country into districts and for its administration through a sequence of officials, and also reorganized the army.

Biblical tradition relates that David initiated a cultural and literary revival which was continued by Solomon, and many Psalms are attributed to him, as well as the laments over Abner (II Sam 3:33-34), Saul and Jonathan (II Sam 1:17-27) and Absalom (II Sam 18:33).

As a result of his many conquests, the Israelites came into contact with the major powers and currents of civilization, particularly with the Phoenicians of Tyre and Sidon, who greatly influenced Israel's cultural development. David's personality, a fascinating mixture of historical fact and romantic legend, led Jewish national tradition to invest his name with a halo of mysticism and divine prestige, so that he became a powerful religious symbol and the focus of messianic dreams. These messianic traditions receive expression in the gospels in the person of Jesus descended from David (Matt 22:41-46; Mark 12:35-37; Luke 20:41-44; John 7:42), who is born in David's town of Bethlehem, and is frequently referred to as "son of David" or "seed of David".

Concordance
Ruth 4:17, 22. I Sam 16:13,19-23; 17:12,14-15, 17, 20,22-23, 26,28-29, 31-34,37-39, 41-45,48-51, 54-55,57-58; 18:1,3-12, 14, 16-30; 19:1-2, 4-5,7-12, 14-15,18-20, 22; 20:1, 3-6, 10-12,15-18, 24-25,27-28, 33-35,39, 41-42; 21:1-2, 4-5,8:12; 22:1, 3-6,14, 17, 20-22; 23:1-10, 12-16,18-19, 24-26,28-29; 24:1-5,7-9, 16-17, 22; 25:1, 4-5, 8-10,12-14, 20-23,32, 35, 39-40,42-44; 26:1-10,12-15, 17, 21-22,25; 27:1-5,7-12; 28:1-2,17; 29:2-3, 5-6,8-9, 11; 30:1,3-11, 13, 15,17-23, 26, 31. II Sam 1:1-5,11, 13-17; 2:1-5, 10-11,13, 15, 17,30-31; 3:1-2,5-6, 8-10,12-14, 17-22,26, 28, 31, 35; 4:8-9, 12; 5:1,3-4, 6-13, 17,19-21, 23, 25; 6:1-2, 5, 8-10,12, 14-18,20-21; 7:5, 8,17-18, 20, 26; 8:1-11, 13-15,18; 9:1-2, 5-7; 10:2-7, 17-18; 11:1-8, 10-14,17-18, 22-23,25, 27; 12:1,5, 7, 13, 15-16,18-20, 24, 27,29-31; 13:1, 3,7, 21, 30, 32,37, 39; 15:12-14,22, 30-33, 37; 16:1, 5-6, 10-11,13, 16, 23; 17:1,16-17, 21-22, 24,27, 29; 18:1-2,7, 9, 24; 19:11,16, 22, 41, 43; 20:1-3, 5-6,11, 21, 26; 21:1, 3, 7,11-12, 15-17,21-22; 22:1,51; 23:1, 8-9,13-16, 23; 24:1, 10-14,17-19, 21-22,24-25. I Kgs 1:1, 8, 11, 13,28, 31-32, 37-38,43, 47; 2:1,10-12, 24, 26,32-33, 44-45; 3:1, 3, 6-7, 14; 5:1, 3, 5, 7; 6:12; 7:51; 8:1, 15-18, 20,24-26, 66; 9:4-5, 24; 11:4,6, 12-13, 15,21, 24, 27, 32-34,36, 38-39, 43; 12:16, 19-20,26; 13:2; 14:8,31; 15:3-5, 8,11, 24; 22:50. II Kgs 8:19,24; 9:28; 11:10; 12:21; 14:3, 20; 15:7,38; 16:2, 20; 17:21; 18:3; 19:34; 20:5-6; 21:7; 22:2. I Chr 2:15; 3:1, 9; 4:31; 6:31; 7:2; 9:22; 10:14; 11:1,3-7, 9, 11, 13,15-18, 25; 12:1, 8, 16-19,21-23, 31,38-39; 13:1-2,5-6, 8, 11-13; 14:1-3, 8,10-12, 14,16-17; 15:1-4,11, 16, 25, 27,29; 16:1-2, 7,43; 17:1-2, 4,7, 15-16, 18,24; 18:1-11,13-14, 17; 19:2-6, 8,17-19; 20:1-3,7-8; 21:1-2, 5,8-11, 13, 16-19,21-26, 28, 30; 22:1-5, 7, 17; 23:1, 5-6, 25,27; 24:3, 31; 25:1; 26:26,31-32; 27:18,23-24, 31-32; 28:1-2, 11,19-20; 29:1,9-10, 20, 22-24,26, 29. II Chr 1:1, 4,8-9; 2:3, 7, 12,14, 17; 3:1; 5:1-2; 6:4, 6-8,10, 15-17, 42; 7:6, 10, 17-18; 8:11, 14; 9:31; 10:16, 19; 11:17-18; 12:16; 13:5-6,8; 14:1; 16:14; 17:3; 21:1, 7,12, 20; 23:3,9, 18; 24:16,25; 27:9; 28:1; 29:2, 25-27,30; 30:26; 32:5, 30, 33; 33:7, 14; 34:2-3; 35:3-4, 15. Ezra 3:10; 8:2,20. Neh 3:15-16; 12:24, 36-37,45-46. Ps 18:50; 72:20; 78:70; 89:3,20, 35, 49; 122:5; 132:1,10-11, 17; 144:10. Prov 1:1. Ecc 1:1. Song 4:4. Is 7:2, 13; 9:7; 16:5; 22:9, 22; 29:1; 37:35; 38:5; 55:3. Jer 13:13; 17:25; 21:12; 22:2, 4,30; 23:5; 29:16; 30:9; 33:15, 17, 21-22,26; 36:30. Ezek 34:23-24; 37:24-25. Hos 3:5. Amos 6:5; 9:11. Zech 12:7-8, 10, 12; 13:1. Matt 1:1, 6, 17, 20; 9:27; 12:3, 23; 15:22; 20:30-31; 21:9, 15; 22:42-43, 45. Mark 2:25; 10:47-48; 11:10; 12:35-37. Luke 1:27, 32,69; 2:4, 11; 3:31; 6:3; 18:38-39; 20:41-42, 44. John 7:42. Acts 1:16; 2:25, 29, 34; 4:25; 7:45; 13:22, 34, 36; 15:16. Rom 1:3; 4:6; 11:9. II Tim 2:8. Heb 4:7; 11:32. Rev 3:7; 5:5; 22:16

Oxford Dictionary of Celtic Mythology:

David

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English version of one of the most common men's names in Wales, after St David, who is known as Dewi Sant in Welsh tradition; the usual Welsh equivalent is Dafydd.

Columbia Encyclopedia:

David

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David, d. c.970 B.C., king of ancient Israel (c.1010-970 B.C.), successor of Saul. The Book of First Samuel introduces him as the youngest of eight sons who is anointed king by Samuel to replace Saul, who had been deemed a failure. The Goliath story underscores his divine election and leads to Saul's obsession with killing him. On the death of Saul and Jonathan in battle, David assumes the throne in Second Samuel. The assassination of a rival king, Ishbosheth, in the north allows David to be crowned king of a united kingdom.

With the capture of Jerusalem, David moves his capital there and plans the construction of a temple. Through prophetic mediation, however, God declares David's successor as the future builder, who will build a "house." God promises to establish the kingdom of his son as an everlasting kingdom. From this promise derives the later hope of a royal Messiah ("anointed one") as an agent of God's establishment of an eschatological kingdom.

Second Samuel charts an era of decline beginning with David's adultery with Bath-sheba and the murder of her husband. Anarchy prevails among his children, leading to the revolt and usurpation of the throne by his son Absalom. David's son by Bath-sheba, Solomon, is nominated king and successor by David, though this was challenged by another son Adonijah. Nevertheless, David remains the model for subsequent monarchs of Israel.

David's musical skill became proverbial, and many psalms were attributed to him. Most of the narrative that recounts David's decline is omitted in the Book of Chronicles. The New Testament confesses Jesus as the "Christ" (Messiah) descended from David, and David is also attested in the Qur'an. Archaelogical excavations have failed, however, to find evidence that would confirm the existence of a powerful and unified Davidic kingdom.

Bibliography

See R. Alter, The David Story (1999); S. L. McKenzie, King David (2000)

Dictionary of Cultural Literacy: Bible:

David

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A great king of the Israelites in the Old Testament. David was a shepherd in his boyhood. As a youth, he asked for King Saul's permission to fight Goliath, the giant Philistine warrior whom all the other Israelites were afraid to face. Despite his small size, David managed to kill Goliath by hitting him in the forehead with a stone flung from a sling. King Saul then gave David command of his army, but he grew jealous of him and tried to kill him; David spent many years fleeing from Saul. After Saul's death, David was made king of the Israelites and served nobly, despite occasional lapses, such as an affair with Bathsheba; he had Bathsheba's husband killed so that he could marry her. Many of the Psalms are attributed to David, who was famed as a harpist. His descendants, the House of David, included Solomon and the subsequent kings of Israel and Judah; according to the Gospels, Jesus was descended from David.

  • A “David and Goliath” contest is an unequal one in which one side is far bigger or more numerous than the other.

    • Bradford's Crossword Solver's Dictionary:

    David

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      See crossword solutions for the clue David.
    Wikipedia on Answers.com:

    David

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    This article is about the biblical king. For other uses, see David (disambiguation).
    "Daud", "Dawood", and "King David" redirect here. For other uses, see Daud (disambiguation), Dawood (disambiguation), and King David (disambiguation).
    King David
    King of Israel

    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 (Judah), Ish-bosheth (Israel)
    Successor Solomon
    Consort Michal, Ahinoam, Abigail, Maachah, Haggith, Abital, Eglah, Bathsheba and Abishag
    Royal House House of David (new house)
    Father Jesse
    Mother not named in the Bible; identified by the Talmud as Nitzevet, daughter of Adael

    David (Hebrew: דָּוִד, דָּוִיד, Modern David Tiberian Dāwîḏ; ISO 259-3 Dawid; Strong's Daveed; beloved; Arabic: داوود‎ or داود‎[note A] Dāwūd) was the second king of the United Kingdom of Israel according to the Hebrew Bible and, according to the Gospels of Matthew and Luke, an ancestor of Jesus Christ through both Saint Joseph and Mary. He is depicted as a righteous king, though not without faults, as well as an acclaimed warrior, musician, and poet, traditionally credited for composing many of the psalms contained in the Psalms.

    His life is conventionally dated 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. The Books of Samuel, 1 Kings, and 1 Chronicles are the only sources of information on David, 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 very important to Jewish, Christian and Islamic culture. In Judaism, David, or David HaMelekh, is the King of Israel, and the Jewish people. Jewish tradition maintains that a direct descendant of David will be the Messiah. In Islam, he is known as Dawud, considered to be a prophet and the king of a nation.

    Contents

    Biblical narrative

    Samuel anoints David, Dura Europos, Syria, Date: 3rd c. AD.

    Chosen by God

    God withdraws his favour from Saul, king of Israel: It repenteth me that I have set up Saul to be king, for he is turned back from following me, and has not performed my commandments. The prophet Samuel seeks a new king from the sons of Jesse of Bethlehem. Seven of Jesse's sons are led before Samuel, but Samuel says, "Yahweh 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." So David is brought to Samuel, and "Yahweh said (to Samuel), 'Rise and anoint him; he is the one.'"[1]

    At the court of Saul

    God sends an evil spirit to torment Saul,1 Samuel 16:14, and his attendants suggest he send for David, a young warrior famed for his bravery and for his skill with the harp. 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

    David hoists the severed head of Goliath by Gustave Doré.

    The Israelites, under King Saul, face the Philistines in the Valley of Elah. The boy David is bringing food to his older brothers who are with Saul. He hears the Philistine giant Goliath challenging the Israelites to send their own champion to decide the outcome in single combat. David tells Saul he is prepared to face Goliath and Saul allows him to make the attempt. He is victorious, striking Goliath in the forehead with a stone from his sling. Goliath falls, and David kills him with his own sword and beheads him; the Philistines flee in terror. Saul sends to know the name of the young champion, and David tells him that he is the son of Jesse.[2]

    David and Jonathan

    Main article: David and Jonathan

    Saul makes David a commander over his armies and offers him his daughter Michal in marriage for bringing more than 200 foreskins of the Philistines to him. David is successful in many battles, and his popularity awakes Saul's fears — "What more can he have but the kingdom?" By various stratagems the jealous king seeks his death, but the plots 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).[3][4] Warned by Jonathan, David flees into the wilderness, where he gathers a band of followers and becomes the champion of the oppressed while evading the pursuit of Saul. He accepts the town of Ziklag from the Philistine king Achish of Gath, but continues secretly to champion the Israelites. Achish 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.

    Anointed king

    Panorama of the Harod Valley below, part of the Jezreel- see Mount Gilboa.

    Jonathan and Saul are killed in battle with the Philistines at Mount Gilboa. David mourns their deaths, especially that of Jonathan, his friend. He goes up to Hebron, where he is anointed king over Judah. In the north, Saul's son Ish-Bosheth becomes king of the tribes of Israel. War ensues between Ish-Bosheth and David, until Ish-Bosheth is murdered. The assassins bring the head of Ish-Bosheth to David hoping for a reward, but David executes them for their crime against the Lord's anointed. Yet with the death of the son of Saul, the elders of Israel come to Hebron and David, who is 30 years old, is anointed King over Israel and Judah.[5]

    Jerusalem and the Davidic Covenant

    David conquers the Jebusite fortress of Jerusalem, and makes it his capital, and "Hiram king of Tyre sent messengers to David, and cedar trees, also carpenters and masons who built David a house." David brings the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem, intending to build a temple, but God, speaking to the prophet Nathan, forbids it, saying the temple must wait for a future generation. God makes a covenant with David, promising that he will establish the house of David eternally: "Your throne shall be established forever."

    With God's help, David is victorious over his people's enemies. The Philistines are subdued, the Moabites to the east pay tribute, along with Hadadezer of Zobah, from whom David takes gold shields and bronze vessels.[6]

    Bathsheba and Uriah the Hittite

    David commits adultery with Bathsheba, the wife of Uriah the Hittite.[7] Bathsheba becomes pregnant. David sends for Uriah, who is with the Israelite army at the siege of Rabbah, so that he may lie with his wife and conceal the identity of the child's father. Uriah refuses to do so while his companions are in the field of battle and David sends him back to Joab, the commander, with a message instructing him to abandon Uriah on the battlefield, "that he may be struck down, and die." David marries Bathsheba and she bears his child, "but the thing that David had done displeased the Lord."[8] The prophet Nathan confronts David, saying: "Why have you despised the word of God, to do what is evil in his sight? You have smitten Uriah the Hittite with the sword, and have taken his wife to be your wife." Nathan presents three punishments from God for this sin. First, that the "sword shall never depart from your house" (2 Samuel 12:10) second, that "Before your very eyes I will take your wives and give them to one who is close to you, and he will sleep with your wives in broad daylight. 12 You did it in secret, but I will do this thing in broad daylight before all Israel., (2 Samuel 12:12) and finally, that "the son born to you will die."2 Samuel 12:14 David repents, yet God "struck the [David's] child ... and it became sick ... [And] on the seventh day the child died." David leaves his lamentations, dresses himself, goes to the House of the Lord and worships, and then returns home to eat. His servants ask why he wept when the baby was alive, but ends his mourning when the child dies. David replies: "While the child was still alive, I fasted and wept. I thought, 'Who knows? The Lord may be gracious to me and let the child live.' But now that he is dead, why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I will go to him, but he will not return to me."2 Samuel 12:22-23

    David's son Absalom rebels

    David's son Absalom rebels against his father, and they come to battle in the Wood of Ephraim. Absalom is caught by his hair in the branches of an oak and David’s general Joab kills him as he hangs there.[9] When the news of the victory is brought to David, he does not rejoice, but is instead shaken with grief: "O my son Absalom, my son, my son Absalom! Would I had died instead of you, O Absalom, my son, my son!"[10]

    Old age

    When David has become old and bedridden, Adonijah, his eldest surviving son and natural heir, declares himself king. Bathsheba, David's favorite wife, and Nathan the prophet, fearing that they will be killed by Adonijah, go to David and procure his agreement that Solomon, Bathsheba's son, should sit on the throne. And so the plans of Adonijah collapse, and Solomon becomes king.[11] It is to Solomon that David gives his final instructions, including his promise that the line of Solomon and David will inherit the throne of Judah forever, and his request that Solomon kill his oldest enemies on his behalf.[12] David dies and is buried in the City of David, having ruled forty years over Israel, seven in Hebron and thirty-three in Jerusalem.

    The musician

    See also: History of music in the Biblical period
    "David Playing the Harp" by Jan de Bray, 1670.

    In various biblical passages, David is referred to as “the favorite of the songs of Israel,”[13] the one who soothed Saul with music,[14] and the founder of Temple singing.[15][16] A Psalms scroll from the Dead Sea Scrolls (11QPsa) attributes 3600 tehilim (songs of praise) plus other compositions to David.[17] Seventy-three of the 150 Psalms in the Bible are attributed to David.[18] The supreme kingship of Yahweh is the most pervasive theological concept in the book of Psalms,[19][20] and many psalms attributed to David are directed to Yahweh by name,[21] whether in praise or petition, suggesting a relationship.[22] According to the Midrash Tehillim, King David was prompted to the Psalms by the Holy Spirit that rested upon him.[23]

    In addition to ascribing authorship to David, several Psalms are identified with specific events in David’s life.[24] Psalm 34 is attributed to David on the occasion of his escape from the Abimelech (king) Achish by pretending to be insane.[25] According to the narrative in 1 Samuel 21, instead of killing the man who had exacted so many casualties from him, Abimelech allows David to depart, exclaiming, “Am I so short of madmen that you have to bring this fellow here to carry on like this in front of me? Must this man come into my house?"[26] Psalm 34 is one of seven acrostic Psalms in the original Hebrew; most English translations do not retain the acrostic form.[27] The first part of Psalm 34 is directed toward Yahweh in complete and humble gratitude (David does not even mention his own royal status); the second part confidently directs others to Yahweh.[28]

    This poor man cried, and the LORD heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles. The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him, and delivers them … Come, O children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the Lord.

    — Psalm 34:6-7,11 (ESV)

    In contrast, Psalm 18 is not related to a specific incident but rather to God’s faithful deliverance from “all of his enemies and from the hand of Saul.”[29][30] The text of this Psalm was thought to date to the 10th century BC even before the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls[31] and is very similar to that of 2 Samuel 22.[32] In this Psalm, David recalls being in deadly situations: “The cords of death entangled me, the torrents of destruction overwhelmed me.”[33] He cries out to God for help, and God rescues David.

    I love you, O LORD, my strength. The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge. He is my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. I call to the LORD, who is worthy of praise, and I am saved from my enemies.

    — Psalm 18:1-3 (NIV)

    The Scottish theologian Samuel Rutherford (1600–1661) notes that crying out to God is mentioned in many Psalms attributed to David.[34] He comments, “Fervour is a heavenly ingredient in prayer. An arrow drawn with full strength hath a speedier issue.” [35] The Midrash Tehillim teaches from Psalm 4 “that the mere mechanical application to the Throne of Mercy is not efficacious is plainly seen from the words of King David, who says God is nigh to all that call upon Him, and … he adds the important words, 'to those who call upon Him in truth.'”[36]

    According to Psalm 40, David’s cries to God were heartfelt though not necessarily impatient; the poignant combination of a cry for help with a confident expression of faith echo today in the song “40” by the rock group U2 and that encapsulates David’s experience with his God:

    I waited patiently for the Lord; he turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand. He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear and put their trust in the Lord.

    — Psalm 40:1-3 (NIV)

    Religions and David

    In Judaism

    The traditional tomb of David in Jerusalem, actually a Crusader tomb.[37]
    King David the Prophet

    King David in Prayer, by Pieter de Grebber (c. 1640)
    Holy Monarch, Prophet, Reformer, Spiritual Poet & Musician, Vicegerent of God, Psalm-Receiver
    Born c. 1040 B.C.E.
    Bethlehem
    Died c. 970 B.C.E.
    Jerusalem
    Honored in Judaism
    Christianity
    Islam
    Attributes Psalms, Harp, Head of Goliath

    David is an important figure in Judaism. Historically, David's reign represented the formation of a coherent Jewish kingdom centered in Jerusalem. David is an important figure within the context of Jewish messianism. In the Hebrew Bible, it is written that a human descendant of David will occupy the throne of a restored kingdom and usher in a messianic age.

    David is also viewed as a tragic figure; his acquisition of Bathsheba, and the loss of his son are viewed as his central tragedies.

    Many legends have grown around the figure of David. According to one Rabbinic tradition, David was raised as the son of his father Jesse and spent his early years herding his father's sheep in the wilderness while his brothers were in school. Only at his anointing by Samuel - when the oil from Samuel's flask turned to diamonds and pearls - was his true identity as Jesse's son revealed.

    David's adultery with Bathsheba was only an opportunity to demonstrate the power of repentance, and some Talmudic authors stated that it was not adultery at all, quoting a Jewish practice of divorce on the eve of battle. However, in tractate Sanhedrin, David's broken heart pleads and numerous actions for forgiveness are discussed, God ultimately forgives but would not remove his sins from Scripture.[38]

    Furthermore, according to David's apologists, the death of Uriah was not to be considered murder, on the basis that Uriah had committed a capital offence by refusing to obey a direct command from the King.[39]

    According to midrashim, Adam gave up 70 years of his life for the life of David.[40] Also, according to the Talmud Yerushalmi, David was born and died on the Jewish holiday of Shavuot (Feast of Weeks). His piety was said to be so great that his prayers could bring down things from Heaven.

    In Christianity

    David and King Saul, by Rembrandt. David plays the lyre (depicted here as a harp) to the king "tormented by an evil spirit."

    Originally an earthly king ruling by divine appointment ("the anointed one", as the title Messiah had it), the "son of David" became in the last two pre-Christian centuries the apocalyptic and heavenly one who would deliver Israel and usher in a new kingdom. This was the background to the concept of Messiahship in early Christianity, which interpreted the career of Jesus "by means of the titles and functions assigned to David in the mysticism of the Zion cult, in which he served as priest-king and in which he was the mediator between God and man."[41] The early Church believed that "the life of David [foreshadowed] the life of Christ; Bethlehem is the birthplace of both; the shepherd life of David points out Christ, the Good Shepherd; the five stones chosen to slay Goliath are typical of the five wounds; the betrayal by his trusted counsellor, Achitophel, and the passage over the Cedron remind us of Christ's Sacred Passion. Many of the Davidic Psalms, as we learn from the New Testament, are clearly typical of the future Messiah."[42] In the Middle Ages, "Charlemagne thought of himself, and was viewed by his court scholars, as a 'new David'. [This was] not in itself a new idea, but [one whose] content and significance were greatly enlarged by him."[43] The linking of David to earthly kingship was reflected in later Medieval cathedral windows all over Europe through the device of the Tree of Jesse, its branches demonstrating how divine kingship descended from Jesse, through his son David, to Jesus.

    Western Rite churches (Roman Catholic, Lutheran) celebrate his feast day on 29 December, Eastern-rite on 19 December.[44] The Eastern Orthodox Church and Eastern Catholic Churches celebrate the feast day of the "Holy Righteous Prophet and King David" on the Sunday of the Holy Forefathers (two Sundays before the Great Feast of the Nativity of the Lord), when he is commemorated together with other ancestors of Jesus. He is also commemorated on the Sunday after the Nativity, together with Joseph and James, the Brother of the Lord.

    In Islam

    Main article Islamic view of David

    David (Arabic داود, Dāwūd) is a highly important figure in Islam as one of the major prophets sent by God to guide the nation of Israel. David is mentioned several times in the Qur'an, often with his son Solomon. In the Qur'an: David kills Goliath (II: 251) and God grants him kingship and wisdom and enforces it (XXXVIII: 20). David is made God's "vicegerent on earth" (XXXVIII: 26) and God further gives David sound judgment (XXI: 78; XXXVII: 21-24, 26) as well as the Psalms, which are regarded as books of divine wisdom (IV: 163; XVII, 55). The birds and mountains unite with David in ushering praise to God (XXI: 79; XXXIV: 10; XXXVIII: 18), while God instructs David in the art of fashioning chain-mail out of iron (XXXIV: 10; XXI: 80). Together with Solomon, David gives judgment in a case of damage to the fields (XXI: 78) and David judges in the matter between two disputants in his prayer chamber (XXXVIII: 21-23). Since there is no mention in the Qur'an of the wrong David did to Uriah nor is there any reference to Bathsheba, Muslims reject this narrative.[45]

    Muslim tradition and the hadith stress David's zeal in daily prayer[46] as well as in fasting. Qur'an commentators, historians and compilers of the numerous Stories of the Prophets elaborate upon David's concise Qur'anic narratives and specifically mention David's gift in singing his Psalms as well as his musical and vocal talents. His voice is described as having had a captivating power, weaving its influence not only over man but over all beasts and nature, who would unite with him to praise God.[47]

    In Baha'i Faith

    David is described as a minor prophet who came in the shadow of the dispensation of Moses to develop and consolidate the process he set in motion.[48]

    In Mormonism

    The Doctrine and Covenants of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints cites David as one directed by God to practice polygamy, but who sinned in committing adultery with Bathsheba and having Uriah killed.[49]

    Historicity

    See The Bible and history and dating the Bible for a more complete description of the general issues surrounding the Bible as a historical source.

    Archaeological evidence

    The Tel Dan Stele.

    Tel Dan Stele and Mesha Stele

    A fragment of an Aramaean victory stele discovered in 1993 at Tel Dan and dated c.850-835 BC contains a phrase ביתדוד (bytdwd). Because ancient Aramaic script does not contain vowels, different readings are possible. Scholars agree that the first part should be read בֵּית (beyt), meaning "house". However, the second part can be read as 1) דּוֹד (dod), which means "uncle" or "beloved" or as 2) דָּוִד (David). The phrase therefore can mean either "House of the beloved", "House of the uncle" or "House of David".[50] Since the stele recounts the victory of an Aramean king over "the king of Israel",[51] the translation of "ביתדוד" as "the House of David" is not illogical.[52][53] The Mesha Stele from Moab, dating from approximately the same period, may also contain the name David, in two places: in line 12, where the interpretation is uncertain, and בת[ד]וד in line 31, where one destroyed letter must be supplied (here it is bracketed in the middle).[54] Kenneth Kitchen has proposed that an inscription of c. 945 BC by the Egyptian Pharaoh Shoshenq I mentions "the highlands of David."[55] Although a reference to King David in this geographical name is not certain, some scholars suggest it is reasonable.[56]

    City of David and Judah, ca. 1000 BC onward

    Main article: City of David
    Part of the Large Stone Structure thought by some archaeologists to be the remains of King David's Palace.

    The Bronze and Iron Age remains of the City of David, the original urban core of Jerusalem identified with the reigns of David and Solomon, were investigated extensively in the 1970s and 1980s under the direction of Yigal Shiloh of the Hebrew University, but failed to discover significant evidence of occupation during the 10th century BC,[57] In 2005, Eilat Mazar found a Large Stone Structure which she claimed was David's Palace, but the archaeology is contaminated and impossible to date accurately.[58][59] Finkelstein and Silberman feel the archaeological evidence from surface surveys indicates that Judah at the time of David was a small tribal kingdom, although both do accept that David and Solomon were likely historical figures in Judah about the 10th century BC. They describe the earliest tales of David as a "classical bandit tale".[60]

    The biblical account

    The biblical account about David comes from the book of Samuel and the book of Chronicles (both of which are divided into two books in Jewish and Christian traditions). However, almost half of the Psalms are headed "A Psalm of David", the headings are later additions, and no psalm can be attributed to David with certainty.[61] Chronicles merely retells Samuel from a different theological vantage point, and contains little if any information not available there, and the biblical evidence for David is therefore dependent almost exclusively on the material contained in the chapters from 1 Samuel 16 to 1 Kings 2.

    Russian icon of St. David, the Prophet and King, 18th century (Iconostasis of Kizhi monastery, Karelia, Russia).

    Since Martin Noth put forward his analysis of the Deuteronomistic History, biblical scholars have accepted that these two books form part of a continuous history of Israel, compiled no earlier than the late 7th century BC, but incorporating earlier works and fragments. Samuel's account of David "seems to have undergone two separate acts of editorial slanting." The original writers show a strong bias against Saul, and in favour of David and Solomon. Many years later, some scholars believe the Deuteronomists edited the material in a manner that conveyed their religious message, inserting reports and anecdotes that strengthened their monotheistic doctrine. Some of the materials in Samuel I and II — notably the boundary, allotment and administrative lists — are believed to be very early, since they correspond closely to what we know of the territorial conditions of the late Davidic-early Solomonic period.[62]

    Beyond this, the full range of possible interpretations is available. The late John Bright, whose History of Israel, which went through four editions from 1959 to 2000, takes Samuel at face value, but Donald B. Redford thinks all reconstructions from Biblical sources for the United Monarchy period are examples of 'academic wishful thinking',[63] and Thomas L. Thompson measures Samuel against the archaeological evidence and concludes that "an independent history of Judea during the Iron I [i.e., the period of David] and Iron II periods has little room for historicizing readings of the stories of I-II Samuel and I Kings."[64] Some interesting studies of David have been written: Baruch Halpern has pictured David as a lifelong vassal of Achish, the Philistine king of Gath;[65] Israel Finkelstein and Neil Asher Silberman have identified as the oldest and most reliable section of Samuel those chapters which describe David as the charismatic leader of a band of outlaws who captures Jerusalem and makes it his capital.[66] Steven McKenzie, Associate Professor of the Hebrew Bible at Rhodes College and author of King David: A Biography, states the belief that David actually came from a wealthy family, was "ambitious and ruthless" and a tyrant who murdered his opponents, including his own sons.[61]

    Succession

    The oldest complete Tree of Jesse window is in Chartres Cathedral, 1145.

    Genealogy

    According to Genesis 46:12 and Ruth 4:18-22, David is the eleventh[67] generation from Judah, the fourth son of the patriarch Jacob (Israel). The genealogical line runs as follows: (1) Judah → (2) Pharez → (3) Hezron → (4) Ram → (5) Amminadab → (6) Nahshon → (7) Salmon → (8) Boaz (the husband of Ruth) → (9) Obed → (10) Jesse → (11) David.[67]

    Family

    David was born in Bethlehem, in the territory of the Tribe of Judah. His father was named Jesse. His mother is not named in the Bible, but the Talmud identifies her as Nitzevet daughter of Adael.[68] David had seven brothers and was the youngest of them all. He had eight wives: Michal, the second daughter of King Saul; Ahinoam the Jezreelite; Abigail the Carmelite, previously wife of Nabal;[69] Maachah, daughter of Talmai, king of Geshur; Haggith; Abital; Eglah; and Bathsheba, previously the wife of Uriah the Hittite.

    The Book of Chronicles lists David's sons by various wives and concubines. In Hebron he had six sons 1 Chronicles 3:1-3: Amnon, by Ahinoam; Daniel, by Abigail; Absalom, by Maachah; Adonijah, by Haggith; Shephatiah, by Abital; and Ithream, by Eglah. By Bathsheba, his sons were: Shammua; Shobab; Nathan; and Solomon. His sons born in Jerusalem by other wives included: Ibhar; Elishua; Eliphelet; Nogah; Nepheg; Japhia; Elishama; and Eliada. 2 Samuel 5:14-16 According to 2 Chronicles 11:18, Jerimoth, who is not mentioned in any of the genealogies, is mentioned as another of David's sons. According to 2 Samuel 9:11, David adopted Jonathan's son Mephibosheth as his own.

    David also had at least one daughter, Tamar by Maachah, who was raped by Amnon, her half-brother. Her rape leads to Amnon's death. 2 Samuel 13:1-29 Absalom, Amnon's half-brother and Tamar's full-brother, waits two years, then avenges his sister by sending his servants to kill Amnon at a feast to which he had invited all the king's sons. 2 Samuel 13

    Descendants

    		 This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (October 2010)

    The following are some of the more notable persons who have claimed descent from the Biblical David, or had it claimed on their behalf:

    Legend and legacy

    In European Christian culture of the Middle Ages, David was created a member of the Nine Worthies, a group of heroes encapsulating all the ideal qualities of chivalry. His life was thus proposed as a valuable subject for study by those aspiring to chivalric status. This aspect of David in the Nine Worthies was popularised firstly through literature, and was thereafter adopted as a frequent subject for painters and sculptors.

    Representation in art and literature

    Art

    Famous sculptures of David include (in chronological order) those by:

    Literature

    • Dryden's long poem Absalom and Achitophel is an allegory that uses the story of the rebellion of Absalom against King David as the basis for his satire of the contemporary political situation, including events such as the Monmouth Rebellion (1685), the Popish Plot (1678) and the Exclusion Crisis.
    • Elmer Davis's novel Giant Killer (1928, The John Day company) retells and embellishes the Biblical story of David, casting David as primarily a poet who managed always to find others to do the "dirty work" of heroism and kingship. In the novel, Elhanan in fact killed Goliath but David claimed the credit; and Joab, David's cousin and general, took it upon himself to make many of the difficult decisions of war and statecraft when David vacillated or wrote poetry instead.
    • Gladys Schmitt wrote a novel titled "David the King" (1946, Doubleday Books) which proceeds as a richly embellished biography of David's entire life. The book took a risk, especially for its time, in portraying David's relationship with Jonathan as overtly homoerotic, but was ultimately panned by critics as a bland rendition of the title character.
    • In Thomas Burnett Swann's Biblical fantasy novel How are the Mighty Fallen (1974, DAW), David and Jonathan are explicitly stated to be lovers. Moreover, Jonathan is a member of a winged semi-human race (possibly nephilim), one of several such races co-existing with humanity but often persecuted by it.
    • Joseph Heller wrote a novel based on David, God Knows (1984, Simon & Schuster). Told from the perspective of an aging David, the humanity — rather than the heroism — of various biblical characters is emphasized. The portrayal of David as a man of flaws such as greed, lust, selfishness, and his alienation from God, the falling apart of his family is a distinctly 20th century interpretation of the events told in the Bible.
    • Juan Bosch, Dominican political leader and writer, wrote "David: Biography of a King" (1966, Hawthorn, NY) a realistic approach to David's life and political career.
    • Allan Massie wrote "King David" (1996, Sceptre), a novel about David's career which portrays the king's relationship to Jonathan and others as openly homosexual.
    • Madeleine L'Engle's novel Certain Women (1993, HarperOne) explores family, the Christian faith, and the nature of God through the story of King David's family and an analogous modern family's saga.
    • Sir Arthur Conan Doyle used the story of David and Bathsheba as the main structure for the Sherlock Holmes story The Adventure of the Crooked Man. The betrayal of the Crooked Man is paralleled with David's betrayal of Uriah the Hittite, carried out in order to win Bathsheba.
    • Stefan Heym's "The King David Report" (1998, Northwestern University Press) is a fiction depicting the writings of the Bible historian Ethan, upon King Solomon's orders, of a true and authoritative report on the life of David, Son of Jesse.
    • Malachi Martin's 1980 factional novel King of Kings: A Novel of the Life of David relates the life of David, Adonai's champion in his battle with the Philistine deity Dagon.
    • William Faulkner's "Absalom, Absalom!"(1936) refers to the story of Absalom, David's son; his rebellion against his father and his death at the hands of David's general, Joab. In addition it parallels Absalom's vengeance for the rape of his sister Tamar by his half-brother, Amnon.
    • Dan Jacobson's The Rape of Tamar (1970) is an imagined account, by one of David's courtiers Yonadab, of the rape of Tamar by Amnon.

    Film

    Music

    • Josquin des Prez's Planxit autem David is a polyphonic setting of 2 Samuel Chapter I verses 17-27, David's lamentation for the dead Saul and Jonathan. His Absalon fili mi is a polyphonic lamentation from David's perspective on the death of his son.
    • George Frideric Handel's oratorio Saul features David as one of its main characters
    • Arthur Honegger's oratorio Le Roi David ('King David'), with a libretto by Rene Morax, was composed in 1921 and instantly became a staple of the choral repertoire; it is still widely performed.
    • Leonard Cohen's song "Hallelujah" has references to David ("there was a secret chord that David played and it pleased the Lord", "The baffled king composing Hallelujah") and Bathsheba ("you saw her bathing on the roof") in its opening verses.
    • "Mad About You", a song on Sting's 1991 album The Soul Cages, explores David's obsession with Bathsheba from David's perspective.
    • Dead by the Pixies is a retelling of David's adultery and repentance.
    • Herbert Howells (1892–1983) composed an artsong for voice and piano called "King David".
    • Eric Whitacre composed a choral piece, "When David Heard," chronicling the death of Absalom and David's grief over losing his son.

    Musical theater

    Television

    Trivia

    For a considerable period, starting in the 15th century and continuing until the 19th, French playing card manufacturers assigned to each of the court cards names taken from history or mythology.[70][71] In this context, the King of Spades was often known as "David".

    See also

    Portal icon Saints portal

    Notes

    1. ^ [1]
    2. ^ 1 Samuel 17:1-58.
    3. ^ 2&src=Samuel 1 Samuel 18:1, 2
    4. ^ See David and Jonathan. There is debate amongst some scholars on whether this relationship might have been platonic, romantic or sexual. The Hebrew word 'ahav, meaning "love," has a very broad range of meanings, including simply the opposite of "hate" (The New Brown-Driver-Briggs-Gesenius Hebrew and English Lexicon [1978], p. 12), which can be shown by loyalty, as in 1 Samuel 18:16, "All Israel and Judah loved David, because he led them in their campaigns." Boswell, John. Same-sex Unions in Premodern Europe. New York: Vintage, 1994; Martti Nissinen, Homoeroticism in the Biblical World, Minneapolis, 1998; When Heroes Love:. The Ambiguity of Eros in the Stories of Gilgamesh and David (New York & Chichester, Columbia University Press, 2005); Homosexuality and Liminality in the Gilgamesh and Samuel (Amsterdam, Hakkert, 2007); Gagnon, The Bible and Homosexual Practice. Texts and Hermeneutics (Nashville, Abingdon Press, 2001); Markus Zehnder, "Observations on the Relationship Between David and Jonathan and the Debate on Homosexuality", Westminster Theological Journal 69 (2007) Nevertheless, the Biblical narrative depicts their relationship favourably.
    5. ^ 2 Samuel 5
    6. ^ BibleGateway.com 2 Samuel 8:7
    7. ^ Stassen, Glen Harold & Gushee, David P. Kingdom ethics: following Jesus in contemporary context, InterVarsity Press, 2003. p. 200.
    8. ^ 2 Samuel 11
    9. ^ 2Samuel 18:14-15
    10. ^ 2 Samuel 18:33, King James Version
    11. ^ 1 Kings 1
    12. ^ 1 Kings 2
    13. ^ 2 Samuel 23:1
    14. ^ 1 Samuel 16:17-23
    15. ^ 2 Chronicles 23:18
    16. ^ Nehemiah 12:24,36, 45-46
    17. ^ Introduction to Psalms (pp. 1280, 1281), The Jewish Study Bible, Tanakh Translation. Berlin, Adele; Brettler, Marc Zvi; Fishbane, Michael, eds. Jewish Publication Society, New York: Oxford University Press. ISBN 0195297512
    18. ^ "David" and "Psalms, Book of," New Bible Dictionary, second edition,1982. Douglas, J.D. (organizing editor), Wheaton, Illinois: Tyndale Press. ISBN 0842346678
    19. ^ Introduction to Psalms (p. 1013), NIV Study Bible,1995. Barker, Kenneth, Burdick, Donald; Stek John; Wessel, Walter; Youngblood, Ronald, eds. Zondervan. Grand Rapids, MI, USA ISBN 0310927099
    20. ^ "Psalms, Book of," New Bible Dictionary, second edition,1982. Douglas, J.D. (organizing editor), Wheaton, Illinois: Tyndale Press. ISBN 0842346678
    21. ^ "Psalms, Book of", New Bible Dictionary, second edition,1982. Douglas, J.D. (organizing editor), Wheaton, Illinois: Tyndale Press. ISBN 0842346678
    22. ^ Introduction to Psalms (p. 1284), The Jewish Study Bible, Tanakh Translation, 2004. Berlin, Adele; Brettler, Marc Zvi; Fishbane, Michael, eds. Jewish Publication Society, New York: Oxford University Press. ISBN 0195297512
    23. ^ Midrash Psalms 24 read online
    24. ^ Psalms 3, 7, 18, 34, 51, 52, 54, 56, 57, 59, 60, 63 and 142, Commentary on II Samuel 22, The Anchor Bible, Vol. 9. II Samuel. P. Kyle McCarter, Jr., 1984. New York: Doubleday. ISBN 0385068085
    25. ^ Psalm 34, Interlinear NIV Hebrew-English Old Testament. Kohlenberger, J.R, 1987. Grand Rapids, Michigan:Zondervan Publishing House ISBN 031040200X
    26. ^ 1 Samuel 21:15 (NIV)
    27. ^ Explanatory Notes on Psalm 34, ‘’Treasury of David’’ (1885), Charles H. Spurgeon, Hendrickson Publishers, 1988. ISBN 0917006259 read online
    28. ^ Commentary on Psalm 34, The Jewish Study Bible, Tanakh Translation. Berlin, Adele; Brettler, Marc Zvi; Fishbane, Michael, eds. Jewish Publication Society, New York: Oxford University Press. ISBN 0195297512
    29. ^ Commentary on II Samuel 22, The Anchor Bible, Vol. 9: II Samuel. P. Kyle McCarter, Jr., 1984. New York: Doubleday. ISBN 0385068085
    30. ^ Commentary on Psalm 18: The Anchor Bible, Vol. 16. Psalms I. Mitchell Dahood, 1995. New York:Doubleday. ISBN 0385522509
    31. ^ Feinberg, Charles Lee, Th.D., Ph.D., 1947. The Date of the Psalms. Bibliotheca Sacra 104: 426-40 Dallas Theological Seminary Department of Semitics and Old Testament, p. 429 read online
    32. ^ 2 Samuel 22 and Psalm 18, Interlinear NIV Hebrew-English Old Testament. Kohlenberger, J.R, 1987. Grand Rapids, Michigan:Zondervan Publishing House ISBN 031040200X
    33. ^ Psalm 18:4 (NIV)
    34. ^ For example, “At noon, will I pray, and cry aloud” Ps 55:17. “In my distress I cried to the Lord” Ps 18:6. “Unto thee have I cried, O Lord” Ps 88:13. “Out of the depths have I cried” Ps 130:1. “Unto thee will I cry, O Lord my rock” Ps 28:1.
    35. ^ quoted in Explanatory Notes on Psalm 34, ‘’Treasury of David’’ (1885), Charles H. Spurgeon, Hendrickson Publishers, 1988. ISBN 0917006259 read online
    36. ^ Midrash Psalms 4, emphasis is in the source. read online
    37. ^ J. Murphy-O'Connor, Oxford Archaeological Guides: The Holy Land, 105-06.
    38. ^ Babylonian Talmud, Tractate Sanhedrin. pp. 107a. 
    39. ^ Jewish Encyclopedia, "David"
    40. ^ Zohar Bereishis 91b
    41. ^ "David" article from Encyclopædia Britannica Online
    42. ^ John Corbett (1911) King David The Catholic Encyclopedia (New York: Robert Appleton Company)
    43. ^ Oxford Illustrated History of Christianity,
    44. ^ Saint of the Day for December 29 at St. Patrick Catholic Church, Washington, D.C.
    45. ^ A-Z of Prophets in Islam and Judaism, Wheeler, David
    46. ^ Encyclopedia of Islam, Dawud
    47. ^ Stories of the Prophets, Ibn Kathir, Story of David
    48. ^ Cole, Juan (1982). "The Concept of Manifestation in the Bahá'í Writings". Bahá'í Studies monograph 9: 1–38. http://bahai-library.com/cole_concept_manifestation. 
    49. ^ Doctrine and Covenants 132:1, 38-39 (see highlighted portions).
    50. ^ *Mykytiuk, Lawrence J. (2004). "Identifying Biblical Persons in Northwest Semitic Inscriptions of 1200-539 B.C.E." Atlanta, Ga.: Society of Biblical Literature. See pp. 110-132 and 265-277. "If the reading of בֵּיתדָּוִד [House of David] on the Tel Dan stele is correct, (...) then we have solid evidence that a 9th-century BC Aramean king considered the founder of the Judean dynasty to be a ruler named דָּוִד [David]. P. 132 states that "Although interpreters are free to favor possibilities . . . other than "the house of David," these other meanings remain largely theoretical, rather than demonstrable."
    51. ^ Tel Dan Stele
    52. ^ Biran, Avraham and Naveh, J. "An Aramaic Stele Fragment From Tel Dan." Israel Exploration Journal 43 (1993).
    53. ^ Picking Abraham and Choosing David, Christopher Heard, Associate Professor of Religion at Pepperdine University. See also Israeli journalist Daniel Gavron's King David and Jerusalem - Myth and Reality for a useful overview.
    54. ^ Mykytiuk, Lawrence J. (2004). "Identifying Biblical Persons in Northwest Semitic Inscriptions of 1200-539 B.C.E." (Atlanta: Society of Biblical Literature), pp. 265-279.
    55. ^ K. A. Kitchen, "A Possible Mention of David in the Late Tenth Century BC, and Deity *Dod as Dead as the Dodo?" Journal for the Study of the Old Testament 76 (1997): 29–44, especially 39–41.
    56. ^ Lawrence J. Mykytiuk, "Corrections and Updates to 'Identifying Biblical Persons in Northwest Semitic Inscriptions of 1200—539 B.C.E.,'" Maarav 16/1 (2009), pp. 119-121, which observes that this geographical name was inscribed within 45 years or less after the biblical time of King David's death and sees a parallel to another geographic name, "the city of David," in 2 Sam 5:7,9; 6:10, etc.; 1 Kgs 2:10, etc.; Isa 22:9; 1 Chr 11:5,7, etc.
    57. ^ See David Ussishkin, "Solomon's Jerusalem: The Text and the Facts on the Ground," in: A.G. Vaughn and A.E. Killebrew (eds.), Jerusalem in Bible and Archaeology: The First Temple Period, (Society of Biblical Literature, Symposium Series, No. 18), Atlanta, 2003, pp. 103-115. See also Cahill, J., "David's Jerusalem, Fiction or Reality? The Archaeological Evidence Proves It," and Steiner, M., "David's Jerusalem, Fiction or Reality? It's Not There: Archaeology Proves a Negative," both in Biblical Archaeology Review 24 (July/August 1998). (These two scholars argue opposite sides of the case for a Jerusalem in keeping with the biblical portrayal).
    58. ^ Rossner, Rena (January 26, 2006). "The once and future city". The Jerusalem Post. http://fr.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1137605923369&pagename=JPost/JPArticle/ShowFull. Retrieved November 15, 2009. "In August 2005, corroborating her conclusions with biblical verses, Mazar announced that she had found King David's palace." 
    59. ^ See Eilat Mazar, "Did I find David's Temple?" in Biblical Archeology Review, Jan/Feb 2006
    60. ^ Finkelstein, Israel; Neil Asher SilbermanDavid and Solomon: In Search of the Bible's Sacred Kings and the Roots of the Western Tradition Simon & Schuster Ltd (16 October 2006) ISBN 978-0743243629 p32
    61. ^ a b Steven McKenzie, Associate Professor Rhodes College, Memphis, Tennessee.
    62. ^ Norman K. Gottwald, Tribes of Yahweh: A Sociology of the Religion of Liberated Israel, 1250-1050 BCE, Continuum 1999 pp.156-157, p.162.
    63. ^ Donald B. Redford, Egypt, Canaan, and Israel in Ancient Times, Princeton University Press, 1992 pp.301-307, p.301.
    64. ^ "A View from Copenhagen", Thomas L. Thompson, Professor of Old Testament, Copenhagen University.
    65. ^ Baruch Halpern, "David's Secret Demons", 2001.Review of Baruch Halpern's "David's Secret Demons".
    66. ^ Finkelstein and Silberman, "David and Solomon", 2006. See review "Archaeology" magazine.
    67. ^ a b Note, 'eleventh' - counting Judah as first - like the example in the book of Jude where Enoch is said to be the 'seventh from Adam', which makes Adam first. Jude 1:14
    68. ^ Talmud Tractate Bava Batra 91a
    69. ^ |1|Samuel|25
    70. ^ "The Four King Truth" at the Urban Legends Reference Pages
    71. ^ "Courts on playing cards", by David Madore, with illustrations of the Anglo-American and French court cards

    References

    Translations of 1 and 2 Samuel

    Commentaries on Samuel

    General

    Further reading

    • Alexander, David; Alexander, Pat, eds. (1983). Eerdmans' handbook to the Bible ([New, rev.]. ed.). Grand Rapids, Mich.: Eerdmans. ISBN 0802834868. 
    • Bright, John (1981). A history of Israel (3rd ed.). Philadelphia: Westminster Press. ISBN 0664213812. 
    • Bruce, F. F. (1963). Israel and the Nations. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans. 
    • Harrison, R.K. (1969). An Introduction to the Old Testament. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans. 
    • Kidner, Derek (1973). The Psalms. Downers Grove, IL: Inter-Varsity Press. ISBN 0877848688. 
    • Noll, K. L. (1997). The faces of David. Sheffield: Sheffield Acad. Press. ISBN 1850756597. 
    • Thompson, J.A. (1986). Handbook of life in Bible times. Leicester, England: Inter-Varsity Press. ISBN 0877849498. 

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    David of the United Kingdom of Israel & Judah
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