The prophet and King David (1004-965 B.C.), as we discover from the Psalter written by him and from the books of the kings, where his life is recounted, is a complete man who brings together in himself all the turmoil and all the exaltation of the human being. Holy Scripture shows David to be beautiful not only in soul but also in body, courageous and skillful in battle.
King David is one of the most famous biblical characters. The Holy Scripture says that he was a man “after God’s own heart”. He is presented as the greatest of the Israelite kings, and the incarnation of the Saviour was to take place through his lineage. Despite this fundamental role he played in Israel’s history until recently, no evidence outside the Bible has been known of his existence. For this reason, many scholars have doubted the existence of King David.
In 1994 two pieces were discovered containing inscriptions referring to Jeroham, son of Ahab, ruler over Israel, and Ahaziah, who was ruler over the “House of David” or Judah. These names and deeds correspond to information found in chapters 8 and 9 of II Kings.
Table of Contents
Who was King David and why was he so important?
“My hands have made the harp, and my fingers have made the Psalter (Ps. 151:2) – the prophet confesses – but the same hands have strangled lions and killed bears (I Kings 17:34). But what could be more than the testimony of the Lord Himself, who said, “I have found David, a man after My own heart?
(Jesse in Hebrew), a native of Bethlehem where he was a shepherd. The Bible describes his appearance in these words: “David was fair, with beautiful eyes and a pleasant face” (1 Sam 16:12). Likewise, it portrays him as a man of skillful speech and courage, as well as a bold warrior. He must have been extraordinarily robust and brave if he was able to kill the lions and bears that attacked his flocks.
The Saviour Christ was called “the son of David”, and all the people of Israel were prouder of their forefather than of Moses and Abraham, because of the many wars fought by King David, from which he always emerged victoriously. Finally, all the services of the Church are based on the psalms, and we believe that as long as this world lasts, people will glorify God through the words of David.
Biography of King David
| Full name: | King David |
| Year of birth: | 1040 BC |
| Year of death: | 970 BC |
| The thread of life: | about 70 years |
| Place of birth: | Bethlehem, United Kingdom of Israel |
| Mother's name: | Nitzevet |
| Father's name: | Ieseu |
| Children: | Solomon, Avesa, lom, Shammua, Natan, Adonia, Tamar, Amnon, Tefania, Chileab, Eliada, ShobabItream, Jerimoth, Nepheg, Elishua, Nogah, Eliphalet, Elishama, Japhia. |
| Nationality: | Israeli, Jewish |
| Summary of life: | David was a shepherd of sheep but because of his good heart. He was chosen by God to be king. |
| Life lessons: | The lesson is that even the weakest can win against the strongest. We're not strong unless we have God. |
| Life accomplishments: | He composed psalms and designed the temple. The templewas buit by Solomon's son but was designed by David. King David united the tribes into becoming one nation. |
| Death cause: | Hypothermia |
Biblical places from the times of David
Read also: Eusebius of Caesarea. Who was Eusebius of Caesarea?
Where did King David come from?
The Bible contains a wealth of information about David. Even as a child David’s heart was given over to God in its entirety. He was beautiful not only in the face (I Sam.16:18) but also in character (I Sam.16:7). Although he was elected king of united Israel (around 1004 BC), he always had a humble attitude.
King David came from Bethlehem, from the tribe of Judah. David’s kingdom is presented as glorious and marked by countless successes while the king is described as a sovereign faithful in all things to Yahweh. But there is no shortage of shadows in David’s personal and family life. He committed adultery with Bathsheba, the wife of the Hittite Uriah, whom he saw bathing, and lusted after her.
Scripture tells us about the people of Israel, protected by God, who was attacked by a warlike and cruel nation, the Philistines. The most famous moment of David’s life is the battle with the giant Goliath (I Sam.17:42-58).
What happened to King David in the Bible?
The prophet Nathan predicted that David’s dynasty would last forever and that the Messiah would be a direct descendant of David. One of the blessings that follow after the reading of the Haftarah on Shabbat and the High Holidays proclaims: “Rejoice us, O God our master… with the kingdom of the house of the anointed David. May he come soon and fill our hearts with joy.”
According to Bible, David became king of Israel, and later he escaped from Solomon by fleeing Jerusalem. In battle, Absalom got his hair caught in the branches of an oak tree and was killed. Shortly after this, another of David’s sons, Adonijah, managed to draw some of the court rulers to his side and proclaimed himself king in the Kidron Valley. But Solomon eventually prevailed and once on the throne, he executed Adonijah and David’s other enemies. David died after about forty years of reign and was buried in Jerusalem.
David always trusted in God and relied on this help, fighting and acting in the name of the Lord (I Sam.17:45-47). Fighting in the name of the Lord, he not only had courage but also acted with great wisdom. Because David knew who the real enemy was, he knew when to fight and when to avoid fighting, waiting for the right time and the victory that God assured.
Read also: Leah in the Bible. Why is Leah important in the Bible?
Is there historical evidence of King David?
In the summer of 1993, an archaeologist was to make an astonishing discovery. Dr. Avraham Biran and his team were excavating at a site called Tell Dan, located in northern Galilee at the base of Mount Hermon. The evidence indicated that this was the site of the land of Dan mentioned in the Old Testament.
A team of archaeologists discovered the ruins of an imposing royal court that attests to the historical existence of King David. Fragments of a basalt slab containing Aramaic inscriptions have also been discovered. The slab contains thirty lines of writing, but none of the sentences are complete. The preserved letters are easy to read. Two of the lines include the phrases “The King of Israel” and “The House of David”.
This is the first reference to Emperor David found outside the Bible. The discovery has caused many scholars to reconsider their perspective on the historicity of the Davidic kingdom.
Who was David’s bestfriend?
Choosing the right friends has always been a dilemma for young people and a source of confidence or, conversely, of problems for their parents. Our social environment can dictate our behavior and have a decisive influence on our decisions, especially when we are teenagers, which is why it is considered a decisive element in the formation of the future adult’s personality. This is why the example of the friendship between the priest-king David and Jonathan, the son of King Saul, is important, precisely because it also reflects the difficulties involved in this relationship, not just the benefits.
The Bible tells us that Jonathan was the king’s best friend. David and Jonathan were able to form a special friendship precisely because they had so many qualities in common: modesty, generosity, mutual respect, and team spirit. These mutually shared qualities provided a very solid foundation for their relationship, and when King Saul began to behave inappropriately, neither David nor Jonathan blamed the other.
And isn’t Scripture right when it tells us ‘The faithful friend is the medicine of life and those who fear the Lord will find him. He who fears the Lord will keep his friendship well, for he will keep his neighbor as himself’ (Ecclesiastes 6:16-17)?
Key Verse related to King David
“Saul was afraid of David because the Lord was with him but had departed from Saul.”
1 Samuel 18:12 (NIV)
Read also: The Gift of Prophecy. What Is the Nature and Purpose of the Gift of Prophecy?
When did David and Jonathan’s friendship begin?
Jonathan, the son of King Saul, was so amazed, amazed, and delighted by David’s courage in fighting Goliath that he longed to have such a friend. Of course, he noticed in David a young man with a special, special character.
The most beautiful friendship we know from the Bible is the friendship between David and Jonathan, son of Emperor Saul, which began when the young David, with a rod and a sling, went against Goliath and killed him. “From that time, Jonathan’s soul clung to David’s soul, and Jonathan loved him as his soul.”-1 Samuel 18:1. On that day, they “made a covenant before the Lord,” and Jonathan gave David his cloak, clothing, and weapons.
May the Lord grant us holy, true friendships like that between David and Jonathan! And if anyone thinks he cannot have such a friendship, let him look to the Lord Jesus, the best friend of each of us. Human friendship wants reciprocity, you can’t be friends with someone who treats you badly… But Christ, “while we were still sinners”, died for us.
Who anointed David the second time?
Christians must also look forward to their daily encounter with the Lord. When one becomes a Christian, he or she becomes a child of God and a member of His family. A child’s greatest joy is to have fellowship with his father and to know him as well as possible. We can do the same with our heavenly Father when we spend time in silence with Him.
Emperor David was anointed a second time by God Himself. Yet we see how Samuel, even after many years of ministry, was tempted to decide to anoint Israel’s new king by appearances. But when God chooses, man is silent.
Samuel was put in the choice between God’s will for him and the possibility of losing his life or not putting his life at risk.
Read more: Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa. Who was King Agrippa in the Bible?
Why did David write Psalm 50?
The prophet Nathan mercilessly rebuked the king for such an offense. The son born of adultery dies shortly after birth. David bitterly repented of his guilt, begging forgiveness in the penitential psalm 50 (51): ‘Have mercy on me, O God, and according to your great goodness, blot out my transgression’.
David wrote Psalm 50 because he gave the command for Bathsheba’s husband to be sent to the front lines of war, where he died. And because of him, an innocent man shed his blood.
Bathsheba became pregnant again and gave birth to Solomon, whom David appointed as his successor. The succession to the throne was marked by fighting and disagreements between the brothers. The legitimate successor would have been the firstborn, Amnon, but he slept with his half-sister Tamar and was eliminated by her brother Absalom, who then wanted to succeed him as pretender to the throne and staged a revolt against his father David.
Primary Takeaways
- David came from humble beginnings and went from shepherd to king through an eventful journey. His life, with its peaks and troughs, is recounted in the biblical books from 1 Sam 16, through 2 Sam to 1 Kg 2:12 (the parallel presentation in 1 Chr 10:1-29:30).
- David was the last of the eight children of Jesse (Isai, in Hebrew), a native of Bethlehem where he was a shepherd. The Bible describes his appearance in these words: “David was fair, with beautiful eyes and a pleasant face” (1 Sam 16:12).
- Rejecting Saul for his sins while he was still on the throne, God sent the prophet Samuel to anoint David king in secret.
Read also: Saint Helena. Who is Helena of Constantinople?
Conclusion
While David’s image grows brighter, Saul’s grows darker by the day. Saul becomes suspicious and envious of David, his early admiration and sympathy turn to hatred, enmity, and violence, so much so that one day he tried to pierce him with his spear, determined as he was to kill him. David flees from Saul, who has become dangerous to him and unpredictable, and goes at first to the Philistines. Suspected by them, he seeks refuge in the cave of Adullam in the Judean desert.
Here, David is presented in the less than honorable guise of a gang leader and predator: “David ravaged the land, and left neither man nor beast alive, and took sheep, oxen, asses, camels, and clothes for prey” (2 Sam 27:9). He shows himself benevolent only to Saul, who now blinded by anger, continues to persecute him as an enemy in a futile attempt to get rid of him.
Thank you for your patience! You guys are the best! Next, you can access the attached Bible quiz to test your knowledge of the King of Israel.
Quizlet about King David’s Reign
Bibliography
- McKenzie, S. L. (2000). King David: a biography. Oxford University Press.
- Holladay, J. D., Hu, J., King, D. L., & Wang, Y. (2009). An overview of hydrogen production technologies. Catalysis Today, 139(4), 244-260.
- Heym, S. (1997). The King David Report. Northwestern University Press.
- Gunn, D. M. (1978). The story of King David: genre and interpretation (Vol. 6). A&C Black.
- Chin, J. W., Santoro, S. W., Martin, A. B., King, D. S., Wang, L., & Schultz, P. G. (2002). Addition of p-Azido-l-phenylalanine to the Genetic Code of Escherichia c oli. Journal of the American Chemical Society, 124(31), 9026-9027.
