David, King of Israel

Hebrew king (r. c. 1000-c. 962 b.c.e.)

• Born: c. 1030 b.c.e.
• Birthplace: Bethlehem, Judah (now in Palestine)
• Died: c. 962 b.c.e.
• Place of death: Jerusalem (now in Israel)

According to Hebrew tradition and the biblical record, David was the greatest king of Israel. It was prophesied of him that through his lineage the promise of a latter-day Messiah and other spiritual blessings would be fulfilled, making him a key monarch in the history of Israel and of importance to the development of both Christianity and Judaism.

Early Life

The record of the life of David (DAY-vihd) is found in the Bible in the historical writings of 1 Samuel 16 through 1 Kings 2, with some material repeated in 1 Chronicles 2-29 and in selected psalms attributed to him in the Old Testament. The early story of David’s life is contained in 1 Samuel 18-19, though there are references to his life scattered throughout the rest of the Old Testament and in the New Testament. In the latter book, the birth of Jesus of Nazareth is specifically linked with the line of David and serves as one of the criteria Jesus and his later followers used to proclaim him the Messiah and King of the Jews. Most modern scholars accept the substantial historicity of these narratives.

The dating of David’s birth and early life is primarily informed guesswork, but archaeological consensus is that David was born sometime around the second half of the eleventh century b.c.e. The great-grandson of Ruth and Boaz, David was the youngest of eight sons of Jesse, evidently a wealthy man who owned property and livestock and faithfully worshiped Yahweh, the god of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. As part of the lineage of Judah, David was qualified by Jewish tribal tradition for rulership in Israel. In the Bible, he alone is named David, symbolic of his prominence and importance in sacred history to both Jews and Christians.

David’s early fame and preparation for kingship arose from his humble shepherding and his affinity for music; he was said to be a boy who could tame both beasts and the belligerent with his sweet tones. When Saul, the king of Israel, was to be deposed as a result of his lack of obedience to God, the prophet Samuel was commissioned by God to anoint the young David, much to the jealous chagrin of his elder brothers. There ensued from this set of events much intrigue between David and Saul, as the rejected king’s fall from the throne was accompanied by an apparent madness or manic-depressive state that affected his ability to govern even himself, a malady that the young shepherd-musician was called on to soothe with his music.

After David was put to the test in his legendary confrontation with the giant Philistine, Goliath, his stature as a leader began to overshadow that of Saul. In this familiar tale, David kills the taunting adversary with his slingshot and then beheads him, giving the glory of the victory to God.

As the reputation of David spread from this heroic exploit, Saul became less enamored of the young shepherd boy who had befriended his son Jonathan, and he began to see David as a bitter rival, ignorant of the fact that God had already chosen David to be his successor. Soon David was under siege, as attempts were made on his life. He was saved from one plot against him by the ingenuity of his wife Michal, one of Saul’s daughters. (An irony of these court intrigues was the support David received from Saul’s household through Jonathan and Michal.) The next stages in the life of David were marked by finding refuge from Saul, while awaiting the former king’s demise and his own coronation as king. During this time, David wrote many of the psalms attributed to him in the Book of Psalms, autobiographical poems and songs that reveal the inner conflict he experienced while trying to evade the plots on his life that were initiated by Saul and his followers.

Life’s Work

As the reign of Saul came to an end, David had two opportunities to assassinate Saul and assume the throne immediately, but he chose to spare the king’s life. In battle against the Philistines, Jonathan as well as Saul’s other two sons were killed. Himself mortally wounded, Saul committed suicide rather than fall into the hands of the enemy. When David learned of their deaths, he tore his clothes and wept. David was eventually anointed by his own tribesmen and established his reign in Hebron at the age of thirty. He remained in Hebron for seven and a half years.

Eventually, after a fierce but brief civil war between supporters of David and the remaining followers of Saul, he moved the capital to Jerusalem. David’s reign in Jerusalem lasted more than thirty-three years, and the early decades of it were quite successful and were seen as blessed by God. With David’s skillful military leadership, Israel conquered many of its enemies, including the ever-threatening Philistines and neighboring rivals Moab, Ammon, and Edom. During David’s reign, Israel’s dominance grew from the Egyptian boundaries to the upper Euphrates River. Major roads were built for travel and trade, and the kingdom prospered mightily. David was motivated, however, by more than a desire for military conquest and social prosperity for his people. At the center of his commitment was a religious devotion to God, who he believed had brought him to power.

In response to his devotional impulses, David won back from the Philistines the Ark of the Covenant, a sacred vessel that housed the tablets on which the Ten Commandments had been written and other sacred relics of Israel’s history. It was then returned to a special tabernacle prepared for it in Jerusalem. This acquisition gave Jerusalem even more prominence in a time when Israel was just coming to maturity as a nation-state and looking for a center of influence. The irony of David’s laudable motivations to restore these important religious artifacts to Israel, and thus to inspire Israel to greater faith and devotion, is that his adultery with Bathsheba and the arranged murder of her husband occurred in this time period.

The biblical record suggests that while gazing from his palace, David saw below the figure of Bathsheba, who bathed seductively in open view. Acting on his lust, David committed adultery, and a child was conceived. David then ordered her soldier-husband, Uriah, to the front lines, where he was killed. The prophet Nathan, commissioned by God to confront David with his sins, told the king a parable of a rich man who stole a lamb from a poor man. David was crushed by the weight of his sin and the subsequent death of the child born to Bathsheba. Bathsheba gave birth to another child of David, Solomon, who later succeeded his father on the throne. David’s reign, however, never quite recovered from this act, and it symbolized the turning point in his kingship. Absalom, David’s son by his wife Maacah, began to plot against his father to take over the throne but was defeated by David’s loyal commander, Joab. David’s last days as king were marred by the internecine warfare between Adonijah and Solomon for his throne.

The one triumph of his career that would have meant most to David was the construction of a temple of worship to Yahweh in Jerusalem. This privilege, however, was ironically denied to David, the master of ode, music, and song, “the sweet psalmist of Israel” (2 Sam. 23:1), and left for his son Solomon. David was denied this honor because he had been a man of war. David died, however, with the reassuring words of the prophet Nathan on his heart:

When your days are fulfilled and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring after you, who shall come forth from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom for ever. (2 Sam. 7:12-13)

Many later Christian writers interpret this prophecy as messianic, as pointing to the coming of Jesus. In the Book of Acts, the Apostle Peter, in his first message after the ascension of Christ, refers to many of David’s deeds and words as being fulfilled in the life of Jesus.

Significance

David is clearly a pivotal figure in the history of ancient Israel and in the development of Christianity. In regard to the latter, he is repeatedly mentioned as an ancestor, forerunner, and foreshadower of Jesus Christ. David’s impact and influence can be directly related to his personality, at once winsome and capable. His understanding of military strategy and administrative decision-making allowed him to achieve innumerable successes. He also clearly had a flawed character, however, one given to momentary flights of wild misjudgment, including lust, which magnified the instability of his family life. In a time of polygamy, David fared no better than most men in maintaining multiple households, often engendering much strife among his sets of children, and in his notorious relationship with Bathsheba.

Nevertheless, it was David and the city he built, Jerusalem, to which Israel’s people repeatedly turned for inspiration. When later generations sought relief from foreign domination or unwise kings, they longed for a king like David and looked forward to a time when the Messiah, promised to David himself, would sit on his throne and reign over Israel.

No summary of David’s life would be complete without a discussion of the many psalms that are attributed to him in the Old Testament’s Book of Psalms. While it is difficult to determine how many of the psalms were actually composed by him, a number of them can be seen as true reflections of a man of many triumphs and sorrows. Perhaps the two most famous psalms attributed to David are Psalm 23 and Psalm 51. The former is the famous “shepherd psalm,” in which David compares his relationship to God with that of a sheep to a shepherd. Psalm 51 is an intensely autobiographical poem that details David’s adultery with Bathsheba and his confession of that sin. In this most personal, psychologically complex psalm, the writer calls out desperately for mercy, recognizing that what is needed is not another animal sacrifice but a “broken spirit.”

Many generations of Jewish and Christian believers have been enriched by the psalmic literature attributed to David. The psalms have formed the basis for many Christian hymnals and prayer books since their compilation in the late centuries b.c.e. The confessional nature of many of these psalms also has inspired religious writers from Saint Augustine to Anne Bradstreet to John Bunyan to create autobiographical narratives detailing their estrangement from and reconciliation with God.

Bibliography

Albright, William Foxwell. The Archaeology of Palestine. Cambridge, Mass.: American Schools of Oriental Research, 1974. This standard work on the archaeology of the ancient world remains a comprehensive and informed overview of the historical data gleaned from that time. Overall, it provides the reader with an authentic sense of the civilization from which David originated and the one in which he became a prominent ruler.

Alexander, David, and Pat Alexander, eds. Eerdmans’ Handbook to the Bible. Rev. ed. Grand Rapids, Mich.: Wm. B. Eerdmans, 1987. A comprehensive handbook to biblical history and geography with historical interpretations that trace David’s rise to power in the kingdom of Israel and illuminate for the lay reader the specific episodes in his life drawn from the biblical text.

Alter, Robert. The David Story: A Translation with Commentary of 1 and 2 Samuel. New York: W. W. Norton, 1999. This biography of David contains extensive footnotes covering all aspects of life in David’s times.

Bright, John. A History of Israel. 4th ed. Louisville, Ky.: Westminster J. Knox Press, 2000. A thorough and compelling, nontheological treatment of the history of Israel. Sections on the world of the kingdoms and civilizations contemporary with the rule of David shed light on the story of his life and sustain the interest of both the common reader and the scholar. Includes helpful anecdotal commentary on life in ancient times.

Bruce, F. F. Israel and the Nations: The History of Israel from the Exodus to the Fall of the Second Temple. Carlisle, Cumbria, England: Paternoster Press, 1997. A comprehensive historical analysis of the kings of Israel beginning with Saul and David and continuing through the Davidic line. Provides a clear and succinct overview of the reign of David and the impact of David’s rule throughout Israeli history.

Halpern, Baruch. David’s Secret Demons: Messiah, Murderer, Traitor, King. Grand Rapids, Mich.: Wm. B. Eerdmans, 2001. Halpern analyzes the story of David from textual, historical, and archaeological perspectives. He methodically destroys the positive image of David, calling him a killer, thug, mercenary, adulterer, assassin, bandit, brigand, and predator.

Harrison, R. K. An Introduction to the Old Testament. Grand Rapids, Mich.: Wm. B. Eerdmans, 1972. A complete overview of the origin, message, and impact of each book of the Old Testament, speaking directly to the issues of the chronology and authenticity of the biblical narrative of David’s life and discussing his influence both in ancient Israel and in the present. A massive, comprehensive scholarly work with extensive documentation.

Kidner, Derek. The Psalms. 2 vols. Downers Grove, Ill.: Inter-Varsity Press, 1976. Comprehensive overview and interpretation of the psalms written by David.

Kitchen, K. A. The Bible in Its World. Downers Grove, Ill.: Inter-Varsity Press, 1977. An insider’s look at the world of archaeology and how it functions in validating ancient records and narratives. It is particularly helpful in its extensive examination of antiquity’s cultural artifacts and social conditions against the backdrop of the age of Saul, David, and Solomon, and the remainder of David’s lineage.

Schultz, Samuel J. The Old Testament Speaks. 5th ed. San Francisco: HarperSanFrancisco, 2000. Written for the lay reader, this cogent and lucidly written volume presents an objective, historical analysis of the lives of the patriarchs, including a major section on David and the kings of Israel and their role in the evolution of ancient Israel.

Thompson, J. A. Handbook to Life in Bible Times. Downers Grove, Ill.: Inter-Varsity Press, 1986. A colorful, lavishly illustrated reference tool with key sections on the domestic life, travel, family customs, and cultural preoccupations of the biblical world. Illuminates the life and times of Israel and its kings in the period between 1400 and 1000 b.c.e., and thus is a helpful contextualizing volume for a study of David.