| “ | Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of Death,
I shall fear no evil Lord, for you are with me. |
„ |
| ~ King David |
David is described in the Hebrew Bible as king of the United Monarchy of Israel and Judah. David is a young shepherd who gains fame first as a musician and later by killing the Gibborim known as Goliath, champion of the Philistines. He becomes a favorite of King Saul and a close friend of Saul's son Jonathan.
History[]
Origins[]
David was born in Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, in the year 2854 (907 BCE), during the era of the prophets. He was the youngest of seven sons, and only 10 generations removed from Judah, one of Jacob's 12 sons. He was also a descendant of Ruth, the famous Moabite convert.
A red-cheeked, bright-eyed and handsome young man, he used to tend to the sheep of his father, Jesse. Now, the people had recently anointed Saul as the first king of Israel, but his sin caused him to quickly fall from Divine grace. At this time God appeared to Samuel and told him to go to Bethlehem, where he would find the future king among one of the sons of Jesse. Samuel was to anoint the chosen one as king. The prophet went to Bethlehem on the pretext of holding Divine services there, for he feared lest Saul detect his true purpose. Once in Beth-Lehem, Samuel imparted his secret to Jesse.
Jesse presented to the prophet each of his seven sons in turn. David was absent, tending the sheep. Although they were all men of laudable qualities, none of them qualified for this high position. When Samuel was informed that Jesse's youngest son was in the field tending the flocks, he demanded that he be brought to him immediately. Upon seeing David, Samuel knew by Divine inspiration that he was the chosen one. Samuel then anointed him as the future king of Israel. From that day the spirit of God rested on David.
Meeting King Saul[]
Almost simultaneously with the anointing of David, Saul was stricken with an evil spirit which threw him into a deep melancholy. The king's friends and courtiers noticed this sudden change and advised him to seek a good musician to ease his mind with the strains of sweet music. David, the future Psalmist, had already become known for his wonderful music as well as for his divine poetry. David was summoned to the king's court, where his sweet music on the harp helped to set the king's troubled mind at ease. Little did Saul know that the young lad who was playing before him was destined to be his successor.
David Vs Goliath[]
At this time, King Saul was battling the Philistines, longtime enemies of Israel. In the valley of Elah, the two armies were poised for battle, with nothing but a hill separating them. The Philistines vastly outnumbered Saul’s army. A Philistine giant, Goliath, appeared on the hill, and his words came roaring down like thunder:
Why should you come out to engage in battle? I am the champion of the Philistines, and you are Saul’s servants. Choose one of your men and let him come down against me. If he overcomes me in combat and kills me, we will become your slaves; but if I best him and kill him, you shall be our slaves and serve us.
The sight of the fierce giant, a towering figure on the hill, clad in armor, iron and brass from head to foot, filled the Jews with great terror. There was not a single man in the Israelite camp who dared accept the challenge. Day after day, for 40 days, this mighty giant appeared on the hill to repeat his challenge, morning and evening.
At that time David was at home caring for his father's sheep. His three older brothers were serving with Saul's army. Jesse called David and requested him to take some provisions to his brothers. David arrived at the Jewish encampment just when Goliath was again defying Israel to produce an opponent to stand up against him. Surprised at the lack of courage of his brethren, David showed by his interest in the matter that he was willing to match his strength against that of the giant. He was immediately brought before Saul. At first Saul refused to send this youth against the veteran Goliath. Then David, anxious to obtain the king's consent, related his successful encounters with a lion and a bear and concluded,
The Lord that delivered me out of the paw of the lion and out of the paw of the bear, He will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine.
Yielding at last, Saul said, "Go, and the Lord be with thee." David donned Saul's suit of armor, which the king offered him. But, when he saw how enviously the king eyed him, David pretended that the armor was too cumbersome for him, and he returned the suit to Saul. He took his staff in one hand and his sling in the other; and choosing five smooth stones out of the brook, he put them into his shepherd's bag, which he threw round his shoulder. Thus armed, he drew near to Goliath.
The Philistine came forth, preceded by his armor-bearer; but when he saw the fair and ruddy youth he exclaimed disdainfully: "Am I a dog, that thou comest to me with sticks?" and he cursed him by his gods. "Come to me," he continued, "and I will give thy flesh to the fowls of the air and to the beasts of the field." But David, conscious of his good cause and inspired by it to a sublime courage, replied,
Thou comest to me with a sword and with a spear, and with a shield, but I come to thee in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied... And all this assembly shall know that the Lord saves not with sword and spear; for the battle is the Lord's, and He will give you into our hands.
The Philistine, enraged by this bold reply, advanced towards the youth. Now David quickly drew a stone from his bag, and placing it in his sling, flung it at the forehead of the Philistine. It pierced the head of the giant, who fell upon his face to the ground. Running near and grasping the large sword of his fallen foe, the triumphant David cut off his head. Seeing their hero prostrate, the Philistines fled in panic, and the Jews pursued them as far as Ekron and Gath.
David's courage and faith in God became the talk of all the people.
Conflict with Saul[]
Worried that David is trying to take his throne, Saul turns on David and tries to kill him, leading the latter to go on the run and operate as a fugitive for several years. After Saul and Jonathan are killed in battle against the Philistines, a 30-year old David is anointed king over all Israel and then conquers Jerusalem, establishing the city as his capital, and taking the Ark of the Covenant into the city to be the center of worship in the Israelite religion.
David was said to have mated with Agrat Bat Mahlat, one of the queens of Hell, for a night. She would make frequent visits to him in a dream, and conceived three children by him. The first of the cambion offspring is named Asmoday who became a king of demons, and a king to even yet more unnamed demons. The second are two daughters named Oholah and Oholibah, who would become the Sisters of Prostitution and the wives of his son, Solomon. His experience with Agrat only had further tainted his spirted and mind. Among such actions as a result of this encounter was his adultery with Bathsheba.
King David commits adultery with Bathsheba, leading him to arrange the death of her husband Uriah the Hittite. David's son Absalom later schemes to overthrow David and, during the ensuing rebellion, David flees Jerusalem, but returns after Absalom's death to rule Israel. David desires to construct a temple to Yahweh in which to house the Ark but, because he shed much blood, Yahweh denies David the opportunity to do so. David goes on to rule as king until his death at age 70, prior to which he chooses his son Solomon, born to him and Bathsheba, to be his successor instead of Adonijah, David's eldest surviving son. David is honored in the prophetic literature as an ideal king and the forefather of a future Messiah, and many psalms are ascribed to him.