(Italics indicate a disputedreign or non-royal title). David (/ˈdeɪvɪd/.

Historians of the Ancient Near East agree that David probably lived c. 1000 BCE, but little more is known about him as a historical figure.

According to Jewish works such as the Seder Olam Rabbah, Seder Olam Zutta, and Sefer ha-Qabbalah (all written over a thousand years later), David ascended the throne as the king of Judah in 885 BCE.

Apart from this, all that is known of David comes from biblical literature, the historicity of which has been extensively challenged, and there is little detail about David that is concrete and undisputed.

He becomes a favorite of Saul, the first king of Israel, but is forced to go into hiding when Saul suspects that David is trying to take his throne. After Saul and his son Jonathan are killed in battle, David is anointed king by the tribe of Judah and eventually all the tribes of Israel.

He commits adultery with Bathsheba and arranges the death of her husband, Uriah the Hittite. David’s son Absalom later tries to overthrow him, but David returns to Jerusalem after Absalom’s death to continue his reign.

He dies at age 70 and chooses Solomon, his son with Bathsheba, as his successor instead of his eldest son Adonijah. David is honored as an ideal king and the forefather of the future Hebrew Messiah in Jewish prophetic literature and many psalms are attributed to him.

David is also richly represented in post-biblical Jewish written and oral tradition and referenced in the New Testament. Early Christians interpreted the life of Jesus of Nazareth in light of references to the Hebrew Messiah and to David.

In the Quran and hadith, David is described as an Israelite king as well as a prophet of Allah. The biblical David has inspired many interpretations in art and literature over the centuries.

The First Book of Samuel and the First Book of Chronicles both identify David as the son of Jesse, the Bethlehemite, the youngest of eight sons. He also had at least two sisters: Zeruiah, whose sons all went on to serve in David’s army, and Abigail, whose son Amasa served in Absalom’s army, Absalom being one of David’s younger sons.

David is described as cementing his relations with various political and national groups through marriage. According to 1 Samuel 17:25, King Saul said that he would make whoever killed Goliath a very wealthy man, give his daughter to him and declare his father’s family exempt from taxes in Israel.

Saul then gave Merab in marriage to Adriel the Meholathite. Having been told that his younger daughter Michal was in love with David, Saul gave her in marriage to David upon David’s payment in Philistine foreskins (ancient Jewish historian Josephus lists the dowry as 100 Philistine heads).

David escaped. Then Saul sent Michal to Galim to marry Palti, son of Laish.

they were Ahinoam the Yizre’elite. Abigail, the widow of Nabal the Carmelite.

Haggith. Abital.

Later, David wanted Michal back and Abner, Ish-bosheth’s army commander, delivered her to him, causing Palti great grief.

In Hebron, David had six sons: Amnon, by Ahinoam. Daniel, by Abigail.

Adonijah, by Haggith. Shephatiah, by Abital.

By Bathsheba, his sons were Shammua, Shobab, Nathan, and Solomon. David’s sons born in Jerusalem of his other wives included Ibhar, Elishua, Eliphelet, Nogah, Nepheg, Japhia, Elishama and Eliada.

His daughter Tamar, by Maachah, is raped by her half-brother Amnon. David fails to bring Amnon to justice for his violation of Tamar, because he is his firstborn and he loves him, and so Absalom (her full brother) murders Amnon to avenge Tamar.

God is angered when Saul, Israel’s king, unlawfully offers a sacrifice and later disobeys a divine command both to kill all of the Amalekites and to destroy their confiscated property. Consequently, God sends the prophet Samuel to anoint a shepherd, David, the youngest son of Jesse of Bethlehem, to be king instead.

After God sends an evil spirit to torment Saul, his servants recommend that he send for a man skilled in playing the lyre. A servant proposes David, whom the servant describes as “skillful in playing, a man of valor, a warrior, prudent in speech, and a man of good presence.

War comes between Israel and the Philistines, and the giant Goliath challenges the Israelites to send out a champion to face him in single combat. David, sent by his father to bring provisions to his brothers serving in Saul’s army, declares that he can defeat Goliath.

Saul inquires the name of the young hero’s father.

All Israel loves David, but his popularity causes Saul to fear him (“What else can he wish but the kingdom. “).

He goes first to Nob, where he is fed by the priest Ahimelech and given Goliath’s sword, and then to Gath, the Philistine city of Goliath, intending to seek refuge with King Achish there. Achish’s servants or officials question his loyalty, and David sees that he is in danger there.

From there he goes to seek refuge with the king of Moab, but the prophet Gad advises him to leave and he goes to the Forest of Hereth, and then to Keilah, where he is involved in a further battle with the Philistines. Saul plans to besiege Keilah so that he can capture David, so David leaves the city in order to protect its inhabitants.

Jonathan meets with David again and confirms his loyalty to David as the future king. After the people of Ziph notify Saul that David is taking refuge in their territory, Saul seeks confirmation and plans to capture David in the Wilderness of Maon, but his attention is diverted by a renewed Philistine invasion and David is able to secure some respite at Ein Gedi.

David realises he has an opportunity to kill Saul, but this is not his intention: he secretly cuts off a corner of Saul’s robe, and when Saul has left the cave he comes out to pay homage to Saul as the king and to demonstrate, using the piece of robe, that he holds no malice towards Saul. The two are thus reconciled and Saul recognises David as his successor.

A similar passage occurs in 1 Samuel 26, when David is able to infiltrate Saul’s camp on the hill of Hachilah and remove his spear and a jug of water from his side while he and his guards lie asleep. In this account, David is advised by Abishai that this is his opportunity to kill Saul, but David declines, saying he will not “stretch out [his] hand against the Lord’s anointed”.

Saul, despite having already reconciled with David, confesses that he has been wrong to pursue David, and blesses him.

David appeals to king Achish of Gath to grant him and his family sanctuary. Achish agrees, and upon hearing that David has fled to Philistia, Saul ceases to pursue him, though no such pursuit seemed to be in progress at the time.

King David was not born into royalty. He entered life as a humble shepherd, rose to found a dynasty, and became a central figure in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.

God sent the Prophet Samuel to Bethlehem and guided him to David, a humble shepherd and talented musician. He brought the young man to Saul’s court, where his harp was so soothing that Saul called for David whenever he was vexed by an “evil spirit” sent by God (I Samuel 9:16).

David’s victory over Goliath was a popular subject for Renaissance sculptors, including Andrea del Verrocchio in 1476. Soon thereafter, a major Philistine battle loomed.

The Israelites were frozen in fear—except young David. Armed with only a sling, he picked a stone from a riverbed and slung it at Goliath’s head.

the stone struck the giant and killed him, prompting the Philistines to flee. The Israelites were jubilant.

Even though David then married Saul’s daughter Michal and became a close friend of Saul’s son Jonathan, an intense rivalry developed between the young new general and the king. Saul even began to plot to kill him.

The History of the Bible, Animated. Soon the country was once again torn by war as Philistine forces gathered at Mount Gilboa, and Saul and his sons, all serving as commanders in his army, rushed to meet them.

All of Saul’s sons fell to Philistine swords, including his heir, Jonathan. Badly wounded himself, Saul then fell upon his own sword (I Samuel 31:1-7).

Saul’s only surviving son, Ishbaal, was anointed as his successor, supported by the northern tribes. But the southern elders went to Hebron, David’s military base, and in due course anointed David king “over the house of Judah.”.

After capturing Jerusalem, David was then able to defeat the Philistines. Eventually, all of the regions in Canaan came under David’s control.

He pitched the tent of the Tabernacle to house the Ark of the Covenant. This was obviously not a satisfactory solution, and the king complained to the Prophet Nathan that “I am living in a house of cedar, but the ark of God stays in a tent” (II Samuel 7:2).

According to the Books of Samuel and the subsequent Books of Kings, David then expanded his territory until Israel had become the dominant state in the Levant, absorbing the nations of Ammon, Moab, and Edom. Modern research has questioned this claim, and many scholars believe that some of the legendary material surrounding David served to exalt him as an ideal king, as successful in peace as in war, beloved by God as well as his people.

Some scholars have even questioned whether David is a historical figure, though the discovery of a stela from Tel Dan with the inscription bytdwd (which may mean “House of David”) would argue otherwise. Notwithstanding David’s political achievements, his personal life was filled with conflict and tragedy.

David ordered him placed in the front ranks of a planned assault against the Ammonites, where he was duly killed. As soon as Bathsheba finished her time of mourning, David married her, and she bore his son.

David then repented before God, and in return was promised that Bathsheba would bear him a second son. His name was Solomon.

And so it came to pass.

Samuel followed the instructions of the LORD despite his fears. He came to the home of Jesse.

Based on his appearance, he thought surely this is the LORD’s choice. “But the LORD said to Samuel, ‘Do not look at his appearance or at the height of his stature, because I have rejected him.

After inquiring, Samuel finds out that Jesse has one more son, his youngest, who is tending sheep. “Then Samuel said to Jesse, ‘Send and bring him.

Now he was ruddy, with beautiful eyes, and a handsome appearance. And the LORD said, ‘Arise, anoint him.

“Then Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the midst of his brothers. and the Spirit of the LORD came mightily upon David from that day forward.

According to Charles R. Swindoll, Josephus, the historian, says, “Samuel the aged whispered in his [David] ear the meaning of the symbol, ‘You will be the next king.’”.

(2 Samuel 11:1-13). And it came to pass, after the year was expired, at the time when kings go forth to battle, that David sent Joab, and his servants with him, and all Israel.

But David tarried still at Jerusalem. And it came to pass in an evening, that David arose from off his bed, and walked on the roof of the king’s house: and from the roof he saw a woman washing herself.

And David sent and inquired after the woman. And one said, Is not this Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite.

and she came in to him, and he lay with her. for she was purified from her uncleanness: and she returned to her house.

Sweet Publishing / FreeBibleimages.org CC BY-SA 3.0. And David sent to Joab, saying, Send me Uriah the Hittite.

And when Uriah was come to him, David demanded of him how Joab did, and how the people did, and how the war prospered. And David said to Uriah, Go down to your house, and wash your feet.

But Uriah slept at the door of the king’s house with all the servants of his lord, and went not down to his house. And when they had told David, saying, Uriah went not down to his house, David said to Uriah, Came you not from your journey.

And Uriah said to David, The ark, and Israel, and Judah, abide in tents. and my lord Joab, and the servants of my lord, are encamped in the open fields.

as you live, and as your soul lives, I will not do this thing. And David said to Uriah, Tarry here to day also, and to morrow I will let you depart.

And when David had called him, he did eat and drink before him. and he made him drunk: and at even he went out to lie on his bed with the servants of his lord, but went not down to his house.

And it came to pass in the morning, that David wrote a letter to Joab, and sent it by the hand of Uriah. And he wrote in the letter, saying, Set you Uriah in the forefront of the hottest battle, and retire you from him, that he may be smitten, and die.

And the men of the city went out, and fought with Joab: and there fell some of the people of the servants of David. and Uriah the Hittite died also.

And charged the messenger, saying, When you have made an end of telling the matters of the war to the king, And if so be that the king’s wrath arise, and he say to you, Why approached you so near to the city when you did fight. knew you not that they would shoot from the wall.

did not a woman cast a piece of a millstone on him from the wall, that he died in Thebez. why went you near the wall.

So the messenger went, and came and showed David all that Joab had sent him for. And the messenger said to David, Surely the men prevailed against us, and came out to us into the field, and we were on them even to the entering of the gate.

and some of the king’s servants be dead, and your servant Uriah the Hittite is dead also. Then David said to the messenger, Thus shall you say to Joab, Let not this thing displease you, for the sword devours one as well as another: make your battle more strong against the city, and overthrow it: and encourage you him.

And when the wife of Uriah heard that Uriah her husband was dead, she mourned for her husband. And when the mourning was past, David sent and fetched her to his house, and she became his wife, and bore him a son.

(2 Samuel 12:1-12). And the LORD sent Nathan to David.

the one rich, and the other poor. The rich man had exceeding many flocks and herds:

it did eat of his own meat, and drank of his own cup, and lay in his bosom, and was to him as a daughter. And there came a travelers to the rich man, and he spared to take of his own flock and of his own herd, to dress for the wayfaring man that was come to him.

And David’s anger was greatly kindled against the man. and he said to Nathan, As the LORD lives, the man that has done this thing shall surely die: And he shall restore the lamb fourfold, because he did this thing, and because he had no pity.

And Nathan said to David, You are the man. Thus said the LORD God of Israel, I anointed you king over Israel, and I delivered you out of the hand of Saul.

and if that had been too little, I would moreover have given to you such and such things. Why have you despised the commandment of the LORD, to do evil in his sight.

Now therefore the sword shall never depart from your house. because you have despised me, and have taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your wife.

For you did it secretly: but I will do this thing before all Israel, and before the sun. (2 Samuel 12:13-23).

And Nathan said to David, The LORD also has put away your sin. you shall not die.

And Nathan departed to his house. And the LORD struck the child that Uriah’s wife bore to David, and it was very sick.

and David fasted, and went in, and lay all night on the earth. And the elders of his house arose, and went to him, to raise him up from the earth: but he would not, neither did he eat bread with them.

And the servants of David feared to tell him that the child was dead: for they said, Behold, while the child was yet alive, we spoke to him, and he would not listen to our voice: how will he then vex himself, if we tell him that the child is dead. But when David saw that his servants whispered, David perceived that the child was dead: therefore David said to his servants, Is the child dead.

Then David arose from the earth, and washed, and anointed himself, and changed his apparel, and came into the house of the LORD, and worshipped: then he came to his own house. and when he required, they set bread before him, and he did eat.

you did fast and weep for the child, while it was alive. but when the child was dead, you did rise and eat bread.

But now he is dead, why should I fast. can I bring him back again.

(2 Samuel 12:24-25). And David comforted Bathsheba his wife, and went in to her, and lay with her: and she bore a son, and he called his name Solomon: and the LORD loved him.

and he called his name Jedidiah, because of the LORD.

I’ve always enjoyed studying what the Bible says about David, the shepherd boy that became king and was called the “man after God’s own heart.” It’s especially great to be able to explore the Bible story of David for kids, especially if you use a fun Bible printable pack to help.

Most importantly, they can learn about God and His character through the story of David.

Disclosure: *This post may include affiliate links. As an affiliate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

David had a fascinating life. In my mind, he is one of the most “real and raw” characters of the Bible.

But I love how many great lessons we DO learn as we journey with him in the Scripture and discover what it means to truly be a man/woman after God’s own heart.

David did some not-so-wonderful things, too. (Such as in 2 Samuel.) There are times in his life where he showed he was NOT delighting in the law of the Lord.

Dig deeper into the big ideas of Scripture with Sound Words for Kids: Lessons in Theology. Get your free sample here.

To help us all teach our children more about God in a fun and engaging way, we have put together a David printable pack that goes through the Bible story of David for kids. Your kids will love these activities and Bible lessons about David.

With 121 pages of printable resources, this David Printable Pack contains a variety of math and literacy activities for young children. In this printable pack, children will learn about David’s life as he grew starting as a shepherd boy, a musician, a solider, a friend before going on to become a King.

The David printable contains an overview of the major events in the life of David, including a David and Goliath Bible lesson, focusing on these stories: This David printable pack contains math activities such as size sequencing cards, count and clip cards and number puzzles.

Other activities include color matching cards, what comes next. , shadow matching pages and coloring pages.

These include: Ready to get started.

One-Year Bible Brick Challenge & Reading Plan.

“The book of Samuel is one of the great literary works in human history,” writes Paul Evans in 1-2 Samuel (Story of God Bible Commentary). “Its masterfully told stories have captured the imagination of readers for millennia” (19).

But what does the story mean. What lessons can we draw from it to shape our lives and inform our relationship with the Lord.

Here’s a clue from Evans: “David’s faith-filled theological perspective allowed him a different vantage point on the grave situation in the valley of Elah” (194). Evans’ commentary offers a clear and compelling exposition of David’s theological perspective.

To many onlookers, the encounter between David and Goliath looked like a foregone conclusion. For one thing, there was the size difference.

Evans writes: In 1 Samuel 17, Goliath is never referred to as a “giant,” but his proportions as outlined in the traditional Hebrew text certainly suggest he was a gigantic man.

However, Greek witnesses to the text along with the oldest Hebrew text of this passage in existence (from the Dead Sea Scrolls) peg him at about 6 feet 9 inches. Which text is correct is a matter of debate.

It seems unlikely, however, that the Greek and Dead Sea scroll reading of Goliath as only 6 feet 9 inches tall in this passage is correct since a taller Goliath seems to best fit with the literary context. (186–187).

First, his 125 pounds of armor implies a larger man. And although he is not called a “giant” in 1 Samuel 17, his coming from Gath indicates such: Gath, a town where the last of the Anakites settled, held people renowned for their stature.

This contrasts sharply with David’s stature. Give that “some scholars have suggested that the average height of a man in ancient Israel was around 5 feet to 5.5 feet tall,” this would make David at least four feet shorter than his rival.

To many people the cause would have seemed hopeless. Not David.

As Evans explains, “David bravely confronts Goliath based on his belief that God saves ‘not by sword or spear’ (1 Sam 17:47)” (30). But let’s also consider the training of the two combatants: infantryman Goliath vs.

Evans notes a few things about ancient combat to get to the bottom of David’s plan to defeat Goliath. First, ancient warfare was basically divided into three divisions of arms: cavalry, consisting of soldiers on horses or chariots.

and artillery, who were slingers and archers. Evans offers interesting insight into the nature of ancient slingers:

An ancient Greek historian named Thucydides, in his work The Peloponnesian War, described how Athens’ infantry was decimated in the mountains by slingers (they failed to take Sicily as a result). Within biblical history itself, the effectiveness of slingers is referenced.

Here’s the important takeaway about David’s training: “The artillery or projectile slingers and archers were most effective against infantry.

Once this is realized, David’s ingenious plan comes to light. While David sold Saul on his abilities in hand-to-hand combat, it was David’s skill with the sling that he was planning to use in the battle” (192).

What’s more: “When David comes near Goliath, the warrior despised David because he did not look like a warrior” (192). Yet given David’s agility and skill with slinging, Goliath was in far greater danger than he understood.

The story of David and Goliath represents yet another instance of the enemies of Israel threatening God’s people. This time a Philistine champion named Goliath offers an “out” from typical battle through one-on-one combat.

“When David hears Goliath’s challenge, he is incensed by the Philistine’s defiance of Israel’s God and offers to fight the Philistine” (187). As David exclaimed in verse 26: “What will be done for the man who kills this Philistine and removes this disgrace from Israel.

After the Israelites describe the reward for the one who defeats Goliath, David is interested and turns to the men near him and inquires about it. In the next lesson, we’ll take a closer look at what this might reveal about his heart, but Evan notes that in his inquiry, we see a glimpse of David’s theological perspective:

This perspective explains David’s courage. While defying a human army is one thing, defying God’s own army is folly.

(189). This reflects a broader theological perspective embedded throughout the Hebrew Scriptures that the plans and programs of Yahweh will not be thwarted.

In 1 Samuel 17:25–30 there is an interesting repetition that reveals David’s human ambition. “David first hears of the reward [for defeating Goliath] in verse 25, then inquires of the reward in verse 26, and is told once again in verse 27.

Evans comments, “While David clearly has a strong faith, his interest in the reward is underscored” (189)—which offers a glimpse into David’s heart. He explains how David’s older brother, Eliab, complains about him coming only “to watch the battle” (v.

Although this may appear as a tirade against David, it may be that this brother knows something deeper about David. He explains:

22), where he continually asked about the reward for slaying the giant. What is more, many of the words found in Eliab’s critique here show up in 2 Samuel 11–12, where the worst of David’s character is displayed with his sin with Bathsheba and the murder of her husband.

Here he references Keith Bodner’s 1 Samuel commentary, which is worth quoting: Even at this triumphal moment in the Davidic career, Eliab is used to sound a note of warning: David should always attend to matters of heart.

When Eliab accuses David of neglecting ‘those few sheep’, in this context it sounds like a rant. Later in the story, David will neglect his role as a ‘shepherd’ of God’s people.

(190, [Bodner, 1 Samuel, 183]). Perhaps if David heeded Eliab’s warning he could have avoided his sin of adultery with Bathsheba.

Know yourself, and know what motivates you. Not knowing may only make you more susceptible to temptation.

It also gave him faith: David’s faith-filled theological perspective allowed him a different vantage point on the grave situation in the valley of Elah.

While Saul and the Israelites were terrified by Goliath’s size and appearance, David instead saw his vulnerability. (194).

He writes, “The victory over Goliath is the victory brought by God himself,” which is a powerful call to remember “that victory is not of ourselves but due to the one in whom we put our faith” (194).

Yet this story of David and Goliath reminds us of what Zechariah 4:6 famously stated: “‘Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,’ says the Lord Almighty.” Evans reminds us of Jesus’ echo in John 15:5, “I am the vine. you are the branches.

apart from me you can do nothing.”. “The gospel,” Evans notes, “reminds us that we cannot make it on our own but that Jesus has provided all we need.

This is the kind of faith that saves, the kind that trusts in the mighty Spirit of the Lord for victory. If you’ve ever wondered whether God can use you for his glory, you need not look any further than the story of David and Goliath.

However, the picture is more complex than that. Evans outlines several interesting aspects of the David we find in this story:

Remember, David didn’t give in to fear or pressure from others. He took a stand for what he loved, and that was God.

Long before any of this happened, other things had happened to David. While David was still a young shepherd, a man named Saul was the king of Israel.

Samuel was a prophet, which is a person who shares messages from God. Samuel gave one of God’s messages to King Saul.

Samuel told Jesse, David’s father, to bring seven of his tall, handsome, and strong sons to meet Samuel. Samuel thought surely one of these men would be God’s new king.

Samuel asked Jesse if he had any more sons. He said, “Yes, my child, David, who takes care of the sheep.” God instructed Samuel to make David the new king.

That day, in God’s eyes, David became the new king. David humbly knew that he was a king in God’s eyes, so David acted like one—even though he had to wait his turn.

God gave him the courage to fight a lion, a bear, and other wild animals in order to save his sheep from their jaws. David also took his place as a leader and king when he fought Israel’s worst nightmare, Goliath.

David gave Israel the victory and God the glory. David had the faith of a king and the humility of a servant.

Now, with God’s Spirit and a pure heart, you can do all things. You have the power to face and destroy giants.

Greater is God in us than the giant enemies of this world. Prayer.

Thank you that you will never leave me, but you will help me grow to know you more. Help me learn more about you and grow in my faith.

To learn more about the children’s books A Giant Headache and The Big Flood visit paulgullyillustrator.com.

Most Christians have heard of this Bible story, David the young shepherd defeats the mighty Goliath with only a slingshot. How did David have the courage to face Goliath and actually win.

Read the full Bible text below and be inspired by the faith of young David.

His sling is on his arm, and his bag by his side. What is he about to do with those stones.

Two armies were drawn up in battle array. They were the armies of the Israelites and Philistines.

a valley lying between. For forty days these armies had been facing each other, but yet the battle had been delayed.

But no man among them dared to go against Goliath, the Philistines’ champion. Meanwhile Jesse had sent David to the Israelites’ camp to see after his brethren.

Saul was informed of David’s offer, and sent for him. Saul told David he was not able to fight the giant, but he boldly replied, “The Lord which 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.” David trusted not in his own power, but in God.

He went, slung one of the smooth stones he had chosen out of the brook, smote the Philistine in the forehead so that he fell to the earth, and then ran and cut off his head. Thus God enabled this ruddy youth to overcome the giant Philistine, and to slay him with a sling and a stone.

originally printed in 1908). Now the Philistines gathered their armies for battle.

And Saul and the men of Israel were gathered, and encamped in the Valley of Elah, and drew up in line of battle against the Philistines. And the Philistines stood on the mountain on the one side, and Israel stood on the mountain on the other side, with a valley between them.

(1 Samuel 17:1-4). He had a helmet of bronze on his head, and he was armed with a coat of mail, and the weight of the coat was five thousand shekels of bronze.

The shaft of his spear was like a weaver’s beam, and his spear’s head weighed six hundred shekels of iron. And his shield-bearer went before him.

Am I not a Philistine, and are you not servants of Saul. Choose a man for yourselves, and let him come down to me.

But if I prevail against him and kill him, then you shall be our servants and serve us.” (1 Samuel 17:5-9). Now David was the son of an Ephrathite of Bethlehem in Judah, named Jesse, who had eight sons.

The three oldest sons of Jesse had followed Saul to the battle. And the names of his three sons who went to the battle were Eliab the firstborn, and next to him Abinadab, and the third Shammah.

The three eldest followed Saul, but David went back and forth from Saul to feed his father’s sheep at Bethlehem. (1 Samuel 17:12-15).

And he came to the encampment as the host was going out to the battle line, shouting the war cry. And Israel and the Philistines drew up for battle, army against army.

As he talked with them, behold, the champion, the Philistine of Gath, Goliath by name, came up out of the ranks of the Philistines and spoke the same words as before. And David heard him.

(1 Samuel 17:20-24). And David said to Saul, “Let no man’s heart fail because of him.

And when there came a lion, or a bear, and took a lamb from the flock, I went after him and struck him and delivered it out of his mouth. And if he arose against me, I caught him by his beard and struck him and killed him.

” (1 Samuel 17:32-37). Then Saul clothed David with his armor.

And he tried in vain to go, for he had not tested them. Then David said to Saul, “I cannot go with these, for I have not tested them.” So David put them off.

9 Things the Apostles Would Tweet about the Church Today. Then he took his staff in his hand and chose five smooth stones from the brook and put them in his shepherd’s pouch.

And the Philistine moved forward and came near to David, with his shield-bearer in front of him. And when the Philistine looked and saw David, he disdained him, for he was but a youth, ruddy and handsome in appearance.

” And the Philistine cursed David by his gods. (1 Samuel 17:40-43).

This day the LORD will deliver you into my hand, and I will strike you down and cut off your head. And I will give the dead bodies of the host of the Philistines this day to the birds of the air and to the wild beasts of the earth, that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel, and that all this assembly may know that the LORD saves not with sword and spear.

When the Philistine arose and came and drew near to meet David, David ran quickly toward the battle line to meet the Philistine. And David put his hand in his bag and took out a stone and slung it and struck the Philistine on his forehead.

So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and with a stone, and struck the Philistine and killed him. There was no sword in the hand of David.

When the Philistines saw that their champion was dead, they fled. (1 Samuel 17:48-51).

Goliath taunts David, but David’s faith becomes evident when he does not cower under the threats, but instead warns Goliath with the hand of God. The armor David rejected represents the strength of man, David chose the armor of God.

Read More: Who Was Goliath.

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Dr Paula Gooder, tutor at the Queen’s Foundation in Birmingham, writes: One of the reasons David is so successful as a king is that he weaves the relationship with God into the very life of the people.

One of the most important features of the establishment of the capital is that the Ark of the Covenant is taken in a joyful procession into the capital. So the capital becomes not only the political heart of the nation but also the religious heart of the nation.

Nevertheless David establishes the worship of God in a single place. This is very important because until this point God has been worshipped wherever the Ark of the Covenant is, and the Ark of the Covenant moves round wherever the leaders of the people are based, so it is discovered in various different places in Israel.

David’s capital is so successful because the people have to come and worship God in the one place. It’s as though David gives those twelve disparate tribes a focus that they can all look to.

Nick Page, author of The Bible Book and The Tabloid Bible, writes: By the time of David, God is in some ways a more distant figure from His people, and in other ways He’s a lot closer.

He doesn’t seem to appear in the way that He appeared before Moses and certainly the way He appeared before Abraham, when he came to them as a figure. When God appears in the time of David, it’s as a cloud filling the temple.

Nevertheless he seems to speak as directly as before, if not more so. The way that David talks about God, if we take the Psalms of David as representative of his thought, is closer and much more personal than in previous times.

He cajoles Him, he upbraids Him for not doing things. The Psalms really are like a spiritual diary.

And to have a very kind of personal relationship with God, whilst at the same time God is certainly not present in the same way that He was in the time of Moses. David was a great king – the greatest king in Israel’s history – despite what he did rather than because of what he did.

But for his willingness that even though he was a king, to come before God, just as a human being, and say “sorry”. Dr Edward Kessler, executive director and lecturer at the Centre for Jewish Christian Relations, Cambridge, writes:

We all need something tangible. Just look at my walls – I have pictures on my children on them.

And so for the Children of Israel, the Temple gave them something tangible. The act of sacrifice in a temple was a physical act.

This is part of our progression as people, moving towards a monotheism, and then moving away from sacrifice and temple cults because that in itself is not necessarily what God wants. It may have been what we thought God wanted thousands of years ago, but once the temple was destroyed, we realised that actually there are other ways to serve God and the service of God may be through the heart rather than through the sacrifice of animals.

David and Jonathan were, according to the Hebrew Bible’s Books of Samuel, heroic figures of the Kingdom of Israel, who formed a covenant, taking a mutual oath.

David became king. The covenant the two men had formed eventually led to David, after Jonathan’s death, graciously seating Jonathan’s son Mephibosheth at his own royal table instead of eradicating the former king Saul’s line.

The biblical text does not explicitly depict the nature of the relationship between David and Jonathan. The traditional and mainstream religious interpretation of the relationship has been one of platonic love and an example of homosociality.

The relationship between David and Jonathan is mainly covered in the Hebrew Bible Book of Samuel. The episodes belong to the story of David’s ascent to power, which is commonly regarded as one of the sources of the Deuteronomistic history, and to its later additions.

David, the youngest son of Jesse, kills Goliath at the Valley of Elah where the Philistine army is in a standoff with the army of King Saul (Jonathan’s father). David’s victory begins a rout of the Philistines who are driven back to Gath and the gates of Ekron.

Jonathan, the eldest son of Saul, has also been fighting the Philistines. Jonathan takes an immediate liking to David and the two form a covenant:.

Saul took him that day and did not let him return to his father’s house. Then Jonathan made a covenant with David because he loved him as himself.

So David went out wherever Saul sent him, and prospered. and Saul set him over the men of war.

David proved a successful commander, and as his popularity increased, so did Saul’s jealousy. In the hope that David might be killed by the Philistines, Saul gives David his daughter Michal in marriage provided David should slay one hundred Philistines.

Despite a couple of short-term reconciliations, David remains an exile and an outlaw.

Jonathan, however, is slain on Mt. Gilboa along with his two brothers Abinadab and Malchi-shua, and there Saul commits suicide.

Saul and Jonathan, beloved and pleasant in their life, And in their death they were not parted. They were swifter than eagles, They were stronger than lions..

Jonathan is slain on your high places. I am distressed for you, my brother Jonathan.

Your love to me was more wonderful than the love of women. How have the mighty fallen, And the weapons of war perished.

The sages characterized the relationship between Jonathan and David in the following Mishnah:. “Whenever love depends on some selfish end, when the end passes away, the love passes away.

Which love depended on a selfish end. This was the love of Amnon and Tamar.

This was the love of David and Jonathan. (Avot 5:16)”.

“Anyone who establishes a friendship for access to power, money, or sexual relations. when these ends are not attainable, the friendship ceases…love that is not dependent on selfish ends is true love of the other person since there is no intended end.” (Magen Avot – abridged and adapted translation).

[better source needed] David’s abundance of wives and concubines is emphasized, alongside his adulterous affair with Bathsheba, and that he only experienced impotence as an old man, while having his five-year-old son Jonathan at his death.

Gagnon states, “The narrator’s willingness to speak of David’s vigorous heterosexual life (compare the relationship with Bathsheba) puts in stark relief his (their) complete silence about any sexual activity between David and Jonathan.”.

Medieval literature occasionally drew upon the biblical relationship between David and Jonathan to underline strong personal, intimate friendships and homoerotic relationships between men.

1326 AD, wrote: “Indeed I do remember to have heard that one man so loved another. Jonathan cherished David, Achilles loved Patroclus.” And thus, King Edward II wept for his dead lover Piers Gaveston as: “..

Similarly, Roger of Hoveden, a twelfth-century chronicler, deliberately drew comparisons in his description of “The King of France (Philip II Augustus) [who] loved him (Richard the Lionheart) as his own soul.”. The Renaissance artists Donatello and Michelangelo both brought out strong homoerotic elements in their respective sculptures depicting the youthful David.

Some modern scholars and writers have interpreted the love between David and Jonathan as a homosexual relationship. This was first pioneered by Tom Horner, then adopted by John Boswell.

The story of David and Jonathan is introduced in Samuel 1 (18:1), where it says that “Jonathan became one in spirit with David, and he loved him as himself”, something that modern scholars have described as philia or love at first sight. [a] For Theodore Jennings, it is clear that Jonathan’s “immediate” attraction to David was caused by his beauty:.

This attraction is given extravagant expression. In the first place it appears to be love at first sight.

Is it something David has said. Not likely.

It is not something David has said. Instead, the reader’s gaze has twice been directed to David’s extraordinary beauty.”.

Gordon, who noted the instance in the Book of Jashar, excerpted in Samuel 2 (1:26), in which David “proclaims that Jonathan’s love was sweeter to him than the love of a woman”, as being similar to both Achilles’ comparison of Patroclus to a girl and Gilgamesh’s love for Enkidu “as a woman”.

” According to some biblical scholars, the “choosing” (bahar) indicates a permanent choice and firm homoerotic relationship, and the mention of “nakedness” (erwa) is to convey a negative sexual nuance, which would give the impression that Saul saw something indecent in Jonathan and David’s relationship.

Some also point out that the relationship between the two men is addressed with the same words and emphasis as other love relationships in the Hebrew Testament, whether heterosexual or between God and people, such as ahava or אהבה.‎. There is more than mere homosociality in the dealings of David and Jonathan, as asserted by two 21st century studies: the biblical scholar Susan Ackerman, and the Orientalist Jean-Fabrice Nardelli.

Ackerman explains this as a case of liminal, viz. transitory, homosexuality, deployed by the redactors as a textual means to assert David’s rights against Jonathan’s: the latter willingly alienated his princely status by bowing down (1 Samuel 20:41), sexually speaking, to the former.

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