16 Facts About King David
King David was a shepherd boy who became the third and most important king of Israel. He is the most frequently mentioned human being in the Old Testament and the second most frequently mentioned human being in the entire Bible (only Jesus Christ is mentioned more frequently).
David is a major figure in the Old Testament of First Samuel, Second Samuel, First Chronicle, and Second Chronicle. He is also mentioned in several other books, and almost half of his psalms are attributed to him. Today, David is best known as the boy who beat the giant with a slingshot. In fact, the famous story of "David and Goliath" is so prolific in literature, art, and culture that it has become a common motif for illustrating other stories about the underdog. A key figure is his role in establishing God's earthly home in Jerusalem.
Despite his obvious shortcomings, David is described as a man after God's will (1 Samuel 13:
14, Acts 13:
twenty-two). David was not perfect, but his faith and zeal set the standard by which all future kings of Israel should be measured.So who was King David? What do we know about him? This guide covers basic facts about who he is and what the Bible says about him.
Who was King David?
The Bible present us a lot of facts about King David. Biography can be written almost between 1st Samuel, 2nd Samuel, Psalm, and 1st Chronicle. (Don't worry, this has been done many times.)
today are certain of the things we know about David.
1. David was from the tribe of Judah
The 12 tribes of Israel were descended from Jacob's 12 sons, and with the exception of Levi, each tribe ruled a specific area within Israel. Judas was the son who "defeated his brethren" (1 Chronicles 5:
2) And while Saul, the first king of Israel, was from the tribe of Benjamin, Judah became the king's tribe.
The territory of Judah included the city of Jerusalem. When David became king, he established Jerusalem as the capital of the nation and the headquarters of God, forever changing the importance of Judah in Jewish life and culture. ruled Jerusalem for about 400 years, before conquering and breaking the line of kings.
2. David was Ruth and Boaz’s great-grandson
The Book of Ruth is a story of love and grace. It uses the relationship between a man named Boaz, a woman named Ruth, and her mother-in-law Naomi to depict God's mercy on Israel.
David is a direct descendant of Ruth and Boaz. His parentage is recorded in several passages, all of which indicate that he was the son of Issai, son of Obed, son of Boaz and Ruth.12).
Salvation was in my family. Many times throughout his life, David was used as a means by which God showed mercy and redeemed his people. After his death, he became a symbol of God's unique relationship with Israel and the coming redemption.
3. David was the youngest of seven sons (or he had seven brothers)
After finishing the work of creation, God rested on the seventh day and sanctified it (Genesis 2:
3). As a result, digit 7 represented achievement and perfection in all aspects of ancient Jewish culture. This is seen in his seven-day Feast of Sukkot in the seventh month. Above all, it was after he repeated the seven-year cycle seven times in the Jubilee year, that the debts were canceled and the property returned to the original owner.
Biblical authors offer slightly different accounts of David's immediate family.
He was either his seventh son of Jesse or his eighth son (1 Chronicles 2:
13--14 Samuel 16:10--11). Scholars debate whether this constitutes a contradiction or whether one of David's brothers was simply left out, but it doesn't matter. David was not the eldest son - a privileged position in Judaism - and the author wanted to work with the number 7 and associate David with holiness and God's perfect plan for his people.
4. David was from Bethlehem
Today maximum people associate the city of Bethlehem with the birth of Jesus. But centuries before Jesus, another Messiah came from this humble city. Luke's Gospel calls Bethlehem "the city of David" (Luke 2:4) It was known that this was David's old estate, and that Samuel had appointed him king over God's people there.
While modern readers tend to focus on Jesus' birth in the manger, it is important to consider the implication that that manger was in Bethlehem - the largest announcement to the Jews in their history. The city that gave one of the Kings had his humble beginnings.
5. David was God’s “anointed one”
Most people have heard of Jesus being described as the Messiah. But he wasn't the only one to hold that title. In the Bible, the terms "anointed" and "savior" are synonymous. God's anointed were those chosen by God to lead and save His people. When the Israelites desired a human king, the prophet Samuel anointed Saul to show that God had appointed him to this special role.
“Then Samuel took a flask of olive oil and poured it on Saul’s head and kissed him, saying, ‘Has not the Lord anointed you ruler over his inheritance?’ —1 Samuel 10:1
Years later, when Saul disobeyed God, God rejected him as king (1 Samuel 15:26 ). And it was time for God to choose someone else. So he sent Samuel to Jesse of Bethlehem, telling him “I have chosen one of his sons to be king” (1 Samuel 16:1 ).
Samuel thought that appearance would tell who God had chosen, and Eliab, the eldest, was clearly the chosen one.
“When they arrived, Samuel saw Eliab and thought, ‘Surely the Lord’s anointed stands here before the Lord.’” —1 Samuel 16:1
However, God told Samuel that he would not use the same factors as humans when choosing a king. “‘Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.’” —1 Samuel 16:7
Earlier, Samuel prophesied to Saul:
14). And when Samuel saw David the shepherd, the youngest son of Jesse, the Lord said, That's it. "
When Samuel anointed David, he did not immediately become king, but showed that he was the Lord's chosen one, and that "from that day forth the Spirit of the Lord came upon David mightily." (1 Samuel 16:
13).
6. David was a shepherd
Before David became king, he was a shepherd. Therefore, when Samuel came to anoint the next king, he was not with his brothers (1 Samuel 16:
11). And when the Philistines (and Goliath) invaded, David was torn between his duties as Saul's musician and his responsibility to tend his father's sheep (1 Samuel 17:15).
As a shepherd, David did more than just feed and guide his father's sheep. A shepherd might seem like a small position, but it was dangerous nonetheless. David killed bears and lions to protect his father's sheep. In fact, David focused on his experience as a shepherd and convinced why he could defeat Goliate.
“Your servant has been keeping his father’s sheep. When a lion or a bear came and carried off a sheep from the flock, I went after it, struck it and rescued the sheep from its mouth. When it turned on me, I seized it by its hair, struck it and killed it. Your servant has killed both the lion and the bear; this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, because he has defied the armies of the living God. The Lord who rescued me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will rescue me from the hand of this Philistine.” —1 Samuel 17:34--37
In his confrontation with Goliath, David took care of Yahweh's flock, the people of Israel, and again protected the "father's sheep" from harm. This time the Lord delivered him from an enemy that Saul and all his army feared (1 Samuel 17:11).
David later used his experiences as a shepherd to create one of the most powerful depictions of God's relationship with the people of God, in anticipation of the "good shepherd" Jesus (John 10 :11):
“The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.
He makes me lie down in green pastures,
he leads me beside quiet waters,
he refreshes my soul.
He guides me along the right paths
for his name’s sake.
Even though I walk
through the darkest valley,
I will fear no evil,
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
they comfort me.
You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
Surely your goodness and love will follow me
all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the Lord
forever.” —Psalm 23:1-6
7. David was a musician
Many years before Samuel anointed David and the Spirit of the Lord came upon him, Samuel anointed Saul and the Spirit of the Lord came upon Saul (1 Samuel 10:1-6). When David was anointed, the Spirit of the Lord left Saul, and demons began to torment him (1 Samuel 16:14
Saul's servants believed that the musicians would help calm Saul whenever the Spirit came to torment him. And it just so happened that David was a talented musician. So Saul brought him in and made him one of the armor-bearers.
“Whenever the spirit from God came on Saul, David would take up his lyre and play. Then relief would come to Saul; he would feel better, and the evil spirit would leave him.” —
1 Samuel 16:23
From that point on, David's duties were divided between tending his father's sheep and playing music for the king.
8. David was a giant slayer
Perhaps David's greatest fame was his legendary confrontation with the Philistine giant Goliath. The Israelite and Philistine armies took up positions on opposite hills, and Goliath taunted the Israelites and challenged them to decide the battle in a duel.
He opposed him against one of them (1 Samuel 17:8-11).
No one wanted to accept the offer.But David came to the camp of Israel to play music for Saul and heard Goliath's taunts. He also heard the Israelites discussing what Saul would give to the one who defeated Goliath (1 Samuel 17: 23-27). Goliath did more than mock the Israelites. He even defied God in his own position. Every day Israel rejected Goliath's challenge and admitted that their god was no match for the gods of the Philistines. David no longer allowed this. After David persuaded Saul to challenge Goliath, he chose five stones and went to meet him. Goliath mocked and cursed him. And David famously replied:
“You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the Lord Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. This day the Lord will deliver you into my hands, and I’ll strike you down and cut off your head. This very day I will give the carcasses of the Philistine army to the birds and the wild animals, and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel. All those gathered here will know that it is not by sword or spear that the Lord saves; for the battle is the Lord’s, and he will give all of you into our hands.”
David killed Goliath with a stone thrown from his slingshot. He decapitated Goliath and took his weapon as booty.
The story of David and Goliath has been told so many times in literature and art that David, Goliath, and their rivalry have become commonplace symbols of weaklings, brutal adversaries, and stories of overcoming the impossible. It is
But in the Bible, it's not about the weak. It's about faith. David's faith became one of his defining characteristics, defeating countless enemies after Goliath.
9. David was a great warrior
David killed Goliath with a stone thrown from his slingshot. He decapitated Goliath and took his weapon as booty.
The story of David and Goliath has been told so many times in literature and art that David, Goliath, and their rivalry have become commonplace symbols of weaklings, brutal adversaries, and stories of overcoming the impossible. It is but in the Bible, it's not about the weak. It's about faith. David's faith became one of his defining characteristics, defeating countless enemies after Goliath.
“Whatever mission Saul sent him on, David was so successful that Saul gave him a high rank in the army. This pleased all the troops, and Saul’s officers as well.” —1 Samuel 18:5
But then people came to think of David as greater than Saul. After the Israelites defeated the Philistines, the women danced and sang:
“Saul has slain his thousands, and David his tens of thousands.” —1 Samuel 18:7
Naturally, this made Saul feel threatened by David. As David's reputation as a warrior grew, Saul became more and more afraid of him. This fear caused Saul to evict his greatest asset. He tried to kill David on several occasions and became his constant enemy.
After Saul died fighting the Philistines, David fought Abner, Saul's commander, and Ish-bosheth, the last son of Saul, whom Abner had made king of Israel. Ultimately, David became king (more on this later) and inherited his legacy as a great warrior.
10. David was Israel’s greatest king
Despite being anointed to rule over God's people, David had a long and difficult road to kingship. Even after Saul was killed in battle, Saul's followers did not simply hand over the kingdom to David. Remember that Saul was also anointed. And David lived and fought for the Philistines - the Israelites were his nemesis.
When Saul died, the tribe of Judah anointed David as king (2 Samuel 2:4) But Abner, son of Ner, commander of Saul's army, made Ish-bosheth son of Saul king over all Israel. So there were two kings and two kingdoms.
Ish-bosheth became the second king of Israel and David ruled Judah.
Unfortunately, Ish-Bosheth's reign was short-lived. He and Abner were at war all the time David was in power, but Ish-bosheth did not die at David's hand.
Both Ish-bosheth and his Abner were killed. Abner was murdered out of revenge, and David cursed the killer and mourned his death. Ish-Bosheth was murdered by Israelis apparently trying to win David's favor. When they came to David with the "good news," he had them executed for their crimes.
Unknown to Saul's family, the elders of Israel met David and at the age of 30 anointed him king over all of Israel (2 Samuel 5:3-4).
During Saul's reign, Jerusalem was conquered and the Ark of the Covenant was in Judah. When David became king, he recaptured the fortress of Zion (which became known as the City of David), captured Jerusalem, and returned the Ark to the city. As King of Israel, David won many battles, making Israel a formidable nation, and expanding its territory and military power, while turning his people to God.
11. David committed adultery with Bathsheba
When his army was at war without him, David walked on the roof of the palace and saw a beautiful woman bathing. He sent someone to find out about her and found out that she was married to one of his best soldiers, Uriah the Hittite (2 Samuel 23:39).
Well, that was hundreds of years before Jesus said that looking at a woman lustfully commits adultery in the heart (Matthew 5:27-28), but at this point David made it pretty clear that this was not the relationship to pursue. There was a word or two in the law about adultery (Leviticus 18:20, Deuteronomy 5:18. Exodus 20:14), which was punishable by death (Deuteronomy 22:22, Leviticus 20:
Ten). David knew all this, but he went for her anyway, slept with her, and impregnated her (2 Samuel 11:4-5). When David found out she was pregnant, he devised a plan to hide his sin.
Her husband Uriah was away at war, so David took him home. When her Uriah slept with her, no one could say it was he who got her pregnant.
But it didn't work. After David repeatedly tried to get Uriah to spend time with her wife, Uriah said to him,
“The ark and Israel and Judah are staying in tents, and my commander Joab and my lord’s men are camped in the open country. How could I go to my house to eat and drink and make love to my wife? As surely as you live, I will not do such a thing!” —2 Samuel 11;11
So, to hide his sin, David committed another one.
12. David plotted to have Uriah killed
“In the morning David wrote a letter to Joab and sent it with Uriah. In it he wrote, “Put Uriah out in front where the fighting is fiercest. Then withdraw from him so he will be struck down and die.”
While Joab was besieging the city, he put Uriah where he knew he had the strongest defenders. When the townspeople went out to fight Joab, part of David's army fell. Besides, Uriah the Hittite died."-2 Samuel 11:14-17
In order to kill Uriah in battle, Joab had to sacrifice some of David's other men, and Joab feared that David would resent his waste (2 Samuel 11:20). But David was rather indifferent. He said to Joab's messengers:
“Say this to Joab: ‘Don’t let this upset you; the sword devours one as well as another. Press the attack against the city and destroy it.’ Say this to encourage Joab.” —2 Samuel 11:25
The lives of God's people were merely collateral damage to David's efforts to cover up his sin.
When Uriah died and Bathsheba had time to mourn him, David married her and she bore her a son.
After that, the prophet Nathan rebuked David for his sins. Nathan told the story of a rich man who stole a precious lamb from a poor man. David accused the man in the story, not knowing that it was a metaphor for what he had done to Uriah to Bathsheba (2 Samuel 12:1-10). Nathan said to David, "The Lord has taken away your sins" (2 Samuel 12:13) But he also cursed him, and his son, born of David's adultery, died.
David committed a grave sin. But after meeting Nathan, David wrote his 51st Psalm. This psalm reflects his humility and his sincere repentance for what he has done.
13. David was a man after God’s own heart
Before anointing David, the prophet Samuel rebuked Saul and warned him:
14). David is the only person so mentioned in the Bible. But the Bible does not specify what Samuel meant by it. It could have simply meant that David was concerned with the things that were in God's heart. It is also possible to learn something about God's character from David's character. Acts 13:22 Paul seems to explain that:
“After removing Saul, he made David their king. God testified concerning him: ‘I have found David son of Jesse, a man after my own heart; he will do everything I want him to do.’”
Samuel apparently called David "a man after the will of God" because of his obedience. But also note the following:
God forbade David to build a temple because he shed his blood (1 Chronicles 28:3). Thus, there seems to be a discrepancy between David and the heart of God.
14. David lived around 1,000 BC
Although the Bible does not explicitly state when David lived, many scholars believe he lived around 1000 BC. existed. The stele known as Tel Dan Stele dates from the late 9th or early 8th century BC. And it means "House of David". Another inscription is from about 840 BC. (the stele of Moab) could also refer to David. Parts of Samuel 1 and 2 were written as early as the 7th and 6th centuries BC. It was probably written using previous reports as a source of information.
15. David had (at least) eight wives
David had many wives and concubines. His eight wives are named in the Bible, but he may have had many more. they are:
- Ahinoam of Jezreel
- Abigail (the widow of Nabal of Carmel)
- Maakah daughter of Talmai king of Geshur
- Haggith
- Abital
- Eglah
- Michal (daughter of Saul)
- Bathsheba
Although the Bible does not give a comprehensive list of David's wives, 2 Samuel 3 states:
2-5 lists the names of his sons and his six wives, and he marries Michal (1 Samuel 18:
27) and Bathsheba (2 Samuel 11: 27) Elsewhere.
16. David wrote about half the Book of Psalms
David was a talented musician. But he also used his God-given creativity as a songwriter. Throughout the Old Testament story, we see David writing lamentations and songs to commemorate key moments and express deep feelings, such as when he learned that Saul and Jonathan were dead (Samuel Below 1:19-27).
From the Masoretic text (based on ancient Jewish tradition), David wrote his 73 of his 150 psalms. The Septuagint (an early primary translation of the Old Testament) and the Latin Vulgate (his fourth-century Latin translation of the Bible) contain additional psalms, bringing the number attributed to David closer to 85. The Psalms are often (erroneously) considered the greatest book of the Bible, but David didn't actually write much of the Bible compared to authors such as Moses, Ezra, Luke, Jeremiah, and Puar. Each of them wrote at least 32,000 words, but the entire Psalm is only 30,000 words.
Here are his 73 psalms attributed to David according to Jewish (and Protestant) tradition.
| Psalm 3 | Psalm 4 | Psalm 5 | Psalm 6 | Psalm 7 | Psalm 8 | Psalm 9 |
| Psalm 11 | Psalm 12 | Psalm 13 | Psalm 14 | Psalm 15 | Psalm 16 | Psalm 17 |
| Psalm 18 | Psalm 19 | Psalm 20 | Psalm 21 | Psalm 22 | Psalm 23 | Psalm 24 |
| Psalm 25 | Psalm 26 | Psalm 27 | Psalm 28 | Psalm 29 | Psalm 30 | Psalm 31 |
| Psalm 32 | Psalm 33 | Psalm 34 | Psalm 35 | Psalm 36 | Psalm 37 | Psalm 38 |
| Psalm 39 | Psalm 40 | Psalm 41 | Psalm 51 | Psalm 52 | Psalm 53 | Psalm 54 |
| Psalm 55 | Psalm 56 | Psalm 57 | Psalm 58 | Psalm 59 | Psalm 60 | Psalm 61 |
| Psalm 62 | Psalm 63 | Psalm 64 | Psalm 65 | Psalm 68 | Psalm 69 | Psalm 70 |
| Psalm 86 | Psalm 101 | Psalm 103 | Psalm 108 | Psalm 109 | Psalm 110 | Psalm 122 |
| Psalm 124 | Psalm 131 | Psalm 133 | Psalm 138 | Psalm 139 | Psalm 140 | Psalm 141 |
| Psalm 142 | Psalm 143 | Psalm 144 | Psalm 145 |
Most of the psalms David wrote were lamentations, giving us an intimate portrait of his darkest moments. He often professed his trust in the Lord.
An imperfect messiah
It is fitting that David is a very important figure in the Old Testament. David laid the foundation of Jesus Christ as an imperfect human being anointed by God to save and rule over His people.
very informative
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DeleteThanks sir
Informative post
ReplyDeleteThanks sir
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