Difference between revisions of "David"

<p> From humble beginnings as the youngest son of a [[Bethlehem]] shepherd named Jesse, David rose to become Israel’s greatest king. He established a dynasty out of which, according to God’s plan, came the great Messiah, the son of David, who was Jesus Christ, [[Saviour]] of the world (&nbsp;1 Samuel 16:1; &nbsp;1 Samuel 16:11; &nbsp;2 Samuel 5:3-4; &nbsp;2 Samuel 5:12; &nbsp;Isaiah 9:7; &nbsp;Luke 1:32-33; &nbsp;Luke 2:11). </p> <p> '''Early progress''' </p> <p> After the failure of Saul as king, God directed Samuel to the young man David, whom Samuel marked out to be Israel’s next king (&nbsp;1 Samuel 13:14; &nbsp;1 Samuel 15:28; &nbsp;1 Samuel 16:11-14). Many years passed before David became king, and during those years he steadily matured in mind and body. He became skilled in speech, writing and music, and grew into a brave fighter through having to defend his flocks against wild animals and raiding [[Philistines]] (&nbsp;1 Samuel 16:18; &nbsp;1 Samuel 17:34-36; cf. Psalms 23). </p> <p> David’s introduction to Saul’s court was as one whose music relaxed the king’s troubled nerves (&nbsp;1 Samuel 16:16). After his victory over the Philistines’ champion fighter, he became Saul’s armour-bearer and full-time court musician (&nbsp;1 Samuel 16:21; &nbsp;1 Samuel 17:50; &nbsp;1 Samuel 18:2). At this time a close friendship began to develop between David and Saul’s son Jonathan. It lasted many years, and was ended only by Jonathan’s tragic death in battle (&nbsp;1 Samuel 18:1; see [[Jonathan]] ). David’s successes in battle won him promotion, but further successes and growing popularity so stirred up Saul’s jealousy against him that Saul tried to kill him (&nbsp;1 Samuel 18:5-11). </p> <p> By this time David had no doubt begun the psalm-writing activity for which he is well known. The biblical book of Psalms contains many of the songs and poems he wrote during his long and eventful career. In these writings David gives his personal views of many of the incidents that another writer records in the books of 1 and 2 Samuel (see [[Psalms, Book Of]] ) </p> <p> ''' Copyright StatementThese files are public domain.Text [[Courtesy]] of BibleSupport.com. Used by Permission. <span class="fs-17 fg''' </p>

<p> ("beloved".) His outer life is narrated in the histories of Samuel, Kings, and Chronicles; his inner life is unfolded by himself in the Psalms. The verbal coincidences in Psalms and the allusions incidentally to facts which the histories detail are evidently undesigned, and therefore confirm the genuineness of both. The youngest of the eight sons of [[Jesse]] of Bethlehem (&nbsp;1 Samuel 16:11); great grandson of Ruth and Boaz, "a mighty man of wealth" (&nbsp;Ruth 2:1; &nbsp;Ruth 4:21;&nbsp;Ruth 4:22). Born, according to the common chronology, 1085 B.C. Began to reign when 30 years of age. but over Judah alone, 1055 B.C. (&nbsp;2 Samuel 5:4; &nbsp;1 Kings 2:11; &nbsp;1 Chronicles 29:27); over all Israel, seven years and six months later, 1048 B.C. He died in 1015 B.C., 70 years old. In early life he tended Jesse's flocks, thereby being trained for his subsequent career, for he had ample scope for quiet and prayerful meditations such as Moses had in his 40 years retirement in [[Midian]] before his call to public life, and as Paul had in the [[Arabian]] sojourn (&nbsp;Galatians 1:17) before his worldwide ministry. </p> <p> Those who are to be great public men often need first to be men of privacy. His intimate acquaintance with the beauties of nature, alike water, field, hill, and forest below, and the sun, moon, and glorious heavens above, gives coloring to many of his psalms (Psalm 29; Psalm 8; Psalm 19, etc.). His shepherd life, exposed to wild beasts, yet preserved by God amidst green pastures and still waters, furnishes imagery to &nbsp;Psalms 22:20-21; Psalm 23; &nbsp;Psalms 7:2. His active energies were at the same time exercised in adventures amidst the hills and dales of Judah, in one of which his courage was tested by a close encounter with a lion, and in another with a bear, both of which he slew, grasping the beast by the beard and rescuing a lamb out of his mouth. These encounters nerved him for his first great victory, the turning point of his life, the slaying of [[Goliath]] of [[Gath]] (&nbsp;1 Samuel 17:35). Moreover, his accurate acquaintance with all the hiding places in the cavern-pierced hills, e.g. the cave of Adullam, proved of great service to him afterwards in his pursuit by Saul. </p> <p> The Bible authorities for his biography are the Davidic psalms and poetic fragments in the histories (&nbsp;2 Samuel 1:19-27; &nbsp;2 Samuel 3:33-34; &nbsp;2 Samuel 3:22; &nbsp;2 Samuel 23:1-7); next the chronicles or state annals of David (&nbsp;1 Chronicles 27:24); the book (history) of Samuel the seer, that of [[Nathan]] the prophet, and that of [[Gad]] the seer (&nbsp;1 Chronicles 29:29). Jesse had a brother, Jonathan, whom David made one of his counselors (&nbsp;1 Chronicles 27:32). Jesse's wife, David's mother, is not named; but [[Nahash]] her former husband is the one by whom she had two daughters, David's half-sisters: Zeruiah, mother of Abishai, [[Joab]] and Asahel; and Abigail, mother of [[Amasa]] by [[Jether]] or [[Ithra]] (&nbsp;1 Chronicles 2:13-17; &nbsp;2 Samuel 17:25). Jesse was an old man when David was a mere youth (&nbsp;1 Chronicles 17:12). His sisters were much older than David, so that their children, David's nephews, were his contemporaries and companions more than his own brothers. David shared some of their war-like determined characteristics, but shrank from their stern recklessness of bloodshed in whatever object they sought (&nbsp;2 Samuel 3:39; &nbsp;2 Samuel 19:7). </p> <p> His oldest brother, Eliab, behaved unkindly and imperiously toward him when he went like a second Joseph, sent by his father to seek his brethren's welfare (&nbsp;1 Samuel 17:17-18; &nbsp;1 Samuel 17:28-29). Eliab's "command," as head of Jesse's sons, was regarded by the rest as authoritative (&nbsp;1 Samuel 20:29), and the youngest, David, was thought scarcely worth bringing before the prophet Samuel (&nbsp;1 Samuel 16:11). Hence, he had assigned to him the charge of the flock, ordinarily assigned to the least esteemed of the family, women, and servants, as was the case with Moses, Zipporah, Jacob, Rachel. When David became king, instead of returning evil for evil he made [[Eliab]] head of the tribe of Judah (&nbsp;1 Chronicles 27:18), [[Elihu]] = Eliab. His brother [[Shimeah]] had two sons connected with his subsequent history, Jonadab, the subtle, bad, selfish adviser of incestuous [[Amnon]] (&nbsp;2 Samuel 13:3; &nbsp;2 Samuel 13:32-33), and Jonathan who killed a giant of Gath (&nbsp;2 Samuel 21:21). Nahash was probably one of the royal family of Ammon, which will account for David's friendship with the king of the same name, as also with Shobi, son of Nahash, from both of whom he received "kindness" in distress (&nbsp;2 Samuel 10:2; &nbsp;2 Samuel 17:27). </p> <p> [[Ammon]] and David had a common enemy, Saul (1 Samuel 11); besides David's [[Moabite]] great grandmother, Ruth, connected him with Moab, Ammon's kinsmen. Hence, it was most natural to him to repair to [[Moab]] and Ammon when pursued by Saul. At first sight, we wonder at his leaving his father and mother for safe-keeping with the king of Moab (1 Samuel 22); but the Book of Ruth shows how coincident with probability this is, and yet how little like the harmony contrived by a forger! His [[Gentile]] connection gave him somewhat enlarged views of the coming kingdom of Messiah, whose type and ancestor he was privileged to be (&nbsp;Psalms 2:8; &nbsp;Matthew 1:5). His birthplace was Bethlehem (as it was of his Antitype, Messiah: &nbsp;Luke 2:4, etc.); and of his patrimony there he gave to [[Chimham]] a property which long retained Chimham's name, in reward for the father Barzillai's loyalty and help in Absalom's rebellion (&nbsp;2 Samuel 19:37-38; &nbsp;Jeremiah 41:17). His early associations with Bethlehem made him when in a hold desire a drink of water from its well while the Philistines held it. </p> <p> Three of his 30 captains broke through and brought it; but David, with the tender conscientiousness which characterized him (compare &nbsp;1 Samuel 24:5; &nbsp;2 Samuel 24:10), and which appreciated the deep spirituality of the sixth commandment, would not drink it but poured it out to the Lord, saying, "My God forbid it me: shall I drink the blood of these men that have put their lives in jeopardy?" (&nbsp;1 Chronicles 10:15-19). Saul, the people's choice, having been rejected from being king for disobedience, God manifested His sovereignty by choosing one, the very last thought of by his own family or even by the prophet; not the oldest, but the youngest; not like Saul, taller than the people by head and shoulders, but of moderate stature. (See [[Saul]] .) A yearly sacrificial feast used to be held at Bethlehem, whereat Jesse, as chief landowner, presided with the elders (1 Samuel 16; &nbsp;1 Samuel 20:6; compare at Saul's selection, &nbsp;1 Samuel 9:12). But now suddenly at God's command, Samuel, though fearful of Saul's deadly enmity, appears there driving a heifer before him, to offer an extraordinary sacrifice. </p> <p> The elders trembling, lest his visit should be for judicial punishment of some sin, inquired, "Comest thou peaceably?" He answered, "Peaceably." Then inviting them and Jesse's sons he caused the latter to pass successively before him. Seven sons passed by but were rejected, notwithstanding Samuel's pre-possession in favor of Eliab's countenance and stature, since Jehovah, unlike man, "looks not on the outward appearance but on the heart." David, seemingly the least likely and the youngest, was fetched from the sheep; and his unction with oil by the prophet previous to the feast was accompanied with the unction of the Spirit of the Lord from that day forward. Simultaneously, the Spirit of [[Jehovah]] left Saul and an evil spirit from Jehovah troubled him. David was "a man after the Lord's own heart" (&nbsp;1 Samuel 13:14; &nbsp;Acts 13:22). Moreover, he did not lack those outward graces which were looked for in a king; "ruddy," i.e. with auburn hair, esteemed to be a beauty in the South and East, where black hair is usual; with "bright eyes" (margin, &nbsp;1 Samuel 16:12; &nbsp;1 Samuel 16:18); goodly in countenance, and comely in person (&nbsp;1 Samuel 17:42); besides being "mighty, valiant, a man of war," and altogether "prudent." </p> <p> Like his nephew, Asahel, his feet were by his God made "like hinds' feet." David adds (&nbsp;Psalms 18:33-34): "He teacheth my hands to war, so that a bow of steel is broken by mine arms." Nothing could be more homely than his outward attire, with a staff or wand in hand used for dogs, and a pouch around his neck for carrying a shepherd's necessaries (&nbsp;1 Samuel 17:40-43). But God gave him "integrity of heart and skillfulness of hands," qualifying him for "feeding and guiding Israel," after that he was "taken from the sheepfolds" (&nbsp;Psalms 78:70-72), and "from the sheepcote" (&nbsp;2 Samuel 7:8). Nor was he ashamed of his early life, but he delighted gratefully to acknowledge before God that he was "the man raised up on high" (&nbsp;2 Samuel 23:1; compare Psalm 89). The first glimpse we have of David's taste in music and sacred poetry, which afterward appears so preeminent in his psalms, is in his having been chosen as the best minstrel to charm away the evil spirit when it came upon Saul (&nbsp;1 Samuel 16:15-23). </p> <p> Thus, the evil spirit departed, but the good Spirit did not come to Saul; and the result was, when David was driven away, the evil returned worse than ever. (Compare 1 Samuel 28 with &nbsp;Matthew 12:43-45). David doubtless received further training in the schools of the prophets, who connected their prophesying with the soothing and elevating music of psaltery, tabret, pipe, and harp (&nbsp;1 Samuel 10:5); for he and Samuel (who also feared Saul's wrath for his having anointed David: &nbsp;1 Samuel 16:2) dwelt together in Naioth near Ramah, i.e. in the "habitations" of the prophets there, connected together by a wall or hedge round; a school over which Samuel presided, as [[Elisha]] did over those at [[Gilgal]] and Jericho; schools not for monastic separation from life's duties, but for mental and spiritual training with a view to greater usefulness in the world. (See [[Naioth]] .) Thus, he became "the sweet singer of Israel" (&nbsp;2 Samuel 23:1), "the inventor of instruments of music" (&nbsp;Amos 6:5). Compare &nbsp;1 Chronicles 23:5; &nbsp;1 Chronicles 15:16; &nbsp;1 Chronicles 15:19-21; &nbsp;1 Chronicles 15:24; &nbsp;1 Chronicles 25:1; &nbsp;2 Chronicles 29:25-26. </p> <p> The use of cymbals, psalteries, and harps, in a form suitable for the temple worship, was by his command; the '''''Kinnor''''' (the lyre) and the '''''Nebel''''' (the psaltery, a stringed instrument played by the hand) being improved by him and added to the cymbals, as distinguished from the "trumpets." The portion 1 Samuel 17 - 18:2 has been thought a parenthesis explaining how David became first introduced to Saul. But &nbsp;1 Samuel 17:12; &nbsp;1 Samuel 17:15 show that Saul already had David in attendance upon him, for Jesse his father is called "that Ephrathite" (namely, that one spoken of above), and it is said before David's going forth to meet Goliath that "David went and returned from Saul to feed his father's sheep at Bethlehem." How then shall we account for Saul's question just before the encounter, "Abner, whose son is this youth?" and after it," Whose son art thou, young man?" (&nbsp;1 Samuel 17:55-58.) Also, is this question consistent with his being already "Saul's armor-bearer and loved greatly" by him (&nbsp;1 Samuel 16:20-21.) </p> <p> The title "armor-bearer" was honorary, like our aide-de-camp, e.g. Joab had ten (&nbsp;2 Samuel 18:15). David merely attended Saul for a time, and returned to tend his father's sheep, where he was when the war broke out in which Goliath was the [[Philistine]] champion. Saul's question (&nbsp;1 Samuel 17:55-58), "Whose son art thou?" must therefore imply more than asking the name of David's father. Evidently, he entered into a full inquiry about him, having lost sight of him since the time David had been in attendance. The words (&nbsp;1 Samuel 18:1) "when David made an end of speaking unto Saul, the soul of Jonathan was knit unto the soul of David," imply a lengthened detail of all concerning his father and himself. The sacred writer of 1 Samuel probably embodied in his narrative some fragments of the authoritative documents mentioned above, stamping them with divine sanction; hence arises a variation between the different documents which would be cleared up if we knew more fully the circumstances. Both are true, though the explanation of how they harmonize can only be conjectured with more or less probability. </p> <p> The battle was at [[Ephes-Dammim]] in the boundary hills of Judah; Saul's army on one side of the valley, the Philistines on the other, the brook [[Elah]] (i.e. the Terebinth) running between. Goliath's complete armor contrasted with the ill-armed state of Israel, whose king alone was well armed (&nbsp;1 Samuel 17:38). (See EPHES-DAMMIM.) For, as [[Porsena]] imposed on the Romans the stipulation that they should use no iron except in farm work (Pliny, 34:14), so the Philistines forced the [[Israelites]] to have "no smith throughout all their land, lest the [[Hebrew]] make them swords or spears" (&nbsp;1 Samuel 13:19-20). David at this moment, when all the Israelites were dismayed, came to bring supplies for his brethren and to get from them a "pledge" that they were alive and well. Arriving at the wagon rampart (not "the trench" as KJV) round Israel's camp, he heard their well-known war shout (&nbsp;Numbers 23:21, compare &nbsp;Numbers 10:35). [[Leaving]] his Carriage (the vessels of supplies which he carried) in the hand of the baggage-master, he ran to greet his brethren in the midst of the lines, and there heard Goliath's challenge repeated on the 40th day for the 40th time. (See [[Carriage]] .) </p> <p> The meekness with which David conquered his own spirit, when Eliab charged him with pride, the very sin which prompted Eliab's own angry and uncharitable imputation, was a fit prelude to his conquest of Goliath; self must be overcome before we can overcome others (&nbsp;Proverbs 16:32; &nbsp;Proverbs 13:10). The same principle," judge not according to the appearance" (&nbsp;John 7:24), as. at his anointing (&nbsp;1 Samuel 16:7), is set forth in the victory of this "youth" over "a man of war from his youth." [[Physical]] strength and size, severed from God; is mere beast strength, and must fall before the seemingly feeblest whose God is the Lord. This is the force of his words: "thy servant slew both the lion and the bear, and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be as one of them, seeing he hath defied the armies of the living God." Man becomes beastlike when severed from God, and is only manly when he is godly. (See [[Beast]] ; [[Daniel]] [[Confidence]] in God, not self, grounded on past deliverance, and on God's honor being at stake before the assembled people of God and the enemies of God (&nbsp;1 Samuel 17:45-48), filled him with such alacrity that he "ran" toward the enemy, and with his simple sling and stone smote him to the ground. </p> <p> His armor David took first to his tent, and afterward to the tabernacle at Nob; his head David brought to [[Jerusalem]] (the city, not the citadel, which was then a [[Jebusite]] possession). At this point begins the second era of David's life, his persecution by Saul. A word is enough to rouse the jealous spirit, especially in a king towards a subject. That word was spoken by the women, unconscious of the effect of their words while they sang in responsive strains before the king and his champion, "Saul has slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands." "They have ascribed unto David ten thousands, and to me but thousands, and what can he have more but the kingdom?" [[Conscience]] told him he had forfeited his throne; and remembering Samuel's word after his disobedience as to the [[Amalekites]] (&nbsp;1 Samuel 15:28), "the Lord hath rent the kingdom of [[Israel]] from thee this day, and hath given it to a neighbor of thine that is better than thou," he "eyed David" as possibly the "neighbor" meant. [[Envy]] moved Saul under the evil spirit to cast his javelin at him, but twice he eluded it. </p> <p> His already noted (&nbsp;1 Samuel 16:18) prudence, whereby "he behaved himself wisely in all his ways," was now brought into play; a quality which in dependence upon Jehovah, its [[Giver]] (&nbsp;Psalms 5:8), he in &nbsp;Psalms 101:1, by an undesigned coincidence, professes in the same words his determination to exercise, and which as it was the characteristic of Jacob, Israel's forefather, so it has been prominent in his descendants in all ages, modern as well as ancient, especially in times of persecution; analogous to the instinctive sagacity of hunted animals. So wisely did he behave, and so manifestly was the Lord with him, that Saul the king was afraid of David his subject; "therefore Saul removed him from him and made him captain over a thousand" (&nbsp;1 Samuel 18:13). Subsequently, he was captain of the king's bodyguard, next to Abner the captain of the host and Jonathan the heir apparent, and sat with the king at table daily (&nbsp;1 Samuel 20:25; &nbsp;1 Samuel 22:14). Next, after Saul broke his promise of giving [[Merab]] his older daughter to be David's wife, by giving her to [[Adriel]] instead, Michal, Saul's second daughter, became attached to David. </p> <p> Saul used her as a "snare" that David might fall by the Philistines. The dowry Saul required was 100 foreskins of the Philistines. David brought him 200, which, so far from abating his malice, seeing that the Lord was so manifestly, with David, made him only the more bitter "enemy." But God can raise up friends to His people in their enemy's house; and as Pharaoh's daughter saved Moses, so Saul's son Jonathan and daughter [[Michal]] saved David. After having promised in the living Jehovah's name David's safety to Jonathan, and after David had "slain the Philistines with a great slaughter" from which they did not recover until the battle in which Saul fell, Saul hurled his javelin at David with such force that it entered into the wall and then would have killed David in his own house, but that by Michal's help he escaped through a window. Jonathan, his bosom friend, he saw once again and never after. Michal was given to Phaltiel, and was not restored to him until he made her restoration a condition of peace with Abner (1 Samuel 19; &nbsp;2 Samuel 3:13-16). </p> <p> How striking a retribution by the righteous God it was, that Saul himself fell by the very enemy by whom he hoped to kill David! How evidently this and kindred cases must have been in David's mind when he wrote of the sinner, "he made a pit and digged it, and is fallen into the ditch which he made" (&nbsp;Psalms 7:15-16); the title of this psalm probably refers to Saul, the black-hearted son of [[Kish]] the Benjamite, enigmatically glanced at as "Cush (Ethiopia; compare &nbsp;Jeremiah 13:23; &nbsp;Amos 9:7) the Benjamite." This first act in his long wanderings forms the subject of Psalm 59. The title states the occasion: "when Saul sent and they watched the house to kill him." The "bloody men" are Saul and his minions (&nbsp;Psalms 59:2). "The mighty are gathered against me, not for my transgression; ... they run and prepare themselves without my fault" (&nbsp;Psalms 59:3-4); herein he appeals to the all-knowing Jehovah, since the earthly king will not believe his protestations of innocence of the treason laid to his charge. </p> <p> This psalm harmonizes with the independent history, &nbsp;1 Samuel 18:8-30; &nbsp;1 Samuel 20:30-31; &nbsp;1 Samuel 22:8; &nbsp;1 Samuel 24:9. This is the "lying" alluded to (&nbsp;Psalms 59:12). Saul's "pride" would not brook that David's exploits should be extolled above his; hence flowed the "lying" and malice. His minions, "like a dog returning at evening," thirsting for prey which they had in vain sought throughout the day, came tumultuously besieging David's house "that night" after Saul's vain attempt to destroy him in the day. His doom answered to his sin. [[Greatly]] trembling at the Philistine hosts, war-like though he was, but cowed by a guilty conscience, he who had made David to "wander up and down" now in his turn wanders hither and there for that spiritual guidance which Jehovah withheld and at last by night in disguise was a suppliant before the witch of Endor, which sealed his destruction (1 Samuel 28; &nbsp;1 Chronicles 10:13). As David was "watched" by Saul's messengers (&nbsp;1 Samuel 19:11) so David's remedy was, "because of his (Saul's) strength will I wait upon (watch unto, Hebrew) Thee." </p> <p> David, seeing no hope of safety while within Saul's reach, fled to Samuel and dwelt with him at the prophet's school in Naioth. Saul sent messengers to apprehend him; but they and even Saul himself, when he followed, were filled with the spirit of prophecy; and they who came to seize the servant of God joined David in Spirit-taught praises of God; so, God can turn the hearts of His people's foes (&nbsp;Proverbs 16:7; &nbsp;Proverbs 21:1); compare &nbsp;Acts 18:17 with &nbsp;1 Corinthians 1:1, especially Saul's namesake (&nbsp;Acts 7:58 with Acts 9). After taking affectionate leave of Jonathan, David fled to Nob, where the tabernacle was, in order to inquire God's will concerning his future course, as was David's custom. [[Herein]] &nbsp;Psalms 16:7 undesignedly coincides with &nbsp;1 Samuel 22:10; &nbsp;1 Samuel 22:15. Ahimelech, alarmed at David's sudden appearance alone, lest he should be charged with some unwelcome commission, asked, "Why art thou alone?" (1 Samuel 21.) (See [[Ahimelech]] .) David, whom neither beast nor giant had shaken from his trust in the Lord, now through temporary unbelief told a lie, which involved the unsuspecting high priest and all his subordinates in one indiscriminate massacre, through Doeg's information to Saul. </p> <p> Too late David acknowledged to the only survivor, Abiathar, that he had thereby occasioned their death (1 Samuel 22); so liable are even believers to vacillation and to consequent punishment. (See [[Abiathar]] .) By the lie he gained his immediate object, the 12 shewbread loaves just removed from the table to make place for the new bread on the sabbath, and also Goliath's sword wrapped up in cloth behind the high priest's own ephod (shoulder dress), so precious a dedicatory offering was it deemed. One gain David derived and Saul lost by his slaughter of the priests; Abiathar, the sole survivor of the line of Ithamar, henceforth attended David, and through him David could always inquire of God, in God's appointed way (&nbsp;Psalms 16:7, in undesigned coincidence with &nbsp;1 Samuel 23:2; &nbsp;1 Samuel 23:4; &nbsp;1 Samuel 23:6; &nbsp;1 Samuel 23:9; &nbsp;1 Samuel 30:7-8). Saul on the contrary had bereft himself of those through whom he might have consulted the Lord. So at last, "when the Lord answered him, neither by dreams, by Urim, nor by prophets," he filled up the measure of his guilt by repairing to the witch of Endor. </p> <p> Surely men's "sin will find them out" (&nbsp;1 Samuel 28:6-7; &nbsp;Numbers 32:23). The title of Psalm 52 informs us that it was composed in reference to Saul's cruel act on Doeg's officious tale-telling information. The "boaster in mischief, the mighty man" (the very term used of Saul, &nbsp;2 Samuel 1:19), is not the herdsman Doeg, the ready tool of evil, but the master of hero might in animal courage, Saul. True hero might belongs to the godly alone, as &nbsp;Psalms 18:25 saith, "with an upright hero (Hebrew for 'man') Thou wilt show [[Thyself]] upright." Saul's "lying and all devouring words" (&nbsp;Psalms 5:3) are, with undesigned coincidence, illustrated by the independent history (&nbsp;1 Samuel 24:9), "wherefore hearest thou men's words, ... Behold, David seeketh thy hurt?" Saul's courtiers knew the road to his favor was to malign David. Saul was thus the prime mover of the lying charge. Doeg, for mischief and to curry favor, told the fact; it was Saul who put on it the false construction of treason against David and the innocent priests; compare David's similar language, &nbsp;Psalms 17:3-4. </p> <p> Saul was "the man that made not God his strength, but trusted in the abundance of his riches and strengthened himself in his wickedness" (&nbsp;Psalms 52:7). For in undesigned coincidence with this the history (&nbsp;1 Samuel 22:7-9) represents him saying, "Will the son of Jesse give every one of you fields and vineyards?" etc., implying that he had all these (as Samuel foretold would be "the manner of the king," &nbsp;1 Samuel 8:14) to give, which David had not. Singularly prophetic of Saul's own doom are the Words (&nbsp;Psalms 52:5) hinting at his having rooted out Ahimelech's family, "God shall likewise ... pluck thee out of try dwelling-place, and root thee out of the land of the living." Not only Saul, but all his bloody house save Mephibosheth, died by a violent death, by a righteous retribution in kind (&nbsp;1 Samuel 31:6; &nbsp;2 Samuel 21:1-14; &nbsp;Psalms 18:25-26). [[Unbelieving]] calculation of probabilities, instead of doing the right thing in prayerful faith, led David to flee to Israel's enemies, the Philistines and Achish of Gath. </p> <p> (See [[Achish]] .) As Psalm 56 represents him praying for deliverance at this crisis, so Psalm 34 (in alphabetical acrostic arrangement in Hebrew), which by its tranquil tone shows it was composed in a season of quiet, is his permanent memorial of thanksgiving for the deliverance granted to his prayers. The title of Psalm 56, Jonath-elem-rechokim, means "the dumb dove among strangers." David was "dumb," inasmuch as, feeling words useless to enemies who "wrested" all he said (&nbsp;Psalms 56:5), he silently left his cause with God (&nbsp;Psalms 38:13-14). "Dove" represents his defenseless innocence, while pursued as a bird. He longed to have "wings like a dove to fly away and be at rest" (&nbsp;Psalms 55:6-7; &nbsp;1 Samuel 26:20). The "strangers" are the Philistines, among whom he was sojourning in his "wanderings" (&nbsp;Psalms 56:8). The title of Psalm 34 says "he changed his behavior" or "concealed his intellect" (Hengstenberg), i.e. feigned madness," scrabbling on the doors and letting his spittle fall on his heard" (&nbsp;1 Samuel 21:10-15): so that Achish "(See [[Abimelech]] ", (literally, father of a king, hereditary not elective monarch) drove him away, and he departed. </p> <p> "Goliath's sword" perhaps betrayed him, for Achish's servants immediately said, "Is not this David the king of the land? Did they not sing, ... David hath slain his ten thousands?" The sword which he had dishonestly got from Ahimelech now cuts the ground from under him, before Abimelech (&nbsp;Numbers 32:23), and the song of his former triumph is the very occasion of their interpreting it to mean his kingship. The title of Psalm 56 implies he was "taken" prisoner, and only escaped by feigning madness. He now became an independent outlaw (&nbsp;1 Samuel 22:1), and gathered a band of fugitives through debt or distress, in the cave some miles S.W. of Bethlehem, the largest in the land, (See [[Adullam]] . "His father's house (probably including Zeruiah's sons, certainly Abishai: &nbsp;2 Samuel 23:13; &nbsp;2 Samuel 23:18) went down there to him," an appropriate expression, for the path goes down from Bethlehem to it toward the [[Dead]] Sea. As formerly a shepherd he knew every winding of the cavern, as the Arabs now do. </p> <p> Some of [[Canaanite]] origin joined him, as Ahimelech the Hittite (&nbsp;1 Samuel 26:6). Long after we read of "600 men coming after him from Gath" (&nbsp;2 Samuel 15:18). As Psalm 56 refers to his stay with the Philistine king, so Psalm 57 title, "when he fled from Saul in the cave," refers to his subsequent stay in the cave of Adullam. The "cave" symbolizes a gloomy position (&nbsp;Hebrews 11:38); and perhaps never did David's position seem darker than at that time, as he subsequently sets forth in the maschil (spiritual instruction) Psalm 142, for the edification and comfort of God's people when in similar cavelike positions of gloom and trial. From Adullam he went to [[Mizpeh]] ("watchtower, mountain height") of Moab, the Moabite royal residence on Mount Pisgah, and there, on the ground of kindred through Ruth the Moabitess, committed his aged parents to the charge of the king to secure them from Saul's enmity. This was the time probably when Nahash the [[Ammonite]] king showed him kindness (&nbsp;2 Samuel 10:2). Here too his future biographer, the prophet Gad, whose acquaintance he may have made when among the prophets at Naioth, joined him. </p> <p> His name makes it possible he was a Gadite, the forerunner of the 11 [[Gadite]] chieftains who crossed the then overflowing [[Jordan]] to reach David shortly afterward. But now he was on the E. side of Jordan in Mizpeh-hold. Gad's warning, "Abide not in the hold, depart into Judah" (&nbsp;1 Samuel 22:5), implies that he was not to seek refuge outside the [[Holy]] Land, but trust in the Lord as his refuge. Tradition reports that the [[Moabites]] murdered his parents; if true, it must have been subsequently, since here it is implied David's parents left the hold when David left it. One thing is certain, that many years afterward David treated the subjugated Moabites with extraordinary severity," making them lie down upon the ground, and then with two lines measuring to put to death, and with one full line to keep alive," i.e. killing two-thirds of their fighting men, and sparing only one third. If in the interim, in violation of the rights of hospitality and kindred, they treacherously murdered his parents, his exceptional severity is accounted for. In &nbsp;Psalms 60:8, "Moab is my washpot," he marks their ignominious subjection to the slave's office of washing the feet of the master. </p> <p> Annually they had to pay 10,000 lambs and as many rams (&nbsp;2 Kings 3:4; &nbsp;Isaiah 16:1). In Psalm 27 he alludes to this severance from his parents, who possibly (such is man's selfishness in calamity) blamed him for their exile: "when my father and my mother forsake me, then the Lord will take me up" ( '''''Yaaspheeni''''' ), as a child disowned by its parents, and taken up by the adoptive father from the streets; compare &nbsp;Ezekiel 16:5-6. The "sorrow multiplying" idolatries surrounding him, while among the Philistines and in Moab, and his prayer for preservation amidst all, suggested the related pair of psalms, Ps 16 and Psalm 17 "Preserve me, [[O]] God, for in Thee do I put my trust" (&nbsp;Psalms 16:1); "their sorrows shall be multiplied that hasten after another God"; in contrast to which his blessed experience is, "the Lord is the portion of mine inheritance," "the lines are fallen unto me in pleasant places, yea I have a goodly heritage." The names for idol gods and sorrows are almost identical; ''''''Alztseboth''''' , ''''''Atsabbim''''' ; a bad augury for those who "hasten after" (as one buying a wife at the price of a costly dowry, Hebrew) them. </p> <p> In undesigned coincidence with this, David at Hachilah, in his appeal to Saul, fixes on this as the chief hardship of his exile from the Holy Land; they who stirred thee up against me" have driven me out from abiding in the inheritance of the Lord, saying, Go serve other gods:" The Moabite stone of [[Dibon]] strikingly confirms the [[Scripture]] representation of the free contact carried on between Israelites and Moabites, not being impeded by difference of language; Moab, if sprung from [[Lot]] as the Bible states, would use a language not widely different from that of Lot's uncle Abraham's descendants; so the Dibon stone is inscribed (about 900 B.C.) with a language almost identical with the Hebrew of the Bible histories, Samuel and Kings. Next, David by Gad's warning fled to Hareth forest. (See [[Hareth]] .) But hearing that the Philistines were robbing the threshing floors of Keilah (in the lowland of Judah toward Philistia), love of country prevailed over every thought of his own safety. (See [[Keilah]] .) But first he inquired of the Lord, "Shall I go, ... and save Keilah?" </p> <p> Upon receiving a favorable response twice, probably through Gad, he went in spite of the remonstrance of his men, whose faith yielded to fears. He saved the city, killed many Philistines, and carried away their cattle. His self-devotion in behalf of Keilah was rewarded by treacherous ingratitude on the part of the citizens so saved. For, on Saul's secretly plotting mischief against him while shut up in Keilah, he learned by inquiry of the Lord, through Abiathar with the ephod, that the men of Keilah would betray him if he stayed, a type of Him who was betrayed by those whom He came to save (1 Samuel 23). From Keilah David and his 600 men (to which number they had increased from 400 in Adullam, &nbsp;1 Samuel 22:2,) going to a mountain in the wilderness of Ziph, dispersed in the fastnesses "wheresoever they could go." It is to this occasion that Psalm 11 refers: "in the Lord put I my trust, how say ye to my soul, flee as a bird to your mountain." Literally he did flee; but the flight from which his spiritual instincts recoiled (compare &nbsp;Nehemiah 6:11) was that from trust in Jehovah; though his followers' faith was giving way, especially when even Saul was claiming God as on his side against David (&nbsp;1 Samuel 23:3; &nbsp;1 Samuel 23:7.) </p> <p> The image of a "bird" is the very one the independent history represents him using while in the same neighborhood (&nbsp;1 Samuel 26:20): "the king of Israel is come out as when one doth hunt a partridge in the mountains." At an alarm birds flee from the open plain to the covert of a hill. "The wicked bending their bow ... that they may privily shoot at the upright" (&nbsp;Psalms 11:2), points to the treacherous [[Ziphites]] tracking "his foot" (the margin of &nbsp;1 Samuel 23:22), and guiding Saul and his [[Benjamite]] bowmen toward David. They "compassed" him (as &nbsp;Psalms 17:9 expresses it, in agreement with the history) so closely at the wilderness of Maon, they on the one side while he was on the other, that David only by "making haste got away." God's providence interposed, for just as Saul was on the verge of overtaking him the Philistines unintentionally saved David by invading Judah and so requiring Saul in haste to meet them, the very enemies by whom Saul had hoped to kill David (&nbsp;1 Samuel 18:21)! </p> <p> The name Sela-hammah-lekoth, "the rock of divisions," marked the spot where David climbed down one side while Saul was surrounding the mountain on the other side. Psalm 54 was written "when the [[Ziphims]] came and said to Saul, Doth not David hide himself with us?" Twice they informed Saul (1 Samuel 23; 1 Samuel 26). The exact words corresponding in both show that &nbsp;1 Samuel 23:19 is the occasion meant in Psalm 54 "Strangers are risen up against me" (&nbsp;Psalms 54:3); i.e., the Ziphites, who by the ties of country ought to have been friends, are behaving as hostile "strangers"; compare &nbsp;Isaiah 25:5; &nbsp;Psalms 120:5. So in &nbsp;Psalms 54:5 the" enemies" are '''''Shoreray''''' , "those who watch me," liers in wait. Next, David dwelt in the strongholds of [[Engedi]] ("the fountain of the goat or kid"), "the rocks of the wild goats" (1 Samuel 24). This was in the neighborhood of the Dead Sea, the scene of the destruction by fire of the guilty cities of the plain. How naturally here the idea would suggest itself (&nbsp;Psalms 11:6), "upon the wicked Jehovah shall rain fire and brimstone, and an horrible tempest" ("the wrath wind," '''''Zil'Aphot''''' ; compare" the breath of the Lord," &nbsp;Isaiah 30:33). </p> <p> See last paragraph for the undesigned coincidence between &nbsp;Psalms 11:1-2 and &nbsp;1 Samuel 26:20-25. Here [[Providence]] put Saul the persecutor in his victim David's power. For Saul went into one of the caves with which the chalk and limestone conical hills W. of the Dead Sea abound, "to cover his feet" (to perform nature's necessities, &nbsp;Judges 3:24; i.e. to defecate) while David's men were lurking in the sides. David silently cut off Saul's skirt on his spreading out his long robe before and behind. But though his men regarded it as an opportunity for killing him, appointed by Jehovah, David said," Jehovah forbid that I should ... stretch forth mine hand against ... Jehovah's anointed." Nay, his conscience even "smote him because he had cut off Saul's skirt." After Saul had left the cave David cried after him, "wherefore hearest thou men's words, ... Behold, David seeketh thy hurt?" So in &nbsp;Psalms 7:3 he says, "if I have done this," namely, what my calumniators allege, "if there be iniquity in my hands." How undesignedly and naturally his words in the history coincide: "My father, see the skirt of try robe in my hand, for in that I killed thee not, know there is neither evil nor transgression in mine hand, yet thou huntest my soul." </p> <p> The same favorite expressions occur in the psalm, "lest he tear my soul" (&nbsp;Psalms 7:2; &nbsp;Psalms 7:5), and "persecute me" (&nbsp;Psalms 7:1), as in &nbsp;1 Samuel 24:14, "whom dost thou persecute?" (Hebrew) Saul was astonished at David's magnanimity as something above the mere natural man:" if a man find his enemy, will he let him go well away? [[Wherefore]] the Lord reward thee good for that thou hast done unto me this day." How natural that the charge which Saul had alleged against David as his plea for persecuting him, but which really lay at Saul's own door, should be uppermost in David's mind: &nbsp;Psalms 7:4, "if I have rewarded evil unto him that was at peace with me." Moreover, the same phrases occur in 1 Samuel 26, describing the similar magnanimity of David toward Saul (&nbsp;1 Samuel 26:18), and the same allusion to men's calumnies against David to gain Saul's favor. In &nbsp;Psalms 7:3-5 he defends himself against these calumnies; and the title, "concerning the words," refers to them, for the real calumniator was Saul himself, and his flatterers uttered the calumnies to please him, therefore the title attributes "the words" to "Cush the Benjamite," i.e. the [[Ethiopian]] (black) hearted son of Kish of [[Benjamin]] = Saul. </p> <p> As in &nbsp;1 Samuel 24:12; &nbsp;1 Samuel 26:15, David says, "The Lord judge between me and thee ... but mine hand shall not be upon thee; the Lord render to every man his righteousness"; so in &nbsp;Psalms 7:8; &nbsp;Psalms 7:11 "Judge me, O Lord, according to my righteousness ... God judgeth the righteous." In both alike appears the same committing of his righteous cause to the righteous God (compare &nbsp;Psalms 18:20). Jehovah's "whetted sword" and "arrows ordained against the persecutors" literally smote Saul, in accordance with David's prophecy in &nbsp;Psalms 7:13, for he was smitten by the arrows of the very Philistines by whom he had hoped to smite David, and he fell by his own sword (&nbsp;1 Samuel 18:17; &nbsp;1 Samuel 18:21; compare &nbsp;1 Samuel 31:3-4). David, of whom Saul had said, Let the hand of the Philistines be upon him, was actually saved by them (&nbsp;1 Samuel 27:1-3), it was Saul who was slain by them. So accurately was the retributive law fulfilled; "he made a pit and digged, and is fallen into the ditch which he made. </p> <p> His mischief shall return upon his own head, and his violent dealing shall come upon his own pate" (&nbsp;Psalms 7:15-16). The last interview between Saul and David was further S. in the same region, at the hill of [[Hachilah]] before Jeshimon, where Saul lay in the camp with the usual fortification of wagons and baggage around (&nbsp;1 Samuel 26:5 margin). David abode in the wilderness, and having ascertained by spies Saul's presence, sallied forth with Ablshai, and found Saul asleep, with his spear stuck in the ground beside him. [[Abishai]] would have smitten him with the spear, but David interposed: "Destroy him not, for who can stretch forth his hand against the Lord's anointed and be guiltless?" adding prophetically, "the Lord shall smite him ... or he shall descend into battle and perish" (compare &nbsp;1 Samuel 31:6). This phrase became a motto to him, "Destroy not," Altaschith, prefixed to Psalm 57; 58; 59, and copied by Asaph, Psalm 75 He could say "Destroy not" to God, when he "destroyed not" his enemy (&nbsp;Matthew 18:32-35; &nbsp;Matthew 26:52). </p> <p> Contenting himself with taking Saul's cruse, and the spear which had so nearly transfixed him, David appealed to the persecutor, whose heart was touched, and so David overcame evil with good. While in [[Maon]] David sought contributions from [[Nabal]] of [[Carmel]] (1 Samuel 25), of the house of [[Caleb]] but sadly degenerate from his wholehearted ancestor; David's men had been "very good" to Nabal's shepherds, neither hurting men nor taking property though in their power, yea "being a wall unto them both by night and day." But Nabal churlishly replied, "Shall I take my bread, my water, and my flesh (the repeated "my" marks his covetous God-forgetting selfishness, &nbsp;Hosea 2:5), and give it to men whom I know not from whence they be? There be many servants (glancing at David) nowadays that break away every man from his master." David here was strongly tempted to that which he had abstained from in the case of Saul, personal revenge. Abigail, Nabal's wife, by her timely present of bread, wine, sheep, and fruit, saved herself and her house when David was bent on vengeance for having been requited evil for good. </p> <p> With wise unselfishness she said, "Upon me let this iniquity be ... let not my lord regard this man of Belial, for as his name is so is he; Nabal ("fool") is his name, and folly is with him." At the same time she salved over the dishonor Nabal had done to David personally:" my lord fighteth the battles of the Lord (compare &nbsp;1 Samuel 18:17); yet a man is risen ... to seek thy soul; but the soul of my lord shall be bound in the bundle of life, ... and the souls of thine enemies shall the Lord sling out as out of the middle of a sling," with feminine tact alluding to the great achievement of David, his slaying Goliath with a sling. In ten days after Nabal's unreasonable and drunken feast, from which he awoke only to hear of his imminent danger, the Lord struck Nabal down in such a way that he died. Then David blessed Jehovah for having" "pleaded his cause" (the phrase in the history coinciding undesignedly with that in &nbsp;Psalms 35:1) against Nabal, and having kept David from self-revenge; compare &nbsp;Romans 12:19. </p> <p> Another coincidence between David's language in the independent history and that in his sacred poetry appears from comparing &nbsp;1 Samuel 25:39, "the Lord hath returned the wickedness of Nabal upon his own head," with &nbsp;Psalms 7:16, "his mischief shall return upon his own head." Scripture, which calls things by their right names, designates the unbelieving sinner a "fool," however wise in his own eyes and those of the world because gilded by worldly success. David could not fail to be deeply impressed with this in Nabal's case, whose name expressed his self-indulging, unbelieving folly. Having taken [[Abigail]] as his wife, David must have often thought of the remarkable providence under which he met her. How naturally then in the psalm which was indited for private devotion in the form of Psalm 53, and for public use in the sanctuary in the form of Psalm 14, does he stigmatize godlessness as the secret spring of the [[Folly]] of worldlings: "the fool (Nabal) hath said in his heart, No God!" How suddenly "great fear" came upon him in the midst of his godless feasting, "when no fear was" (&nbsp;Psalms 53:5). </p> <p> For when told, in the morning after his revel, of his danger, "his heart died within him, and he became as a stone"; the same heart which just before had been so "merry within him"; like the rich man who in the midst of his self-aggrandizing and indulging plans received the awful summons," Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee" (&nbsp;Luke 12:16-20). The death of Saul, after he had "played the fool and erred exceedingly" (&nbsp;1 Samuel 26:21), and the utter "perishing" of Aamlek's "memorial with them," because their "hand was against the throne of the Lord" (&nbsp;Exodus 17:16 margin), illustrate the same principle as set forth in David's Psalm 9, with the title Muth-Labben, i.e. an anagram for Nabal," concerning the dying of the fool," the phrase of David again in &nbsp;2 Samuel 3:33. (See [[Amalek]] .) Unbelieving fear ("I shall now perish one day by the hand of Saul") and human calculations (such is the vacillation even in believers) induced David again to seek refuge among the Philistines; but now no longer a fugitive, but captain of an organized band, 600 men with their wives and families. </p> <p> Achish of Gath (son of the former Achish says tradition), according to the usage of eastern monarchs, gave him [[Ziklag]] for his maintenance, which thenceforth appertained to Judah (1 Samuel 27). So did his power grow that a band of Benjamites, of Saul's brethren, right-handed and left-handed slingers and archers, with their captains, including [[Ismaiah]] the Gibeonite, a mighty man over the 30, joined him here (&nbsp;1 Chronicles 12:1-7), and he stayed "a full year and four months." David during his stay smote the Geshurites, Gezrites, and Amalekites, the very people the sparing of whom in disobedience to God was the cause of Saul's rejection; but he was guilty of a deception to Achish, saying his inroad was upon the [[Jerahmeelites]] and Kenites, nomadic races on the S. of Judah, allied to Israel. But for God's providential interposition his putting himself in this false position would have been fatal to his peace of conscience, for he would have had to join with the pagan Philistines in the battle of [[Gilboa]] against his own countrymen. </p> <p> He narrowly escaped by the protest of the Philistine nobles (1 Samuel 28-29). Psalm 34, referring probably to both his stays in [[Philistia]] (see title), celebrates how "the angel of the Lord encamped around" him because he "feared" God, and "delivered" him; and how "the Lord redeemeth the soul of His servants," besides "keeping all his bones" so that "not one of them is broken." On the march toward Gilboa, and as he turned back to Ziklag, several captains of the thousands of [[Manasseh]] joined him, "all mighty men of valor," so that his army increased "day by day until it was a great host, like the host of God" (&nbsp;1 Chronicles 12:19-22). Upon returning, he discovered that the Amalekites had burned Ziklag with fire (1 Samuel 30), and they carried away all its inhabitants - women and children - as captives. "David was greatly distressed," for besides his own deep grief, his two wives [[Ahinoam]] and Abigail being among those carried off, the people with characteristic fickleness "bade stone him." But distress now brought out into strong relief his faith which had vacillated in his coming to Philistia, so "he encouraged himself in the Lord his God." </p> <p> In undesigned coincidence with this representation, in the history of his fears silenced by his faith, in Psalm 56, which commemorates his two stays in Philistia, he says (&nbsp;Psalms 56:3), "what time I am afraid I will trust in Thee." Consulting, as was his custom, God through Abiathar and the ephod, and receiving a favorable response, he pursued with 400 men (probably including some of the recently joined Manassites, &nbsp;1 Chronicles 12:21), leaving 200 who were faint at the brook Besor. By an Egyptian's information he came upon the Amalekites and killed all except 400 who escaped on camels, and recovered all the captives and spoil. Besides, he took large spoil belonging to Amalek, and of it distributed "presents to all the places where David and his men were wont to haunt." This suggested his language &nbsp;Psalms 68:18, "Thou hast received gifts for men," as explained in relation to the [[Antitype]] (&nbsp;Ephesians 4:8). The law of division of plunder equally, among those engaged in the field and those guarding the baggage, was established (&nbsp;1 Samuel 25:13; &nbsp;1 Samuel 30:25). </p> <p> David's generosity to his fallen enemy appears in his punishment of the Amalekite, who, bringing news of Saul's death, and carrying to David the crown and bracelet stripped from him, confessed that he had put an end to Saul. David composed the beautiful elegy on Saul and Jonathan (&nbsp;2 Samuel 1:17-27), which he bade the children of Judah to be "taught" (compare title Psalm 60) in, designated "the bow" song, not as KJV "he bade them teach the children of Judah (the use of) the bow." Having first consulted the Lord, as always, David by His direction went up to Hebron, the sacred city where the patriarchs were buried and Caleb had his inheritance, and was there anointed king over Judah, which he continued to be 7 1/2 years. His noble-heartedness appears in his thanks to the men of [[Jabesh]] [[Gilead]] for burying Saul: "Blessed be ye of the Lord, that ye have showed this kindness ... now the Lord show kindness and truth unto you... I also will requite you this kindness." What a contrast to Saul's thanks to the Ziphites for betraying David: "Blessed be ye of the Lord (thus claiming God's sanction to treachery, malice, and bloodthirsty persecution of the innocent), for ye have compassion of me." [[Ishbosheth]] was not made king at [[Mahanaim]] until after David had reigned five years. </p> <p> Probably all the country, except Judah in the S. and part of the transjordanic tribes on the E., were under the Philistine dominion after the fatal battle of Gilboa. Gradually, Israel recovered its land, and Abner at the close of the five years made Ishbosheth king. David however "waxed stronger and stronger," while "Saul's house waxed weaker and weaker" (2 Samuel 2-3). After a skirmish, disastrous to Ishbosheth's cause, that weak king offended Abner by charging him with an intrigue with Rizpah, Saul's concubine. Abner embraced David's side and procured David's wife Michal for him, severing her from her second husband Phaltiel. Then followed Joab's murder of Abner, which David felt himself politically unable to punish; but left the avenging of his blood to God, "these men the sons of [[Zeruiah]] be too hard for me, the Lord shall reward the doer of evil according to his wickedness" (&nbsp;2 Samuel 3:39), in coincidence with David's &nbsp;Psalms 28:4. David paid every honor to his memory, following the bier, and composing a dirge on his death. (See [[Abner]] .) </p> <p> Next followed Ishbosheth's murder and David's punishment of the murderers, [[Rechab]] and Baanah, who thought to gratify David by bringing his enemy's head. The coincidence between &nbsp;2 Samuel 4:9, "as the Lord liveth who hath redeemed my soul out of all adversity," and &nbsp;Psalms 31:5; &nbsp;Psalms 31:7, is obvious. His sense of justice, even in the case of adversaries, his dependence continually on Jehovah, and humble ascription of all that he was to Him alone, kept him from behaving proudly in prosperity. Then he was anointed for the third time king, namely, over Israel (his reign lasting 33 years besides the previous 7 1/2 years over Judah </p>

<p> [[David]] ( ''Dâ'Vid'' ), ''Beloved.'' The great king of Israel. He was the eighth and youngest son of Jesse, of Bethlehem and of the tribe of Judah. Six of his brothers are named in Scripture, &nbsp;1 Chronicles 2:13-15; of the other, we know only the fact of his existence, &nbsp;1 Samuel 17:12; and it is needless to mention the conjectures which have been formed of him. David had also two sisters. &nbsp;1 Chronicles 2:16-17. His mother's name is not recorded, unless, as some have believed, she was the Nahash of &nbsp;2 Samuel 17:25. When the Lord, because of the ungodly conduct of Saul, had determined to choose another king, Samuel was directed to go to Bethlehem: and from the sons of Jesse anoint another as king over Israel. Dean Stanley thus describes David's appearance and physique as he stood before Samuel: "He was short of stature, had red hair and bright eyes. He was remarkable for the grace of his figure and countenance, well made, and of immense strength and agility. In swiftness and activity he could only be compared to a wild gazelle, with feet like harts' feet, with arms strong enough to break a bow of steel or bend a bow of brass." R. V. &nbsp;Psalms 18:33-34. Samuel anointed David "in the midst of his brethren," &nbsp;1 Samuel 16:13; and the Spirit of God was from that day specially upon him. David returned to the care of his flocks. Such education as the times afforded he doubtless had, and God's law was his study. He had poetic genius, too; and music was his delight. When Saul, afflicted now with that black spirit of melancholy which his sins had justly brought upon him, might, it was thought, be soothed by a minstrel's music, David took his harp to the palace; and his music calmed Saul's distemper; and Saul was gratified and became attached to his skilful attendant. David was not indeed altogether removed from home. He went backwards and forwards, as the king's dark hour was upon him, and his services were needed. In &nbsp;1 Samuel 16:21 it is said that Saul made David his armor-hearer. And this has puzzled commentators exceedingly. For it then would have been strange if neither Saul nor any one about his person had recognized David when he came, as we find in the next chapter, to accept Goliath's challenge. And so all sorts of devices have been contrived to get the history into chronological order; some imagining that the fight with the Philistine was before David was attached to Saul as the minstrel. David offers to engage Goliath; but Saul doubts whether the young man was equal to such a perilous encounter; and David of course makes no allusion to his having previously stood before the king. Had it come out then that he was but the minstrel, the discovery would have been enough to prevent his being allowed the combat: he tells, therefore, how he killed the lion and the bear; and his evident enthusiasm wrings a consent from Saul that he shall go to battle. Saul accordingly arms him—not with his own personal armor, as some have not very wisely supposed: the stalwart king would have known better than to encumber the stripling with his own coat of mail—but with weapons—plenty were no doubt in the royal tent—more suited to his size. With these, however, unaccustomed as he was to such harness (an additional proof that he had never yet been Saul's armor-bearer), David refuses to go. He will rather take his shepherd's sling, and choose him out pebbles from the brook. David was successful; the huge Philistine fell; and the [[Israelitish]] troops pealed out their shouts of victory. Then Abner was willing to appear as a patron, and took the conqueror to Saul. And, in answer to the king's query, David replies, "I am the son of thy servant Jesse the Bethlehemite, &nbsp;1 Samuel 17:58, adopting the style by which he was first named to the king. &nbsp;1 Samuel 16:18. He is now fully recognize! found both a skilful musician and a valiant soldier, and attains the position mentioned before. &nbsp;1 Samuel 16:21. Saul loves him, and makes him his armor-bearer, and sends a second message to Jesse, &nbsp;1 Samuel 16:22, which, if not explained in this way, would seem unnecessary. See &nbsp;1 Samuel 16:19. David is now established in the king's favor: he is specially beloved by Jonathan; he is set over the men of war, &nbsp;1 Samuel 18:5, perhaps made captain of the body-guard, and employed in various services the rest of the campaign; by which his popularity was increased. But the king's mind began ere long to change. The rejoicings at the re-establishment of peace provoked his jealousy. For the chief praise in the songs of the women was given to David. &nbsp;1 Samuel 18:6-9. And speedily the evil spirit resumed his sway. David did not then refuse to take up again his harp; though once or twice the maddened king strove to kill him with his javelin, and, because he could no longer bear his constant presence, removed him from the body-guard to a separate command, l Sam. 18:13. After he had married Saul's younger daughter Michal, instead of the elder Merab, who had been promised him, Saul, further enraged by David's increasing credit with the nation, and understanding, it is likely, by this time, that the young [[Bethlehemite]] was the chosen of the Lord, to whom the kingdom was to be transferred, sent to arrest him in his house. By Michal's stratagem he escaped, and fled to Samuel at Naioth in Ramah. Hither, however, he was followed, &nbsp;1 Samuel 19:1-24, and again he fled; his stay with Samuel, whom he had perhaps not seen since the anointing, being in all probability not longer than a day or two. [[Convinced]] by an interview with Jonathan that Saul's enmity was no mere transient passion, &nbsp;1 Samuel 20:1-42, David went to Nob, where his duplicity cost the high priest his life, and thence to Achish, king of Gath, where, to escape the jealousy of the Philistines, he simulated madness. &nbsp;1 Samuel 21:1-15. [[Returning]] into Judah, he gathered a band of men, and maintained himself sometimes in the wilderness, sometimes hiding in caves, sometimes occupying a town, as Keilah. His father and mother he had placed with the king of Moab, &nbsp;1 Samuel 22:3; and he had now the presence of the prophet Gad. 1 Sara. 22:5. At Keilah, too, Abiathar, become high priest on his father's murder, joined him, &nbsp;1 Samuel 22:20; &nbsp;1 Samuel 23:4, and various warriors: eleven Gadite chiefs are particularly specified, and some of Judah and Benjamin. &nbsp;1 Chronicles 12:8-18. To this period, belong the circumstances narrated in the concluding chapters of the first book of Samuel—the adventure with Nabal, and David's marriage with Abigail; his twice sparing Saul's life; perhaps the battle for the water of the well of Bethlehem, &nbsp;1 Chronicles 11:15-19; and also the residence with Achish, who gave him Ziklag. David's conduct at this time cannot be justified. He laid waste the country of Philistine, allies, and pretended that he had destroyed only the tribes dependent upon Judah; and he joined Achish's army when marching to the battle of Gilboa. Here he was reinforced by some Manassites, &nbsp;1 Chronicles 12:19-20, but was dismissed from the expedition through the renewed jealousy of the Philistine lords. He returned, therefore, to Ziklag, to find it plundered and burnt However, he recovered what was lost, and obtained greater spoil, which he politicly sent to his friends in Judah, and, on the news of Saul's defeat and death just after, he repaired, by God's direction, to Hebron, and was anointed king. &nbsp;2 Samuel 2:2-4. He reigned as yet over only a part of the nation: for Abner established Ish-bosheth, Saul's son, on the west of the Jordan, and over Israel generally. But gradually the tribes were flocking to David, &nbsp;1 Chronicles 12:23-40; and Saul's house was weakening as he was strengthened; till at length Abner himself came with a proposal to transfer to him the whole kingdom. &nbsp;2 Samuel 3:1-39. But Abner was murdered by Joab, David's nephew and commander-in-chief, a man too powerful to be punished; and shortly after Ish-bosheth was assassinated by two of his officers; and then the nation was reunited; and David reigned over the kingdom of Israel; seven years and six months having elapsed since he had taken the crown of Judah. &nbsp;2 Samuel 4:5. He was now "one of the great men of the earth." &nbsp;2 Samuel 7:9. He consolidated his power at home, took Jerusalem and made it his capital, removing thither the ark of God, &nbsp;2 Samuel 6:1-23, organized his army, &nbsp;1 Chronicles 11:1-47, and regulated the services of the sanctuary, 15:16, enlarged his harem, &nbsp;2 Samuel 3:2-5; &nbsp;2 Samuel 5:13-16, opened commercial intercourse with the king of Tyre, &nbsp;2 Samuel 5:11, and also extended his power abroad, subduing the Philistines, Syrians, Moabites, and Ammonites. His dominion was an empire, extending far as the large promise made originally to Abraham, and repeated again and again to the chosen people. &nbsp;Genesis 15:18-21; &nbsp;Exodus 23:31; &nbsp;Deuteronomy 11:24. He had lingered at Jerusalem, while Joab was besieging [[Rabbah]] of the children of Ammon. And then occurred those shameful deeds, the adultery with Bath-sheba, and the murder of Uriah, which at first, it seems, did not touch his conscience, but which, when charged home upon him by the prophet Nathan, humbled the guilty monarch in the dust. &nbsp;2 Samuel 11:1-27; &nbsp;2 Samuel 12:1-31. He repented deeply, see &nbsp;Psalms 51:1-19, which is ascribed to this period, and he obtained pardon by God's mercy. But he was not again the David of former days. The sword was never to depart from his house. &nbsp;2 Samuel 12:10. And it never did. There was the defilement of Tamar, and the murder of his first-born Amnon, &nbsp;2 Samuel 13:1-39; and then Absalom's unnatural rebellion and death, &nbsp;2 Samuel 15:1-37; &nbsp;2 Samuel 18:1-33; and Sheba's insurrection, &nbsp;2 Samuel 20:1-26; and the plague for the numbering of the people, &nbsp;2 Samuel 24:1-25; and Adonijah's seizure of the government, when the most long-tried counsellors of David deserted him, a movement that could be crushed only by the aged monarch's devolving his crown upon Solomon, &nbsp;1 Kings 1:1-53; with various other griefs. He transmitted a magnificent heritage to Solomon, to whom he left the carrying out of that purpose he had long before conceived, &nbsp;2 Samuel 7:1-29; &nbsp;1 Chronicles 28:1-21; &nbsp;1 Chronicles 29:1-30, of erecting a temple. David's character is clearly shown in the events of his life—whose strains of inspired song intertwine with all the devotional and joyful feelings of God's people in every age. The Psalms are a rich heritage to the church. Very many were from David's pen. And, though we cannot with precision point out all he wrote, or describe the times and circumstances under which those were penned that we know did come from him, yet we delight to couple particular compositions with various crises of David's life—as &nbsp;Psalms 42:1-11 with his flight across the Jordan in Absalom's rebellion; &nbsp;Psalms 24:1-10 with the bringing up of the ark to Jerusalem; &nbsp;Psalms 18:1-50 with David's deliverance from his enemies, and to see his emotions of praise, and hope, and repentance, and gratitude, and faith, at the wonderful dealings of God with him. Of the children of David many are mentioned in Scripture; and there were probably more; twenty-one sons are enumerated and one daughter. &nbsp;2 Samuel 3:2-5; &nbsp;2 Samuel 5:13-16; &nbsp;2 Samuel 12:1-31; &nbsp;2 Samuel 15:1-37; &nbsp;2 Samuel 24:1-25; &nbsp;1 Chronicles 3:1-9; &nbsp;1 Chronicles 14:3-7; &nbsp;2 Chronicles 11:18. </p>

<p> ''''' dā´vid ''''' ( דּוד , <i> ''''' dāwı̄dh ''''' </i> , or דּויד , <i> ''''' dāwı̄dh ''''' </i> , "beloved"; Δαυειδ , <i> ''''' Daueid ''''' </i> , also in New Testament, Δαυίδ , <i> ''''' Dâ uid ''''' </i> , Δαβίδ , <i> ''''' Dâ bid ''''' </i> ; see Thayer's Lexicon): </p> <p> I. Name and Genealogy </p> <p> II. Early Years </p> <p> 1. [[Shepherd]] </p> <p> 2. Slinger </p> <p> 3. Harpist </p> <p> 4. Poet </p> <p> 5. [[Psalmist]] </p> <p> 6. Tribesman </p> <p> III. In the Service of Saul </p> <p> 1. David First Meets Saul </p> <p> 2. His First Exploit </p> <p> 3. Envy of Saul and [[Flight]] of David </p> <p> 4. Jonathan and David </p> <p> IV. David in [[Exile]] </p> <p> 1. David as Outlaw </p> <p> 2. David Joins the Philistines </p> <p> V. David as King </p> <p> 1. Civil War </p> <p> 2. Conquests [[Abroad]] </p> <p> 3. Political [[Situation]] </p> <p> 4. The Ark </p> <p> VI. [[Domestic]] Life </p> <p> 1. His [[Wives]] and [[Children]] </p> <p> 2. Domestic Troubles </p> <p> VII. His officials </p> <p> 1. Prophets </p> <p> 2. [[Priests]] </p> <p> 3. Military Officers </p> <p> 4. Other Officials </p> <p> 5. [[Mutual]] Rivalry </p> <p> VIII. Personal Character of David </p> <p> 1. Chronicles </p> <p> 2. Psalms </p> <p> 3. Complex Character </p> <p> 4. Physical [[Courage]] </p> <p> 5. [[Moral]] Courage </p> <p> 6. [[Prudence]] </p> <p> 7. Strategy </p> <p> 8. Nobility </p> <p> 9. David in Relation to His Family </p> <p> 10. David in Relation to His Friends </p> <p> 11. His [[Success]] </p> <p> 12. His Foreign Friends </p> <p> 13. [[Nemesis]] </p> <p> 14. References in the New Testament </p> <p> Literature </p> I. Name and Genealogy <p> This name, which is written "defectively" in the older books, such as those of Samuel, but fully with the <i> ''''' yodh ''''' </i> in Chronicles and the later books, is derived, like the similar name Jedidish (&nbsp;2 Samuel 12:25 ), from a root meaning "to love." The only person who bears this name in the Bible is the son of Jesse, the second king of Israel. His genealogy is given in the table appended to the Book of Ruth (Rth 4:18-22). Here the following points are to be noted: David belonged to the tribe of Judah: his ancestor [[Nahshon]] was chieftain of the whole tribe (&nbsp;Numbers 1:7; &nbsp;Numbers 2:3; &nbsp;1 Chronicles 2:10 ) and brother-in-law of Aaron the high priest (&nbsp;Exodus 6:23 ). As no other descendants of Nahshon are mentioned, his authority probably descended to Jesse by right of primogeniture. This supposition is countenanced by the fact that [[Salma]] (Salmon), the name of the son of Nahshon and father of Boaz, is also the name of a grandson of Caleb who became "father" of Bethlehem, the home of Jesse (&nbsp;1 Chronicles 2:51 ). David was closely connected with the tribe of Moab, the mother of his grandfather [[Obed]] being Ruth the Moabitess. Of the wife or wives of Jesse we know nothing, and consequently are without information upon a most interesting point - the personality of the mother of David; but that she too may have been of the tribe of Moab is rendered probable by the fact that, when hard pressed, David placed his parents under the protection of the king of that country (&nbsp;1 Samuel 22:3 , &nbsp;1 Samuel 22:1 ). </p> II. Early Years <p> The home of David when he comes upon the stage of history was the picturesque town of Bethlehem. </p> <p> 1. Shepherd </p> <p> There his family had been settled for generations, indeed ever since the Israelite nation had overrun the land of Canaan. His father was apparently not only the chief man of the place, but he seems to have been chieftain of the whole clan to which he belonged - the clan of Judah. Although the country round Bethlehem is more fertile than that in the neighborhood of Jerusalem, the inhabitants joined to the cultivation of the soil the breeding of cattle (&nbsp;Luke 2:8 ). David's father, not only cultivated his ancestral fields, but kept flocks of sheep and goats as well. The flocks were sent out every day to pasture in the neighboring valleys attended by the herdsmen armed so as to defend themselves and their charge, not only against marauders from the surrounding deserts, but also from the lions and bears with which the country was then infested. David seems to have been in the habit of accompanying his father's servants in their task (&nbsp;1 Samuel 17:20 , &nbsp;1 Samuel 17:22 ), and on occasion would be left in full charge by himself. Nor was his post at such times a sinecure. He had not only to keep a sharp lookout for thieves, but on more than one occasion had with no other weapon than his shepherd's club or staff to rescue a lamb from the clutches of a lion or a bear (&nbsp;1 Samuel 17:34 ). Such adventures, however, must have been rare, and David must often have watched eagerly the lengthening of the shadow which told of the approach of sunset, when he could drive his charge into the zariba for the night and return home. There is, indeed, no life more monotonous and enervating than that of an eastern shepherd, but David must have made good use of his idle time. He seems, in fact, to have made such good use of it as to have neglected his handful of sheep. The incidents of which he boasted to Saul would not have occurred, had his proper occupation taken up all his thoughts; but, like King Alfred, his head seems to have been filled with ideas far removed from his humble task. </p> <p> 2. Slinger </p> <p> David, like Nelson, does not seem to have known what it was to be afraid, and it was not to be expected that he could be satisfied with the lot of the youngest of eight sons of the now aged chief (&nbsp;1 Samuel 17:12; &nbsp;1 Chronicles 2:13 ). In the East every man is a soldier, and David's bent was in that direction. The tribesmen of Benjamin near whose border his home was situated were famed through all Israel as slingers, some of whom could sling at a hair and not miss (&nbsp;Judges 20:16 ). Taught, perhaps, by one of these, but certainly by dint of constant practice, David acquired an accuracy of aim which reminds one of the tales of [[William]] Tell or Robin [[Hood]] (&nbsp;1 Samuel 17:49 ). </p> <p> 3. Harpist </p> <p> Another of the pastimes in the pursuit of which David spent many an hour of his youthful days was music. The instrument which he used was the "harp" (Hebrew <i> ''''' kinnor ''''' </i> ). This instrument had many forms, which may be seen on the [[Assyrian]] and [[Egyptian]] monuments; but the kind used by David was probably like the modern Arabic, <i> ''''' rubaba ''''' </i> , having only one or two strings, played not with a plectrum ( <i> Ant. </i> , VII, xii, 3) but by the hand (compare &nbsp;1 Samuel 16:23 , etc., which do not exclude a quill). Whatever the nature of the instrument was, David acquired such proficiency in playing it that his fame as a musician soon spread throughout the countryside (&nbsp;1 Samuel 16:18 ). With the passing of time he becomes the Hebrew Orpheus, in whose music birds and mountains joined (compare Koran, chapter 21 ). </p> <p> 4. Poet </p> <p> To the accompaniment of his lyre David no doubt sang words, either of popular songs or of lyrics of his own composition, in that wailing eastern key which seems to be an imitation of the bleating of flocks. The verses he sang would recount his own adventures or the heroic prowess of the warrior of his clan, or celebrate the loveliness of some maiden of the tribe, or consist of elegies upon those slain in battle. That the name of David was long connected with music the reverse of sacred appears from the fact that Amos denounces the people of luxury of his time for improvising to the sound of the viol, inventing instruments of music, like David (&nbsp;Amos 6:5 ). (It is not clear to which clause "like David" belongs, probably to both.) The only remains of the secular poetry of David which have come down to us are his elegies on Saul and Jonathan and on Abner (&nbsp;2 Samuel 1:19-27; &nbsp;2 Samuel 3:33 , &nbsp;2 Samuel 3:14 ), which show him to have been a true poet. </p> <p> 5. Psalmist </p> <p> Did David also compose religious verses? Was he "the sweet psalmist of Israel" (&nbsp;2 Samuel 23:1 )? In the oldest account which we have, contained in the books of Samuel, David appears as a musician and as a secular poet only, for it is obvious the poetical passages, 2 Sam 22:1-23:7, do not belong to the original form of that book but are thrust in in the middle of a long list of names of David's soldiers. The position is the same in &nbsp;Amos 6:5 . It is in the later books and passages that sacred music and psalms begin to be ascribed to him. Perhaps the earliest instance is the passage just cited containing the "last words" of David (&nbsp;2 Samuel 23:1-7 ). The Chronicler (about 300 bc) seems to put parts of Psalms 105; &nbsp;Psalm 96:1-13 , and 106 into the mouth of David (&nbsp;1 Chronicles 16:7 ), and &nbsp;Nehemiah 12:36 regards him apparently as the inventor of the instruments used in the Temple service (&nbsp; 1 Chronicles 23:5 ), or as a player of sacred music. So too in the [[Septuagint]] psalter (Ps 151:2) we read, "My hands made an organ, my fingers fashioned a psaltery"; and gradually the whole of the Psalms came to be ascribed to David as author. In regard to this question it must be remembered that in the East at any rate there is no such distinction as that of sacred and secular. By sacred poetry we mean poetry which mentions the name of God or quotes Scripture, but the Hebrew or Arab poet will use the name of God as an accompaniment to a dance, and will freely sprinkle even comic poetry with citations from his sacred book. David must have composed sacred poems if he composed at all, and he would use his musical gift for the purposes of religion as readily as for those of amusement and pleasure (&nbsp;2 Samuel 6:14 , &nbsp;2 Samuel 6:15 ). Whether any of our psalms was composed by David is another question. The titles cannot be considered as conclusive evidence, and internal proofs of his authorship are wanting. Indeed the only psalm which claims to have been written by David is the 18th (= 2 Sam 22). One cannot help wishing that &nbsp;Psalm 23:1-6 had been sung by the little herd lad as he watched his father's flocks and guarded them from danger. </p> <p> 6. Tribesman </p> <p> There are sayings of [[Mohammed]] that the happiest life is that of the shepherd, and that no one became a prophet who had not at one time tended a flock of sheep. What Mohammed meant was that the shepherd enjoys leisure and solitude for reflection and for plunging into those day dreams out of which prophets are made. If David, like the Arab poet Tarafa, indulged in sport, in music and in poetry, even to the neglect of his charge, he must have sought out themes on which to exercise his muse; and it must have been with no little chagrin that he learnt that whereas the tribes of Ephraim, Benjamin, Naphtali, Manasseh, Issachar, Zebulun, Levi, Dan, and even the non-Israelite tribes of [[Kenaz]] and the debatable land of Gilead could boast of having held the hegemony of Israel and led the nation in battle, his own tribe of Judah had played a quite subordinate part, and was not even mentioned in the national war song of Deborah. As contrasted with the poets of these tribes he could boast in his verses only of [[Ibzan]] who belonged to his own town of Bethlehem (&nbsp;Judges 12:8 ). The Jerahmeelites were no doubt a powerful clan, but neither they nor any other of the subdivisions of Judah had ever done anything for the common good. Indeed, when the twelve pathfinders had been sent in advance into Canaan, Judah had been represented by Caleb, a member of the Uitlander tribe of Kenaz (&nbsp;Numbers 13:6 ). He became apparently the adopted son of [[Hezron]] and so David might claim kinship with him, and through him with [[Othniel]] the first of the judges (&nbsp;Judges 1:13 ). David Thus belonged to the least efficient of all the Israelite tribes except one, and one which, considering its size and wealth, had till now failed to play a worthy part in the confederacy. It is difficult to believe that the young David never dreamed of a day when his own tribe should take its true place among its fellows, and when the deliverer of Israel from its oppressors should belong for once to the tribe of Judah. </p> III. In the Service of Saul <p> The earliest events in the career of David are involved in some obscurity. </p> <p> 1. David First Meets Saul </p> <p> This is due mainly to what appears to be an insoluble difficulty in 1 Samuel 16 and 17. In chapter 16, David is engaged to play before Saul in order to dispel is melancholy, and becomes his squire or armor-bearer (&nbsp;1 Samuel 16:21 ), whereas in the following chapter he is unknown to Saul, who, after the death of Goliath, asks Abner who he is, and Abner replies that he does not know (&nbsp;1 Samuel 17:55 ). This apparent contradiction may be accounted for by the following considerations: ( <i> a </i> ) &nbsp;1 Samuel 16:14-23 may be inserted out of its chronological order for the sake of the contrast with the section immediately preceding - "the spirit of [[Yahweh]] came mightily upon David from that day forward ... the spirit of Yahweh departed from Saul" (&nbsp; 1 Samuel 16:13 , &nbsp;1 Samuel 16:14 ); ( <i> b </i> ) The fact of David becoming Saul's squire does not imply constant personal attendance upon him; the text says David became an (not his) armor-bearer to Saul. The king would have many such squires: Joab, though only commander-in-chief, had, it seems, eighteen (&nbsp;2 Samuel 23:37 reads "armor-bearers"); ( <i> c </i> ) David would not play before Saul every day: his presence might not be required for a space of weeks or months; ( <i> d </i> ) Saul's failure to recognize David may have been a result of the 'evil spirit from Yahweh' and Abner's denial of knowledge may have been feigned out of jealousy. If we accept all the statements of the <i> dramatis personae </i> in these narratives we shall not get very far. </p> <p> 2. His First Exploit </p> <p> The facts seem to have been somewhat as follows: It had become evident that Saul was not equal to the task to which he had been set - the task of breaking the Philistine power, and it became the duty of Samuel, as the vicar of Yahweh and as still holding very large powers, to look about for a successor. He turned to the tribe of Judah (the full brother of his own ancestor Levi), a tribe which was fast becoming the most powerful member of the federation. The headman of this clan was Jesse of Bethlehem. His name was well known in the country - S aul does not require to be told who he is (&nbsp;1 Samuel 16:18; &nbsp;1 Samuel 17:58 ) - but he was by this time advanced in years (&nbsp;1 Samuel 17:12 ). He had, however, many sons. Old men in the East often foretell a great future for a young boy (compare &nbsp;Luke 2:34 ). Samuel saw that David was formed of other clay than his brothers, and he anointed him as he had done Saul (&nbsp;1 Samuel 10:1 ). But whereas the anointing of Saul was done surreptitiously and for a definite purpose which was explained at the time (&nbsp;1 Samuel 10:1 ), that of David was performed before his whole family, but with what object he was not told (&nbsp;1 Samuel 16:13 ). His brothers do not seem to have thought the matter of much consequence (compare &nbsp;1 Samuel 17:28 ), and all David could conclude from it was that he was destined to some high office - perhaps that of Samuel's successor (compare &nbsp;1 Kings 19:15 , &nbsp;1 Kings 19:16 ). It would have the effect of nerving him for any adventure and raising his hopes high and steeling his courage. Whether by accident or by contrivance he became attached to Saul as minstrel (compare &nbsp;2 Kings 3:15 ) and subsequently as one of his armor-bearers. He would probably be at this time about twenty years of age. It must have been after an interval of some months that an event happened which made it impossible for Saul ever again to forget the existence of David. This was the famous duel between David and the Philistine Goliath, which saved the situation for Saul for the time (1 Sam 17). In regard to this narrative it must be noted that 1 Sam 17:12-31, &nbsp;1 Samuel 17:41 , &nbsp;1 Samuel 17:50 , &nbsp;1 Samuel 17:55-58 and &nbsp; 1 Samuel 18:1-5 are lacking in the best manuscript of the Septuagint, that is, the sending of David from Bethlehem and his fresh introduction to Saul and Saul's failure to recognize him are left out. With the omission of these verses all the difficulties of the narrative vanish. For the reason why David could not wear the armor offered him was not because he was still a child, which is absurd in view of the fact that Saul was exceptionally tall (&nbsp; 1 Samuel 9:2 ), but because he had had no practice with it (&nbsp;1 Samuel 17:39 ). It is ridiculous to suppose that David was not at this time full-grown, and that two armies stood by while a child advanced to engage a giant. The event gained for David the reputation won in modern times at the cannon's mouth, but also the devoted friendship of Jonathan and the enmity of Saul (&nbsp;1 Samuel 18:1-9 ). </p> <p> The next years of David's life were spent in the service of Saul in his wars with the Philistines. David's success where Saul had failed, however, instead of gratifying only inflamed the jealousy of the latter, and he determined to put David out of the way. More than once he attempted to do so with his own hand (&nbsp;1 Samuel 18:11; &nbsp;1 Samuel 19:10 ), but he also employed stratagem. It came to his ears that his daughter Michal, as well as his son Jonathan, loved David, and Saul undertook to give her to David on the condition of his killing one hundred Philistines. </p> <p> 3. Envy of Saul and Flight of David </p> <p> The gruesome dowry was paid, and David became Saul's son-in-law. The Hebrew text states that Saul first offered his elder daughter to David, and then failed to implement his promise (&nbsp;1 Samuel 18:17-19 , &nbsp;1 Samuel 18:21 ), but this passage is not found in the Greek. David's relation to Saul did not mitigate the hatred of the latter; indeed his enmity became so bitter that David determined upon flight. With the help of stratagem on the part of Michal, this was effected and David went to Samuel at Ramah for counsel and advice (&nbsp;1 Samuel 19:18 ). There Saul pursued him, but when he came into the presence of the prophet, his courage failed and he was overcome by the contagion of the prophetic ecstasy (&nbsp;1 Samuel 19:24 ) as he had been on a previous occasion (&nbsp;1 Samuel 10:11 ). David returned to Gibeah, while the coast was clear, to meet Jonathan, but Saul also returned immediately, his hatred more intense than before. David then continued his flight and came to Ahimelech, the priest at Nob (&nbsp;1 Samuel 21:1 ). It is sometimes supposed that we have here two inconsistent accounts of David's flight, according to one of which he fled to Samuel at Ramah, and according to the other to Ahimelech at Nob; but there is no necessity for such a supposition, and even if it were correct, it would not clear up all the difficulties of the narrative. There is evidently much in these narratives that is left untold and our business should be to fill up the gaps in a way consistent with what we are given. That Saul made sure that David would not return is shown by the fact that he gave his daughter Michal to a man of the tribe of Benjamin as wife (&nbsp;1 Samuel 25:44 ). </p> <p> 4. Jonathan and David </p> <p> The relation existing between Jonathan and David was one of pure friendship. There was no reason why it should not be so. A hereditary monarchy did not yet exist in Israel. The only previous attempt to establish such an institution - that of Gideon's family (Jdg 9) - though not of [[Gideon]] himself (1 Sam 8:23) - had ended in failure. The principle followed hitherto had been that of election by the <i> ''''' sheikhs ''''' </i> or <i> ''''' caids ''''' </i> of the clans. To this Saul owed his position, for the lot was a kind of ballot. Moreover, behind all national movements there lay the power of the prophets, the representatives of Yahweh. Saul was indebted for his election to Samuel, just as [[Barak]] was to [[Deborah]] (&nbsp;Judges 4:6 ). Like the judges who preceded him he had been put forward to meet a definite crisis in the national affairs - the rise of the Philistine power (&nbsp;1 Samuel 9:16 ). Had he succeeded in crushing these invaders, the newly-established kingdom would in the absence of this bond of union have dissolved again into its elements, as had happened on every similar occasion before. He was the only judge who had failed to accomplish the task for which he was appointed, and he was the only one who had been appointed on the understanding that his son should succeed him, for this constitutes the distinction between king and judge. Moreover, not only was Saul aware that he had failed, but he saw before him the man who was ready to step into his place and succeed. His rival had, besides, the backing of the mass of the people and of Samuel who was still virtual head of the state and last court of appeal. It is not to be wondered at that Saul was hostile to David. Jonathan, on the other hand, acquiesced in the turn things had taken and bowed to what he believed to be the inevitable. Such was his love for David that he asked only to be his <i> ''''' wazeer ''''' </i> (vizier) when David came to the throne (&nbsp;1 Samuel 23:17 ). David's position was perhaps the most difficult imaginable. He had to fight the battles of a king whose one idea was to bring about his ruin. He was the bosom friend of a prince whom he proposed to supplant in his inheritance. His hope of salvation lay in the death of his king, the father of his wife and of his best friend. The situation would in ordinary circumstances be intolerable, and it would have been impossible but for the fact that those concerned were obsessed by a profound belief in Fate. Jonathan bore no grudge against David for aiming at the throne, because to the throne he was destined by the will of Yahweh. To David it would never occur that he had the choice of declining the high destiny in store for him. Had he had the power to refuse what he believed to be the decree of Fate, he would hardly escape censure for his ambition and disloyalty. </p> IV. David in Exile <p> 1. David as Outlaw </p> <p> From the moment of his flight David became an outlaw and remained so until the death of Saul. This period of his career is full of stirring adventures which remind us of [[Robert]] [[Bruce]] or William Wallace of Scotland. Like King Arthur and other heroes he carried a famous sword - the sword of Goliath (&nbsp;1 Samuel 21:9 ). Having obtained it of Ahimelech, he for the first time left Israelite territory and went to the Philistine city of Gath (&nbsp;1 Samuel 21:10 ). Not feeling safe here he left and took up his abode in the cave of Adullam (&nbsp;1 Samuel 22:1 ) in the country of Judah, almost within sight of his native Bethlehem. This cave was admirably suited to the outlaw's purpose and no doubt David had many a time explored its recesses when a boy. Here he was joined by his parents and brothers, with their servants, as well as by all sorts of persons who were at war with the government, debtors, fugitives from justice, and discontented persons generally. David Thus became the chief of a band of outlaws who numbered about 400. Of such stuff some of his bravest soldiers were made (&nbsp;2 Samuel 23:13 ). He had an augur, too, to direct his actions, and, after the massacre of the priests at Nob, a priest, Abiathar, carrying an ephod with which to cast lots (&nbsp;1 Samuel 22:5; &nbsp;1 Samuel 23:6 ). During this period he supported himself and his men by making raids on the Philistine outposts and levying blackmail on his own countrymen (&nbsp;1 Samuel 25:2 ) in return for giving them his protection from the Philistines (&nbsp;1 Samuel 23:1 ). Hard pressed both by Saul and the Philistines (who had established themselves even in Bethlehem) he committed his parents to the keeping of the king of Moab, and began to rove as a freebooter through the country (&nbsp;1 Samuel 23:5 , &nbsp;1 Samuel 23:15 , &nbsp;1 Samuel 23:25 , &nbsp;1 Samuel 23:29 ). On two occasions David had Saul in his power, but refused to seize the opportunity of taking his life (1 Sam 24-26). Here again there are no adequate grounds for supposing we have two accounts of one and the same incident. During his wandering David's followers increased in numbers (compare &nbsp;1 Samuel 22:2; &nbsp;1 Samuel 23:13; &nbsp;1 Samuel 25:13 ). His chief lieutenant was his nephew Abishai, the son of his sister Zeruiah, but his brothers, Joab and Asahel, do not seem to have joined David yet. Another of his nephews, Jonathan the son of [[Shimei]] (Shammah), is mentioned (&nbsp;2 Samuel 21:21; compare &nbsp;1 Samuel 16:9 ) and the Chronicler thinks many other knights joined him during this period (&nbsp;1 Chronicles 11:10 ). The position of David at this time was very similar to that of the brigand Raisuli of late in Morocco. That there was some stability in it is shown by his taking two wives at this time - A hinoam and Abigail (&nbsp;1 Samuel 25:42 , &nbsp;1 Samuel 25:43 ). </p> <p> 2. David Joins the Philistines </p> <p> David now, abandoning all hope of ever conciliating the king (&nbsp;1 Samuel 27:1 ), made a move which shows at once his reckless daring and consummate genius. He offered the services of himself and his little army of 600 men to the enemies of his country. The town of Gath appears to have been an asylum for fugitive Israelites (&nbsp;1 Kings 2:39 ). David's first impulse on his flight from Saul had been to seek safety there (&nbsp;1 Samuel 21:10-15 ). Then, however, he was the hero of Israel, whose assassination would be the highest gain to the Philistines; now he was the embittered antagonist of Saul, and was welcomed accordingly. Achish placed at his disposal the fortified town of Ziklag in the territory of the now extinct tribe of Simeon, and there he and his followers, each of whom had his family with him, took up their quarters for sixteen months (&nbsp;1 Samuel 27:6 , &nbsp;1 Samuel 27:7 ). The advantages to David were many. He was safe at last from the persecution of Saul (&nbsp;1 Samuel 27:4 ); he could secure ample supplies by making raids upon the Amalekites and other tribes hostile to Israel toward the South (&nbsp;1 Samuel 27:8 ); and if the opportunity presented itself he could deal a serious blow at the Philistine arms. The position was no doubt a precarious one. It could last just as long as David could hoodwink Achish by persuading him that his raids were directed against his own tribe (&nbsp;1 Samuel 27:10 ). This he succeeded in doing so completely that Achish would have taken him with him on the campaign which ended in the decisive battle of Gilboa, but the other chiefs, fearing treachery, refused to allow him to do so. David was forced to return with his followers to Ziklag, only to find that town razed to the ground and all the women and children carried off by his old enemies the Amalekites (&nbsp;1 Samuel 30:1 , &nbsp;1 Samuel 30:2 ). By the time he had recovered the spoil and returned in triumph to Ziklag the battle of Gilboa had been fought and Saul was slain. The conduct of David in his relations with the Philistines was not more reprehensible than that of the Cid who allied himself with <i> ''''' [[Al]] ''''' </i> - <i> ''''' Mu'taman ''''' </i> of Saragossa, or of Coriolanus who went over to the Volsci. David composed upon the death of Saul and Jonathan an elegy every sentence of which has become classic. </p> V. David as King <p> 1. Civil War </p> <p> David immediately removed from Ziklag and took up his quarters at Hebron, where he was at once anointed king over his own tribe of Judah. Thus began the cleavage between Judah and Israel. Here he was joined, apparently for the first time, by his nephew Joab. Abner, however, loyal to his former master, had Esh-baal (&nbsp;1 Chronicles 8:33 ), son of Saul, anointed king over the remaining tribes at Mahanaim, a fortified town east of the Jordan. War continued between David and Abner for several years, fortune always favoring David. [[Seeing]] things were going against him Abner forced Esh-baal into a personal quarrel with himself and then transferred his allegiance and persuaded his side to transfer theirs to David (&nbsp;2 Samuel 3:21 ). He did not reap the fruit of his defection, as he was immediately after assassinated by Joab in revenge for the death of Asahel whom Abner had killed in self-defence (&nbsp;2 Samuel 3:27 ). [[Deprived]] of his chief support <i> ''''' Esh ''''' </i> - <i> ''''' baal ''''' </i> also fell a victim to assassination (&nbsp;2 Samuel 4:2 ). David denounced both crimes with apparent sincerity. He composed an elegy and fasted for Abner (&nbsp;2 Samuel 3:33 ) and avenged the death of <i> ''''' Esh ''''' </i> - <i> ''''' baal ''''' </i> (&nbsp;2 Samuel 4:9 ). Yet these acts of violence laid the sovereignty of all Israel at his feet. Of the male heirs of Saul there remained only a son of Jonathan, <i> ''''' Merib ''''' </i> - <i> ''''' baal ''''' </i> (&nbsp;1 Chronicles 8:34 ) who was a crippled child of 7. David was therefore elected king over the nation (&nbsp;2 Samuel 5:1 ). His sovereignty of Judah is said to have lasted 7 1/2 years and that over the undivided people 33, making a reign of 40 years, beginning from David's 30th year (&nbsp;2 Samuel 5:5; &nbsp;1 Chronicles 3:4; in &nbsp;2 Samuel 2:10 the text is probably corrupt). These are round numbers. </p> <p> 2. Conquests Abroad </p> <p> King of all the Israelite tribes, David found his hands free to expel the foreigners who had invaded the sacred territory. His first step was to move his headquarters from the Southern Hebron, which he had been compelled at first to make his capital, to the more central Jerusalem. The fort here, which was still held by the aboriginal Jebusites, was stormed by Joab, David's nephew, who also superintended the rebuilding for David. He was in consequence appointed commander-in-chief (&nbsp;1 Chronicles 11:6 , &nbsp;1 Chronicles 11:8 ), a post which he held as long as David lived. The materials and the skilled workmen for the erection of the palace were supplied by Hiram of Tyre (&nbsp;2 Samuel 5:11 ). David now turned his attention to the surrounding tribes and peoples. The most formidable enemy, the Philistines, were worsted in several campaigns, and their power crippled (&nbsp;2 Samuel 5:17; &nbsp;2 Samuel 8:1 ). In one of these David so nearly came by his death, that his people would not afterward permit him to take part in the fighting (&nbsp;2 Samuel 21:16 , &nbsp;2 Samuel 21:17 ). One of the first countries against which David turned his arms was the land of Moab, which he treated with a severity which would suggest that the Moabite king had ill-treated David's father and mother, who had taken refuge with him (&nbsp;2 Samuel 8:2 ). Yet his conduct toward the sons of Ammon was even more cruel (&nbsp;2 Samuel 12:31 ), and for less cause (&nbsp;1 Samuel 10:1 ). The king of Zobah (Chalkis) was defeated (&nbsp;2 Samuel 8:3 ), and Israelite garrisons were placed in Syria of Damascus (&nbsp;2 Samuel 8:6 ) and Edom (&nbsp;2 Samuel 8:14 ). The sons of Ammon formed a league with the [[Syrian]] kingdoms to the North and East of Palestine (&nbsp;2 Samuel 10:6 , &nbsp;2 Samuel 10:16 ), but these also had no success. All these people became tributary to the kingdom of Israel under David (&nbsp;2 Samuel 10:18 , &nbsp;2 Samuel 10:19 ) except the sons of Ammon who were practically exterminated for the time being (&nbsp;2 Samuel 12:31 ). Thus, Israel became one of the "great powers" of the world during the reign of David and his immediate successor. </p> <p> 3. Political Situation </p> <p> There is no doubt that the expansion of the boundaries of Israel at this period almost to their ideal limits (&nbsp;Deuteronomy 11:24 , etc.) was largely due to the fact that the two great empires of Egypt and [[Assyria]] were at the moment passing through a period of weakness and decay. The Assyrian monarchy was in a decadent state from about the year 1050 bc, and the 22nd Dynasty - to which [[Shishak]] belonged (&nbsp;1 Kings 14:25 ) - had not yet arisen. David, therefore, had a free hand when his time came and found no more formidable opposition than that of the petty states bordering upon Palestine. Against the combined forces of all the Israelite tribes these had never been able to effect much. </p> <p> 4. The Ark </p> <p> It had been the custom of the Israelites on setting out upon expeditions in which the nation as a whole took part to carry with them the sacred box or "ark" which contained the two stone tables (&nbsp;Joshua 4:7 , etc.). When David had secured the fortress of Jebus for his metropolis one of his first thoughts was to bring into it this emblem of victory. It was then lying at <i> ''''' [[Kiriath]] ''''' </i> - <i> ''''' jearim ''''' </i> , possibly <i> ''''' [[Abu]] Gosh ''''' </i> about 8 miles Northwest of Jerusalem (compare Ps 132). Owing to the sudden death of one of the drivers, which he interpreted as indicative of anger on the part of Yahweh, David left the ark at the house of a Philistine which happened to be near at hand. Since no misfortune befell this person, but on the contrary much prosperity, David took courage after three months to bring the sacred chest and its contents into his royal city. The ceremony was conducted with military honors in &nbsp;2 Samuel 6:1 and with religious dancing and music (&nbsp; 2 Samuel 6:5 , &nbsp;2 Samuel 6:14 ) and festivity (&nbsp;2 Samuel 6:18 , &nbsp;2 Samuel 6:19 ). A tent was pitched for it, in which it remained (&nbsp;2 Samuel 7:2 ), except when it was sent with the army to the seat of war (&nbsp;2 Samuel 11:11; &nbsp;2 Samuel 15:24 ). David, however, had already built for himself a stone palace, and he wished now to add to it a chapel royal in the shape of a small temple, such as the neighboring kings had. He was the more anxious to so do since he had much of the material ready at hand in the precious metals which formed the most valuable part of the plunder of the conquered races, such as bronze from Chalkis (&nbsp;2 Samuel 8:8 ), gold and silver (&nbsp;2 Samuel 8:11 ) and the vessels which he had received as a present from the king of [[Hamath]] (&nbsp;2 Samuel 8:10 ). He was persuaded, however, by the prophet Nathan to forego that task, on the ground of his having shed much human blood, and to leave it to his successor (&nbsp;1 Chronicles 22:8; &nbsp;1 Chronicles 28:3 ). </p> VI. Domestic Life <p> 1. His Wives and Children </p> <p> In accordance with the practice of the kings of his time, David had several wives. His first wife was Michal, the younger daughter of Saul. When David fled from Saul she was given to Phaltiel, but was restored to David after Saul's death. She does not appear to have borne any children. In &nbsp;2 Samuel 21:8 "Michal" should be Merab (&nbsp; 1 Samuel 18:19 ). During the period of separation from Michal, David took to wife Ahinoam of [[Jezreel]] and Abigail the wife of Nabal (&nbsp;1 Samuel 25:43 , &nbsp;1 Samuel 25:12 ), who accompanied him to Ziklag (&nbsp;1 Samuel 27:3 ), when they were among those captured by the Amalekites (&nbsp;1 Samuel 30:5 ). A fourth wife was the daughter of [[Talmai]] of Geshur, Maacah, whom he had captured in war (&nbsp;1 Samuel 27:8; &nbsp;2 Samuel 3:3 ). When he removed to Hebron Ahinoam bore him his oldest son Amnon, and Abigail his second son [[Chileab]] or Daniel (&nbsp;2 Samuel 3:2 , &nbsp;2 Samuel 3:3; &nbsp;1 Chronicles 3:1 ); his third son was Absalom, whose mother was Maacah, and his fourth Adonijah. His mother's name was Haggith; nothing is known about her. Two other sons, [[Shephatiah]] and [[Ithream]] were also born in Hebron (&nbsp;2 Samuel 3:2-5; &nbsp;1 Chronicles 3:1-4 ). When David added the kingdom of Israel to that of Judah, he, in accordance with custom, took more wives with a view to increase his state and dignity. One of these was Bathsheba, who became the mother of Solomon (&nbsp;2 Samuel 5:13; &nbsp;1 Chronicles 3:5; &nbsp;1 Chronicles 14:3 ). David's sons discharged priestly functions (&nbsp;2 Samuel 8:18; compare Nathan in &nbsp;Zechariah 12:12 ). </p> <p> 2. Domestic Troubles </p> <p> It was perhaps inevitable that in so large a household the usual dissensions and crimes of the harem should have sprung up in plenty. A most unvarnished account of these is given in 2 Sam 11 through 20 - it has been suggested by Abiathar the priest in order to avenge himself on Solomon for his disgrace (&nbsp;1 Kings 2:26 , &nbsp;1 Kings 2:27 ), Solomon's mother being Bathsheba (2 Sam 11; 12). &nbsp;1 Chronicles 13:1-14 recounts the wrong done to Tamar, the daughter of David and Maacah, and sister of Absalom, and how the last named, having avenged his sister's honor by killing Amnon, his oldest brother, fled for asylum to his mother's father, the king of Geshur. [[Thence]] after two years he returned (chapter 14), only to foment rebellion against his father (chapter 15), leading to civil war between David and Judah on the one side and Absalom and Israel on the other (chapters 16; 17), and ending in the death of himself (chapter 18) and of Amasa, David's nephew, at the hands of his cousins Joab and Abishai (&nbsp; 2 Samuel 20:7 ), as well as nearly precipitating the disruption of the newly founded kingdom (&nbsp;2 Samuel 19:43 ). The rebellion of Absalom was probably due to the fact of Solomon having been designated David's successor (compare &nbsp;2 Samuel 12:24; &nbsp;1 Chronicles 22:9 ), for Absalom had the best claim, Amnon being dead and Chileab apparently of no account. </p> VII. His Officials <p> As David's circumstances improved he required assistance in the management of his affairs. </p> <p> 1. Prophets </p> <p> The beginning of his good fortune had been the friendship of the prophet Samuel (&nbsp;1 Samuel 16:13; &nbsp;1 Samuel 19:18 ). The prophet or seer was keeper of the king's conscience and was not appointed by him, but claimed divine authority (&nbsp;2 Samuel 7:3 , &nbsp;2 Samuel 7:1; &nbsp;2 Samuel 12:1; &nbsp;2 Samuel 24:11 ). Among the persons who discharged this duty for David were Gad the seer (&nbsp;1 Samuel 22:5 ) and Nathan the prophet (&nbsp;1 Kings 1:11 ). All these are said to have written memoirs of their times (&nbsp;1 Chronicles 29:29; &nbsp;2 Chronicles 9:29 ). </p> <p> 2. Priests </p> <p> Next to the prophet came the priest. The <i> ''''' kohen ''''' </i> (priest) was, as the name indicates, a soothsayer or diviner. The duty of Abiathar, David's first priest (&nbsp;1 Samuel 22:20 ), was to carry the ephod - an object used for casting lots (&nbsp;1 Samuel 23:6 ), in order to decide what to do in cases where there was no other way of making up one's mind (&nbsp;1 Samuel 30:7 ). It is not to be confused with the dress of the same name (&nbsp;1 Samuel 2:18 ). Later, at Hebron, Abiathar was given a colleague, Zadok (&nbsp;1 Chronicles 12:28 ), and it became their duty to carry the ark in expeditions (&nbsp;2 Samuel 15:24 ). Shortly after the death of David, Abiathar was deposed by Solomon for his part in Adonijah's attempt to seize the throne (&nbsp;1 Kings 2:26 , &nbsp;1 Kings 2:27 ), and Zadok remained sole priest to the king (&nbsp;1 Kings 2:35 ). David's sons also acted in the same capacity (&nbsp;2 Samuel 8:18 ). An extra private priest is mentioned in &nbsp;2 Samuel 20:26 (compare &nbsp; 2 Samuel 23:26 , &nbsp;2 Samuel 23:38 ). </p> <p> 3. Military Officers </p> <p> When still an outlaw David required the services of a henchman to take command of his men in his absence. This post was held at first by different persons according to circumstances, but generally, it seems, by his nephew Abishai (&nbsp;1 Samuel 26:6 ). It was only after the death of Saul that his brother Joab threw in his lot with David. His great military talents at once gave him a leading place, and as a reward for the capture of Jebus he was given the chief command, which he held against all rivals (&nbsp;2 Samuel 3:27; &nbsp;2 Samuel 20:10 ) during the whole reign. David's special body-guard of Philistine troops - the [[Cherethites]] and [[Pelethites]] - were commanded by Benaiah, who in the following reign, succeeded Joab (&nbsp;1 Kings 2:35 ). </p> <p> 4. Other Officials </p> <p> The office of recorder or magister memoriae was held during this reign and in the following by [[Jehoshaphat]] (&nbsp;2 Samuel 8:16 ); and that of secretary by [[Seraiah]] (&nbsp;2 Samuel 8:17 ), also called [[Shavsha]] (&nbsp;1 Chronicles 18:16 ) or [[Shisha]] (&nbsp;1 Kings 4:3 ). There were also the counselors, men noted for their great acumen and knowledge of human nature, such as Ahithophel and Hushai. </p> <p> 5. Mutual Rivalry </p> <p> It was natural that there should be much mutual jealousy and rivalry among these officials, and that some of them should attach themselves to one of David's many sons, others to another. Thus, Amnon is the special patron of David's nephew [[Jonadab]] (&nbsp;2 Samuel 13:3; compare &nbsp;2 Samuel 21:21 ), and Absalom is backed by Amasa (&nbsp;2 Samuel 17:25 ). The claim of Adonijah to the throne is supported by Joab and Abiathar (&nbsp;1 Kings 1:7 ), as against that of Solomon who is backed by Nathan, Benaiah, Zadok (&nbsp;1 Kings 1:8 ) and Hushai (compare <i> Ant </i> , VII, xiv, 4). Ahithophel sides with Absalom; Hushai with David (&nbsp;2 Samuel 15:12 , &nbsp;2 Samuel 15:32 ). </p> VIII. Personal Character of David <p> 1. Chronicles </p> <p> We would obtain a very different idea of the personal character of David if we drew our conclusions from the books of Samuel and Kings or from the books of Chronicles. There is no doubt whatever that the former books are much truer to fact, and any estimate or appreciation of David or of any of the other characters described must be based upon them. The Chronicler, on the other hand, is biased by the religious ideas of his own time and is prejudiced in favor of some of those whose biographies he writes and against others. He accordingly suppresses the dark passages of David's life, e.g. the murder of Uriah (&nbsp;1 Chronicles 20:1-8 ), or sets them in a favorable light, e.g. by laying the blame of the census upon Satan (&nbsp;1 Chronicles 21:1 ). David's success, especially as against Saul's misfortune, is greatly exaggerated in &nbsp;1 Chronicles 12:2 , &nbsp;1 Chronicles 12:22 . Ceremonial functions are greatly elaborated (chapter 16; compare 2 Sam 6). The various orders of priests and singers in the second temple have their origin traced back to David (&nbsp;1 Chronicles 16:4 , &nbsp;1 Chronicles 16:37; 1 Ch 23 through 27), and the temple of Solomon itself is to all intents and purposes built by him (chapters 22; 28). At the same time there may be much material in the shape of names and isolated statements not found in the older books, which so long as they are not tinged with the Chronicler's pragmatism or "tendency," may possibly be authentic records preserved within the circle of the priestly caste, e.g. we are told that Saul's skull was fastened in the temple of [[Dagon]] (&nbsp;1 Chronicles 10:10 ). There is no doubt that the true names of Ish-bosheth, Mephibosheth and [[Eliada]] (&nbsp;2 Samuel 2:8; &nbsp;2 Samuel 4:4; &nbsp;2 Samuel 5:16 ) were <i> ''''' [[Ish]] ''''' </i> - <i> ''''' baal ''''' </i> ( <i> ''''' Esh ''''' </i> - <i> ''''' baal ''''' </i> ), <i> ''''' Merib ''''' </i> - <i> ''''' baal ''''' </i> and <i> ''''' [[Beeliada]] ''''' </i> (&nbsp;1 Chronicles 8:33; &nbsp;1 Chronicles 9:39; &nbsp;1 Chronicles 8:34; &nbsp;1 Chronicles 9:40; &nbsp;1 Chronicles 14:7 ); that the old name of Jerusalem was Jebus (&nbsp;1 Chronicles 11:4 , &nbsp;1 Chronicles 11:5; compare &nbsp;Judges 19:10 , &nbsp;Judges 19:11 ); perhaps a son of David called [[Nogah]] has to be added to &nbsp;2 Samuel 5:15 from &nbsp; 1 Chronicles 3:7; &nbsp;1 Chronicles 14:6; in &nbsp;2 Samuel 8:8 and &nbsp; 2 Samuel 21:18 , for [[Betah]] and [[Gob]] read [[Tebah]] (Tibhath) and [[Gezer]] (&nbsp;1 Chronicles 18:8; &nbsp;Genesis 22:24; &nbsp;1 Chronicles 20:4 ). The incident recounted in &nbsp;2 Samuel 23:9 happened at [[Pasdammim]] (&nbsp; 1 Chronicles 11:13 ). [[Shammah]] the [[Harodite]] was the son of [[Elika]] (&nbsp;2 Samuel 23:25; compare &nbsp;1 Chronicles 11:27 ), and other names in this list have to be corrected after the readings of the Chronicler. Three (not seven) years of famine was the alternative offered to David (&nbsp;2 Samuel 24:13; compare &nbsp;1 Chronicles 21:12 ). </p> <p> 2. Psalms </p> <p> If we could believe that the Book of Psalms was in whole or in part the work of David, it would throw a flood of light upon the religious side of his nature. Indeed, we should know as much about his religious life as can well be known about anyone. Unfortunately the date and authorship of the Psalms are questions regarding which the most divergent opinions are held. In the early Christian centuries all the Psalms were ascribed to David and, where necessary, explained as prophecies. The author of the [[Epistle]] to the Hebrews speaks of the Book of Psalms simply as "David" (&nbsp;Hebrews 4:7 ). The Greek text, however, of that book ascribes only some 87 of the poems to David, and the Hebrew only 73. Some of these are not David's, and in the whole book there is only one which professes from its contents to be his, namely, Ps 18 (= 2 Sam 22). The occasion on which a psalm was composed is stated only in the case of thirteen psalms, all of which are ascribed to David. Each of these is referred to some incident recorded in the books of Samuel, although sometimes the citation is erroneous (see Psalms ). The Septuagint supplies occasions to two or three more psalms; but all such statements are merely the conjectures of readers and scribes and are of no historical value. </p> <p> 3. Complex Character </p> <p> To form a correct opinion of anyone is much more difficult than to state the facts of his life; to form an o </p>