The Story of a King — David, son of Jesse from Bethlehem
The life of David has inspired many over the generations, reverberating with all age groups and spanning continents. Whether perceived as good or bad, David has left a legacy that for centuries has been a source of admiration for generations.
Although there is little archaeological evidence left behind of the once mighty kingdom established by David, which later expanded under the reign of his son Solomon, the Bible remains the only main document encompassing his life and the legacy he left behind.
Over the years, I have heard various interpretations of the events that occurred in the life of David, especially the famous David and Goliath account. The biblical authors have left intentional gaps within the story for interpretation. However, some interpretations out there have overstretched the story to a point where it no longer resonates with the rest of the biblical account. So how can one know what occurred in David’s life? I believe the Bible contains enough information for the reader to sufficiently understand the story based on the context without the need for wild interpretations. In this blog, I will only focus on the biblical account to analyse the two main misconceptions about David and tell the story as the biblical authors intended.
David before entering Saul’s service
The book of Samuel extensively documents David’s life and the history of the early Kings of Israel and Judah. When exactly David existed is unclear. The estimates suggest somewhere between 1035–970 BCE (2,992–3,057 years ago). David was the great-grandson of Boaz, a wealthy man (recorded in the book of Ruth). Although the Bible does not explicitly mention the wealth of Jesse — David’s father, tracing the lineage of Jesse, we can infer that he certainly was not poor based on the family inheritance. David is often perceived as a boy whose father did not care about him and preferred his other sons, hence assigned the responsibility of looking after the flock. Domestication of cattle and sheep dates back thousands of years and signified one’s wealth. The bigger the flock, the wealthier someone was considered, as cattle and sheep were a source of revenue and cost money to purchase and maintain. The responsibility of watching over the family fortunes was crucial enough that David risked his life to protect it, “Your servant used to keep his father’s sheep, and when a lion or a bear came and took a lamb out of the flock, I went out after it and struck it, and delivered the lamb from its mouth; and when it arose against me, I caught it by its beard, and struck and killed it” (Samuel I | 17:34–36). Interpreting David’s shepherd duty as his father’s errand boy or neglected son is incorrect as the Bible does not record much about this father-son relationship, and any interpretation needs to align with the rest of the biblical account. Later Samuel mentions that while David was on the run from king Saul, he requested the king of Moab to look after his parents. This act reveals David’s deep care towards his parents, opposite to the resentment, had he experienced unfairness while growing up. Although Samuel records an instance, a brief interaction of David with his eldest brother Eliab, revealing an arduous relationship between the brothers, it does not disclose if the rest of David’s brothers were also hostile towards him like Joseph’s relationship with his brothers (recorded in the book of Genesis), leaving little information for drawing any meaningful conclusion about the family dynamics.
Before entering king Saul’s service, first as a musician and then as his commander, Samuel records two descriptions. First, what the prophet Samuel sees when he first meets David, “So he sent and brought him in. Now he was ruddy, with bright eyes, and good-looking.” (Samuel I | 16:12). The word ruddy can be interpreted as rosy complexation symbolising healthiness, opposite to paleness indicating illness, and bright eyes on the other hand, can be defined as youthfulness. Although this description could have multiple interpretations, the underlying meaning is the same. They paint a picture of a young man in good health with an appealing appearance.
The second description, which gives a more holistic view of David’s life, comes from one of king Saul’s servants, “Then one of the servants answered and said, Look, I have seen a son of Jesse the Bethlehemite, who is skilful in playing, a mighty man of valour, a man of war, prudent in speech, and a handsome person; and the Lord is with him.” (Samuel I | 16:18). This description does not paint a picture of a boy but rather a man who is a warrior and known in his community. What is the probability that one of king Saul’s servants would know David? The text indicates that David might have had a good reputation both as a musician and a warrior. Although the Bible does not give any clue if David was part of other musicians or played somewhere regularly to gain some level of fame, we can assume that he had played enough times for him to be known marginally in his local or the wider community. Aside from music, the servant mentions that David was, “a mighty man of valour, a man of war”. This part of the description suggests that David, in some way, must have proven himself a worthy warrior, whether on a battlefield or the tales of his bravery went viral. It is also important to note that the minimum age of military service according to the Torah was twenty, which means that David must have been at least over twenty when the servant mentioned David to king Saul.
David and Goliath
The account of David versus Goliath is portrayed by many as a feeble boy swirling his slingshot and taking down a giant warrior through a divine provision. Based on the description of king Saul’s servant, we can rule out that David was a small boy at the time of his encounter with Goliath. The Bible mentions that David, at his father’s instructions, took supplies to the battlefield for his brothers, who at the time were serving king Saul as active soldiers. Upon arrival, David shows a keen interest in the challenge presented by Goliath in the form of a duel. The text is clear that the reward for killing Goliath was too tempting for David, hence he twice asked the men standing nearby to confirm the king’s offer. Part of the reward included the king’s daughter Merab, who will be given in marriage. The king would not give his daughter to some feeble teenage boy as David is often portrayed.
I have also heard many times people mentioning that David was too young to wear the military gear put on him by king Saul. The text specifically states that king Saul clothed David in his armour. Based on chapter 10 in first Samuel, the text describes king Saul as being taller from his shoulders upward than any of the people that gathered at the request of prophet Samuel. It impossible to gauge what the male height range was during that time, however, chapter 17 mentions that Eliab (David’s eldest brother) was tall when prophet Samuel met him. The Bible does not mention explicitly if all of Jesse’s sons were from one woman. If we suppose they were, then we can also assume that David might have been tall as siblings from the same parents are fifty percent similar genetically, and this also explains why king Saul offered David his armour as he might have been tall enough to have fit into it.
The dialogue between David and Goliath reveals that David was not intimated, matching the description of king Saul’s servant, “a mighty man of valour, a man of war”. The size disparity between the two men was significant hence, David resorted to using a sling, as one-to-one sword combat would give Goliath the upper hand due to his height, strength, and reach. Sling is a formidable weapon, dating back thousands of years and is found throughout the ancient carvings of Greek, Roman, Assyrian, and Persian warfare. The book of Judges also records that men of the tribe of Benjamin were expert slingers, “Among all these people were seven hundred select men who were left-handed; everyone could sling a stone at a hair’s breadth and not miss” (Judges 20:16). The Bible highlights that David picked up a few stones to ensure his chances of success in the case of missing the target the first time. Although there are different theories behind why David picked up five stones, in my opinion, the only logical conclusion is that David did not want to risk his own life by missing the target the first time. His ability to hit the moving target precisely on the forehead highlights his skill level and intellect regarding the choice of weapon matching the opponent and the terrain.
Much of the Old Testament got compiled during the Babylonian Exile, where the biblical authors recorded their history for future generations in the form of stories to better engage the users whilst maintaining the central message — that God’s divine hand is constantly at work. It is impossible to fully articulate all the details of David’s life as we lack enough information. But, as I mentioned at the start of my blog, the bible contains the necessary information to logically construct a narrative that aligns with the rest of the story. The biblical authors describe a David that was more than just a mere boy supported by a divine hand and brought to the elite status within the ancient kingdom of Israel and Judah. The Bible is clear, that David was very ambitious — as briefly recorded in a dialogue between David and his brother Eliab. His strategic mindset and passion to prove himself through his capabilities are evident throughout the two books of Samuel. It took someone special to unite the twelve tribes under one king, establish a strong military might, subdue the neighbouring kingdoms, form strategic partnerships through trade agreements and marriage alliances, make provisions to build the House of God, and lastly, referred as the man after God’s own heart.
David’s life has captivated many for generations. And therefore, the character hidden within the pages must not be interpreted incorrectly, as it does not do any justice to the great work of the authors. My main intention in writing this blog was to bring to light the real David, who was ambitious, highly skilled and whose personality enabled him to build loyal relationships and even win the trust of his enemies.
King David — Israel’s greatest king. Born in Bethlehem, the youngest of eight sons. A man known for his music, bravery, friendship, strategic thinking, and loyalty to God.
