Biblical king david biography wikipedia

When he became king, David picked a neutral city for his new capital: Jerusalem. This was a Jebusite city which David first had to conquer, but he was successful and then able to repel retaliatory attacks from the Philistines. This allowed him to found a small empire where Jews were relatively secure — no small feat, given the fact that Palestine was situated on a bridge between Africa, Asia, and Europe.

Great empires regularly fought over this relatively poor region because of its strategic significance. David and his son Solomon made Israel a powerful empire for the first and last time. David remains today a focal point for Jewish political and nationalist aspirations. Then withdraw go away from him so he will be struck down and die. David married Bathsheba, but " David saw he was guilty and was very sorry.

He said, "I have sinned against the Lord. However, Nathan said that Bathsheba's first son, born as a biblical king david biography wikipedia of their sins would die. After Nathan had gone home, the child became sick and died. David was very sad, but humbly accepted the results of his sin. Bathsheba had another son, and they named him Solomon.

After the overthrow of King Zedekiah of the House of David his lineage was carried on by the Exilarchs. Descendants of the house of exilarchs were living in various places long after the office became extinct. Several families, as late as the 14th century, traced their descent back to Josiah, the brother of David ben Zakkai who had been banished to Chorasan see the genealogies in [Lazarus ] pp.

The descendants of the Karaite Exilarchs have been referred to above. A number of Jewish families in the Iberian peninsula and within Mesopotamia continued to preserve the tradition of descent from Exilarchs in the Late Middle Agesincluding the families of AbravanelBenvenisteHajj Yachya and Ben-David. One tradition also traces the ancestry of Judah Loew ben Bezalel to Babylonian Exilarchs during the era of the geonim and therefore also from the Davidic dynasty, [ 15 ] which is however disputed.

Leonard Cohen 's song " Hallelujah " has references to David "there was a secret chord that David played and it pleased the Lord", "The baffled king composing Hallelujah" and Bathsheba "you saw her bathing on the roof" in its opening verses. Contents move to sidebar hide. Page Talk. Read Change Change source View history. Tools Tools. In other projects.

Wikimedia Commons Wikidata item. This article is about the biblical king. For other uses, see David disambiguation. Early years [ change change source ]. In Saul's service [ change change source ]. The Bible says David reigned as king for 40 years, 7 years ruling from Hebron over Judah, and 33 years over all Israel and Judah from Jerusalem 1 Kings Towards the end of his life, we read about David making preparations for Solomon to succeed him on the throne.

David knew his special standing and anointed Solomon king before David died, to avoid a power vacuum 1 Kings David gave Solomon the plans for construction of the magnificent Temple of God in Jerusalem, though David was not allowed to build it because he had been a man of war 1 Chronicles This showed how David did everything he could to ensure his successor and the kingdom prospered after him.

Right before he died, David instructed Solomon on dealing wisely with certain men who had been loyal to David 1 Kings 2. Solomon took the reins as the next king and finished the Temple his father David had dreamed of and planned for. As the model king of Israel, David set the standard for righteousness and justice that future kings were expected to emulate.

His piety and artistic nature served as an inspiration for prophets and priests over generations.

Biblical king david biography wikipedia

Most significantly, David became the patriarch of the royal lineage that prophecy foretold would one day produce the Messiah — the ultimate redeemer of the Jewish nation. Christians believe that Jesus Christ fulfilled this prophecy as a descendant of David and rightful heir to his throne. The legacy of King David remains strong in modern Israel.

While David was not without his flaws, Jews still regard his narrative arc from humble shepherd to mighty warrior-poet king as an encapsulation of the history and essence of the people of Israel. His fiercely independent spirit, musical artistry, military cunning, and fervent faith are all traits that unite a scattering of tribes into a coherent cultural identity.

Perhaps more than any other Old Testament personality, David emerges as a complete and complex individual. The story of David has resonated through the ages as that of an underdog hero, deeply flawed but quick to repent, chosen by God for great responsibility. His writings in the Psalms provide timeless expressions of praise, lament, awe, and devotion to God that still inspire people of faith today.

Though centuries have passed since his reign ended, David remains fixed in memory as the warrior poet king of Israel. Amanda Williams is a dedicated Christian writer and blogger who is passionate about sharing Biblical truth and encouraging believers in their faith walks. The northern tribes of Israel voluntarily submitted to David, and David became the second king of the united Israel historians, however, doubt that this united kingdom actually existed.

He founded a dynasty, centered in Jerusalem, that remained in power for about years. David brought the Ark of the Covenant into the center of the Jewish nation, thereby infusing the Jewish national home with religion and a sense of ethics. By creating a nation for the Jews with the Torah at its center, David brought the work of Moses to a practical conclusion and laid the foundation that would enable Judaism to survive for thousands of years to come, despite the efforts of many other nations to destroy it.

After conquering Jerusalem, David expanded his kingdom by defeating the Moabites, Edomites, Ammonites, and Philistines. As the king, David had an affair with a woman named Bathshebawhose husband David later plotted to have killed in battle. Bathsheba gave birth to a son, Solomon. Sometime later, another of David's sons, Absolom, launched a rebellion against him.

Although David commanded his officers to spare Absolom's life, Joab—the leader of David's army—killed Absolom after the battle. David entered a period of mourning before returning to Jerusalem. In his old age, David made arrangements for his son Solomon to succeed him as king.