The reign of King David. How many years was King David persecuted by King Saul? Peaceful end to David's reign

Name: King David

Date of Birth: 1035 BC e.

Date of death: 965 BC e.

Age: 70 years old

Place of Birth: Bethlehem

A place of death: Jerusalem

Activity: second king of Israel

Family status: was married

King David - biography

During his long life, the Jewish king David changed many occupations. Herded sheep, hunted, fought. He composed poems and sang them to the accompaniment of a harp. He did a lot of evil, but always remained faithful to the one God - for which he was glorified by three world religions at once.

The descendants of David were kings and heroes, and Christ himself belonged to his family. But his ancestors were no different: his father Jesse raised cattle in the area of ​​Beit Lehem (“house of grain”), which we call Bethlehem. By that time, the descendants of the twelve “tribes,” or tribes, of Israel had long lived in Palestine, fighting with the local inhabitants with varying degrees of success. In these wars they were led into battle by priests, or “judges,” (shoffetim), who were chosen to lead the army but were promptly dismissed when the danger had passed.

The lack of a unified government played a fatal role when the warlike Philistines, who lived on the Mediterranean coast, took up arms against the Jews. Thanks to their advanced iron weapons, they defeated the Israelites, capturing not only their lands, but also their greatest shrine - the Ark of the Covenant. The prophet Samuel, who was elected as a judge, somehow repulsed the attack, after which the people wanted to choose a king - “let the king be over us, and we will be like other nations.”

Samuel tried to dissuade them - “you will be his slaves and then rebel from your king” - but they did not listen to him. Saul, the son of Kish, a strong and brave man, but not too smart, was chosen as king by lot. He quickly made enemies, dividing the spoils of war between his relatives and his squad to the detriment of everyone else. In addition, he violated the commandment of Samuel - when defeating enemies, destroy not only themselves, but also their wives, children and all property. Out of pity or greed, Saul took strangers as slaves and their daughters as concubines, and the prophet reasonably feared that with them faith in foreign gods would come to the Jews.

After a couple of conflicts, Samuel decided to replace the king with a more worthy candidate. He found one like this in Bethlehem, in the house of Jesse, where he called the owner’s eight sons to him. Of these, he especially liked the youngest - “he was blond, with beautiful eyes and a pleasant face.” His name was David (“beloved of God”), and for all his seventeen years he tended his father’s flock. When he went to a distant pasture, he took a harp with him and played simple melodies to the sheep.

This harp, or “kinnor” (in Russian translation - gusli) was not at all similar to the current one - it was a triangular wooden frame with strings made of ox sinew - and easily fit in a shepherd's bag. There, the brave boy carried a sling - a throwing weapon, which he mastered perfectly. According to legend, he even killed lions and bears with stones from a sling (both of them then roamed freely throughout Israel). Impressed by the young man’s talents, Samuel secretly anointed him to the throne and began a complex operation to elevate the rootless shepherd boy to the throne.

The impressionable Saul became despondent because of the conflict with Samuel - they even said that he was “disturbed by an evil spirit,” that is, mentally ill. The courtiers, trained by the prophet, advised him to listen to music and hinted that an excellent harpist and singer lived in Bethlehem. Saul immediately summoned David, and with his melodies he immediately improved the king’s condition - “the evil spirit departed from him.” Now, according to Samuel’s plan, the young man had to win the love of not only the king, but also the people.

As if by order, the Philistines attacked the country again; ahead of their army walked the huge Goliath, a descendant of the ancient giants Rephaim, whose height was six cubits and a span, or almost three meters. Boasting, he challenged any Israeli to a duel, and David accepted the challenge. The Philistine hero was dressed in copper armor and a helmet, armed with a heavy spear and sword. They also wanted to dress David in armor, but he refused for the sake of ease of movement. He didn’t even take an unusual sword - armed only with a sling, from afar he hit the giant in the forehead with a stone, and when he fell unconscious, he ran up and cut off his head with his own sword. This was the end of the battle: the frightened enemies fled.

The victory of David over Goliath, of ingenuity over blunt force, was sung by hundreds of painters and sculptors centuries later. Michelangelo in marble depicted the hero preparing for battle, Donatello in bronze - triumphant over the head of the defeated giant. There is a version that this feat was attributed to him through the efforts of Samuel: the same biblical Book of Kings says that Goliath was killed by a certain Elhanan. True, there is another explanation: this is the real name of the young man, and he began to be called David (“beloved of God”) later, after becoming king. It is impossible to verify this: David, like many Jewish heroes, is spoken of only in the Bible. The chronicles of other nations paid almost no attention to such a remote place as Palestine. True, David is mentioned in two half-erased inscriptions of the kings of Aram and Moab, but even there it is not clear what is meant - a person or an honorary title.

Be that as it may, from now on David became the favorite of the Israelis. Saul promised to give his daughter Michal in marriage to him, although he asked for an eerie ransom - the foreskin of a hundred Philistines. The young hero, not at all embarrassed, went on a campaign and brought the king as many as two hundred enemy genitals. He not only became the husband of Saul’s daughter, but also became friends with his son Jonathan, which aroused painful suspicions in the king: his harpist was aiming for the throne! A smarter ruler would have organized the secret elimination of the upstart, but Saul - apparently truly mentally ill - behaved like an operetta villain.

First, during the feast, for no apparent reason, he threw a spear at David, but was so drunk that he missed. Then he publicly promised to throw the young man into prison. Warned, David managed to escape, gathered a gang of robbers and began to partisan in the vicinity of the capital Gibeah. One day he caught the king himself in a cave, where he went to relieve himself. Saul was so engrossed in the process that David managed to quietly cut off the edge of his cloak.

And then he appeared to him and showed him a piece of cloth with the words: “I have not sinned against you; and you are looking for my soul to take it away.” Bursting into tears, Saul forgave his son-in-law, but not for long - soon he had to flee again. The king turned into a cruel tyrant: he killed the priests suspected of helping David, almost killed Jonathan for his friendship with him, and married Michal to someone else. At this time, Samuel died, and there was no one to curb the king’s anger.

The Philistines helped put an end to him - in the battle of Mount Gilboa they killed the sons of Saul, including the noble Jonathan, and when they surrounded the king, he asked his own servant to stab him.

David, having received the news of Saul's death, burst into tears instead of joy. And then he captured the city of Hebron, where one of the tribes - the tribe of Judah - declared him king. True, the remaining tribes swore an oath of allegiance to Saul’s only surviving son, Ishbosheth. The country was divided into two parts - Judea and Israel, which began a war with each other. David's troops were led by the experienced commander Joab, and his opponents were led by the no less experienced Abner. The matter was again decided by betrayal: first Abner and then Ishbosheth were treacherously killed, and David united the Jewish kingdom.

For seven years he ruled in Hebron, and then captured the town of Jerusalem, located in the very center of his possessions, founded in time immemorial by the legendary Methuselah. Thanks to David, this city became the sacred center of the Jews, and then also of Christians and Muslims. Here, in a special tabernacle (tent), the Ark of the Covenant was moved, with priests on duty around the clock. Jerusalem is still often called the “city of David.” Another stable expression is “the shield of David” (Magen David), a six-pointed star, the shape of which was supposedly the shields of the royal guard. True, others call this ancient mystical symbol the “seal of Solomon,” attributing its invention to the son and heir of David.

The new king began to actively build his state. If earlier the Jews only fought off raids or attacked their neighbors themselves, then David began to conquer small tribes and principalities. He dealt the first blow to long-time enemies - the Ammonites - he burned their capital Rabbath Ammon (present-day Amman in Jordan) and killed all its inhabitants. The Ammonites entered into an alliance with the powerful Adra-azar king of the Amorites, but Joab also defeated his army. And then he switched to the Philistines - they were not defeated, but they were driven to the sea, making them forget about the raids on Israel.

David entered into an agreement with the Phoenicians, experienced traders who bought grain and livestock from him, giving in return timber and advanced technologies, including writing - the alphabet they invented was soon adopted by the Jews. So far, no chronicles have been kept at David's court, so we do not know when he reigned. Historians date the beginning of his reign either to 1005, then to 1012, or to 876 BC. There are those who consider him a fictional character, included in the series of mythical biblical patriarchs. But archaeologists confirm: in the 10th century, many cities of Palestine were destroyed and repopulated by new inhabitants - Jewish tribes.

The remains of palaces and gates built by David and Solomon have been found. Of course, they are not as big and beautiful as described in the Bible, but this is not surprising. You shouldn’t believe the biblical descriptions of huge armies: David’s squad numbered no more than 500 people, but at that time it was a formidable force. However, the king achieved his goal not only by military force, but also with the help of dynastic marriages. Among his dozens of wives there were representatives of almost all the conquered peoples. Michal also returned to him, but they had no children, and he had not had any love for Saul’s proud daughter for a long time.

One hot day, David saw a beauty from the high roof of the palace who was taking a bath in her garden. Having made inquiries, he learned that this was Bathsheba (Bat-Sheba), the wife of his commander Uriah, who at that time was fighting with the Ammonites. Without thinking twice, the king ordered Bathsheba to be delivered and made love to her, and then sent her home. Soon the woman became pregnant, and the king called Uriah from the campaign, hoping that he would spend the night with his wife and consider the unborn child his own. But he, apparently having found out something, refused to even enter his house.

In anger, the king sent him back, ordering Joab to put Uriah in the most dangerous place in the first battle and throw him among his enemies. He was killed, and David, as soon as the period of mourning ended, married Bathsheba, who bore him a son. However, the sin he committed cost David dearly - the Almighty, through the mouth of the prophet, announced that five severe punishments awaited him. The first was the death of Bathsheba's child. The second was the illness of the king himself, whose body was covered with bloody ulcers for six months.

It didn't end there. Discord began in the royal family. The heir to the throne, Amnon, as woman-loving as David himself, fell in love with his half-sister Tamar (Tamara) and raped her one night. Having learned about this, Tamar's brother, Absalom, killed the rapist and fled to Hebron, where he rebelled against his father and was anointed king. Many preferred the brave and handsome Absalom to the aging king; the story of Saul and David seemed to be repeating itself.

Unrest began in Jerusalem itself, and David had to flee across the Jordan. While pursuing him, Absalom's army collided with Joab's army and was defeated. The prince himself fled from pursuit on a mule, but his long locks became entangled in the branches of an oak tree, and Joab arrived in time and killed him with three arrows. Upon learning of this, David, as was his habit, burst into sobs. The death of his son put him at odds with his loyal military leader - Joab was soon deprived of his position. His fellow Israelis were outraged and rebelled, electing Sheba as their king. But Joab did not join them: loyal to the king, he defeated the rebels.

The death of Amnon with Absalom and the rebellion of the Israelites became three more punishments of David, after which God forgave him. A sign of this was the birth of Bathsheba's healthy son Solomon. The king loved his children more than all other children, although the official heir was considered the son of his eldest wife, Adonijah. This promised a new struggle for power, but for now the king, who had defeated all his opponents, took a break from worries and composed psalms full of gratitude to the Almighty. It is clear that most of the songs included in the biblical Psalter were not written by David - just as the sensual lines of the Song of Songs were not composed by his heir Solomon.

But they all express the mood that he introduced into the Old Testament canon and expresses not fear of God, but love and trust in Him. It is not for nothing that millions of believers in countries infinitely far from ancient Palestine still repeat their beautiful lines. For example, these (Psalm 138): “Where will I go from Your Spirit, and where will I flee from Your presence? If I ascend to heaven - You are there; If I go down to the underworld, you will be there too. If I take the wings of the dawn and move to the edge of the sea, there Your hand will lead me, and Your right hand will hold me.”

He was supported by Joab and the high priest Abiathar, but Solomon also had supporters - the commander of the hired guard Vanei and the prophet Nathan, whom the king obeyed unquestioningly. Of course, Bathsheba also fiercely defended her son’s rights to the throne. It was she who went to David and reported that Adonijah allegedly declared himself king and made royal sacrifices at the sacred spring of Ein Rogel. “But you promised,” she approached the king, “that Solomon would reign after you!” David, who no longer got out of bed, immediately ordered his youngest son to be anointed as king.

A few days later the king died, and his successor immediately dealt with Adonijah and Joab. During the reign of Solomon, the Jewish kingdom reached a new peak, but after his death it finally split into Judah and Israel. David was buried on Mount Zion in Jerusalem, in the very place where his descendant Jesus celebrated the Last Supper with the apostles. The Bible reports that he lived 70 years and was king for 40 of them. It also says that David entered into an agreement with God, according to which the Davidic dynasty would forever rule Israel, and after the coming of the Messiah, who also belonged to it, the whole world.

Some Jewish mystics even believed that the future world king would be David himself, who did not die, but continues to live forever. Among the people, this idea turned into a legend according to which the king of Israel sleeps soundly in a cave and wakes up when a magic horn heralds the end of the world. No historian will say what the real, and not the fabulous, David was like. His victories and laws have long been swallowed up by the abyss of time, but the sounds of his harp still reach us, praising not only God, but also a man faithful to his people and his calling.

Film about King David

Second King of Israel

The life of the holy prophet and king David is described in the Bible, in 1 Book of Samuel, 2 Book of Samuel and 1 Book of Chronicles.

David was the eighth and last son of Jesse, an elder of the city of Bethlehem from the tribe of Judah. As a teenager, David tended his father's flocks. In his leisure hours, he practiced singing and playing the harp. He turned his God-given ability to this art into serving God: he sang the wisdom and goodness of the Heavenly King.

At the age of 18, he became famous and earned the universal love of the people. The Philistines attacked the land of Israel. The giant Goliath challenged the Israeli to a duel. David, who brought food to his warrior brothers on the battlefield, defeated Goliath without a weapon: a stone, accurately thrown from David’s sling, hit the giant’s forehead with such force that Goliath fell and did not get up. The delighted Saul, king of Israel, made David commander of a thousand. And in this position, David acted prudently in all matters, which earned him even greater love from the people.

For the first seven years of his reign he lived in Hebron. The kingdom was greatly upset within and weakened without. To strengthen his position and strengthen his kingdom, David needed a capital that would not belong to any particular tribe. On the border between the tribes of Judah and Benjamin stood the city of Jerusalem, which belonged to the brave mountain tribe of the Jebusites, towering 2010 feet. above level m. and heavily fortified. David took possession of it and founded his capital in it. Jerusalem began to quickly attract the Jewish population. In order to enhance its significance, David moved the Ark of the Covenant here and introduced proper worship with it.

In matters of civil government, David paid special attention to the restoration of the right court, shaken during Saul's reign. Under his personal chairmanship, a council composed of those most devoted to him sat: Joab, the commander of the army; Jehoshaphat, writer; Zadok and Abimelech, the chief priests; Susa, scribe, etc.

Soon David undertook a series of victorious wars with restless neighbors. Israel's worst enemies, the Philistines, were defeated and weakened forever: the border of the Davidic kingdom came into contact with Egypt; The Moabites, Syrians and Edomites were also struck, with the seizure of their land and cities (including Damascus) the kingdom of Israel expanded to the river. Euphrates to the east and to the Black Sea to the south.

One of the results of these campaigns and wars was the enrichment of the capital and the entire country. The capital was decorated with magnificent palaces, and David even planned to build a magnificent Temple to Jehovah. However, he could not resist the temptations of eastern relaxing luxury and, at the height of his prosperity, committed a grave sin.

An illicit relationship with the wife of the valiant warrior Uriah, Bathsheba, entailed a whole series of evils that darkened the last years of David's reign. He was far from distinguished by moderation and, contrary to the establishment of the Mosaic Law, which forbade the king to “multiply wives for himself” (Deut. 27:17), even in Hebron he had seven wives and ten concubines, and then increased this number with several more wives, to which he added and the beautiful Bathsheba.

The numerous generation of David's sons became the source of all kinds of crimes and unrest. His three sons enjoyed the greatest fame: the eldest, Amnon, the third, Absalom, and the fourth, Adonijah. They competed with each other, and this rivalry ended with the death of Amnon, who was killed by Absalom in revenge for the dishonor inflicted on his blood sister Tamar. Absalom himself rebelled and wanted to seize the throne. This uprising failed, and he died a tragic death.

The last years of David's reign were overshadowed by a terrible pestilence that visited Jerusalem. David devoted the rest of his life mainly to collecting materials and preparatory work for the construction of the temple. He managed to collect enormous wealth for this purpose, 100 thousand talents of gold and a million talents of silver (1 tal. gold = 125,000 rubles; 1 tal. ser. = 2,400 rubles gold). Skilled workers and stonemasons were collected from all over the country; iron and copper were prepared without weight and cedar beams without counting. David left the construction of the temple to his successor, Bathsheba's son Solomon.

King David died in old age with unshakable faith in the coming into the world of the Redeemer promised by God - the Messiah, our Lord Jesus Christ.

During the years of trials, delving into the ways of Providence with special reasoning, David poured out his deep sorrow before God and asked for His help. At the same time, often from depicting his own suffering, the persecuted psalmist in a prophetic spirit was transported in his hymns into the distant future and contemplated the suffering of Christ the Savior of the world. David's inspired narratives were subsequently collected into one

O holy servant of God, King and Prophet David! Having fought a good fight on earth, you have received in Heaven the crown of righteousness, which the Lord has prepared for all who love Him. In the same way, looking at your holy image, we rejoice at the glorious end of your life and honor your holy memory. You, standing before the Throne of God, accept our prayers and bring them to the All-Merciful God, to forgive us every sin and help us against the wiles of the devil, so that, having been delivered from sorrows, illnesses, troubles and misfortunes and all evil, we will live piously and righteously in the present We will be worthy through your intercession, even though we are unworthy, to see good on the land of the living, glorifying the One in His saints, the glorified God, the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and forever. Amen.

Used materials

• Encyclopedic Dictionary of Brockhaus and Efron.

David (c. 1035 - 965 BC) is one of the greatest figures in biblical history. He came from the tribe of Judah (he was the great-grandson of Boaz and the Moabite Ruth). He reigned for 40 years (c. 1005 - 965 BC): for seven years and six months he was king of Judah (with his capital in Hebron), then for 33 years he was king of the united kingdom of Israel and Judah (with his capital in Jerusalem). David was the best of all Jewish kings. He unshakably believed in the true God and tried to do His will. In all his troubles, he placed all his hope in God, and the Lord delivered him from all his enemies.

The life of the holy prophet and king David is described in the Bible: in 1 Book of Samuel, 2 Book of Kings and 1 Book of Chronicles.

Boaz- great-grandfather of King David, hero of the book of Ruth. Nephew of Elimelech, who married Ruth, widow of Elimelech's son.

Ruth- the famous biblical righteous woman, after whom the “Book of Ruth” is named. A Moabite by birth, she became so attached to her new relative by husband (a Jew from Bethlehem) that after the death of her husband she did not want to part with her mother-in-law Naomi (Naomi), accepted her religion and moved with her from Moab (where Naomi and her husband were temporarily removed from Israel on the occasion of the famine) to Bethlehem (Beit Lechem), where they settled. The righteousness and beauty of young Ruth were the reason that she became the wife of the noble Boaz. The product of this marriage was Obed, David's grandfather. Thus Ruth the Moabite, a Gentile, became the great-grandmother (foremother) of King David and became one of the ancestors of the Lord Jesus Christ.

This is how King David is described in the book of Ruth: “ And this is the family of Perez: Perez begat Hezrom; Hezrom begat Aram; Aram begat Abminadab; Amminadab begat Nahshon; Nahshon begat Salmon; Salmon begat Boaz; Boaz begat Obed; Obed begat Jesse; Jesse gave birth to David"(Ruth.4:18-22).

Tribes of Israel(Gen.49:28) - tribes of the descendants of the twelve sons of Jacob, who formed, according to the Holy Scriptures, the Israeli people. In the Promised Land, each tribe received its own portion.

Tribe of Veniamin(1 Samuel 9:25, Judges 5:14, etc.) - one of the tribes of Israel. Benjamin- the youngest son of the biblical patriarch Jacob and his beloved wife Rachel. Born on the way to Bethlehem. Rachel fell ill after giving birth and died. ( The famous Tomb of Rachel in Bethlehem has existed since ancient times and is a place of pilgrimage. This place is holy for Jews, Muslims and Christians alike.). The tribe of Benjamin had its destiny in the Promised Land, between the tribes of Judah and Ephraim. Within this domain was the capital city of Judea, Jerusalem. It became part of the kingdom of Judah (1 Kings 12:17-23), which, as you know, consisted of two tribes: Judah and Benjamin. This tribe was distinguished by its extreme warlikeness and courage. From his entourage, according to biblical tradition, came the first Israeli King Saul. Apostle Paul also came from the tribe of Benjamin (Phil. 3:5).

Tribe of Judah- one of the tribes of Israel. He traces his ancestry back to Judas ( translated means praise or glory to God), the fourth son of the patriarch Jacob from Leah (Gen. 29:35). It is known that he hated Joseph, the son of his aunt Rachel (Jacob’s second wife), and advised his brothers to sell Joseph to passing merchants rather than kill him. Judah became the ancestor of the famous tribe of Judah, from which he came King David, founder of the royal dynasty. Joseph the Betrothed also came from the same tribe. At the time of the Exodus from Egypt, the tribe of Judah numbered 74,600 people (Numbers 1:27) and was the largest Israeli tribe. One of the Jewish states was subsequently named after Judah - Kingdom of Judah. The names of the Jewish people in Hebrew and other languages ​​\u200b\u200bare derived from the same name ( Jews).

David's youth

The holy king and prophet David was born 1000 years before the birth of Christ in the Jewish city of Bethlehem. He was the youngest of eight sons of Jesse (from the tribe of Judah), an elder of the city of Bethlehem (Bethlehem).

As a teenager, David tended his father's flocks. This activity largely determined the mental makeup of the future anointed of God. He spent many months alone in the pastures. He had to fight the evil predators that attacked his herds. This developed in David courage and strength, which amazed those around him. Life, fraught with many dangers, taught the young man to rely on God in everything.

David had a musical and poetic gift. In his leisure hours he practiced singing and playing the psalter (harp-like musical instrument). He achieved such perfection that he was invited to the court of King Saul. David dispelled Saul's melancholy by singing and playing the harp.

King Saul(d. c. 1005 BC) - the first king and founder of the united kingdom of Israel (about 1029-1005 BC), the incarnation of a ruler placed in the kingdom by the will of God, but who became displeasing to Him. Came from the tribe of Benjamin. He was chosen and anointed king by the prophet Samuel ( before Saul there was no king over the Jews), later came into conflict with him, and the prophet left him, depriving him of his support.

King Saul

After this, Saul's melancholy began. When he openly renounced God, that is, violated his order, and God rejected him, internal changes immediately began in Saul: “ And the spirit of the Lord departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the Lord began to torment him" (1 Samuel 16:14)

Saul retreated from God and began to serve pride and vanity in his reign. Feeling that he was rejected by God, Saul fell into severe melancholy, “an evil spirit angered him.” The king was attacked by melancholy and despondency from the action of the evil spirit, and when Saul heard David’s playing, he felt more joyful, and the evil spirit retreated from him.

David plays the psalter to King Saul

Even during the reign of King Saul ( when he fell away from God) prophet Samuel, at the direction of God, anointed the young man David ( when David was still an unknown meek and pious youth) to the kingdom. David's anointing was secret. With the anointing, the Spirit of God descended on David and rested on him from then on (1 Samuel 16:1-13).

David's Anointing

Prophet Samuel (Hebrew "heard by the Lord") - biblical prophet, the last and most famous of the Judges of Israel (XI century BC). Samuel lived in the most difficult and troubled time in the life of the Israelis, when the moral state of the people fell to the extreme; the people had to endure a severe defeat from the Philistines. After the Jews conquered the land of Canaan, for several centuries they were ruled by so-called judges, who combined ecclesiastical, military and administrative powers. God himself sent the judges: “ For about four hundred and fifty years the Lord gave them judges" Samuel wisely ruled the people as chief judge until his old age and enjoyed great authority. Fearing that after the death of Samuel the previous lawlessness and anarchy would not return, the people, not trusting and rejecting God as their direct Ruler and King, began to ask him to install a human king over them. Then Samuel appointed Saul the son of Kish as their king. But Saul, by his actions, brought Samuel a lot of grief, because he retreated from God. An angry God said to Samuel: “ I regret that I made Saul king; for he has turned away from Me, and has not fulfilled My word” and ordered Samuel to anoint the new king. Samuel left Saul and never saw him again. He secretly anointed another king, David, as king. Samuel died at the age of 88 and was buried in Ramah, mourned by all the people. His life is described in the first chapters of the first book of Kings. Tradition credits him with compiling the biblical book of Judges.

David and Goliath

At the age of 18, David became famous and earned the universal love of the people.

The Philistines attacked the land of Israel. The pagan people, famous for their belligerence, ravaged the Promised Land with frequent raids. The Philistines killed the Jews and took them captive. And so, near the city of Ephesus-Dammim, two armies met - the Israeli and the Philistine.

From the ranks of the Philistine army emerged a mighty giant named Goliath. He suggested that the Jews decide the outcome of the battle through single combat: “ “Choose a man from yourself,” he shouted, “and let him come out against me.” If he kills me, then we will be your slaves; if I defeat and kill him, then you will be our slaves and serve us».

King Saul promised the daredevil who would defeat Goliath to give his daughter as a wife. Despite the promised reward, no one wanted to fight him.

At this time, young David appeared in the Israeli camp. He came to visit his older brothers and bring them food from his father. Hearing Goliath revile the living God and the army of the Israelites, David was troubled in spirit. His heart, full of devoted faith in God, boiled with righteous anger at the words disgracing God’s chosen people. He approached Saul asking him to allow him to fight Goliath. Saul said to him: " You are still very young, but he is strong and has become accustomed to war from a young age." But David told Saul how God helped him fight lions and bears while tending the sheep. Then Saul, infected by David's courage and courage, allowed him to fight.

Goliath was an unusually strong warrior of enormous height - about 2.89 m. He was dressed in scale armor weighing approximately 57 kg and copper knee pads, on his head was a copper helmet, and in his hands was a copper shield. Goliath carried a heavy spear, the tip of which alone weighed 6.84 kg, and a large sword. David had no armor at all, and his only weapon was a sling ( a throwing bladed weapon, which is a rope or belt, one end of which is folded into a loop into which the slinger's hand is threaded). The Philistine giant considered it an insult that a young man, just a boy, came out to fight him. It seemed to everyone who watched what was happening that the result of the fight was a foregone conclusion, but physical strength does not always determine the outcome of the battle.

David and Goliath (Osmar Schindler, 1888)

David defeated Goliath without a weapon: a stone, accurately thrown from a sling by David, hit the giant’s forehead with such force that Goliath fell and did not get up.

David and Goliath (Julius Schnorr von Carolsfeld)

David, like lightning, jumped up to the defeated enemy and cut off his head with his own sword.

David with the head of Goliath (Gustave Doré)

David's victory over Goliath began the offensive of the Israeli and Judahian troops, who expelled the Philistines from their land (1 Sam. 17:52).

The victory over Goliath glorified David throughout the country. Saul, despite David's youth, appointed him military leader and gave him his youngest daughter Michal in marriage. And Saul's eldest son, Jonathan, became David's best friend.

Life in the Court of King Saul

David won many military victories, and soon his glory eclipsed the glory of Saul himself. Saul began to be jealous of David and gradually began to hate him. In addition, rumors began to reach Saul that the prophet Samuel had secretly anointed David as king. Offended pride, fear and suspicion drove Saul almost to madness: “ An evil spirit from God came upon Saul, and he raged in his house».

Usually, David played the harp to drive away the evil spirit that was tormenting the king for his apostasy. One day, David, as in former times, came to Saul to play the harp for him, but Saul threw a spear at David, which he barely managed to dodge.

Saul throws a spear at David (Konstantin Hansen)

Soon Saul sent David on a dangerous campaign against the Philistines, hoping that he would die. But David returned with a victory, which further strengthened his glory.

Then Saul decided to send hired assassins to David. This became known to Saul's son, Jonathan. At the risk of incurring his father's wrath, he warned his sister Michal, David's wife, about the impending danger. Michal loved David and said to him: “ If you do not save your soul this night, then tomorrow you will be killed"(1 Samuel 19:11-16).

David fled through the window, and Michal put the doll to bed, covering it with David's clothes.

Michal lets David down from the window

Now Saul no longer hid his enmity. The incident with the spear that the king threw at David, and the threat of going to prison, from which only his wife Michal saved him, forced David to flee to Samuel in Ramah. At the last meeting, Jonathan confirmed to David that reconciliation with Saul was no longer possible (1 Samuel 19:20).

Flight from King Saul. In the service of the Philistines.

The Flight of David (Julius Schnorr von Carolsfeld)

Saul's hatred of him caused David to flee; He wandered in the desert for a long time, hiding in caves, fleeing from Saul, who was pursuing him. In his many travels, David gets to know the life of his people closely, learns to be generous to his enemies, compassionate to ordinary people.

Soon, “all the oppressed and all the debtors, and all the saddened in soul, gathered to him, and he became a ruler over them.” With his supporters (600 men), David fled to his recent enemies the Philistines (1 Samuel 27:1), seeking the protection of their king Achish, ruler of the city of Gath. Achish granted David the border city of Ziklag (in the Negev desert) (1 Samuel 27:6). So David became the leader of a band of robbers. David's troops robbed the natives (Amalekites), and sent part of the spoils to the Philistine king Achish (1 Sam. 27:9).

But when the Philistines gathered on a campaign against Israel, David cunningly refused to join the troops of the anti-Israel coalition (1 Samuel 28:4).

King in Hebron

Meanwhile, the Philistines inflicted a crushing defeat on the Israelites in Battle of Gilboa(1 Samuel 31:6).

The Israelites were defeated, and King Saul also died ( After being seriously wounded and losing the battle with the Philistines, Saul committed suicide) with his eldest son Jonathan, who was a friend of David and more than once saved him from his father’s persecution. David mourns them bitterly; he did not want Saul to die and repeatedly wanted to reconcile with him.

David receives news of Saul's death

After this, David, at the head of an armed detachment, arrived in Judean Hebron, where the tribe of Judah at a meeting anointed him to the royal throne in Judea, that is, the southern part of Israel. Then David was 30 years old.

The proclamation of David as king of Judah meant the actual separation from Israel, whose king was proclaimed one of the sons of Saul (2 Sam. 2:10). The two Jewish states entered into an internecine struggle, which lasted two years and ended with the victory of David (2 Samuel 3:1).

David - King of Israel

After the victory over Israel, the elders of Israel came to Hebron and chose David as king over all Israel (2 Samuel 5:3). Thus God fulfilled what he had promised him through the prophet Samuel.

David reigns over all Israel

God gave David blessing, wisdom and power to defeat all of Israel's enemies. David won many military victories and no one dared to attack Israel anymore.

For the first seven years of his reign, David lived in Hebron. During this time, the new capital of Israel was built - Jerusalem (i.e., the city of peace). In order to enhance its significance, David brought here the Ark of the Covenant, which was installed in the middle of the tabernacle built for him.

After this, the Lord promised David to establish his royal house, saying: “ I will be his father, and he will be my son: even if he sins. I will punish him with the rod of men and the blows of the sons of men, but I will not take My mercy from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I rejected before you. And your house and your kingdom will be established forever before Me, and your throne will stand forever.” These words of God were conveyed to David by the prophet Nathan. Hearing this, David stood before the Lord and began to pray: “Who am I, Lord, Lord, and what is my house, that You have magnified me so much!... You are great in everything, my Lord, Lord! For there is no one like You, and there is no God besides You... Even now. Lord God, establish forever the word that You have spoken about Your servant and about his house, and fulfill what You have spoken».

David loved God very much. After becoming a great king, he continued to compose songs inspired by the love of God and glorifying His name.

King David ruled justly and tried to keep the Lord's commandments with all his heart. For this, the Lord was always with him.

All the days of his life he built up the kingdom and in every possible way contributed to strengthening faith in the God of Heaven. The years of King David's reign became a time of prosperity and prosperity for the Jewish people.

David also intended to build a house for the Ark of God - Temple. But not David, but only his son will carry out the construction, for David, participating in wars, shed too much blood (1 Chronicles 22:8). Although David was not supposed to build the Temple, he began to prepare the construction, collected funds, developed drawings of all the buildings of the sacred building and made drawings of all the accessories of worship and provided his son Solomon with building materials and plans (2 Samuel 7; 1 Chronicles 17; 22; 28 :1 - 29:21).

Like other rulers of the East, David had several wives and concubines, from whom David had many sons, among whom was the future king Solomon (2 Sam. 5:14).

David and Bathsheba

David loved the Lord and tried to be obedient to Him. But Satan always watched him, as he watches every person, and tried to instill evil in David.

At the height of his power, David fell into sin, which left a sad imprint on the entire future fate of David and all of Israel.

One evening he was walking along the roof of his palace and saw a beautiful woman bathing in the garden of a neighboring house. Forgetting about everything in the world, the king immediately became inflamed with passion for her and sent servants to find out who she was. The beauty turned out to be the wife of one of David’s commanders, Uriah the Hittite, who at that time was on a distant military campaign. Her name was Bathsheba.

David and Bathsheba (Julius Schnorr von Carolsfeld)

Satan began to inspire evil thoughts in David, and David succumbed to his temptations. He seduced Bathsheba. Soon she became pregnant. David fell in love with Bathsheba so much that he decided to make her his wife, after first getting rid of Uriah. The king sent a letter to the commander of the army in which Uriah fought: “ Place Uriah where the fighting will be the heaviest and retreat from him so that he is struck and dies". The order was carried out and Uriah died, and King David took his widow as his wife. Bathsheba was forced to comply.

Bathsheba (Pozdnikova Ivetta)

David’s cruel act could not but bring upon him the wrath of the Lord: “And this work which David did was evil in the sight of the Lord.” After some time, the Lord sent the prophet Nathan to David, who denounced him.

Prophet Nathan denounces David

David repented and said: “ I have sinned before the Lord" After this repentance, Nathan announced to him the verdict of God: “ And the Lord has taken away your sin: you will not die. But since by this deed you have given the enemies of the Lord a reason to blaspheme Him, the son born to you will die." So David's sin was forgiven, but did not go unpunished.

The Crushing of David (Julius Schnorr von Carolsfeld)

Bathsheba soon gave birth to a son, but a few days later the baby became seriously ill. David fervently prayed to God to spare the child’s life. He spent seven days in prayer, prostrating himself on the ground and not eating. However, on the eighth day the baby died.

A year later, Bathsheba gave birth to another son - Solomon(2 Samuel 11:2 - 12:25), who will become the third king of Israel.

David's sin was great, but his repentance was sincere and great. And God forgave him. During his repentance, King David wrote a repentant prayer-song (Psalm 50), which is an example of repentance and begins with these words: “Have mercy on me, O God, according to Your great mercy and according to the multitude of Your mercies, blot out my iniquities. Wash Me from my iniquity many times and cleanse me from my sin...”

Psalms of David

David had a poetic and musical gift, composing prayer songs addressed to God - psalms in which he praised the Almighty, who so wisely created the world. He thanked God for His mercies and prophesied about the times to come.

Throughout his life, David constantly communicated with the Lord in prayer. He never forgot to offer a prayer to the Almighty, despite his busyness as a ruler and military leader.

No songs have gained such fame on the globe as the “Psalms of David.” As poetic works, many of them are of very high quality - real pearls, for “the Spirit of the Lord spoke in him, and the words of God were on his tongue” (2 Sam. 23:1).

During the years of trials, delving into the ways of Providence with special reasoning, David poured out his deep sorrow before God and asked for His help. At the same time, often from depicting his own suffering, the persecuted psalmist in a prophetic spirit was transported in his hymns into the distant future and contemplated the suffering of Christ the Savior of the world. David's inspired narratives were subsequently collected into one book of Psalms or Psalms, which the saints of the New Testament Church called “the physician of souls.”

King David (Gerrig van Honthorst, 1611)

David wrote many sacred songs, or psalms, which he sang in prayer to God, playing the harp or other musical instruments. In these prayer songs, David cried out to God, repented of his sins before Him, sang the greatness of God and predicted the coming of Christ and the suffering that Christ would endure for us. Therefore, the Holy Church calls King David a psalmist and prophet.

The Psalms of David are often read and sung in the Church during divine services. The sacred book in which all these psalms, or songs, are found is called the psalter. The Psalter is the best book of the Old Testament. Many Christian prayers are composed of words from the psalms of this book.

David was not only a king and a singer, but also a prophet who prophesied about the Messiah - “the Son and Lord of David.” Christ refers to Ps. 109 in Matthew 22:43ff., and Peter, in his sermon on the day of Pentecost, refers to the testimony of the “forefather and prophet” David about the resurrection and ascension of Christ into heaven (Acts 2:25ff.; Ps. 15:2).

Decline of reign

The main problem of the last years of David's reign was the appointment of an heir to the throne. The Bible tells of court intrigues in the struggle of heirs for power.

Among the sons of David there was one named Absalom, handsome and dandy, “from the soles of his feet to the top of his head he had no shortage.” But under the prepossessing appearance of the royal son, there was hidden a cruel and insidious soul.

Absalom and Tamar

One day, David's eldest son Amnon raped his half-sister Tamar (2 Samuel 13:14). David was upset, but did not punish his son. Seeing such injustice, Absalom stood up for his sister’s honor and killed his older brother, but, fearing his father’s wrath, he fled to Gessur (2 Samuel 13:38), where he stayed for three years (970 - 967 BC). Then, when David's grief subsided, Absalom was forgiven and was able to return to Jerusalem.

However, Absalom planned to take the throne from his father and become king. To implement his plan, he tried to secure the support of the common people. By cunning, Absalom won supporters for himself. Gradually he gained many followers.

One day Absalom asked David for leave to go to the city of Hebron under the pretext that he wanted to make a sacrifice to God there, and he himself gathered his supporters in Hebron and rebelled against his father.

David, having learned that an army of rebels was marching on Jerusalem, led by his son, whom in his heart he loved more than his other children, was deeply saddened. He decided not to join the fight and, taking his family, people loyal to him and his army, left the capital.

Psalm 3

1 Psalm of David, when he fled from Absalom his son.
2 Lord! how my enemies have multiplied! Many are rebelling against me
3 Many say to my soul, “He has no salvation in God.”
4 But You, O Lord, are a shield before me, my glory, and You lift up my head.
5 With my voice I cry to the Lord, and He hears me from His holy mountain.
6 I lie down, sleep and get up, for the Lord protects me.
7 I will not be afraid of the people who have taken up arms against me on all sides.
8 Arise, Lord! save me, my God! for You strike all my enemies on the cheek; you break the teeth of the wicked.
9 Salvation is from the Lord. Upon Your people is Your blessing.

The rebels occupied Jerusalem. Absalom ordered a pursuit of David. The armies of David and Absalom met in the forest of Ephraim, where a bloody battle took place and the rebels were defeated.

Even before the battle began, David ordered all his soldiers to spare Absalom. But Absalom did not know this, and when his army was defeated, he tried to escape. He rode on a mule. Driving under a branchy oak tree, Absalom got entangled with his long hair in its branches “and hung between heaven and earth, and the mule that was under him ran away.”

Death of Absalom

Absalom was found by one of David's soldiers and, contrary to the king's orders, he killed the traitor, and threw his body into a pit and stoned him. “And the victory of that day turned into mourning for all the people.” King David was plunged into deep sorrow. He mourned his dead son.

But David’s power was still shaky, since a new rebellion opened, led by Sheba (2 Samuel 20:2). However, David managed to pacify this rebellion, but he still could not find peace.

Adonijah (1 Kings 1:18), the next eldest son of David, declared his rights to the royal throne. Adonijah created his own detachment of bodyguards and tried to win over the army and some of the priests and Levites to his side. But he failed to attract either the prophet Nathan, the priest Zadok, or the royal guard. Adonijah's plot fails.

At the end of his reign, David took a census of the population. God considered this enterprise impudent and vain, became angry with David, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem were struck by a pestilence. David prayed to the Lord: “ So I sinned, I, the shepherd, acted lawlessly, and these sheep, what did they do? Let Thy hand turn upon me and upon my father's house" The Lord heeded David’s prayer, and the plague stopped.

Feeling the approach of death, at the insistence of the prophet Nathan and Bathsheba, David anointed his son Solomon as king, telling him: “ Here I am setting out on the journey of the whole earth, so be strong and be courageous. And you shall keep the covenant of the Lord your God, walk in His ways and keep His statutes and His commandments."(1 Kings 2:1; 1 Chronicles 23:1).

David died at the age of 70 after 40 years of reign and was buried in Jerusalem.(1 Kings 2:10-11), on Mount Zion, where, according to Christian tradition, the Last Supper took place.

The image of David has become over the centuries the ideal of a righteous king, the personification of the past greatness of the people and a symbol of hope for its revival in the future.

In the New Testament

The New Testament sees David as a prophet (Acts 2:30) and a hero of the faith (Heb. 11:32), a man after God's own heart and the forefather of Jesus, the “Son of David” (Acts 13:22ff; Matt. 1: 1.6; Matthew 9:27; 15:22; Rom. 1:3), who is also David’s Lord, Christ (Matt. 22:42-45). In this the promises made to David are fulfilled (Luke 1:32,33).

God made an agreement with David, according to which the dynasty of David would rule the people of Israel forever, and David's capital - Jerusalem - would forever be the holy city, the only abode of God himself (see Ps. 89:4-5, Ps. 89:29- 30, Ps. 89:34–38; Ps. 132:13–14). According to legend, the Messiah was supposed to come from the line of David (male line), which came true, according to the New Testament. The Mother of God and the Savior Christ Himself came from the line of David..

Michelangelo's David

For many centuries, the personality of David and his exploits served as an inexhaustible source of inspiration for artistic creativity. A monumental sculpture by Michelangelo (1503, Accademia, Florence) and paintings by Rembrandt are dedicated to David.

The statue of David by the great Michelangelo is a masterpiece of the Renaissance. This sculpture was created between 1501 – 1504. The height of the statue is almost 5.2 meters. It was created from marble according to biblical motifs. Initially, the statue of David was supposed to be one of the statues to decorate the Florence Cathedral, and was supposed to depict one of the biblical prophets. But the figure of a naked David, instead of the cathedral, became a decoration of the main square of Florence, and became a symbol of the protection of civil liberties of the Florentines, who created an independent republic in their city, surrounded on all sides by enemies who were trying to seize it.

The statue of David was installed in the square in 1504, and it occupied its place in the center of the main square of Florence until 1873, when an exact copy of David was installed in the square and the original was placed in the Accademia Gallery.

This work by Michelangelo also brings a new representation of David, who was previously usually represented with the head of the already killed Goliath in his hands. In this case, David is depicted before the battle with Goliath, his face is serious, he looks forward with a gaze, his eyebrows are furrowed, he is ready to fight with an obviously stronger opponent. His whole figure is tense, the muscles on his body are tense and bulging, the bulge of the veins on his lowered right arm is especially noticeable, but at the same time, David’s body posture is quite relaxed. It is this contrast between the tense expression of the face and some parts of the body and the calm pose that attracts attention to this statue, it makes it possible to speculate about what is happening.

This sculpture by Michelangelo is an interpretation of the ancient Greek theme of sculptural work, where a man was depicted naked and with a heroic appearance. During the Renaissance, typical ancient Greek classical forms began to change slightly, although the basis remained precisely classical, which can be seen in many sculptures of this time. This statue also became a symbol of male, human beauty, becoming the most famous work of the Renaissance.

In Moscow, at the State Museum of Fine Arts. A.S. Pushkin, there is a plaster cast of “David”.

Tomb of King David

King David's Tomb on Mount Zion

The tomb of King David is located on Mount Zion on the lower floor of a building built by the Crusaders directly below the room of the Last Supper.

The authenticity of the tomb has not been proven. Perhaps David was buried in the Kidron Valley, in the same place as all the rulers of Israel. The tomb is considered a holy place among Jews, Christians and Muslims.

Next to the tomb of King David there is a functioning synagogue named after him. In the 4th century, there was the Christian Church of St. David, which was destroyed by the Persians, and in 1524, the El-Daoud Mosque was built in its place, the minaret of which can still be seen today. The large stone sarcophagus is covered with a veil, on which are installed the crowns of the Torah scrolls, symbolizing the 22 kingdoms of Israel, and embroidered with the words from the First Book of Kings: “David, king of Israel, lives and exists.” Legend says that the treasures of the First Temple were hidden behind the tomb of King David. Many conquerors of Jerusalem (Persians, Crusaders, Mamluks) destroyed the grave in search of treasures.

Archaeological discoveries

In the Holy Scriptures, King David appears to us as a contradictory personality: a wise commander, a subtle politician, a brave and cruel warrior, not a very good father and not a very faithful husband, the creator of beautiful lyrical works - psalms, a sincere believer in God, but not without human vices.

Until recently, archaeologists and historians questioned the existence of King David as a historical figure - no evidence of his existence was found and David’s exploits and accomplishments seemed too implausible to them.

But in 1993, during excavations in northern Israel at a site called Tel Dan, a fragment of basalt was found embedded in a wall with words about the House of David. According to an ancient custom widespread in the East, many kings erected monuments to their greatness and achievements.
This inscription testified precisely to the victory of the Syrian king over the kings from the house of David, which serves as proof of the existence of David himself, since the mythical king could not have heirs.

Material prepared by Sergey Shulyak

Troparion, tone 2
The memory of thy prophet David, O Lord, is in celebration; therefore we pray to Thee: save our souls.

Kontakion, tone 4
Enlightened by the Spirit, the pure heart of the prophecy became the brightest friend: see that the real one exists far away: for this reason we honor you, prophet David, glorious.

Prayers to King David:
Remember, Lord, King David and his meekness forever, and with his holy prayers have mercy on us sinners. Amen.

O holy servant of God, King and Prophet David! Having fought a good fight on earth, you have received in Heaven the crown of righteousness, which the Lord has prepared for all who love Him. In the same way, looking at your holy image, we rejoice at the glorious end of your life and honor your holy memory. You, standing before the Throne of God, accept our prayers and bring them to the All-Merciful God, to forgive us every sin and help us against the wiles of the devil, so that you will be delivered from sorrows, illnesses, troubles and misfortunes and all evil, piously and righteously

The holy prophet David is the youngest of the eight sons of the elder of the city of Bethlehem, Jesse, a descendant of Judah, to whom his father Jacob promised control of the Jewish people until the coming of Christ the Savior. Saint David is the first king from the tribe of Judah and the second king of the people of Israel.

He was born and lived in Bethlehem, where before he was anointed as king, he tended his father’s sheep. Saint David was distinguished by obedience and meekness, and did not like idleness: in his free time from work, he played the psalter, composing praises to God to its sounds. Subsequently, the chants composed by the God-inspired David became known as psalms. Endowed with a beautiful appearance, the young man was distinguished by extraordinary physical strength, courage, dexterity, and without weapons he could cope with predatory animals that stole sheep.

Righteous King David between Wisdom and Prophecy.

Miniature of their psalter, first half of the 10th century

For his unworthy reign, the Lord, through the prophet Samuel, announced to King Saul of Israel that God would “take away his kingdom... and give it to his neighbor, to his better” (1 Sam. 15:28).

The Lord loved young David for his meekness. “My brothers are good and great, and the Lord is not pleased with them” (Ps. 150). “But you accepted me for my kindness, and you established me before You forever” (Ps. 40:13).

At the command of God, the prophet Samuel came to Bethlehem, took the horn of oil and anointed Saint David. “And the Spirit of the Lord rested on David from that day and after... But the Spirit of the Lord departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the Lord troubled him” (1 Sam. 16:13, 14).
Soon the war with the Philistines began. For 40 days, the giant Goliath, dressed in copper armor, challenged an Israeli warrior to a duel; no one dared to fight the giant. Goliath mocked the timid Israelites. Outraged by the Philistine's arrogance, Saint David abandoned his military equipment, took a shepherd's staff, a sling and a bag with five stones and went out to single combat. To the ridicule of Goliath, the young man answered: “You are coming against me with a sword, a spear and a shield, and I am coming against you in the Name of the Lord of Hosts, the God of the warriors of Israel...” Saint David’s faith in God’s help brought him victory, which decided the outcome of the war. “I died to meet the foreigner, and I was cursed by my idols. And I, plucking the sword from him, beheaded him and took away the reproach from the children of Israel” (Ps. 150).

David defeats Goliath. Engraving. Julius Schnorr von Carolsfeld

Saul brought Saint David closer to him and made him the commander of all the troops. Israeli women greeted them after the victory with songs and dances: “Saul defeated thousands, and David - tens of thousands!” Saul was overcome by envy and hatred. While listening to the music, he twice threw a spear at Saint David to pin him to the wall, but he dodged. To destroy the young man, he sent Saint David into the most dangerous battles, promising to marry his daughter to him. Having broken his promise, he was forced to give his other daughter, Michal, for him. But the persecution did not stop. St. David's wanderings began through mountainous deserts devoid of vegetation. Finally, he left his homeland. “And all who were oppressed, and all who were in debt, and all who were sorrowful in soul, gathered unto him, and he became ruler over them; and there were with him about four hundred men” (1 Sam. 22:2).

After Saint David's return, Saul continued to pursue him. Twice Saint David could have killed the sleeping king, but he only took a spear and cut off the hem of his robe. “Be at peace with those who hate peace” (Ps. 119:6).

He tried to convince Saul that there was no evil intent or deceit in his soul against God’s anointed. “Remove me from my enemies, O God, and deliver me from those who rise up against me” (Ps. 59:2), the prophet cried. “How are you sorrowful, my soul? And how are you troubling me? Trust in God, for we will confess to Him, the salvation of my face and my God” (Ps. 41:12).

The tribe of Judah proclaimed Saint David king. The other eleven tribes chose Saul's son Ishbosheth as king. After 7 years, the commanders of Ish-bosheth killed the sleeping king. They brought his head to Saint David, but he ordered the traitors to be executed.

After the death of Ishbosheth, Saint David was proclaimed king over all twelve tribes of Israel. After 5 years, Jerusalem (the city of peace) became the capital of the Israeli state. Saint David transferred the Ark of the Covenant there, established a solemn service in which singers and musicians participated, and wanted to build a majestic temple. But the Lord, through the prophet Nathan, announced to the saint that his son Solomon would do this, since Saint David had shed a lot of blood.

Blessed by God, the holy King David prospered in all his undertakings. He happily fought wars with his enemies. He dedicated everything he obtained from the conquered peoples to God, preparing material for the construction of the temple.

The denunciation of David by the prophet Nathan.

Engraving. Julius Schnorr von Carolsfeld

Saint David did not exalt himself in the midst of prosperity; he practiced justice and righteousness over his people. But, captivated by the beauty of Bathsheba, the king ordered her husband Uriah to be sent to the most dangerous place of the battle. Uriah died, and King David married Bathsheba. God sent the prophet Nathan to expose the criminal king. The repentant one cried out with deep sorrow: “Have mercy on me, O God, according to Your great mercy...” (Ps. 50:1). The Lord forgave the prophet. But to atone for his guilt, disasters did not leave him. David's son Absalom rebelled against his father, and he had to leave Jerusalem and go into hiding. The holy King David accepted all sorrows and trials with humility as retribution for his sins.

The holy prophet and psalmist David was constantly in prayerful communication with the Creator.

By the grace of the Holy Spirit, the holy prophet David compiled the Psalter. In prayer songs, David addressed God. As a prophet, the holy King David is revealed in the third part of the Psalter, which contains detailed predictions about the coming to earth of the Lord Jesus Christ, the Savior, about His suffering, the Resurrection from the dead, the Ascension, as well as about the Blessed Virgin Mary - the Mother of God. Now there are 150 psalms in the Psalter. Most of them belong to David, some were written by Solomon and other historical figures of the Old Testament.

Psalms are widely used in worship and personal prayer of believers.

Saint Basil the Great says: “No other books glorify God as much as the Psalter” - and calls it a general physician of souls. And Blessed Augustine writes that “the singing of psalms decorates the soul, calls on angels for help, drives away demons, casts away darkness, creates a shrine, strengthens the mind of a sinner, atones for sins, like eating alms to saints.” In ancient monasteries it was the custom to learn the entire Psalter by heart. Psalm 50 is an example of a prayer of repentance.

The Psalter was translated into Slavic by St. Cyril and Methodius in the 10th century.

In his old age, the holy prophet King David ordered to proclaim and anoint his son Solomon as his successor, about whom he swore to Bathsheba that he would reign after him. Having handed over to Solomon the materials prepared for the construction of the temple and the plan itself, he bequeathed to those close to him to assist in the construction of the temple. Then, calling on God's blessing on the entire Jewish people and glorifying the Lord for all His mercies, the holy king and prophet David rested peacefully around 1048 BC and was buried in Jerusalem.

The grave of King David is located on Mount Zion, next to the Upper Room of Zion, in which the Lord Jesus Christ celebrated the Last Supper with his disciples.

The ancient Israelite people were divided into twelve tribes, which were named after their ancestors. The tribe in which the future king and prophet David was born bore the name of Judah. The father's name is Jesse, he held one of the high posts in the city of Bethlehem.

Besides David, there were seven more sons in the family. He was younger than all of them. In his youth, he worked as a sheep shepherd on his father's farm. Already at that time, he began to feel the heroic strength in his body, and the talent of a singer in his soul. His peace was disturbed by lions, bears and other wild animals who tried to steal sheep. But the boy, without a weapon, with bare hands, chased the predator and took away the sheep, and if the beast showed aggression, the mighty boy could kill him without a weapon.

In his free time, the boy made himself a stringed instrument and composed songs to its accompaniment. Subsequently, instruments of this type were called psaltirion (or psalter), and the inspired songs that he composed throughout his life formed the basis of the Psalter - one of the main prayer books of Orthodox Christians.

King David (Gerrig van Honthorst, 1611)

How King Saul Angered God

Around 1029 BC Saul from the tribe of Benjamin, anointed by the prophet Samuel, became the head of the kingdom of Israel. But the ruler did not show proper obedience to the Will of God.

At the beginning of the war with the Philistines, he arbitrarily offered burnt offerings without waiting for Samuel to arrive. Later, he did not fulfill the will of God, transmitted through the prophet, - he did not completely destroy the defeated barbarian people of the Amalekites. From that moment on, Samuel declared to him that he had incurred the Wrath of God. After this, the reign lasted only a few years.

Read about other Old Testament prophets:

In addition, he fell ill with a mental illness - he began to fall into severe depression with bouts of irritability and anger.

God's New Chosen One

At the command of the Lord, the prophet Samuel came to Bethlehem, waited for David to arrive and anointed him with oil as king. From that day on, the grace of God was upon the boy.

After some time, it became known about Saul's mental illness. His associates tried to find ways to alleviate his condition. Then they decided to invite a skilled musician and singer. The choice fell on David.

The youth, with his play, managed to temporarily alleviate the master’s condition, and the young man was elevated to the rank of the royal squire.

Duel with Goliath

At that time, another war began with the Philistine people. The ruler came out against them at the head of the army. The Philistines offered to compete and put up the monstrous giant Goliath. None of the Israeli soldiers found enough courage to go against him. Goliath became increasingly arrogant and swore loudly at the Israelites. This went on for forty days.

Interesting. Goliath's height was almost three meters.

All the sons of Jesse were in the Israeli army except David. His father sent him to bring food to his brothers. At that moment, he saw Goliath behaving brazenly and was inwardly outraged. The youth asked the king for permission to move against the enemy giant. The ruler agreed. At first the young man was dressed in military armor, but he took it off, put on his usual shepherd's clothes and took a sling.

When David went out to duel, the Lord put such accuracy and strength into his hands that Goliath was fatally struck by a stone thrown from a sling.

The shocked Philistine warriors fled from the battlefield.

Righteous David the Psalmist

The beginning of the feud

The master was delighted with this news and promoted the psalmist to the rank of military commander. The army returned home victorious, and along the way the women greeted them with songs that rated David’s military exploits higher than Saul’s. The gentleman really did not like the content of the songs. From that time on, he began to harbor enmity against the psalmist in his soul. His attacks of mental illness began to return.

The task of calming Saul down with music was very dangerous. During particularly severe attacks, the king threw a spear at the young man twice, but God kept him alive. Then David was made commander of a thousand soldiers. This was a cunning move by the ruler, who sent the young man into danger to war, hoping that he would die there.

Saul, if successful in the war, promised to marry his daughter Merov to him, but did not keep his promise when the warrior returned with victory.

The master offered another daughter - Michal - and sent the governor to war again. He returned again victorious, and the marriage took place. This irritated Saul even more. Meanwhile, Jonathan, one of the master’s sons, developed friendly feelings towards David.

After that, the gentleman no longer hid his hatred. When the warrior returned from the war once again, the king again threw a spear at him, and then sent his soldiers to deal with him. He was surrounded in his home, but the Lord did not allow his death, and his wife helped him to escape.

Years of persecution

The king and his army continued to pursue him. It so happened that Saul entered the very cave in which David was hiding. The chosen one had the opportunity to kill his persecutor, but he only cut off the edge of his robe. When the master came out of the cave, David showed him a piece of cloth as proof that he had not taken advantage of the opportunity to kill. The young man asked for reconciliation and assured that there was no evil in his plans. At first this impressed the persecutor, and he temporarily left the saint alone.

The peaceful mood did not last long. After some time, he again moved at the head of the army against the anointed one.

And again a similar incident occurred - David managed to sneak into the tent where Saul was sleeping unnoticed and take his spear. Then he came out and showed the spear from a distance. This nobility again impressed the persecutor, and he left.

Reign of David

But the anointed one did not have complete confidence in the promises of his persecutor. He moved to the Philistine city of Ziklag. Another war had just begun between the Philistine and Israeli peoples. David was forced to fulfill his military duty and go with his detachment against his native people.

But, by the Providence of God, the Philistine commanders lost confidence in him and sent him back to Ziklag. By that time, the city had just been ravaged by the Amalekites. The commander caught up with them, punished them and brought the prisoners back.

Meanwhile, battles were raging between Israel and the Philistines. Saul was defeated, surrounded by Philistine archers and seriously wounded. Not wanting to fall into the hands of his hated enemy and in despair, he committed suicide. He ordered the Amalekite to kill him with the sword.

Important. This is one of three cases of suicide that occur in the Bible (the other two are the suicides of Judas and the hero Samson).

Jonathan also died in that war. The Amalekite went to David with joy, hoping to receive a reward. But the reaction of the anointed one was exactly the opposite - he grieved for his offender and ordered the execution of the messenger.

Monument to King David in Jerusalem

New king

After the death of the persecutor, the anointed one became the ruler of one of the parts of the Israeli state. The rest of the territory was ruled by the son of the former lord Ishbosheth. This did not last long. Ishbosheth was betrayed and killed by his own bodyguards. They came to David expecting a reward. But he once again mourned the death of his rival and ordered the execution of the traitors.

After this, the anointed one was installed as ruler over all Israel. The capital of the new state was one of the fortresses, which was called Jerusalem. The Ark of the Covenant was moved here. The new king planned to build the Temple of God here, but through the prophet he received notification that this work would be entrusted to his successor.

The period of a just reign has begun.

The Fall of the Holy King

But if sorrows and persecution turn out to be powerless to break the spirit of the righteous, then subsequently luxury and pleasure can begin to fight against him. The king was captivated by the beauty of a married woman and did not want to fight against sinful desire. It was Bathsheba, the wife of Uriah, one of the governors.

David committed two grave sins - adultery and murder. He took Bathsheba for himself, and sent Uriah to his death at a dangerous point on the battlefield, where he died. Perhaps, if this victory of the devil over God’s chosen one had not happened, the life of the ruler and his people could have taken a completely different path.

The Lord, through the prophet Nathan, exposed the king’s sins. And although he repented of what he had done, he subsequently suffered severe punishment from God.

Important. In repentance, David composed the fiftieth psalm, which would later become one of the repentant prayers of Christians.

Read about other psalms of David:

Punishments for sin

Disasters began for the king and the people. First, there was a quarrel between the king's two sons from different wives - Amnon and Absalom. Absalom meanly killed Amnon and fled. But after a few years his father forgave him. Absalom did not appreciate his father’s generosity and began to stir up revolts among the people against him.

David again, as in his youth, was forced to leave the capital. He was accompanied not only by sympathizers, but also by enemies - they reviled him.

The civil war began. The part of the people loyal to him united around the legitimate ruler. David was especially worried about being killed by Absalom in battle, but contrary to his orders, one of the commanders killed Absalom. The saint's grief knew no bounds.

The wrath of God was also poured out in the form of famine and pestilence on the people. The ruler accepted everything with humility.

Peaceful end to David's reign

The last years of the reign of the holy king passed in prosperity and peace. The king prepared materials for the construction of the Temple for his heir. A new son, Solomon, was born from Bathsheba, and it was him who the Lord chose as the future king. Solomon was anointed king while his father was still alive. The reign of the holy king lasted forty years, and he died in peace and old age.

Interesting. According to one version, the tomb of King David is located on Mount Zion. On the same mountain is the place where the Last Supper took place.

Blessed is the husband

According to the word of the divinely inspired saint Ignatius Brianchaninov, David had all earthly consolations - wealth, strength, glory, beauty, wives and children, but did not recognize bliss in any of them. He found human bliss in obedience to the Will of God and keeping himself from sins: “Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked...”

Important! They pray to this saint for the gift of repentance, for protection of the Fatherland from enemies, for mercy from rulers, for the Orthodox army, for help in carnal temptations.

Watch a video about King David