David(c. 1035 - 965 BC) - one of the greatest personalities of biblical history. was happening from the tribe of Judah (was great-grandson of Boaz and the Moabite Ruth ). He reigned for 40 years (c. 1005 - 965 BC): seven years and six months was the king of Judah (with the capital in Hebron), then 33 years - the king of the united kingdom of Israel and Judea (with the capital in Jerusalem). David was the best of all the kings of the Jews. 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 enemies.

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

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

Ruth - the famous biblical righteous woman, whose name is called the "Book of Ruth". A Moabite by birth, she became so attached to her new relationship by her 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), adopted her religion and moved with her from Moab (where Naomi and her husband temporarily removed from Israel on the occasion of the famine) to Bethlehem (Beit Lehem), where they settled. The righteousness and beauty of young Ruth was the reason why she became the wife of the noble Boaz. The fruit of this marriage was Obed, David's grandfather. Thus Ruth is a Moabite, a pagan,became the great-grandmother (great-mother) of King David Andbecame one of the ancestresses of the Lord Jesus Christ.

This is how it is described in the book of Ruth by King David: “And this is the family of Perez: Perez begat Esrom; Esrom begat Aram; Aram begat Aminadab; Aminadab begat Nahshon; Nahshon begat Salmon; Salmon begat Boaz; Boaz begat Obed; Obed begat Jesse; Jesse begat David"(Ruth.4:18-22).

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

Knee of Benjamin (1 Samuel 9:25, Judgment 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 road 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 both for Jews and for Muslims and Christians.). The tribe of Benjamin had its lot in the Promised Land, between the tribes of Judah and Ephraim. Within this lot was the capital city of Judah, 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 extreme militancy and courage. From his entourage, according to biblical tradition, the first Israeli king saul . Apostle Paul also descended from the tribe of Benjamin (Phil. 3:5).

Tribe of Judah one of the tribes of Israel. He traces his lineage from Judas (in translation 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 (the second wife of Jacob), and advised the brothers to sell Joseph to passing merchants than to kill him. Judah became the ancestor of the famous tribe of Judah, from which king david, the founder of the royal dynasty. From the same tribe came and. At the time of the Exodus from Egypt, the tribe of Judah numbered 74,600 people (Num. 1:27) and was the most numerous tribe of Israel. One of the Jewish states was subsequently named after Judas - Kingdom of Judah . From the same name come the names of the Jewish people in Hebrew and other languages ​​( Jews).

Youth of David

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 the eight sons of Jesse (from the tribe of Judah) - the elders of the city of Bethlehem (Bethlehem).

As a teenager, David was tending his father's flocks. This occupation largely determined the spiritual warehouse of the future anointed of God. He spent long months alone in the pastures. He had to fight the evil predators that attacked his herds. This developed in David courage and strength, which surprised 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. During his leisure hours he practiced singing and playing the psalter (a musical instrument similar to a harp). He reached 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 (circa 1029-1005 BC), the incarnation of the ruler, put on the kingdom by the will of God, but who became objectionable to Him. Descended from the tribe of Benjamin. 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 denied 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 Sam. 16:14)

Saul apostatized from God and in his reign began to serve pride and vanity. Feeling that he was rejected by God, Saul fell into a cruel melancholy, "an evil spirit revolted him." The king was attacked by melancholy and despondency from the action of the evil spirit, and when Saul heard the game of David, he felt more comfortable, and the evil spirit receded from him.

David plays King Saul on the Psalter

Even during the reign of King Saul (when he departed from God) prophet Samuel, according to the direction of God, anointed the young man David (when David was still unknown meek and pious boy) to the kingdom. David's anointing was secret. With the anointing, the Spirit of God descended on David and has rested on him ever since (1 Sam. 16:1-13).

Anointing of David

(Hebrew "heard by the Lord") - a 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 Israelites, when the morale of the people fell to the extreme; the people had to endure a severe defeat by the Philistines. After the Jews conquered the land of Canaan, for several centuries they were ruled by the so-called judges, who combined in their person ecclesiastical, military and administrative power. Judges sent by God himself: “For about four hundred and fifty years the Lord gave them judges”. Samuel wisely ruled the people as the supreme judge until his advanced years and enjoyed great authority. Fearing that after the death of Samuel the former lack of rights and anarchy would not be restored, the people, not trusting and rejecting God as their direct Ruler and King, began to ask him to put a king over them from among the people. Then Samuel appointed Saul, the son of Kish, as king. But Saul, by his actions, brought Samuel a lot of grief, as he apostatized 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 kept 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 ascribes to him the compilation of 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 militancy, ravaged the Promised Land with frequent raids. The Philistines killed the Jews and took them into captivity. And so, near the city of Ephesus Dammim, two armies met - Israeli and Philistine.

From the ranks of the Philistine army came a mighty giant named Goliath. He invited the Jews to decide the outcome of the battle by single combat: "Choose a person he shouted, and let him come out against me. If he kills me, then we will be your slaves; but if I overcome and kill him, then you will be our slaves and serve us.”

King Saul promised the daredevil who would slay Goliath to marry his daughter. Despite the promised reward, no one was willing to fight him.

At this time, young David appeared in the camp of Israel. He came to visit his older brothers and bring them food from his father. When David heard Goliath blaspheming 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 from words that dishonor God's chosen people. He approached Saul with a request to be allowed to fight Goliath. Saul told him: “You are still very young, but he is strong and accustomed to war from an early age”. But David told Saul how God had helped him fight the lions and bears while he was tending the sheep. Then Saul, infected by David's bravery and courage, allowed him to fight.

Goliath was an unusually strong warrior of enormous height - approx. 2.89 m. He was dressed in scaly armor weighing approximately 57 kg and copper knee pads, he had a copper helmet on his head, and a copper shield in his hands. 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 (throwing melee weapons, which is a rope or belt, one end of which is folded into a loop into which the slinger's brush is threaded). The Philistine giant considered it an insult to himself that a young man, still a boy, went out to fight him. It seemed to everyone who watched what was happening that the result of the duel 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 on the forehead with such force that Goliath fell and did not get up.

David and Goliath (Julius Schnorr von Karolsfeld)

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

David with the Head of Goliath (Gustave Doré)

The victory of David over Goliath began the offensive of the Israeli and Jewish 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 commander and married his youngest daughter Michal to him. 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 fame eclipsed that of Saul himself. Saul became jealous of David and gradually came to hate him. In addition, rumors began to reach Saul that the prophet Samuel had secretly anointed David as king. Injured pride, fear, and suspicion drove Saul almost to madness: "An evil spirit from God attacked Saul, and he raged in his house."

David usually played the harp to drive away the evil spirit that tormented the king for his apostasy.Once David, as in the old days, came to Saul to play his harp, but Saul threw a spear at David, from which he barely managed to dodge.

Saul throws at David's spear (Konstantin Hansen)

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

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

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

Michal lowers David out of the window

Now Saul made no secret of his enmity. The incident with the spear that the king threw at David, and the threat of going to prison, from which only Michal's wife 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 Sam. 19:20).

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

Flight of David (Julius Schnorr von Karolsfeld)

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

Soon "all the oppressed, and all the debtors, and all the grieved in soul, gathered to him, and he became the ruler over them." With his supporters (600 men) David fledto his recent enemies the Philistines (1 Sam. 27:1), seeking the patronage of their king Achish, ruler of the city of Gath. Anchus granted David the border town of Ziklag (in the Negev desert) (1 Sam. 27:6).So David became the leader of a band of robbers. Detachments of David robbed the natives (Amalekites), and part of the booty was sent to the Philistine king Anchus (1 Sam. 27:9).

But when the Philistines gathered for a campaign against Israel, David cunningly refused to join the troops of the anti-Israeli coalition (1 Sam. 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 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 the death of Saul and repeatedly wanted to be reconciled with him.

News of Saul's death is brought to David

After that, David, at the head of an armed detachment, arrived in Jewish Hebron, where the tribe of Judah at the 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 Kings 2:10). The two Jewish states entered into an internecine struggle between themselves, which lasted two years and ended with the victory of David (2 Kings 3:1).

David - king of Israel

After the victory over Israel, the Israelite elders 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 overcome 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 timea new capital of Israel was built - Jerusalem (i.e. the city of peace). In order to elevate its significance, David brought here the Ark of the Covenant, which was installed in the middle of the tabernacle built for it.

After that, 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 from Saul, whom I rejected before your face. And your house and your kingdom shall stand forever before me, and your throne shall 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 exalted me so much! ... You are great in everything, my Lord, Lord! For there is none like You, and there is no God besides You... And now. Lord God, confirm 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. Having become 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 commandments of the Lord with all his heart. For this, the Lord was always with him.

In all the days of his life, he equipped the kingdom and in every possible way contributed to the strengthening of faith in the God of Heaven. The years of the reign of King David 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, raised funds, developed drawings of all the buildings of the sacred building and made drawings of all the paraphernalia of worship, and provided his son Solomon with building materials and plans (2 Sam. 7; 1 Chr. 17; 22; 28 :1 - 29:21).

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

David and Bathsheba

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

At the height of his power, David fell into sin, which left a mournful 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 everything in the world, the king immediately 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 Karolsfeld)

Satan began to inspire David with bad thoughts, and David succumbed to his temptations. He seduced Bathsheba. She soon became pregnant. David fell in love with Bathsheba so much that he decided to make her his wife, after getting rid of Uriah. The king sent a letter to the commander of the army in which Uriah fought: "Put Uriah where there will be the strongest battle, and retreat from him, so that he will be struck down and die." The order was carried out and Uriah died, and King David took his widow as his wife.Bathsheba was forced to submit.

Bathsheba (Pozdnikova Yvette)

The cruel act of David could not but bring the wrath of the Lord upon him: "And this work that David did was evil in the sight of the Lord." After some time, the Lord sent the prophet Nathan to David, who rebuked him.

Nathan the Prophet Convicts David

David repented and said: "I have sinned against the Lord." After this repentance, Nathan announced God's judgment to him: “And the Lord took away your sin from you: you will not die. But since by this deed you have given the enemies of the Lord a reason to blaspheme Him, then the son born to you will die. Thus David's sin was forgiven, but not unpunished.

The Crush of David (Julius Schnorr von Karolsfeld)

Bathsheba soon gave birth to a son, but a few days later the baby fell seriously ill. David fervently prayed to God to save the life of the child. He spent seven days in prayer, prostrating himself on the ground and taking no food. 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 penitential prayer-song (50th psalm), which is a model of repentance and begins with these words: “Have mercy on me, O God, according to Thy great mercy and according to the multitude of Thy mercies, blot out my iniquities. Wash me many times from my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin...

Psalms of David

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

Throughout his life, David was in constant prayerful communion with the Lord. 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 around the globe as the Psalms of David. As poetry, many of them of very high quality are real gems, for "the Spirit of the Lord spoke in him, and the words of God were in his language" (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 the image of his own suffering, the persecuted psalmist in a prophetic spirit was transferred in his hymns to the distant future and contemplated the suffering of Christ the Savior of the world. The divinely inspired stories of David were later collected into one book of Psalms or the Psalter, 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 while playing the harp or other musical instruments. In these songs-prayers, David called 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 a 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. Psalter - best book 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 foretold of the Messiah, "the Son and Lord of David." Christ points to Ps. 109 in Mt. 22:43 et seq., while 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 2:25 et seq.; Ps. 15:2).

Decline of the 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 disposing appearance of the royal son, a cruel and insidious soul was hidden.

Absalom and Tamar

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

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

One day, Absalom asked David to go to the city of Hebron on the pretext that he wanted to offer a sacrifice to God there, while he himself gathered his supporters in Hebron and raised a rebellion against his father.

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

Psalm 3

1 A psalm of David when he fled from Absalom his son.
2 God! How my enemies have multiplied! Many rise up against me
3 Many say to my soul: "There is no salvation for him in God."
4 But You, O Lord, are my shield, my glory, and You lift up my head.
5 With my voice I cry out 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 those people who have taken up arms against me from all sides.
8 Arise, Lord! save me, my God! for You strike in the cheeks of all my enemies; you break the teeth of the wicked.
9 Salvation is from the Lord. Your blessing is upon your people.

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

David, even before the start of the battle, ordered all his soldiers to spare Absalom. But Absalom did not know this, and when his army was defeated, he tried to flee. He rode on a mule. Passing under a branchy oak, Absalom got confused by his long hair in its branches "and hung between heaven and earth, and the mule that was under it fled."

The death of Absalom

Absalom was found by one of David's soldiers and, contrary to the royal order, killed the traitor, and threw the body into a pit and threw stones at it. “And the victory of that day turned into mourning for all the people.” King David fell into deep sorrow. He mourned his dead son.

But the power of David was still shaky, as a new rebellion was opened, which was led by Savey (2 Sam. 20: 2). However, David managed to pacify this rebellion, but he still failed to find peace.

Adonijah (1 Kings 1:18), the next oldest 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 part of the priests and Levites. But he failed to attract either the prophet Nathan, or the priest Zadok, or the royal guard. Adonia's plot fails.

At the end of his reign, David took a census of the population. God considered this enterprise daring and vain, was angry with David, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem were stricken with pestilence . David prayed to the Lord: “Here I have sinned, I, the shepherd, have acted lawlessly, and these sheep, what have they done? May Your hand be turned on me and on 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 to the kingdom, saying to him: “Here I am departing on the path of the whole earth, but you be strong and be courageous. And keep the covenant of the Lord thy God, walk in His ways, and keep His statutes and His commandments.”(1 Kings 2:1; 1 Chr. 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 for 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 in David a prophet (Acts 2:30) and a hero of faith (Heb. 11:32), a man after God's own heart and forefather Jesus, the "Son of David" (Acts 13:22ff.; Matt. 1: 1:6; Matt. 9:27; 15:22; Rom. 1:3), who is also the Lord of David, Christ (Matt. 22:42-45). This fulfills the promises made to David (Luke 1:32,33).

God made an agreement with David, according to which the dynasty of David will rule the people of Israel forever, and the capital of David - Jerusalem - will be forever and ever a holy city, the only abode of God himself.(cm. Ps. 89:4-5, Ps. 89:29-30, Ps. 89:34-38; Ps. 132:13-14, Ps. 132:17). According to legend, the Messiah was to come out of the lineage of David (in the male line). , which was realized, according to the New Testament. From the family of David came the Mother of God and the Savior Christ Himself.

Michelangelo's David

For many centuries, the personality of David and his exploits served as an inexhaustible source of inspiration for artistic creativity. Monumental sculpture by Michelangelo (1503, Academy, 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 motives. 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 naked David instead of the cathedral became an ornament of the main square of Florence, and became a symbol of the protection of the civil liberties of the Florentines, who created an independent republic in their city, surrounded on all sides by enemies who were trying to capture it.

In the square, a statue of David was installed 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 slain Goliath in his hands. In this case, David is depicted before the battle with Goliath, his face is serious, he looks ahead with a fixed gaze, his eyebrows are furrowed, he is ready to fight with a obviously stronger opponent. His whole figure is tense, the muscles on the body are tense and bulging, the bulge of the veins on the lowered right arm is especially prominent, but at the same time, the posture of David's body is rather relaxed. It is this contrast between the tense expression of the face and some parts of the body and the calm posture that draws 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, when a man was depicted naked and with a heroic look. During the Renaissance, typical ancient Greek classical forms began to change slightly, although the basis remained precisely classical, which can be seen in so 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 fine arts them. A.S. Pushkin, there is a plaster cast of "David".

Tomb of King David

Tomb of King David on Mount Zion

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

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

Near 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 erected in its place, the minaret of which can still be seen today. A large stone sarcophagus is covered with a veil, on which crowns of Torah scrolls are set, symbolizing 22 Israeli kingdoms, and the words from the I Book of Kings are embroidered: "David, king of Israel, lives and exists." The legend tells that the treasures of the First Temple were hidden behind the tomb of King David. Many conquerors of Jerusalem (Persians, Crusaders, Mamluks) destroyed the tomb in search of treasures.

archaeological discoveries

In the Holy Scriptures, King David appears before us as a controversial person: 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, sincerely believing in God, but not devoid of 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 the exploits and accomplishments of David 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 just testified 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

for the Church of the Life-Giving Trinity on Sparrow Hills

Troparion, tone 2
The memory of your prophet David, Lord, is celebrating, so we pray to you: save our souls.

Kontakion, tone 4
The pure heart of prophecy, enlightened by the Spirit, was the brightest friend: see for it as if it were real far away: for this sake we honor, prophet David, glorious.

Prayer 1st to King David:
Remember, Lord, King David and his age of meekness, and with his holy prayers have mercy on us sinners. Amen.

Prayer 2 to King David:
O holy servant of God, king and prophet David! Having labored on earth with a good feat, you received in Heaven the crown of truth, which the Lord has prepared for all those who love Him. The same, looking at your holy image, we rejoice in the glorious end of your residence and honor your holy memory. You, standing before the Throne of God, accept our prayers and bring to the All-Merciful God, to forgive us every sin and help us become against the wiles of the devil, and get rid of sorrows, illnesses, troubles and misfortunes and all evil, we will live piously and righteously in the present forever and we will be honored by your intercession, if not worthy of us, to see the good on the land of the living, glorifying the One in His saints glorifying God, the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and forever and ever. Amen.

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

Teenage years

David is a distant ancestor of His imaginary father Joseph (Righteous Joseph was betrothed to the Blessed Virgin Mary). Presumably, the future king was born around 1040 BC. The life of the holy King David tells about this.

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

In his free time, the lad made himself a stringed instrument and composed songs to its accompaniment. Subsequently, instruments of this type were called the psalterion (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 due obedience to the Will of God.

At the beginning of the war with the Philistines, he arbitrarily offered burnt offerings without waiting for the arrival of Samuel. 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 Samuel announced to him that he had incurred the Wrath of God. After that, 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 a 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 the arrival of David and anointed him with oil for the kingdom. From that day on, the youth had the grace of God.

After some time, it became known about the mental illness of Saul. 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.

With his game, the youth managed to temporarily alleviate the condition of the master, and the young man was elevated to the rank of royal squire.

Fight with Goliath

At that time, another war began with the Philistine people. The ruler opposed them at the head of the army. The Philistines offered to compete with their forces and put up the monstrous giant Goliath. None of the Israeli soldiers found the courage to go against him. Goliath became more and more arrogant and cursed 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 Israelite army except David. His father sent him to bring food to his brothers. At that moment, he saw Goliath behaving arrogantly and was indignant inwardly. The lad asked the king for permission to oppose the enemy giant. The ruler agreed. First, the young man was dressed in military armor, but he took them off, put on his usual shepherd's clothes and took a sling.

When David entered the duel, the Lord put such accuracy and strength into his hands that Goliath was slain by a stone fired from a sling. The shocked Philistine warriors fled the battlefield.

Righteous David the Psalmist

The beginning of the feud

The master was delighted with this news and appointed the psalmist to the rank of military commander. The army returned home with a victory, on the way the women greeted them with songs that put the military exploits of David higher than the exploits of Saul. The master did not like this content of the songs very much. From that time on, he began to harbor enmity in his soul against the psalmist. The attacks of his mental illness began to return.

The occupation - to calm Saul's music - was very dangerous. During especially severe attacks, the king threw a spear at the young man twice, but God kept him alive. Then David was put in charge of a thousand soldiers. It was a cunning move by the ruler, who sent the young man into danger for war, hoping that he would die there.

Saul, in case of success in the war, promised to marry his daughter Merov to him, but did not keep his promise when the warrior returned with a victory.

The master offered another daughter - Michal - and sent the governor to war again. He returned again with a victory, and the marriage took place. Saul was even more annoyed by this. Meanwhile, Jonathan, one of the master's sons, was imbued with friendly feelings towards David.

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

Years of persecution

From that moment, the open persecution of the chosen one began. In Israeli cities, under pain of death, it was forbidden to take it. Michal was married off to someone else. God sent a notice to the chosen one through the prophet Gad, and he took refuge in a mountainous area near Bethlehem. Other people offended by the ruler began to join him. Soon a small detachment of warriors gathered.

The king with his army continued to pursue him. It so happened that Saul went into 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 mantle. When the master came out of the cave, David showed him a piece of cloth as proof that he did not take 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 made an impression on the persecutor, and he temporarily left the saint in peace.

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

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

Accession 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. Just started another war between the Philistine and Israelite peoples. David was forced to fulfill his military duty and with his detachment go 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 returned the prisoners back.

Meanwhile, battles were going on between Israel and the Philistines. Saul was defeated, surrounded by Philistine archers and badly wounded. Not wanting to fall into the hands of a 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 take place in the Bible (the other two are the suicides of Judas and the hero Samson).

Jonathan also died in that war. The Amalekite gladly went to David, hoping for a reward. But the reaction of the anointed one was just the opposite - he grieved for his offender and ordered the messenger to be executed.

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 master, Jebostheus. It didn't last long. His own bodyguards betrayed and killed Jebosheth. They came to David expecting a reward. But he once again grieved over the death of his rival and ordered the execution of the traitors.

After that, the anointed one was made ruler over all Israel. One of the fortresses, which was called Jerusalem, became the capital of the new state. 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 a notice that this work would be entrusted to his successor.

The period of righteous reign has begun.

Fall of the holy king

But if sorrows and persecutions prove powerless to break the spirit of a righteous man, then subsequently luxury and pleasures may begin to fight against him. The king was captivated by the beauty married woman and did not want to fight against the sinful desire. It was Bathsheba, the wife of Uriah, one of the governors.

David committed two serious 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 the chosen one of God 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 sins of the king. And although he repented of his deed, he later suffered severe punishments from God.

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

Read about other Psalms of David:

Punishment for sin

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

David again, as in his youth, was forced to leave the capital. He was accompanied not only by sympathizers, but also by enemies - they vilified 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 sorrow of the saint 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 that the Lord chose as the future king. Solomon was anointed king during his father's lifetime. 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 words of the inspired saint Ignatius Brianchaninov, David had all earthly consolations - wealth, strength, glory, beauty, wives and children, but he did not recognize bliss in any of them. Human bliss was found by him in obedience to the Will of God and keeping oneself from sins: “Blessed is the man who does not go to the advice of the ungodly…”

Important! This saint is prayed for the gift of repentance, for the protection of the Fatherland from enemies, for mercy from the rulers, for the Orthodox army, for help in carnal temptations.

Watch a video about King David

The holy king and prophet David came from the tribe of Judah. His father Jesse was one of the elders of the city of Bethlehem and had eight sons, of whom David was the youngest. When David reached the age of adolescence, his father instructed him to tend his flocks. The lad lived in solitude among the flocks, protecting his parental property, when a lion or a bear came and carried away a sheep from the flock, then David chased them and took away the prey; when the beast rushed at him, David took him by the braids, struck and killed him. The Lord kept the boy, for he was pious and did not like idleness, he arranged for himself a musical instrument with strings and practiced singing and playing this instrument during his leisure hours. Given from God the ability to this art, David turned to the service of God, to the glorification of His holy name; constantly abiding in contemplation of God, the youth, tinkling on the strings, sang the wisdom and goodness of the Heavenly Father, which are manifested in all of God's creation and in human life.

Saul was the king of Israel at that time. By some of his actions, he revealed disobedience to the commands of the Lord and showed that he placed his own strengths and desires above the will and mercy of the King of kings. Then the Lord commanded the prophet Samuel to announce to Saul:

- Because you rejected the word of the Lord, and He rejected you so that you would not be a king.

Shortly after that, the Lord sent Samuel to Jesse the Bethlehemite, for “among his sons I have provided for myself a king,” the Lord said. Arriving in Bethlehem, the prophet ordered the elders of the city to prepare to offer a sacrifice to the God of Israel, inviting Jesse and his sons to this. When the children of Jesse came, Samuel, seeing the eldest of them, Elian, thought that he was God's chosen one, but the Lord said to the prophet:

– Do not look at his appearance and at the height of his growth, I rejected him. I do not look like a man looks: for a man looks at the face, but the Lord looks at the heart.

And about none of the seven sons who were with Jesse, Samuel did not receive a revelation, then he asked Jesse if all his children were here. The elder replied that there was another son who was tending the sheep; The prophet ordered to send for the lad. When David arrived, the Lord said to Samuel:

“Get up and anoint him, for it is he.

The prophet took the horn of oil he had brought with him and anointed David among his brothers. And the Spirit of the Lord rested on David from that day onwards. Then Samuel left Bethlehem, and the boy returned to his former work.

But the Spirit of the Lord departed from Saul, and he fell into the disease of demon possession, the attacks of this disease were painful, and Saul was constantly in an irritated state, tormented by gloomy thoughts. Then the courtiers advised their sovereign to invite a person who plays the harp well, so that with his game he would calm the king during fits of illness. Saul agreed, and then one of the courtiers pointed to David. By order of the king, an eighteen-year-old youth - a shepherd was called to the royal palace; when Saul was painfully tormented, David played his harp, pleasing God, and Saul became more joyful and better, and the evil spirit departed from him. The king liked David very much and became his armor-bearer, but his service at court was not uninterrupted, and he had the opportunity to go to his hometown for a long time and continued to do his shepherd's work.

Soon the Philistines invaded the land of Israel. Entering within the borders of the tribe of Judah, they encamped between Succoth and Azek at Ephesus Dammim. Saul with the Israeli army stopped two versts to the south; between the two camps was a vast valley. The Philistines conceived to end the war with a duel common in antiquity, and the giant Goliath, a native of Gath, from the Anak family, stepped out of their camp. He was six cubits and one span high, i.e. 4 arshins and 14 vershoks, it had full military weapons made of copper: scaly armor, weighing five thousand shekels, a helmet, knee pads and a shield; in his hands he carried an iron spear weighing sixty shekels. Addressing the army of Israel, Goliath exclaimed:

- Choose a person from yourself, and let him come down to me; if he kills me, then we will be your slaves; but if I overcome him, then you will be our slaves and serve us.

The formidable appearance of the giant frightened the sons of Israel, and none of them dared to enter into single combat with Goliath, who every day became more arrogant and, speaking for forty days, reviled the Israelites.

The brothers of David were then among the soldiers who marched against the Philistines; Once Jesse sent his youngest son to the army to visit the brothers and bring them some grain supplies. The young man came to the military convoy, when the army was put into operation and was preparing for battle with a cry, David hurried to the ranks of the Israeli army to see his brothers. While he was talking to them, Goliath stepped out of the Philistine line and began to speak his proud speeches; At the sight of the giant, the Israelites fled in fear, in their ranks they said:

- If someone killed Goliath, the king would give him great wealth, and give his daughter to him, and his father's house would make him free in Israel.

The young son of Jesse was deeply indignant at the arrogance of the Philistine giant.

“How dare this uncircumcised Philistine revile the army of the Living God in such a way,” David said indignantly to the Israelite soldiers.

The words of the young man reached the king, and he called him to him. With mighty faith in God's help, David's speeches breathed when he asked Saul to allow him to fight with Goliath, so that the king finally said:

Go, and may the Lord be with you. David abandoned the military armor in which he was clothed by order of Saul, for he was not accustomed to it. He took his shepherd's staff, sling and bag, in which he put five smooth stones typed in a stream, and in such equipment he went to meet Goliath.

To the mockery and scolding of the Philistine giant, David replied:

- You go against me with a sword, spear and shield, and I go against you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, which you reproached. Now the Lord will deliver you into my hand, and I will kill you, and I will remove your head, and I will give your corpse and the corpses of the Philistine army to the birds of the air and the beasts of the earth, and all the earth will know that there is a God in Israel. And all this host will know that the Lord does not save with a sword and a spear.

And the hope of God's help did not shame the young man: a stone, accurately thrown from David's sling, hit the giant on the forehead with such force that Goliath fell to the ground, then David ran up to him and cut off his head with his own sword. Struck by the feat of David, the Philistines fled, and the Israelite army, having captured their camp, victoriously pursued the enemies to the borders of their country.

Holding the head of the slain giant in his hands, David stood before Saul. The delighted king left the young man with him and, to the general pleasure of all the people, elevated him to the rank of military leader. When the victors returned home, solemn meetings were held for them in all the cities of Israel, and the women danced, playing tambourines and cymbals, while singing a victory song with the refrain:

Saul conquered thousands, and David conquered tens of thousands.

Such an expression of the people's love for David was unpleasant to the king; Saul learned from the prophet that the Lord rejected the kingdom from him and gave it to another, the king began to see David as his successor and began to be suspicious of the young man. The grave illness that tormented Saul, due to this, intensified, and the king at times became furious; twice during these attacks, he threw a spear at David, who was playing the harp, in order to calm the king, but the young man, guarded by the Spirit of God, escaped death, after which Saul began to fear David and removed him from himself, putting him in command. In this position, David acted prudently in all matters, which earned him even greater love from the people, to the great displeasure of Saul, who began to seek his death.

At first, the king acted with cunning, sending David on dangerous campaigns against the Philistines. “Let not my hand be on him, but the hand of the Philistines be on him,” Saul sneered. Sending David to war, the king promised him the hand of his eldest daughter Merova, which, however, he gave for another, and offered David to marry another daughter with Michal, setting the condition that David make another even more dangerous campaign.

“Is it easy to be the king’s son-in-law, and I am a poor and insignificant person,” the young governor humbly answered such flattering proposals.

The Lord kept His chosen one, and each time he returned with a victory, so that his name was glorified, and Saul was forced to marry him to Michal, who loved David. After that, Saul's jealousy increased still more; he became an enemy of David for life and began to directly express his intention to kill his son-in-law.

One of the sons of Saul, the valiant Jonathan, from the time of the victory over Goliath, fell in love with David as his soul, a close friendship united both young men. Knowing his father's evil intent, Jonathan said to Saul:

“Let the king not sin against his servant David, for he has not sinned against you in any way, and his deeds are very beneficial to you; he endangered his life in order to strike the Philistine, and the Lord did a great salvation for all Israel, you saw this and rejoiced, why do you want to sin against innocent blood and kill David for no reason?

The king swore that he would not kill David, and good relations were established between the king and his son-in-law, but not for long; soon a war broke out with the Philistines, in which David won a decisive victory. Then Saul, in a fit of rage, once again tried to nail David, who played the harp in front of him, to the wall with a spear. David managed to escape and hid in his house. The king sent soldiers to surround the house in order to seize David when he came out and put him to death. The situation of an innocent sufferer was hopeless, but David did not despair, but sought consolation and help in prayer, the image of which is in the 58th psalm inspired by him.

“Deliver me from my enemies, my God,” exclaimed David, “protect me from those who rise up against me. For, behold, they lie in wait for my soul, strong men gather against me, not for my crime and not for my sin, Lord, without my fault they run and arm themselves. Move to help me and look. They have strength, but I resort to You, for my intercessor is God.

This is how David called, and the Lord saved him from inevitable death by the hand of a loving wife, who lowered her husband by a rope from the window.

From that time began the wanderings of David. The king pursued his son-in-law "like a partridge in the mountains"(). David did not find refuge either in the settlements of Israel or in the cities of the neighbors of the Philistines, who remembered his previous victories. In vain Jonathan tried to appease the king, who even gave David's wife in marriage to another, the high priest Ahimelech with all his family was executed by Saul, who suspected him of sympathy for his son-in-law. David managed, however, to hide his parents from the royal wrath, placing them with the king of Moab. According to the revelation of God, given through the prophet Gad, David came to the borders of the tribe of Judah and here hid from the king in the mountainous and desert areas south of Bethlehem; all those dissatisfied with Saul began to gather around him, so that soon David was already at the head of a detachment of up to 400 people, courageous and warlike people. With this detachment, David, himself persecuted by the king, managed, however, to serve native people; he expelled the Philistines from the city of Keilah, which was captured by them, located in the mountains of Judea, and protected the flocks grazing in these mountains from the raids of predators of the desert.

David committed his life to the will of God, and the Lord kept His anointed; so, when David was in Keilah and Saul intended to seize him there, the Lord revealed to David that the inhabitants of the city would hand him over to the king, why David and his detachment left this city and "they went where they could"(). Finding refuge in the mountainous, devoid of any vegetation, deserts of Ziph and Maon, on the western shore of the Dead Sea, David was almost surrounded by the royal army, but at that time Saul received news of the Philistine raid and had to stop the persecution for a while. After repelling the enemy, the king returned with an army from the wilderness to catch David. Searching for fugitives in this wilderness, full of ravines and caves, Saul one day went into one of the caves where David was hiding at that time with some of his followers. Not noticing the enemies lurking in the darkness, Saul took off his mantle, meanwhile those around David recognized the king and began to say to their leader:

“Today is the day that the Lord spoke to you about: Behold, I will deliver your enemy into your hands, and you will do with him what you please.”

David replied:

May the Lord not allow me to do this to my master, the anointed of the Lord, to lay my hand on him, for he is the anointed of the Lord.

He carefully cut off the edge of Saul's mantle, and when the king, coming out of the cave, had gone some distance, called him. Saul looked around, and David, bowing to him to the ground, began to convince the king not to believe the evil slander.

“My father,” said the young man, “look at the edge of your garment in my hand; I cut off the edge of your garment, but I did not kill you. Find out and make sure that there is no evil or deceit in my hand, and I have not sinned against you, and you are looking for my soul in order to take it away. May the Lord judge between me and you, and may the Lord avenge you for me, but my hand will not be on you. The Lord will consider and examine my case, and save me from your hand.

Saul was deeply moved by the generosity of the man persecuted by him and with tears confessed his wrong, after that the king returned to his capital, and David continued to wander in the wilderness.

Saul did not long remember the noble deed of David. Their own suspicion, together with the strengthening of David, whose number of sympathizers was constantly increasing, prompted the king to resume the persecution, and Saul again set out into the wilderness with a detachment of three thousand. David closely followed the actions of the king, and when he camped on one of the hills, David fortified himself on the mountain, from where the royal camp was visible. In order to more accurately know the strength of Saul, David, with one of his followers Abishai, entered the camp of the king at night, the carelessness of the royal commanders was so great that even the royal tent did not have a watchman, and David and his companion entered there. Saul was fast asleep with a spear stuck in the ground at his head. Abishai volunteered to strike Saul to death with this spear, but David said:

- The Lord lives! May the Lord strike him, or his day will come and he will die, or go to war and perish, but may the Lord not allow me to raise a hand against the anointed of the Lord!

He took a spear and a bowl of water from the tent to show Saul that the life of the king was again in his hands, and, unnoticed by anyone, he left the camp. Arriving at your camp

The king said:

“I have sinned, return, my son David, for I will not harm you, because my soul was dear in your eyes now, I acted foolishly and sinned a lot.

David replied:

- Here is the spear of the king, let one of the youths come and take it. And may the Lord reward everyone according to his righteousness and according to his truth, since the Lord delivered the king into my hands, but I did not want to raise my hands against the anointed of the Lord. And even though your life was precious in my eyes, my life is so valued in the eyes of the Lord, and may He cover me and save me from all trouble.

At parting, Saul blessed David with the name of the Lord, and since then they have not seen each other again.

David had many reasons to distrust the good intentions and promises of Saul, and therefore considered it safer for himself to leave the borders of the kingdom of Israel and move to the land of the Philistines. On its southern border was the city of Ziklag, which was allotted by the Philistine king for the residence of David and his followers, up to 600 people. From here, David made campaigns against the inhabitants of the desert, the original enemies of the Israelite people. Meanwhile, the king of the Philistines launched a formidable invasion of the land of Israel and demanded that David and his detachment also take part in it. It was inexpressibly difficult for David, who passionately loved his native people, to fulfill this, but even here the help of God, in which he always firmly hoped, did not leave him: the princes of the Philistines suspected that he, as a Jew, could not be a faithful ally of the enemies of his fatherland, and insisted for David to return to Ziklag. On the way back, he learned that his city was ravaged by the Amalekites, who seized the families and property of both him and his followers, and took them into the wilderness. Indignation arose in David's detachment itself, in bitter grief for their sons and daughters captured by the enemy, David's companions wanted to stone him. But David was strengthened by his hope in the Lord his God, pursued the predators and recaptured all their prey.

The war between the Philistines and the Israelites, which was going on in the meantime, ended in the defeat of the latter at the mountains of Gilboa; Saul and his son Jonathan fell in this battle. The news of their death was brought to David by the Amalekite, who told him that, at the request of Saul, he killed him when he was pursued by the Philistines. With this story, David exclaimed:

“How were you not afraid to raise your hand to kill the Lord’s anointed one?”

And ordered the execution of the messenger. David poured out his sincere and deep sorrow for Saul who persecuted him and his dear friend Jonathan in an inspired song:

“Mountains of Gilboa,” exclaims the Psalmist, “let neither dew nor rain fall on you, and let there be no fields with fruits on you, for there the shield of the mighty, the shield of Saul, is thrown down, no matter how it was anointed with oil. Saul and Jonathan, amiable and concordant in their lives, did not part even after their death, they were faster than eagles and stronger than lions. I grieve for you, my brother Jonathan, you were very dear to me, your love for me was higher than a woman's love.

After weeping for Saul and Jonathan, David, by the revelation of God, crossed over to the borders of the tribe of Judah and settled with all his companions in Hebron. Here David was anointed with oil and proclaimed king of the southern country of the State of Israel, while the rest of it was ruled by the son of Saul Jeboshey, who was elevated to the kingdom by the commander Abner. The division of the kingdom continued for about two years, but, according to the word of God, spoken through the prophet Samuel, power over Israel could not remain in the house of Saul. Jeboshey was killed by two traitors from among his own bodyguards, the killers brought his head to David and expected to receive a reward. But David, mourning the death of his rival, exclaimed:

The Lord lives, who delivered my soul from all sorrow! If the one who brought me the news that Saul died, and who considered himself a joyful messenger, I seized and killed in Ziklag, instead of giving him a reward, now that the wicked people have killed an innocent man in his house, on his bed Shall I not seek blood from your hand, and cut you off from the earth!

And the killers were executed. After that, representatives of all the tribes of Israel gathered in Hebron, and David, with the general rejoicing of the people, was anointed king of all Israel.

The first thing David did was to set up a new capital of the state, for this purpose he chose a strong fortress located at the turn of the tribes of Judah and Benjamin and was in the power of the Canaanite tribe of the Jebusites, when the latter refused to give it to David voluntarily, his commander Joab took the fortress by attack, David called this fortress by Jerusalem, i.e. the city of the world, and built his new palace here; the new capital soon flourished luxuriantly and richly, and subsequently became the most famous city in the world, as the place of the most important events in the salvation of the human race. In order to sanctify his capital and himself be in close proximity to the place of residence of the glory of the Lord, David built a tabernacle in Jerusalem, in everything similar to the one that Moses built, at the command of God, in the wilderness and which was at the time of David in Gibeon. Here he transferred the highest shrine of the people of God, the Ark of the Covenant from Cariath-Jearim. The transfer of the shrine took place with great solemnity. Up to seventy thousand Israelites took part in the procession. Initially, the ark was carried on a chariot, but since the Lord struck down one Israelite who dared to touch the ark in order to support it when the chariot swayed, the members of the priestly tribe of Levi carried the ark in their hands during the rest of the journey. When those who carried the ark walked six steps, sacrifices were made to the Lord from a calf and a sheep. The procession followed with the singing of psalms, with the loud sounds of trumpets and other musical instruments, and with the joyful cries of the people. The king himself, in reverent jubilation, danced before the ark of the Lord, putting aside his royal robe and remaining in priestly linen. When the ark was placed in its place in the tabernacle, David brought burnt offerings and peace offerings to the Lord and blessed the people with the name of the Lord of hosts. His wife Michal, who was returned to her by David after the death of Saul, reproached the king for his behavior during the transfer of the ark, seeing in that a humiliation of royal dignity even in the eyes of women. But David replied:

“I will play and dance before the Lord, and I will humble myself even more and become even more insignificant in my eyes and before the maids of whom you speak, I will be glorious.

Both at the ancient tabernacle in Gibeon, and at the ark of God, "on which the name of the Lord of Hosts, who sits on the cherubim," is called, David established the order of worship, in accordance with the law given through Moses. To this end, he divided the descendants of Levi appointed to the service of God into rows, distributing the duties of service among them. The most famous musicians and singers were chosen, who were supposed to form the right choirs and compose chants for worship, as well as glorify God, "playing the trumpets, cymbals and various musical instruments." Such persons were Eman, Asaph and Ethan, and David himself stood at the head of them, during the years of trials, delving into the ways of Providence with special reasoning and constantly pouring out his pious feelings in inspired psalms.

In these sacred songs, David depicted the severity and depth of the undeserved suffering of persecution, while with psalms he calmed himself in fear, eased his grief, calming down just outbursts of anger and indignation at human injustice; in them he poured out his deep sorrow before God and asked for His help: with hymns, David inspired his spirit to endure suffering without a murmur, strengthened himself in hope in God the helper and sent praise and gratitude to Him for His unceasing care and protection in the midst of dangers. At the same time, often from the image of his own suffering with the hope of deliverance, the persecuted psalmist in a prophetic spirit was transferred in his hymns to the distant future and contemplated the Sufferer - Christ; in His innocent suffering, the prophet-psalmist foresaw a worldwide victory over evil and the opening of a new kingdom of truth. When David became the king of all Israel, he used his high gift of singing to educate in his people the spirit of faith and piety, love for the fatherland, courage, justice and other virtues. All the most important events in the reign of David were accompanied by song outpourings of the pious soul of the sovereign-psalmist. According to the testimony of the wise son of Sirach, David “After each of his deeds, he brought thanks to the Almighty with a word of praise; with all his heart he sang and loved his Creator. And he placed singers before the altar, that with their voices he might sweeten the song; he gave splendor to the holidays and determined the times with precision so that they would praise holy name His sanctuary was announced from early morning” ().

Zealous for the glorification of the name of the Lord, David said to the prophet Nathan:

- Here I live in a house of cedars, and the ark of God is under a tent.

The prophet approved the king's intention to build a permanent temple of the Lord, but on the same night he received a revelation from the Lord, which he conveyed to David. The Lord said to David through a prophet:

“When your days are fulfilled and you rest with your fathers, then I will raise up after you your seed, which will come from your loins, and I will establish his kingdom. He will build a house for My name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. I will be his father, and he will be my son, and if he sins, I will punish him with the rod of men and the bridle of the sons of men, but I will not take My mercy from him, as I took from Saul, whom I rejected before your face. And your house and your kingdom shall stand forever before me, and your throne shall stand forever.

This lofty promise, which was the most important proof of God's special favor to David and his family, clarified and elevated the king's prophetic vision of the future fate of his kingdom. The prophet-psalmist finds in these promises an inexhaustible source of hymns about the coming eternal kingdom of the son of David, Christ the Savior of the world, whom he confesses as the eternal Son of God, calling himself His servant, in his victories over the surrounding nations, David sees the defeat of the enemies of Christ and the worldwide expansion of His dominion, announcing in solemn hymns the future glory of the kingdom of Christ.

And David reigned over all Israel, and did justice and righteousness to all his people. Establishing internal order in the kingdom of Israel, shaken in the last years of Saul, David was most concerned about pleasing God, the Heavenly King of Israel, whose representative he was, and about the benefit of the people. The goal of his whole life was only to fulfill the God-given law and make it binding on all his subjects. Through this reign of David, his capital, Jerusalem, for many years after him was "a faithful capital, full of justice." David's complete obedience to the Divine will was crowned with his glorious victories over foreigners; under him, the kingdom of Israel reached those limits that were promised to the offspring of Abraham, at the conclusion of the covenant. Thanks to the victories of David, his dominion stretched from the Red Sea to the Euphrates River, in the south it reached the Arabian Desert, and in the north it captured Syria, ending in the west at the Mediterranean Sea. Israel was at that time a powerful state, which had under its rule many peoples - tributaries, rich inside and from military booty and due to the complete security of the subjects of the Jewish king and their property. With such obvious manifestations of God's mercy, David could only humbly thank God and do good for the glory of His holy name. But the weaknesses and infirmities inherent in man were not alien to David, surrounded by earthly glory and splendor, he allowed the manifestation of these weaknesses, the consequences of which for him turned out to be very difficult.

Like other sovereigns of the East, David had several wives and concubines, the associated luxury and pomp of the royal court had a pampering and relaxing effect on the moral nature of David. Therefore, when one day, walking on the roof of his palace, he saw a beautiful woman bathing in a neighboring courtyard, he did not want to suppress his criminal passion, but ordered that the woman be brought to him. This woman, named Bathsheba, was the wife of one of the commanders of David Uriah, who was on the campaign at that time, and became pregnant by the king. Upon learning of this, David first tried to hide his sin from her husband, for which he called him to his wife in Jerusalem, but when this failed, he ordered his commander-in-chief to put Uriah during the battle in the most dangerous place. Uriah was killed in battle, and Bathsheba became David's wife and bore him a son. And this work that David did was evil in the sight of the Lord. To denounce the king, the prophet Nathan came to him, who said to David in the name of the Lord:

– Why did you neglect the word of the Lord, did evil before His eyes? And so the sword will not depart from your house forever because you neglected me and took the wife of Uriah.

At the same time, the prophet predicted the imminent death of the child born from Bathsheba. The child really fell ill, David prayed for the child for seven days in complete solitude without food and without sleep. When the child died, David humbly submitted to the will of God, this humility was as perfect as his sincere and deep repentance for the sin he had committed, the contrition of his heart was expressed in a fiery repentant psalm, which forever became the penitential prayer of every penitent sinner ().

The judgment of God for the crime committed soon affected the family of David with a whole series of heinous and bloody events. Between the two beloved sons of David from different wives, the handsome Ambon and Absalom, a deadly enmity flared up because Amnon insulted Absalom's sister, Tamar, and his brother avenged this dishonor to Amnon, treacherously killing him during a feast, and fled the country. The king bitterly mourned the loss of his beloved children, and only a few years later allowed Absalom to return to the royal palace. For this high favor, the criminal son repaid his father with black ingratitude. He stirred up a rebellion against the already aged David; thanks to his obsequiousness and flattering lot to the needs of the common people, Absalom managed to gather a lot of adherents around him and proclaimed himself king in Hebron, a strong conspiracy was formed, and the people flocked and multiplied around Absalom.

Hearing about this, David, with a small number of close associates, decided to retire to the country of Transjordan for safety, the high priest wanted to accompany the king with the Ark of the Covenant.

But David said to the high priest:

- Return the Ark of God to the city, and let it stand in its place. If I find mercy in the eyes of the Lord, He will bring me back and let me see Him and His habitation. And if He says this: "I have no good will towards you, then here I am: let him do with me what is pleasing to Him."

And by complete repentance he received a full remission of sin. And in the character traits of the righteous king - the prophet and in the circumstances of his life, full of trials, the God-wise fathers see an indication of the Son of David in the flesh, of our Lord Jesus Christ and of His earthly life. Saint Chrysostom, speaking about the modesty, humility and meekness of David, teaches:

“And the meek David slew Goliath, drove out the army, and won the victory. In general, it is natural for a meek person to forgive the offenses inflicted on him, and to avenge the offenses inflicted on others. This is what Christ did." The saint in the interpretations on, and testifies that these psalms, depicting the disasters of David from Saul, foretold our Lord Jesus Christ, who is blessed by the ungrateful Israelites (whom Saul represents) and persecuted by their slanders, foretold the face of Judas and announced the call of all the Gentiles after Israel for wickedness will be rejected from the guidance of God. Accordingly, our Lord Jesus Christ is often depicted by the prophets under the name of David, Christians are called the seed of David; the dominion of Christ the Savior - the key of David; His throne is the throne of David; Christ's is called the house of David.

The inspired stories of David were subsequently collected into one book of Psalms or the Psalter; the saint testifies that one of the prophets did this. Blessed Theodoret, in his interpretation of the psalms, teaches: “Some say that not all psalms belong to David, but there are others written by others. Why, so understanding the inscriptions, some psalms were attributed to Idifum, others to Etham, others to the sons of Korah, and still others to Asaph, having learned from the book of Chronicles that they were prophets. I am not asserting anything about this. For will it profit me that all the psalms of David, or partly belong to those mentioned before, when it is obvious that they are all written by the action of the Divine Spirit? We know that both the divine prophet David and those in the book of Chronicles are called prophets. The prophet, however, tends to provide his tongue as an instrument of the grace of the Spirit, according to what is said in the psalms: my tongue is the reed of the scribe scribe (). However, let the verdict of the majority prevail, and most of the writers claimed that the psalms belong to David.

The saint thus depicts the high significance of the book of psalms for the Christian life: “Every scripture is inspired by God and useful to eat”(), for this it was written by the Holy Spirit, so that in it, as in a general clinic of souls, all of us - people found medicine - each from his own ailment. For it is said: "meekness will cover great sins"(). But the prophets teach differently, the chroniclers teach differently; in the one the law instructs, and in the other it is offered in the form of an inflow exhortation; but the book of psalms embraces the useful of all books. She prophesies about the future, recalls events, gives laws for life, suggests rules for activity. In short, it is the common treasury of good teachings, and carefully seeks out what is beneficial to everyone. It also heals the old wounds of the soul, and gives a quick healing to the recently wounded, and restores the painful and supports the undamaged, in general, as much as possible, destroys the passions that in human life under various forms dominate souls. And moreover, it produces in a person some kind of quiet delight and pleasure, which makes the mind chaste. The psalm is the silence of the soul, the distributor of peace, it calms the rebellious and agitated thoughts; it softens the irritability of the soul and chaste intemperance. The psalm is a mediator of friendship, unity between the distant, reconciliation of the warring. For who can still consider as enemies the one with whom he lifted up a single voice to God? Therefore, psalmody gives us one of the greatest blessings - love, invent collective singing instead of a knot to unity and bring people into a single consonant face. A psalm is a refuge from demons, entry under the protection of angels, weapons in night insurances, comfort from daytime labors, safety for babies, decoration in a flourishing age, comfort for the elderly, the most decent decoration for wives. The psalm inhabits the deserts, makes the markets chaste. For newcomers, this is the beginning of the doctrine, for those who succeed, an increase in knowledge, for the perfect, affirmation: this is the voice of the church. This is a wise invention of the teacher, arranging for us to sing and learn useful things together. The pleasantness of sweet singing is added to the teachings, so that, along with pleasant and sweet for boredom, we in an inconspicuous way also accept what is useful in the word. For with compulsion, what is learned does not remain in us for a long time, and what is accepted with inspiration and pleasantness, then takes root more firmly in the souls. “In the psalms, the following is also worthy of surprise,” the saint teaches, “in other books, what the saints say and what they talk about, then the readers refer to exactly those about whom this is written, and the listeners distinguish themselves from the persons described, which in question, and if they are surprised and compete with the narrated deeds, then all this turns out to be an imitation. But whoever picks up a book of psalms, if the prophecy about the Savior passes with the usual surprise and reverence, as in other scriptures, then he already reads the other psalms as his own words, and the listener, as if pronouncing it from himself, comes to emotion and all the sayings of the hymns become close to him, as if really his own.

“Let us all praise the Godfather to David the King, from him the rod of the virgin passed, And from it the flower of Christ ascended, and Adam and Eve from aphids called, as if gracious” (Stichera of the day, on “Lord, I called”).

King David is the second leader of the kingdom of Israel, who made Jerusalem the center of spiritual pilgrimage. David was a God-fearing and wise ruler who, like all mortals, was prone to make mistakes: the monarch committed a crime for which he had to pay for a long time.

Origin of King David

King David was born around 1035 BC, on the west bank of the Jordan River, in Bethlehem. The historicity of David is the reason for discussions that continue to this day, because many stories about the life of the ruler are in the nature of legends and legends, however, some archaeological evidence proves the reality of the existence of the leader of the Israeli people.

The Copenhagen School, formed in 1990, has its own opinion on this matter. Adherents of biblical minimalism consider the personality of King David and the reality of the existence of the so-called Kingdom of Israel as a single ideological concept created by the priests in Jerusalem.

Skeptics believed that David is as historical as the hero of the chivalric novels of the British epic - King Arthur. The biography of the descendant of Jesse, which is set out in the Holy Scriptures, says that he came from an ancient Jewish family (from which the Messiah Jesus Christ came) and was the youngest of the eight sons of his father.

Young David, working as a shepherd, showed himself to be a trustworthy and brave man: he could snatch his sheep from the paws of a mighty bear or deal with a ferocious lion with his bare hands, since he was endowed with heroic strength from birth.

While the young man worked in the pasture, Saul, the founder of the united kingdom of Israel, sat on the throne, who became the leader of the people by the will of God, but soon seemed objectionable to the Creator. Therefore, the prophet Samuel, repentant that he had chosen the “disobedient bearer of the crown” by lot, began to look for a successor to his first anointed one.

His choice fell on David, who in those years pleased the monarch with playing a stringed musical instrument - kinnor: flowing melodies calmed the anger of the king, who had a quick temper (according to legend, he was "disturbed by an evil spirit").

In his youth, young David, who arrived in the Israeli army to visit his brothers, was marked by a heroic deed: the future king defeated the unusually strong giant Goliath (in the Koran - Jalut). It is noteworthy that David's opponent was armed to the teeth, while the young man had only a sling with him.

Saul, believing in the young man's ingenuity, promised to bless the marriage of David with his daughter Michal if he went on a campaign against the descendants of Kasluchim. Returning from the battlefield, the "heir to the throne" brought a "gift" - a bag with two hundred male virtues, for such was the requirement of a cruel despot.

The valiant offspring of Jesse won the laurels of honor, and his brilliant struggle with the unbelieving Philistines aroused the envy of Saul, since the glory of David overshadowed all the honors of the acting king. Zealous Saul began to be suspicious of the young man, with each day his contempt only intensified. Therefore, it is not surprising that the thought of killing his subject crept into Saul's head.

It got to the point that the Israeli king, not hiding his enmity, put David in danger by throwing a spear at him during the celebration. But since Saul went over with strong drinks, the gun flew past. But, nevertheless, the autocrat threatened to put the enemy in prison.

But it is worth noting that David revered the Creator and did not dare to raise his hand against God's anointed Saul, but he had such an opportunity when they were alone in a cave. The young man quietly crept up to his opponent and cut off a piece of fabric from his cloak, thereby showing Saul that he was not capable of crime and did not pose any danger.

This act did not relieve Saul of his paranoia, so David fled to Samuel at Ramah and arrived at a place where the presence of God was strong. It was there that David learned that reconciliation with Saul was impossible, and that the king himself was filled with the Spirit of God. Consequently, the future ruler of the people spent many years in exile, trying to save his life and shelter his relatives from the wrath of the first anointed one.

Saul angrily pursued the enemy, so David, along with numerous associates, found support from opponents - the Philistines. In the service of this people, David and his comrades (600 men) robbed the local inhabitants of the Amalekites, and sent part of the stolen booty to King Achish.

Companions of David, due to the objection of higher authorities, did not participate in the invasion of the Philistines, who set off to conquer the lands of Israel and defeated the troops of Despot Saul. In the battle of Mount Gilboa, the soldiers killed the sons of the king, and Saul himself asked his subject to wound his heart with a spear.

Beginning of the reign

David did not rejoice at the news of the death of his persecutor, but, on the contrary, burst into bitter tears. Then he arrived at his homeland, in Hebron, where he was proclaimed the king of Judah by the descendants of Judah.

Consequently, there was a separation of Judah from Israel (the only surviving son of Jebosheth became the successor of Saul), as a result of which a two-year internecine war began.

Two armies opposed each other, and David's companions emerged victorious from this bloody battle, but, according to rumors, betrayal decided the outcome of the matter, for two warring commanders were killed. Ultimately, David was chosen by the elders as king over all Israel, who later united the two states.

Domestic politics

Before becoming ruler, David, following a cruel custom, got rid of the descendants of King Saul. Then the commander went to war against the Jebusites, capturing the city of Jerusalem. The conquered Jerusalem became the capital of the principality and, concurrently, the sacred Jewish center, where the Ark of the Covenant was transferred, which made the main city the center of the national cult.

By the way, the Ark of the Covenant is the greatest shrine of the Jewish people, which is located in a tent guarded by priests. Initially, David wanted to build a temple for the altar, but he could not do it, because his hands were stained with the blood of enemies. Therefore, his offspring Solomon took up the construction of the church.

David, who rejected human sacrifice, carried out a religious reform and became the author of exalted psalms. The divine services acquired a melodic character, for David did not forget his passion for playing a stringed instrument.

The king subordinated the spiritual life to the secular, and the priests began to obey the high priests. David was also noted as a brilliant commander: the defeated peoples paid tribute to the owner of the throne, so the monarch organized the treasury and established a detachment of state bodyguards.

It is known that David began to strengthen his state, following the Egyptian model, and officials managed the royal property. On top of that, David was engaged in the census of the population, but by the will of the Lord he never completed what he started.

Foreign policy

David expanded his territorial possessions, taking lands from neighboring states. He conquered the historical region in western Jordan, defeated the Arameans in Syria, annexed Idumea. In addition, the king discovered copper deposits and entered into business cooperation with the Phoenicians, who were reputed to be experienced traders.

The Phoenicians bought cereals and livestock from David, paying by barter. In return, the king received wood and advanced technologies: David's companions brought writing and the alphabet they invented, which was later borrowed by the Jews, to the state.

Personal life

The biblical story says that David was smart, handsome, and also had a talent for oratory. As for amorous relationships, Saul's daughter, Michal, was married off to another young man. But nevertheless, the woman-loving David had many wives and concubines, which, in principle, was characteristic of the kings of that time.

But because of David's amorousness, the king's domestic policy was not cloudless. The ruler of the united state of Israel angered God by darkening his life with a mortal sin - adultery. The fact is that the king, walking on the roof of his palace, was blinded by the beauty of bathing Bathsheba.

However, the woman who captivated his mind and feelings was married to the beneficent Uriah the Hittite, who devotedly served the army of David. But, despite the marriage of the beauty, David ordered to deliver Bathsheba to the palace. After a while, the beloved of the ruler became pregnant, and David ordered the commander in a letter to send Uriah to certain death.

Having learned about this treacherous act, the prophet Nathan cursed David, dooming his future to fratricidal conflicts and severe punishments. Thus, there was much bitterness and sorrow in David's life.

The king began to feel physically unwell, his body became covered with ulcers, and riots began in the palace. The eldest son of the leader, Amnon, raped his half-sister Tamar, and was killed by his brother Absalom.

Absalom himself went against his father, but his army was crushed to smithereens. Despite the betrayal, David loved his offspring and waited for his return home. According to legend, a young man died when his long hair got tangled in oak branches. This tragedy darkened the life of David, who lamented:

“My son Absalom, my son, my son Absalom! Oh, who would let me die instead of you, Absalom, my son, my son!”

David had to literally beg forgiveness from God on his knees. The Creator forgave the sinning king, giving him a healthy son, Solomon, but recalled that

"... for a lamb should pay four times."

After repentance, the life of the autocrat was not calm, because the other offspring of David, Adonia, the actual heir to the throne, tried to organize a conspiracy against his father and usurp power, because he found out that the crown was prepared for Solomon.

Death

David died at the age of seventy, having managed to pass the crown to his heir. The successor continued his father's policy of strengthening the state, however, condemned bloody wars.

The famous marble statue of David by Michelangelo

It is known that books were written in memory of King David, and in 1997 a television film "King David: The Ideal Ruler" was released. But the most famous cultural monument is the marble statue of David, skillfully made by a talented artist.

In Christianity

In the Christian religion, David appears as a prophet, from whose family he came into the world. According to Orthodoxy, David became the author of the psalms included in the Psalter, which is considered an integral part of the Old Testament and Christian worship.

It is believed that the icon of King David and the prayers addressed to him help people acquire the best human virtues - meekness, mercy and chastity.

The holy king and prophet David went down in history as an ideal king, national hero and psalmist.

He is a descendant of the tribe of Judah from which, according to prophecy, the Messiah should come. He was chosen by God to rule the people of Israel for his meekness and faith.

He was anointed to the kingdom three times: in adolescence by the prophet Samuel, at the age of 27 - to the kingdom of Judah, and at 30 - to the united kingdom of Israel.

Life of David

David was the youngest son of one of the elders of Bethlehem, Jesse. As a young man, he tended flocks of sheep, showing fearlessness in fights with wild animals. Thanks to his meek character and deep faith, even in adolescence he received a blessing from God to become the king of Israel.

Saul, who ruled the state at that time, became objectionable and was abandoned by the Lord for disobedience, was obsessed with bouts of uncontrollable anger. Having heard about David, who became a skilled musician, he invited him to the court to pacify his pain.

Soon, at the age of 18, he defeated the most powerful warrior of the Philistines - Goliath, ending the war. After that, he was appointed thousand-man of the Jewish army and married the youngest daughter of the king, Michal. With his courage and military successes, he won the love and respect of the people, which attracted assassination attempts and persecution from King Saul, which continued until the death of the latter.

Fleeing from persecution, David and his supporters (600 soldiers) fled to the lands of their former enemies - the Philistines. King Achish allowed him to settle in the city of Ziklag. David with a small army raided the Amalekites who lived in the district, part of the booty was given to Achish. Michal was given in marriage in his absence.

Sword of David

After David cut off Goliath's head, he took possession of his sword, but not wanting to use it as a weapon, he takes it to Nova.

For David, the sword is a symbol of the victory of faith in God over weapons. That is why, when he fled from Saul, he takes this sword from the priest Ahimelech.

King Saul at this time continued to fight with the Philistines. After the death of him and his eldest son Jonathan and the defeat of the Israelites, David was proclaimed king of the southern kingdom with its capital in Hebron. Saul's youngest son Jebosefei waged war with David for two years, but was treacherously killed by his own commanders. From the moment David becomes the ruler of all Israel.

Kingdom of David

David reigned for 40 years, of which 7 - ruled Judah, 33 - Israel. In the XI century BC. The Israelites occupied the city of Jerusalem.

King David built a palace on the site of the old city and proclaimed Jerusalem the capital of Israel, greatly expanding it. The construction of the tabernacle and the transfer of the Ark of the Covenant to it served the purpose of turning Jerusalem into the main religious center of the state. David led a series of successful campaigns of conquest, annexing Moab, Syria and Idumea.

The lands of the Jewish kingdom stretched from the Euphrates to Gaza. The reign of David brought power and prosperity to Israel.

King David was a deeply religious man, his personality takes on the features of holiness. He established the order of the temple service, introduced music into it, composed laudatory hymns - psalms.

In religious ecstasy he had prophetic visions about the events of the life and death of the Savior. These innovations were not to everyone's liking. For this reason, the rebellions, which towards the end of David's life were staged by his sons Absalom and Adonijah, found supporters. To end the turmoil, on the advice of the elders, David gave the throne to his youngest son Solomon.

Book of David

King David created a book of psalms - the Psalter. This is a collection of 150 hymns of religious and lyrical content, which at one time were performed accompanied by a stringed plucked psaltery instrument - hence the name.

Although the authorship is traditionally attributed to David, it is obvious that this is the result of a collective work, many of the poems were created much later. The Psalms were introduced into the temple ritual under King David, and after they were translated into other languages, they became the basis of Christian worship.

The psalter is divided into 20 sections, each of which, in turn, is divided into three parts. In our time, it is fully read in the temple once during the week, and twice during Great Lent.

Wife of King David

King Davd repeatedly married, the researchers agree that there were 8 wives. The first wife, the daughter of Saul, after the accession of David in Judea, was returned to him from her second husband. But soon the king lost interest in her and removed her from him.

Once David liked the beautiful Bathsheba, the wife of the commander Uriah, whom he sent to certain death in order to marry her. Solomon, the future legendary king of Israel, will be born from Bathsheba. The names of Abigail, Ahinoam, Maahi, Aggif, Avital, Egla are also known.

Children of King David

The Tsar had many children from his wives and numerous concubines. He had six sons in Hebron and seven in Jerusalem. And they all claimed the throne and quarreled among themselves, but the tenth son, Solomon, born to his beloved wife Bathsheba, became the heir.

Descendants of King David

David founded a royal dynasty that ruled over the united kingdom of Israel and Judah for 400 years.

His successor, Solomon, was known for his wisdom and justice. He realized his father's plan by building the Temple in Jerusalem. It is believed that one of the branches of rule in Ethiopia since the XIII century AD.

Where is King David buried?

King David died at the age of 70 and was buried in Jerusalem on Mount Zion. His reign, as well as his son Solomon, is called the "golden age" of the state of Israel.

In the three leading world religions - Judaism, Christianity and Islam, he is revered as a righteous man and a prophet.

King David Prize

Since 1963, the Harp of David Award has been established in Israel, which is awarded according to the results of public polls to the best actors, directors, dancers and singers.