David

David, in the Bible

David, d. c.970 B.C., king of ancient Israel (c.1010–970 B.C.), successor of Saul. The Book of First Samuel introduces him as the youngest of eight sons who is anointed king by Samuel to replace Saul, who had been deemed a failure. The Goliath story underscores his divine election and leads to Saul's obsession with killing him. On the death of Saul and Jonathan in battle, David assumes the throne in Second Samuel. The assassination of a rival king, Ishbosheth, in the north allows David to be crowned king of a united kingdom.

With the capture of Jerusalem, David moves his capital there and plans the construction of a temple. Through prophetic mediation, however, God declares David's successor as the future builder, who will build a "house." God promises to establish the kingdom of his son as an everlasting kingdom. From this promise derives the later hope of a royal Messiah ("anointed one") as an agent of God's establishment of an eschatological kingdom.

Second Samuel charts an era of decline beginning with David's adultery with Bath-sheba and the murder of her husband. Anarchy prevails among his children, leading to the revolt and usurpation of the throne by his son Absalom. David's son by Bath-sheba, Solomon, is nominated king and successor by David, though this was challenged by another son Adonijah. Nevertheless, David remains the model for subsequent monarchs of Israel.

David's musical skill became proverbial, and many psalms were attributed to him. Most of the narrative that recounts David's decline is omitted in the Book of Chronicles. The New Testament confesses Jesus as the "Christ" (Messiah) descended from David, and David is also attested in the Qur'an. Archaelogical excavations have failed, however, to find evidence that would confirm the existence of a powerful and unified Davidic kingdom.

Bibliography

See R. Alter, The David Story (1999); S. L. McKenzie, King David (2000)

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David, city, Panama

David (dävēd`), city (1990 pop. 102,678), capital of Chiriquí prov., SW Panama. It is a regional commercial and processing center and is Panama's fourth largest city. Cattle raising is the principal occupation in the region, but tropical fruits, coffee, cacao, and sugar are also produced. David is surrounded by the picturesque highlands of Chiriquí.

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David

(born Bethlehem, Judah—died c. 962 BC, Jerusalem) Second of the Israelite kings (r. c. 1000–c. 962 BC). David was an aide at the court of Saul until the monarch's jealousy forced him into outlawry. He became king of Israel on Saul's death. He captured Jerusalem from the Jebusites and made it his capital, defeated the Philistines, and gained control of many bordering kingdoms. He faced several revolts, including one by his third son, Absalom. He unified all Israel into one kingdom and made Jerusalem both the religious and political centre. He made the name Yahweh the supreme name for the god of Israel, who was worshiped in Jerusalem, and ruled that all other names for God were mere titles or attributes of Yahweh. Though the kingdom split under David's son and successor Solomon, religious unity endured, and the house of David symbolized the bond between God and Israel. The word messiah comes from hameshiach, the title of kings of the line of David.

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DAVID

(Digital Audio/Video Interactive Decoder) An operating system for set-top boxes from the Microware Software Division of RadiSys Corporation, Hillsboro, OR (www.microware.com). Based on Microware's OS-9 real-time operating system, it is used for interactive TV, video-on-demand and Internet applications. Microware Systems Corporation, Des Moines, IA, was acquired by RadiSys in 2001. See OS-9.

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David

1. the second king of the Hebrews (about 1000--962 bc), who united Israel as a kingdom with Jerusalem as its capital

2. Elizabeth. 1914--92, British cookery writer. Her books include Mediterranean Food (1950) and An Omelette and a Glass of Wine (1984)

3. Jacques Louis . 1748--1825, French neoclassical painter of such works as the Oath of the Horatii (1784), Death of Socrates (1787), and The Intervention of the Sabine Women (1799). He actively supported the French Revolution and became court painter to Napoleon Bonaparte in 1804; banished at the Bourbon restoration

4. Saint. 6th century ad, Welsh bishop; patron saint of Wales. Feast day: March 1

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David

sculpture by Michelangelo depicting figure epitomizing male beauty. [Art: Osborne, 718]

See : Beauty, Masculine

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David

audaciously stands before and slays Goliath. [O.T.: I Samuel 17:48–51]

See : Bravery

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David

boy who slew Goliath. [O.T.: Samuel: 18:4–51]

See : Heroism

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David

King of Israel who was held in reverence after he slew Goliath. [O.T.: Samuel 17:4–51]

See : Idolatry

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David

had many wives. [O.T.: I Samuel 25:43–44; II Samuel 3:2–5]

See : Polygamy

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David

orders Uriah to be exposed in battle so he may marry Uriah’s wife Bathsheba. [O.T.: II Samuel 11:6]

See : Treachery

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David

king of the Israeli-Judaic state from the end of the 1 Ith century to around 950 B.C.

David was the arms-bearer and later the son-in-law of King Saul. However, suspected of treason, he fled to the steppes of southern Palestine. Later, he became a vassal of the Philistines. After the death of Saul, David was proclaimed king of Judah. He added to it the territories of the Israelite tribes, captured the Canaanite city of Jerusalem and made it his capital, and won a number of neighboring territories. David created a centralized power—the Israeli-Judaic state. He conducted a census of the population (c. 973 B.C.) and introduced taxes. In addition to a popular militia, he organized detachments of foreign bodyguards (Cretans and Philistines). In Hebrew folklore David is depicted as a daring warrior who killed the giant Goliath. Bible scholars reject the religious tradition that David was the composer of the psalms.

REFERENCES

Nikol’skii. N. M. Tsar’ David i psalmy. St. Petersburg. 1908.
Frazer. J. G. Fol’klor ν vetkhom zavete. Moscow-Leningrad, 1931. (Translated from English.)
Weill, R. La Cité de David (vols. 1–2]. Paris, 1947.
Desnoyers, L. Histoire du peuple hébreu des Juges à la captivité, vol. 2. Paris. 1930.
[7–1423—4]

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David

a city in western Panama, on the Pan-American highway. Administrative center of the province of Chiriqui. Population, 23,000 (1963). There is a railroad station. David is a commercial-industrial center, producing shoes, furniture. and other household items.