Who Was David in the Bible? Shepherd, King of Israel, and Psalmist

David was the second king of Israel, reigning about 1010 to 970 BC. He was the youngest son of Jesse from Bethlehem, a shepherd who killed the Philistine giant Goliath, and the author of many of the psalms (1 Samuel 16:11; 1 Samuel 17:50; 2 Samuel 5:4). God promised David that his royal line would last forever, and the New Testament presents Jesus as the fulfillment of that promise (2 Samuel 7:16; Luke 1:32-33).

David's story runs from 1 Samuel 16 to 1 Kings 2, and is retold in 1 Chronicles 11-29. The Bible records both his faith and his serious sins.

Quick Facts About David

Name meaning	Usually understood as "beloved"
Testament	Old Testament
Key books	1 Samuel, 2 Samuel, 1 Kings 1-2, 1 Chronicles, Psalms
Time period	About 1040 to 970 BC (traditional dating); king for 40 years
Known for	Defeating Goliath, uniting Israel with Jerusalem as its capital, writing psalms, God's covenant with his royal line

Early Life: The Shepherd Anointed King

David was the youngest of Jesse's eight sons (1 Samuel 16:10-11; 1 Samuel 17:12). After God rejected Saul as king, He sent the prophet Samuel to Bethlehem to anoint one of Jesse's sons (1 Samuel 16:1). When Samuel was impressed by the oldest son, Eliab, God corrected him:

"But the LORD said to Samuel, 'Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The LORD does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.'" (1 Samuel 16:7)

None of the seven sons present was chosen. David was out tending the sheep. When he was brought in, Samuel anointed him, and the Spirit of the Lord came powerfully on him from that day on (1 Samuel 16:11-13).

David was not made king right away. He first entered Saul's service as a musician, playing the lyre to relieve Saul's distress, and became one of Saul's armor-bearers (1 Samuel 16:21-23).

David and Goliath

The Philistine army camped against Israel, and their champion Goliath of Gath challenged Israel to send a man to fight him (1 Samuel 17:4, 8-10). The text gives his height as six cubits and a span, about nine feet nine inches (1 Samuel 17:4). For forty days, no Israelite accepted the challenge (1 Samuel 17:16).

David, sent by his father to bring food to his brothers, heard Goliath's challenge (1 Samuel 17:17, 23). He told Saul that God, who had rescued him from a lion and a bear while he kept sheep, would rescue him from the Philistine (1 Samuel 17:34-37). He refused Saul's armor and went out with his staff, his sling and five smooth stones (1 Samuel 17:38-40).

David told Goliath that he came in the name of the Lord, so that the whole world would know there is a God in Israel (1 Samuel 17:45-46). He struck Goliath in the forehead with a stone from his sling, then killed him with Goliath's own sword (1 Samuel 17:49-51).

Could you guess David from the clues? Test yourself with Who Am I? Bible Edition.

Friendship With Jonathan and Flight From Saul

After Goliath's defeat, Saul's son Jonathan made a covenant with David and loved him as himself (1 Samuel 18:1-3). David became a successful military leader, and the women of Israel sang that Saul had slain his thousands and David his tens of thousands (1 Samuel 18:5-7). Saul grew jealous and tried to kill David, hurling a spear at him more than once (1 Samuel 18:8-11; 1 Samuel 19:10).

David fled and spent years as a fugitive, gathering a band of about 400 men that later grew to about 600 (1 Samuel 22:1-2; 1 Samuel 23:13). Twice he had the chance to kill Saul and refused, because Saul was the Lord's anointed (1 Samuel 24:4-7; 1 Samuel 26:7-11).

Saul and Jonathan died in battle against the Philistines on Mount Gilboa (1 Samuel 31:1-6). David mourned them both in a lament (2 Samuel 1:17-27). For more on Saul, see who was Saul in the Bible.

Who Was David in the Bible as King?

King over Judah, then all Israel

David was thirty years old when he became king, and he reigned forty years: seven and a half years over Judah from Hebron, then thirty-three years over all Israel and Judah from Jerusalem (2 Samuel 5:4-5). He captured Jerusalem from the Jebusites and made it his capital, which became known as the City of David (2 Samuel 5:6-9).

Bringing the ark to Jerusalem

David brought the ark of the covenant to Jerusalem with celebration, and he danced before the Lord with all his might (2 Samuel 6:12-15). This made Jerusalem the center of Israel's worship.

God's covenant with David

David wanted to build a house (a temple) for the Lord. Through the prophet Nathan, God told him that his son would build it instead, and that God would build David a house, meaning a royal dynasty (2 Samuel 7:4-13). God promised that David's house, kingdom and throne would be established forever (2 Samuel 7:16).

This promise is repeated in the Psalms and the Prophets (Psalm 89:3-4; Isaiah 9:6-7; Jeremiah 23:5). In the New Testament, the angel Gabriel tells Mary that God will give her son the throne of His father David and that His kingdom will never end (Luke 1:32-33).

Military victories

David defeated the Philistines, Moabites, Arameans, Edomites and Ammonites, and the text says the Lord gave him victory wherever he went (2 Samuel 8:1-14).

David's Sin With Bathsheba

While his army was at war, David saw Bathsheba, the wife of Uriah the Hittite, and slept with her. When she became pregnant, David arranged for Uriah to be killed in battle and then married her (2 Samuel 11:2-27).

The prophet Nathan confronted David with a parable about a rich man who took a poor man's only lamb. When David condemned the rich man, Nathan told him that he was that man (2 Samuel 12:1-7). David confessed that he had sinned against the Lord. Nathan told him the Lord had taken away his sin, but that the child would die and that violence would not depart from his house (2 Samuel 12:10-14). Psalm 51 is titled as David's prayer of repentance after this event.

Trouble in David's Family

The consequences Nathan described followed. David's son Amnon assaulted his half-sister Tamar, and her brother Absalom later killed Amnon (2 Samuel 13:14, 28-29). Absalom then led a revolt, and David fled Jerusalem (2 Samuel 15:10-14). Absalom was killed in battle by Joab, against David's orders, and David grieved deeply for him (2 Samuel 18:5, 14-15, 33).

Near the end of David's life, his son Adonijah tried to make himself king. At the urging of Nathan and Bathsheba, David had Solomon anointed as king (1 Kings 1:5, 11-40). David charged Solomon to keep God's commands (1 Kings 2:1-4) and died after reigning forty years (1 Kings 2:10-11). Read more in who was Solomon in the Bible.

David the Psalmist

David was known as a skilled musician (1 Samuel 16:18), and the account of his last words connects him with Israel's songs (2 Samuel 23:1). Seventy-three psalms carry his name in their Hebrew titles. They include Psalm 23 (the shepherd psalm), Psalm 51 (his confession after Bathsheba), and Psalm 18, which also appears in 2 Samuel 22.

The New Testament confirms David's authorship of certain psalms and treats him as a prophet. Peter quotes Psalm 16 as David speaking about the resurrection of the Messiah (Acts 2:25-31), and Jesus cites Psalm 110 as David speaking by the Spirit (Mark 12:36).

A Man After God's Own Heart

Samuel told Saul that the Lord had sought a man after His own heart to replace him (1 Samuel 13:14). Paul later referred to this in a sermon:

"After removing Saul, he made David their king. God testified concerning him: 'I have found David son of Jesse, a man after my own heart; he will do everything I want him to do.'" (Acts 13:22)

The phrase does not mean David was without sin. The Bible records his adultery, murder and failures as a father. It describes a man who trusted God, repented when confronted, and remained devoted to the Lord rather than turning to other gods (1 Kings 15:3-5).

Lessons From David's Life

• God looks at the heart. God chose the youngest son, passed over by his own family (1 Samuel 16:7, 11).
• Trust in God in the face of danger. David fought Goliath relying on the Lord, not on armor (1 Samuel 17:45-47).
• Respect for God's timing. David refused to take the throne by killing Saul (1 Samuel 24:6).
• Sin has consequences, and God forgives the repentant. David was forgiven, but the consequences in his family were severe (2 Samuel 12:13-14).
• God keeps His promises. The covenant with David points forward to Jesus, called the Son of David (Matthew 1:1).

Where David Appears in the Bible

• 1 Samuel 16-31: anointing, Goliath, Jonathan, flight from Saul.
• 2 Samuel 1-24: reign as king, covenant, Bathsheba, Absalom.
• 1 Kings 1-2: Solomon made king and David's death.
• 1 Chronicles 11-29: retelling of his reign, with focus on worship and temple preparations.
• Psalms: 73 psalms attributed to him in their titles.
• Ruth 4:17-22: his ancestry through Ruth and Boaz.
• New Testament: Matthew 1:1, 6; Luke 1:32; Acts 2:25-36; Acts 13:22; Romans 1:3.

David's great-grandmother was Ruth (Ruth 4:17). See who was Ruth in the Bible for her story.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Who was David in the Bible?

David was the second king of Israel, reigning about 1010 to 970 BC. He killed Goliath as a young man, made Jerusalem Israel's capital, wrote many psalms, and received God's promise of an everlasting royal line (2 Samuel 7:16).

How old was David when he became king?

David was thirty years old when he became king, and he reigned for forty years (2 Samuel 5:4). He ruled over Judah for seven and a half years before becoming king over all Israel.

How many psalms did David write?

Seventy-three psalms are attributed to David in their Hebrew titles. The New Testament also attributes some untitled psalms to him, such as Psalm 2 (Acts 4:25).

Why is David called a man after God's own heart?

God described David this way when choosing him to replace Saul (1 Samuel 13:14; Acts 13:22). It refers to his devotion to the Lord, not to sinlessness, since the Bible records his serious sins and his repentance.

How is Jesus related to David?

Jesus was a descendant of David, and Matthew's Gospel opens by calling Him the son of David (Matthew 1:1). The angel told Mary that God would give Jesus the throne of His father David (Luke 1:32).