King David
Psalmist shepherd monarch
King David is the ancient Israelite king who united the tribes of Israel around 1000 BCE, established Jerusalem as the capital, and became the archetypal king in Jewish tradition.
Biblical accounts portray him as a shepherd who slew Goliath, a skilled harpist, and author of the Psalms.
His reign represents Israel's golden age, though scripture also records his moral failures—notably his adultery with Bathsheba.
Jewish and Christian messianic prophecies anticipate a future king from David's lineage, the "Son of David."
- NathanMasculine Hebrew name
- BathshebaBiblical queen, Solomon's mother
- giant slayerVanquisher of the massive
- JerusalemTriply sacred ancient capital
- PsalmsBiblical book of songs
harp strings · Covenant · Jesse · Messiah · Saul · Jewish music · Samuel · Christian hymns · Ark of the Covenant · Iconography · Renaissance art · Zion · Bethlehem · royal lineage · Prophecy · Shepherd · sling · Israel
- Biblical JerusalemTemple Mount, Mount Zion, First Temple, Second Temple, Solomon's Temple
- Biblical RulersHerod, Queen Esther, Ahab, Hezekiah, Josiah
- Christian MonarchsCharlemagne, Constantine, Clovis, Justinian, Saint Louis
- literary royaltyMacbeth, Claudius, Richard III, Richard II, Henry V
- Warrior PoetsSiegfried Sassoon, Wilfred Owen, Lord Byron, Byron, war poets
- King
King DavidGoliath
Biblical giant warrior
Pharaoh · Nebuchadnezzar · Herod · King Saul · Philistines