What makes david a good king

David ordered him placed in the front ranks of a planned assault against the Ammonites, where he was duly killed. As soon as Bathsheba finished her time of mourning, David married her, and she bore his son. David then repented before God, and in return was promised that Bathsheba would bear him a second son.

His name was Solomon. And so it came to pass. All rights reserved. Culture People in the Bible. A talented musician, King David plays the harp in this painting by Dutch artist Gerard van Honthorst. National Geographic explores notable biblical figures in our ongoing series People in the Bible, as part of our coverage of the history of the Bible and the search for sacred texts.

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A warrior and prophetess, she's the only woman in the Hebrew Bible with hard political power who is portrayed positively. Successor to the prophet Elijah, he healed the sick, raised the dead, and made iron float—but he was also a prophet who made serious mistakes.

We use cookies to improve your experience on our site and bring you ads that might interest you. David and Goliath, Guillaume Courtois, 17th c. David might not have killed Goliath. David is perhaps best known for fighting and killing the giant and Philistine champion Goliath with a slingshot — a suitably awesome feat for the future king of Israel — but the Bible betrays some doubt about who deserves the credit. He was both hero and anti-hero.

David, as depicted in the Hebrew Bible is, above all, a man of profound contradictions. He is depicted as feigning madness in a cowardly attempt to avoid the wrath of the king of the Philistines. And he carried off the wife of a man named Nabal after shaking him down for flocks and herds under threat of violence. Join Our Newsletter Empower your Jewish discovery, daily. Sign Up. Discover More. But the existing king, Saul, spent a fair portion of that time trying to kill David.

This forced him to stay on the run, hiding in caves and fleeing to another country. At least twice, David had a clear opportunity to kill Saul, and considering the circumstances it could have been considered self-defense.

He knew that God was in control, and trusted Him enough to wait on His timing. Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord. What do you do? When he does get called up to the palace, instead of demanding the throne, he works as a servant. He performs music for the king whenever Saul demands it, like a human iPod. When his dad asks the anointed king to serve snacks to his older brothers, he serves snacks to his older brothers. David was humble.

He knew that, even as king, he was still just a servant of the King of kings and the Lord of lords. Who am I, Sovereign Lord, and what is my family, that you have brought me this far?