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David

David, son of Jesse, was the anointed king of Israel, a man after God's own heart, and an ancestor of Jesus Christ.

The name David means “well-beloved, dear”

MaleKingTribe of JudahUnited Monarchy eraOld & New Testaments28 books1,387 verses

Summary

A king of Judah living at the time of United Monarchy, first mentioned at Ruth 4:17; referred to as David (דָּוִד) or David (Δαυείδ, Δαυίδ, Δαβίδ); son of Jesse and Nahash; a brother of Eliab, Abinadab, Shimeah, Zeruiah, Abigail (?), Nethanel, Raddai, Ozem and Elihu; husband of Michal, Abigail, Ahinoam, Maacah, Haggith, Abital, Eglah and Bathsheba; father of Amnon, Chileab, Absalom, Adonijah, Shephatiah, Ithream, Shammua, Shobab, Nathan, Solomon, Ibhar, Elishua, Nepheg, Japhia, Elishama, Eliada, Eliphelet, Tamar, Elpelet, Nogah and Jerimoth.

Profile

David is one of the most important people in the Bible. His time as king was a very special period in God's plan for Israel. The things David did as king had a great and lasting effect on Israel's future.

David was born in Bethlehem as Jesse’s youngest son. His family history goes back to Judah (Ruth 4:18–22; 1 Chronicles 2:3–15; Matthew 1:3–6; Luke 3:31–33). When he was born, the Jebusites occupied Jerusalem, and many parts of the promised land were still under foreign control, especially by the Philistines. God would use David to finish conquering the land.

As a young man, David was a simple shepherd, caring for his father's sheep (1 Samuel 16:11; 17:14–15). His life changed unexpectedly when the prophet Samuel visited Jesse and anointed David as the future king of Israel. However, David did not become king through a coup or assassination. Instead, he served King Saul faithfully. David first joined Saul's service as a musician, playing songs that calmed Saul's troubled mind (1 Samuel 16:14–23). This role foreshadowed David's work as the composer of many psalms. Young David also helped Saul by famously defeating the Philistine champion Goliath in single combat (1 Samuel 17:32–51). This victory foreshadowed David's future as a successful military leader.

David was loyal, but Saul became very suspicious of him. So, David had to flee. He escaped with help from Saul’s children, Jonathan and Michal. David led a kingdom in exile with an army of six hundred men. The prophet Gad and the priest Abiathar were with him, offering guidance from the Lord.

God's patience with Saul eventually ended, and Saul died in battle. Even then, David found it difficult to become the ruler of all Israel. The tribe of Judah quickly made him their king, but the northern tribes initially chose Ishbosheth, Saul's son, as their leader. Ishbosheth was weak and ineffective; he remained in power only because of his father's military leader, Abner. However, Ishbosheth insulted Abner, so the general helped transfer the kingdom to David.

As king of a united Israel, David strengthened the kingdom. He and his men captured Jerusalem from the Jebusites and made it his capital. He forced the last of the Philistines to leave the land. David then brought the ark of the covenant into Jerusalem. He wanted to build a permanent temple for God in Jerusalem to replace the tabernacle. God denied this wish but showed love for David by making a covenant (special agreement) with him, establishing his descendants as a family of kings (2 Samuel 7).

David's life soon worsened (see 2 Samuel 11–12). When he should have been with his army, he stayed on the palace roof. He saw a beautiful woman named Bathsheba bathing and desired her. So, like other powerful kings of that time who took whatever they wanted, he took Bathsheba. She became pregnant, and his attempt to hide his adultery failed. David was desperate, so he had her husband, Uriah, killed. However, even a great king like David cannot hide secrets from God. God sent his prophet Nathan to confront David. David was sorry for what he had done (see Psalms 32, 51). But his actions affected his family and his reign.

From then on, David's family began to have many problems and conflicts. David’s son Amnon raped his half-sister Tamar (2 Samuel 13:1–14). Her brother Absalom then murdered Amnon (2 Samuel 13:20–29). Absalom later started a civil war as he tried to become king instead of his father (2 Samuel 15–18). Another son, Adonijah, tried to become king instead of David by declaring himself king while his father was still alive (1 Kings 1:5–10). But David gathered enough strength to ensure that Solomon would be king after him (1 Kings 1:28–40). When David died, Solomon became king. Solomon was the first of many kings from David's family (as promised in 2 Samuel 7).

Most of the kings who came after David were not as good at leading as he was. His descendants rarely led the nation to worship God faithfully. The united kingdom of Israel did not last beyond Solomon. In the following centuries, David's descendants ruled only Judah in the south. Eventually, the kingdom of Judah was destroyed. A descendant of David never again ruled as king in Israel.

What about the promise to David that "your throne will be secure forever" (2 Samuel 7:16)? The New Testament refers to Jesus. He was a descendant of David, and God declared him the Christ, or Messiah—the anointed king (see Matthew 1:1; 9:27; 12:23; Mark 10:47–48; 11:10; 12:35–37; Luke 18:38–39; 20:41–44; John 7:42; Revelation 5:5; 22:16). David's life and rule foreshadow the messianic reign of Jesus Christ, which will last forever (see Luke 1:32–33; Revelation 11:15).

Passages for Further Study

Ruth 4:13–22; 1 Samuel 16:1–17:58; 18:1–27:12; 29:1–30:31; 2 Samuel 1:1–24:25; 1 Kings 1:1–2:12; 1 Chronicles 11:1–29:30; Psalms 1–32, 34–41, 51–71, 86, 91–110, 122, 124, 131, 133, 138–145; Matthew 1:1; 9:27; 22:41–46; Mark 12:35–37; Luke 20:41–44; John 7:40–44; Acts 2:22–37; 13:20–43; Romans 1:3; Revelation 22:16

Events

Dates are approximate

Glossary entries

David

Family members

Father

Jesse

Mother

Nahash

Spouse

Abigail Abital Ahinoam Bathsheba Eglah Haggith Jerusalem wives Maacah Michal

Siblings

Abigail Abinadab Eliab Elihu Nethanel Ozem Raddai Shimeah Zeruiah

Children

Absalom Adonijah Amnon Chileab Eliada Eliphelet Elishama Elishua Elpelet Ibhar Ithream Japhia Jerimoth Nathan Nepheg Nogah Shammua Shephatiah Shobab Solomon Tamar

Alternative names

Mentions

First 200 of 1,387

Includes 423 verses that refer to David without naming them, as “he”, “she”, or the subject of a verb.

  1. Ruth 4:17
    The neighbor women said, “A son has been born to Naomi,” and they named him Obed. He became the father of Jesse, the father of David.
  2. Ruth 4:22
    Obed was the father of Jesse, and Jesse was the father of David.
  3. 1 Samuel 16:13
    So Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the presence of his brothers, and the Spirit of the LORD rushed upon David from that day forward. Then Samuel set out and went to Ramah.
  4. 1 Samuel 16:19
    So Saul sent messengers to Jesse and said, “Send me your son David, who is with the sheep.”
  5. 1 Samuel 16:20
    And Jesse took a donkey loaded with bread, a skin of wine, and one young goat and sent them to Saul with his son David.
  6. 1 Samuel 16:21
    When David came to Saul and entered his service, Saul loved him very much, and David became his armor-bearer.
  7. 1 Samuel 16:22
    Then Saul sent word to Jesse, saying, “Let David remain in my service, for I am pleased with him.”
  8. 1 Samuel 16:23
    And whenever the spirit from God came upon Saul, David would pick up his harp and play. Then Saul would find relief and feel better, and the spirit of distress would depart from him.
  9. 1 Samuel 17:12
    Now David was the son of a man named Jesse, an Ephrathite from Bethlehem of Judah who had eight sons. And in the days of Saul, Jesse was old and well along in years.
  10. 1 Samuel 17:14
    And David was the youngest. The three oldest had followed Saul,
  11. 1 Samuel 17:15
    …but David went back and forth from Saul to tend his father’s sheep in Bethlehem.
  12. 1 Samuel 17:17
    One day Jesse said to his son David, “Take this ephah of roasted grain and these ten loaves of bread for your brothers and hurry to their camp.
  13. 1 Samuel 17:18Referred to, not named
    Take also these ten portions of cheese to the commander of their unit. Check on the welfare of your brothers and bring back an assurance from them.
  14. 1 Samuel 17:20
    So David got up early in the morning, left the flock with a keeper, loaded up, and set out as Jesse had instructed him. He reached the camp as the army was marching out to its position and shouting the battle cry.
  15. 1 Samuel 17:22
    Then David left his supplies in the care of the quartermaster and ran to the battle line. When he arrived, he asked his brothers how they were doing.
  16. 1 Samuel 17:23
    And as he was speaking with them, suddenly the champion named Goliath, the Philistine from Gath, came forward from the ranks of the Philistines and shouted his usual words, which David also heard.
  17. 1 Samuel 17:26
    David asked the men who were standing with him, “What will be done for the man who kills this Philistine and removes this disgrace from Israel? Just who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?”
  18. 1 Samuel 17:27Referred to, not named
    The people told him about the offer, saying, “That is what will be done for the man who kills him.”
  19. 1 Samuel 17:28
    Now when David’s oldest brother Eliab heard him speaking to the men, his anger burned against David. “Why have you come down here?” he asked. “And with whom did you leave those few sheep in the wilderness? I know your pride and wickedness of heart—you have come down to see the battle!”
  20. 1 Samuel 17:29
    “What have I done now?” said David. “Was it not just a question?”
  21. 1 Samuel 17:30Referred to, not named
    Then he turned from him toward another and asked about the offer, and those people answered him just as the first ones had answered.
  22. 1 Samuel 17:31
    Now David’s words were overheard and reported to Saul, who sent for him.
  23. 1 Samuel 17:32
    And David said to Saul, “Let no man’s heart fail on account of this Philistine. Your servant will go and fight him!”
  24. 1 Samuel 17:33
    But Saul replied, “You cannot go out against this Philistine to fight him. You are just a boy, and he has been a warrior from his youth.”
  25. 1 Samuel 17:34
    David replied, “Your servant has been tending his father’s sheep, and whenever a lion or a bear came and carried off a lamb from the flock,
  26. 1 Samuel 17:37
    David added, “The LORD, who delivered me from the claws of the lion and the bear, will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.” “Go,” said Saul, “and may the LORD be with you.”
  27. 1 Samuel 17:38
    Then Saul clothed David in his own tunic, put a bronze helmet on his head, and dressed him in armor.
  28. 1 Samuel 17:39
    David strapped his sword over the tunic and tried to walk, but he was not accustomed to them. “I cannot walk in these,” David said to Saul. “I am not accustomed to them.” So David took them off.
  29. 1 Samuel 17:40Referred to, not named
    And David took his staff in his hand, selected five smooth stones from the brook, and put them in the pouch of his shepherd’s bag. And with his sling in hand, he approached the Philistine.
  30. 1 Samuel 17:41
    Now the Philistine came closer and closer to David, with his shield-bearer before him.
  31. 1 Samuel 17:42
    When the Philistine looked and saw David, he despised him because he was just a boy, ruddy and handsome.
  32. 1 Samuel 17:43
    “Am I a dog,” he said to David, “that you come at me with sticks?” And the Philistine cursed David by his gods.
  33. 1 Samuel 17:44
    “Come here,” he called to David, “and I will give your flesh to the birds of the air and the beasts of the field!”
  34. 1 Samuel 17:45
    But David said to the Philistine, “You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the LORD of Hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied.
  35. 1 Samuel 17:46Referred to, not named
    This day the LORD will deliver you into my hand. This day I will strike you down, cut off your head, and give the carcasses of the Philistine army to the birds of the air and the creatures of the earth. Then the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel.
  36. 1 Samuel 17:48
    As the Philistine started forward to attack him, David ran quickly toward the battle line to meet him.
  37. 1 Samuel 17:49
    Then David reached into his bag, took out a stone, and slung it, striking the Philistine on the forehead. The stone sank into his forehead, and he fell facedown on the ground.
  38. 1 Samuel 17:50
    Thus David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and a stone; without a sword in his hand he struck down the Philistine and killed him.
  39. 1 Samuel 17:51
    David ran and stood over him. He grabbed the Philistine’s sword and pulled it from its sheath and killed him, and he cut off his head with the sword. When the Philistines saw that their hero was dead, they turned and ran.
  40. 1 Samuel 17:54
    David took the head of the Philistine and brought it to Jerusalem, and he put Goliath’s weapons in his own tent.
  41. 1 Samuel 17:55
    As Saul had watched David going out to confront the Philistine, he said to Abner the commander of the army, “Abner, whose son is this young man?” “As surely as you live, O king,” Abner replied, “I do not know.”
  42. 1 Samuel 17:56Referred to, not named
    “Find out whose son this young man is!” said the king.
  43. 1 Samuel 17:57
    So when David returned from killing the Philistine, still holding his head in his hand, Abner took him and brought him before Saul.
  44. 1 Samuel 17:58
    “Whose son are you, young man?” asked Saul. “I am the son of your servant Jesse of Bethlehem,” David replied.
  45. 1 Samuel 18:1
    After David had finished speaking with Saul, the souls of Jonathan and David were knit together, and Jonathan loved him as himself.
  46. 1 Samuel 18:2Referred to, not named
    And from that day Saul kept David with him and did not let him return to his father’s house.
  47. 1 Samuel 18:3
    Then Jonathan made a covenant with David because he loved him as himself.
  48. 1 Samuel 18:4
    And Jonathan removed the robe he was wearing and gave it to David, along with his tunic, his sword, his bow, and his belt.
  49. 1 Samuel 18:5
    So David marched out and prospered in everything Saul sent him to do, and Saul set him over the men of war. And this was pleasing in the sight of all the people, and of Saul’s officers as well.
  50. 1 Samuel 18:6
    As the troops were returning home after David had killed the Philistine, the women came out of all the cities of Israel to meet King Saul with singing and dancing, with joyful songs, and with tambourines and other instruments.
  51. 1 Samuel 18:7
    And as the women danced, they sang out: “Saul has slain his thousands, and David his tens of thousands.”
  52. 1 Samuel 18:8
    And Saul was furious and resented this song. “They have ascribed tens of thousands to David,” he said, “but only thousands to me. What more can he have but the kingdom?”
  53. 1 Samuel 18:9
    And from that day forward Saul kept a jealous eye on David.
  54. 1 Samuel 18:10
    The next day a spirit of distress sent from God came upon Saul, and he prophesied inside the house while David played the harp as usual. Now Saul was holding a spear,
  55. 1 Samuel 18:11
    …and he hurled it, thinking, “I will pin David to the wall.” But David eluded him twice.
  56. 1 Samuel 18:12
    So Saul was afraid of David, because the LORD was with David but had departed from Saul.
  57. 1 Samuel 18:13Referred to, not named
    Therefore Saul sent David away and gave him command of a thousand men. David led the troops out to battle and back,
  58. 1 Samuel 18:14
    …and he continued to prosper in all his ways, because the LORD was with him.
  59. 1 Samuel 18:15Referred to, not named
    When Saul saw that David was very successful, he was afraid of him.
  60. 1 Samuel 18:16
    But all Israel and Judah loved David, because he was leading them out to battle and back.
  61. 1 Samuel 18:17
    Then Saul said to David, “Here is my older daughter Merab. I will give her to you in marriage. Only be valiant for me and fight the LORD’s battles.” But Saul was thinking, “I need not raise my hand against him; let the hand of the Philistines be against him.”
  62. 1 Samuel 18:18
    And David said to Saul, “Who am I, and what is my family or my father’s clan in Israel, that I should become the son-in-law of the king?”
  63. 1 Samuel 18:19
    So when it was time to give Saul’s daughter Merab to David, she was given in marriage to Adriel of Meholah.
  64. 1 Samuel 18:20
    Now Saul’s daughter Michal loved David, and when this was reported to Saul, it pleased him.
  65. 1 Samuel 18:21
    “I will give her to David,” Saul thought, “so that she may be a snare to him, and the hand of the Philistines may be against him.” So Saul said to David, “For a second time now you can be my son-in-law.”
  66. 1 Samuel 18:22
    Then Saul ordered his servants, “Speak to David privately and tell him, ‘Behold, the king is pleased with you, and all his servants love you. Now therefore, become his son-in-law.’”
  67. 1 Samuel 18:23
    But when Saul’s servants relayed these words to David, he replied, “Does it seem trivial in your sight to be the son-in-law of the king? I am a poor man and lightly esteemed.”
  68. 1 Samuel 18:24
    And the servants told Saul what David had said.
  69. 1 Samuel 18:25
    Saul replied, “Say to David, ‘The king desires no other dowry but a hundred Philistine foreskins as revenge on his enemies.’” But Saul intended to cause David’s death at the hands of the Philistines.
  70. 1 Samuel 18:26
    When the servants reported these terms to David, he was pleased to become the king’s son-in-law. Before the wedding day arrived,
  71. 1 Samuel 18:27
    David and his men went out and killed two hundred Philistines. He brought their foreskins and presented them as payment in full to become the king’s son-in-law. Then Saul gave his daughter Michal to David in marriage.
  72. 1 Samuel 18:28
    When Saul realized that the LORD was with David and that his daughter Michal loved David,
  73. 1 Samuel 18:29
    …he grew even more afraid of David. So from then on Saul was David’s enemy.
  74. 1 Samuel 18:30
    Every time the Philistine commanders came out for battle, David was more successful than all of Saul’s officers, so that his name was highly esteemed.
  75. 1 Samuel 19:1
    Then Saul ordered his son Jonathan and all his servants to kill David. But Jonathan delighted greatly in David,
  76. 1 Samuel 19:2
    …so he warned David, saying, “My father Saul intends to kill you. Be on your guard in the morning; find a secret place and hide there.
  77. 1 Samuel 19:3Referred to, not named
    I will go out and stand beside my father in the field where you are, so I can ask about you. And if I find out anything, I will tell you.”
  78. 1 Samuel 19:4
    Then Jonathan spoke well of David to his father Saul and said to him, “The king should not sin against his servant David; he has not sinned against you. In fact, his actions have been highly beneficial to you.
  79. 1 Samuel 19:5
    He took his life in his hands when he struck down the Philistine, and the LORD worked a great salvation for all Israel. You saw it and rejoiced, so why would you sin against innocent blood by killing David for no reason?”
  80. 1 Samuel 19:6Referred to, not named
    Saul listened to the voice of Jonathan and swore an oath: “As surely as the LORD lives, David will not be put to death.”
  81. 1 Samuel 19:7
    So Jonathan summoned David and told him all these things. Then Jonathan brought David to Saul, and David was with Saul as before.
  82. 1 Samuel 19:8
    When war broke out again, David went out and fought the Philistines and struck them with such a mighty blow that they fled before him.
  83. 1 Samuel 19:9
    But as Saul was sitting in his house with his spear in his hand, a spirit of distress from the LORD came upon him. While David was playing the harp,
  84. 1 Samuel 19:10
    Saul tried to pin him to the wall with his spear. But David eluded him and the spear struck the wall. And David fled and escaped that night.
  85. 1 Samuel 19:11
    Then Saul sent messengers to David’s house to watch him and kill him in the morning. But David’s wife Michal warned him, “If you do not run for your life tonight, tomorrow you will be dead!”
  86. 1 Samuel 19:12
    So Michal lowered David from the window, and he ran away and escaped.
  87. 1 Samuel 19:14
    When Saul sent the messengers to seize David, Michal said, “He is ill.”
  88. 1 Samuel 19:15
    But Saul sent the messengers back to see David and told them, “Bring him up to me in his bed so I can kill him.”
  89. 1 Samuel 19:18
    So David ran away and escaped. And he went to Samuel at Ramah and told him all that Saul had done to him. Then he and Samuel went to Naioth and stayed there.
  90. 1 Samuel 19:19
    When Saul was told that David was at Naioth in Ramah,
  91. 1 Samuel 19:20
    …he sent messengers to seize him. But when they saw the group of prophets prophesying, with Samuel leading them, the Spirit of God came upon them, and Saul’s messengers also began to prophesy.
  92. 1 Samuel 19:22
    Finally, Saul himself left for Ramah and came to the large cistern at Secu, where he asked, “Where are Samuel and David?” “At Naioth in Ramah,” he was told.
  93. 1 Samuel 20:1
    Then David fled from Naioth in Ramah. He came to Jonathan and asked, “What have I done? What is my iniquity? How have I sinned against your father, that he wants to take my life?”
  94. 1 Samuel 20:2Referred to, not named
    “Far from it!” Jonathan replied. “You will not die. Indeed, my father does nothing, great or small, without telling me. So why would he hide this matter from me? This cannot be true!”
  95. 1 Samuel 20:3
    But David again vowed, “Your father knows very well that I have found favor in your eyes, and he has said, ‘Jonathan must not know of this, or he will be grieved.’ As surely as the LORD lives and as you yourself live, there is but a step between me and death.”
  96. 1 Samuel 20:4
    Then Jonathan said to David, “Whatever you desire, I will do for you.”
  97. 1 Samuel 20:5
    So David told him, “Look, tomorrow is the New Moon, and I am supposed to dine with the king. Instead, let me go and hide in the field until the third evening from now.
  98. 1 Samuel 20:6
    If your father misses me at all, tell him, ‘David urgently requested my permission to hurry to Bethlehem, his hometown, because there is an annual sacrifice for his whole clan.’
  99. 1 Samuel 20:9Referred to, not named
    “Never!” Jonathan replied. “If I ever found out that my father had evil intentions against you, would I not tell you?”
  100. 1 Samuel 20:10
    Then David asked Jonathan, “Who will tell me if your father answers you harshly?”
  101. 1 Samuel 20:11
    “Come,” he replied, “let us go out to the field.” So the two of them went out into the field,
  102. 1 Samuel 20:12
    …and Jonathan said, “By the LORD, the God of Israel, I will sound out my father by this time tomorrow or the next day. If he is favorable toward you, will I not send for you and tell you?
  103. 1 Samuel 20:13Referred to, not named
    But if my father intends to bring evil on you, then may the LORD punish me, and ever so severely, if I do not tell you and send you on your way in safety. May the LORD be with you, just as He has been with my father.
  104. 1 Samuel 20:14Referred to, not named
    And as long as I live, treat me with the LORD’s loving devotion, that I may not die,
  105. 1 Samuel 20:15
    …and do not ever cut off your loving devotion from my household—not even when the LORD cuts off every one of David’s enemies from the face of the earth.”
  106. 1 Samuel 20:16
    So Jonathan made a covenant with the house of David, saying, “May the LORD hold David’s enemies accountable.”
  107. 1 Samuel 20:17
    And Jonathan had David reaffirm his vow out of love for him, for Jonathan loved David as he loved himself.
  108. 1 Samuel 20:18Referred to, not named
    Then Jonathan said to David, “Tomorrow is the New Moon, and you will be missed, because your seat will be empty.
  109. 1 Samuel 20:19Referred to, not named
    When you have stayed three days, hurry down to the place you hid on the day this trouble began, and remain beside the stone Ezel.
  110. 1 Samuel 20:21Referred to, not named
    Then I will send a boy and say, ‘Go, find the arrows!’ Now, if I expressly say to him, ‘Look, the arrows are on this side of you; bring them,’ then come, because as surely as the LORD lives, it is safe for you, and there is no danger.
  111. 1 Samuel 20:22Referred to, not named
    But if I say to the young man, ‘Look, the arrows are beyond you,’ then you must go, for the LORD has sent you away.
  112. 1 Samuel 20:23Referred to, not named
    And as for the matter you and I have discussed, the LORD is a witness between you and me forever.”
  113. 1 Samuel 20:24
    So David hid in the field, and when the New Moon had come, the king sat down to eat.
  114. 1 Samuel 20:25
    He sat in his usual place by the wall, opposite Jonathan and beside Abner, but David’s place was empty.
  115. 1 Samuel 20:26Referred to, not named
    Saul said nothing that day because he thought, “Something has happened to David to make him ceremonially unclean—surely he is unclean.”
  116. 1 Samuel 20:27
    But on the day after the New Moon, the second day, David’s place was still empty, and Saul asked his son Jonathan, “Why hasn’t the son of Jesse come to the meal either yesterday or today?”
  117. 1 Samuel 20:28
    Jonathan answered, “David urgently requested my permission to go to Bethlehem,
  118. 1 Samuel 20:29Referred to, not named
    …saying, ‘Please let me go, because our clan is holding a sacrifice in the city, and my brother has told me to be there. So now, if I have found favor in your eyes, please let me go and see my brothers.’ That is why he has not come to the king’s table.”
  119. 1 Samuel 20:33
    Then Saul hurled his spear at Jonathan to kill him. So Jonathan knew that his father was determined to kill David.
  120. 1 Samuel 20:34
    Jonathan got up from the table in fierce anger and did not eat any food that second day of the month, for he was grieved by his father’s shameful treatment of David.
  121. 1 Samuel 20:35
    In the morning Jonathan went out to the field for the appointment with David, and a small boy was with him.
  122. 1 Samuel 20:39
    But the boy did not know anything; only Jonathan and David knew the arrangement.
  123. 1 Samuel 20:41
    When the young man had gone, David got up from the south side of the stone, fell facedown, and bowed three times. Then he and Jonathan kissed each other and wept together—though David wept more.
  124. 1 Samuel 20:42
    And Jonathan said to David, “Go in peace, for the two of us have sworn in the name of the LORD, saying, ‘May the LORD be a witness between you and me, and between your descendants and mine forever.’” Then David got up and departed, and Jonathan went back into the city.
  125. 1 Samuel 21:1
    Then David came to Nob, to Ahimelech the priest. And when Ahimelech met David, he trembled and asked him, “Why are you alone? Why is no one with you?”
  126. 1 Samuel 21:2
    “The king has given me a mission,” David replied. “He told me no one is to know about the mission on which I am sending you. And I have directed my young men to meet me at a certain place.
  127. 1 Samuel 21:3Referred to, not named
    Now then, what do you have on hand? Give me five loaves of bread, or whatever can be found.”
  128. 1 Samuel 21:4
    “There is no common bread on hand,” the priest replied, “but there is some consecrated bread—provided that the young men have kept themselves from women.”
  129. 1 Samuel 21:5
    David answered, “Women have indeed been kept from us, as is usual when I set out. And the bodies of the young men are holy even on common missions. How much more so today!”
  130. 1 Samuel 21:6Referred to, not named
    So the priest gave him the consecrated bread, since there was no bread there but the Bread of the Presence, which had been removed from before the LORD and replaced with hot bread on the day it was taken away.
  131. 1 Samuel 21:8
    Then David asked Ahimelech, “Is there not a spear or sword on hand here? For I have brought neither my sword nor my weapons with me, because the king’s mission was urgent.”
  132. 1 Samuel 21:9
    The priest replied, “The sword of Goliath the Philistine, whom you killed in the Valley of Elah, is here; it is wrapped in a cloth behind the ephod. If you want, you may take it. For there is no other but this one here.” And David said, “There is none like it; give it to me.”
  133. 1 Samuel 21:10
    That day David fled from Saul and went to Achish king of Gath.
  134. 1 Samuel 21:11
    But the servants of Achish said to him, “Is this not David, the king of the land? Did they not sing about him in their dances, saying: ‘Saul has slain his thousands, and David his tens of thousands’?”
  135. 1 Samuel 21:12
    Now David took these words to heart and was very much afraid of Achish the king of Gath.
  136. 1 Samuel 21:13Referred to, not named
    So he changed his behavior before them and feigned madness in their hands; he scratched on the doors of the gate and let his saliva run down his beard.
  137. 1 Samuel 22:1
    So David left Gath and took refuge in the cave of Adullam. When his brothers and the rest of his father’s household heard about it, they went down to him there.
  138. 1 Samuel 22:2Referred to, not named
    And all who were distressed or indebted or discontented rallied around him, and he became their leader. About four hundred men were with him.
  139. 1 Samuel 22:3
    From there David went to Mizpeh of Moab, where he said to the king of Moab, “Please let my father and mother stay with you until I learn what God will do for me.”
  140. 1 Samuel 22:4
    So he left them in the care of the king of Moab, and they stayed with him the whole time David was in the stronghold.
  141. 1 Samuel 22:5
    Then the prophet Gad said to David, “Do not stay in the stronghold. Depart and go into the land of Judah.” So David left and went to the forest of Hereth.
  142. 1 Samuel 22:6
    Soon Saul learned that David and his men had been discovered. At that time Saul was sitting under the tamarisk tree on the hill at Gibeah, with his spear in hand and all his servants standing around him.
  143. 1 Samuel 22:14
    Ahimelech answered the king, “Who among all your servants is as faithful as David, the king’s son-in-law, the captain of your bodyguard and honored in your house?
  144. 1 Samuel 22:15Referred to, not named
    Was that day the first time I inquired of God for him? Far be it from me! Let not the king accuse your servant or any of my father’s household, for your servant knew nothing of this whole affair—not in part or in whole.”
  145. 1 Samuel 22:17
    Then the king ordered the guards at his side, “Turn and kill the priests of the LORD, because they too sided with David. For they knew he was fleeing, but they did not tell me.” But the king’s servants would not lift a hand to strike the priests of the LORD.
  146. 1 Samuel 22:20
    But one of the sons of Ahimelech son of Ahitub escaped. His name was Abiathar, and he fled to David.
  147. 1 Samuel 22:21
    And Abiathar told David that Saul had killed the priests of the LORD.
  148. 1 Samuel 22:22
    Then David said to Abiathar, “I knew that Doeg the Edomite was there that day, and that he was sure to tell Saul. I myself am responsible for the lives of everyone in your father’s house.
  149. 1 Samuel 22:23Referred to, not named
    Stay with me; do not be afraid, for he who seeks your life is seeking mine as well. You will be safe with me.”
  150. 1 Samuel 23:1
    Now it was reported to David, “Look, the Philistines are fighting against Keilah and looting the threshing floors.”
  151. 1 Samuel 23:2
    So David inquired of the LORD, “Should I go and attack these Philistines?” And the LORD said to David, “Go and attack the Philistines and save Keilah.”
  152. 1 Samuel 23:3
    But David’s men said to him, “Look, we are afraid here in Judah; how much more if we go to Keilah against the armies of the Philistines?”
  153. 1 Samuel 23:4
    Once again, David inquired of the LORD, and the LORD answered him: “Go at once to Keilah, for I will deliver the Philistines into your hand.”
  154. 1 Samuel 23:5
    Then David and his men went to Keilah, fought against the Philistines, and carried off their livestock, striking them with a mighty blow. So David saved the people of Keilah.
  155. 1 Samuel 23:6
    (Now Abiathar son of Ahimelech had brought the ephod with him when he fled to David at Keilah.)
  156. 1 Samuel 23:7
    When Saul was told that David had gone to Keilah, he said, “God has delivered him into my hand, for he has trapped himself by entering a town with gates and bars.”
  157. 1 Samuel 23:8
    Then Saul summoned all his troops to go to war at Keilah and besiege David and his men.
  158. 1 Samuel 23:9
    When David learned that Saul was plotting evil against him, he said to Abiathar the priest, “Bring the ephod.”
  159. 1 Samuel 23:10
    And David said, “O LORD, God of Israel, Your servant has heard that Saul intends to come to Keilah and destroy the city on my account.
  160. 1 Samuel 23:12
    So David asked, “Will the citizens of Keilah surrender me and my men into the hand of Saul?” “They will,” said the LORD.
  161. 1 Samuel 23:13
    Then David and his men, about six hundred strong, set out and departed from Keilah, moving from place to place. When Saul was told that David had escaped from Keilah, he declined to go forth.
  162. 1 Samuel 23:14
    And David stayed in the wilderness strongholds and in the hill country of the Wilderness of Ziph. Day after day Saul searched for him, but God would not deliver David into his hand.
  163. 1 Samuel 23:15
    While David was in Horesh in the Wilderness of Ziph, he saw that Saul had come out to take his life.
  164. 1 Samuel 23:16
    And Saul’s son Jonathan came to David in Horesh and strengthened his hand in God,
  165. 1 Samuel 23:17Referred to, not named
    …saying, “Do not be afraid, for my father Saul will never lay a hand on you. And you will be king over Israel, and I will be your second-in-command. Even my father Saul knows this is true.”
  166. 1 Samuel 23:18
    So the two of them made a covenant before the LORD. And David remained in Horesh, while Jonathan went home.
  167. 1 Samuel 23:19
    Then the Ziphites came up to Saul at Gibeah and said, “Is not David hiding among us in the strongholds at Horesh, on the hill of Hachilah south of Jeshimon?
  168. 1 Samuel 23:20Referred to, not named
    Now, O king, come down whenever your soul desires, and we will be responsible for delivering him into your hand.”
  169. 1 Samuel 23:22Referred to, not named
    Please go and prepare further. Investigate and watch carefully where he goes and who has seen him there, for I am told that he is extremely cunning.
  170. 1 Samuel 23:23Referred to, not named
    Observe and find out all the places where he hides. Then come back to me with certainty, and I will go with you. If he is in the land, I will search him out among all the clans of Judah.”
  171. 1 Samuel 23:24
    So they set out and went to Ziph ahead of Saul. Now David and his men were in the Wilderness of Maon in the Arabah south of Jeshimon,
  172. 1 Samuel 23:25
    …and Saul and his men went to seek him. When David was told about it, he went down to the rock and stayed in the Wilderness of Maon. And when Saul heard of this, he pursued David there.
  173. 1 Samuel 23:26
    Saul was proceeding along one side of the mountain, and David and his men along the other side. Even though David was hurrying to get away, Saul and his men were closing in on David and his men to capture them.
  174. 1 Samuel 23:28
    So Saul broke off his pursuit of David and went to meet the Philistines. That is why that place is called Sela-hammahlekoth.
  175. 1 Samuel 23:29
    And David went up from there and lived in the strongholds of En-gedi.
  176. 1 Samuel 24:1
    After Saul had returned from pursuing the Philistines, he was told, “David is in the wilderness of En-gedi.”
  177. 1 Samuel 24:2
    So Saul took three thousand chosen men from all Israel and went to look for David and his men in the region of the Rocks of the Wild Goats.
  178. 1 Samuel 24:3
    Soon Saul came to the sheepfolds along the road, where there was a cave, and he went in to relieve himself. And David and his men were hiding in the recesses of the cave.
  179. 1 Samuel 24:4
    So David’s men said to him, “This is the day about which the LORD said to you, ‘Behold, I will deliver your enemy into your hand, that you may do with him as you wish.’” Then David crept up and stealthily cut off a corner of Saul’s robe.
  180. 1 Samuel 24:5
    Afterward, David’s conscience was stricken because he had cut off the corner of Saul’s robe.
  181. 1 Samuel 24:6Referred to, not named
    So he said to his men, “The LORD forbid that I should do such a thing to my master, the LORD’s anointed. May I never lift my hand against him, since he is the LORD’s anointed.”
  182. 1 Samuel 24:7
    With these words David restrained his men, and he did not let them rise up against Saul. Then Saul left the cave and went on his way.
  183. 1 Samuel 24:8
    After that, David got up, went out of the cave, and called out to Saul, “My lord the king!” When Saul looked behind him, David bowed facedown in reverence
  184. 1 Samuel 24:9
    …and said to Saul, “Why do you listen to the words of men who say, ‘Look, David intends to harm you’?
  185. 1 Samuel 24:10Referred to, not named
    Behold, this day you have seen with your own eyes that the LORD delivered you into my hand in the cave. I was told to kill you, but I spared you and said, ‘I will not lift my hand against my lord, since he is the LORD’s anointed.’
  186. 1 Samuel 24:11Referred to, not named
    See, my father, look at the corner of your robe in my hand. For I cut it off, but I did not kill you. Know and see that there is no evil or rebellion in my hands. I have not sinned against you, even though you are hunting me down to take my life.
  187. 1 Samuel 24:12Referred to, not named
    May the LORD judge between you and me, and may the LORD take vengeance on you, but my hand will never be against you.
  188. 1 Samuel 24:13Referred to, not named
    As the old proverb says, ‘Wickedness proceeds from the wicked.’ But my hand will never be against you.
  189. 1 Samuel 24:15Referred to, not named
    May the LORD be our judge and decide between you and me. May He take notice and plead my case and deliver me from your hand.”
  190. 1 Samuel 24:16
    When David had finished saying these things, Saul called back, “Is that your voice, David my son?” Then Saul wept aloud
  191. 1 Samuel 24:17
    …and said to David, “You are more righteous than I, for you have rewarded me with good, though I have rewarded you with evil.
  192. 1 Samuel 24:18Referred to, not named
    And you have declared this day how you have treated me well, for when the LORD delivered me into your hand, you did not kill me.
  193. 1 Samuel 24:19Referred to, not named
    When a man finds his enemy, does he let him go away unharmed? May the LORD reward you with good for what you have done for me this day.
  194. 1 Samuel 24:20Referred to, not named
    Now I know for sure that you will be king and that the kingdom of Israel will be established in your hands.
  195. 1 Samuel 24:21Referred to, not named
    So now, swear to me by the LORD that you will not cut off my descendants or wipe out my name from my father’s house.”
  196. 1 Samuel 24:22
    So David gave his oath to Saul. Then Saul returned home, but David and his men went up to the stronghold.
  197. 1 Samuel 25:1
    When Samuel died, all Israel gathered to mourn for him; and they buried him at his home in Ramah. Then David set out and went down to the Wilderness of Paran.
  198. 1 Samuel 25:4
    While David was in the wilderness, he heard that Nabal was shearing sheep.
  199. 1 Samuel 25:5
    So David sent ten young men and instructed them, “Go up to Nabal at Carmel. Greet him in my name
  200. 1 Samuel 25:7Referred to, not named
    Now I hear that it is time for shearing. When your shepherds were with us, we did not harass them, and nothing of theirs was missing the whole time they were in Carmel.