In short
The life of David while he was king over Israel.
Why it is important
David commits murder by proxy and commits adultery. I don’t want to diminish that, because God never lets us forget that about David. He also pays dearly for a census he devised. But for the most part, David is a true role model, even to the end of his days. This book tells those stories.
As far as I know, the only king in all of Israel’s history that gets a better reputation is Josiah (2Ki 23:25). Well, you know, fully human kings, that is.
Main characters
- David
- Joab, commander of David’s army
- Nathan, a prophet who speaks to David
- Uriah and Bathsheba
- Ish-bosheth, Saul’s son who claims himself king at the same time as the beginning of David’s reign
- Abner, commander of Ish-bosheth’s army
- Absalom, one of David’s sons, who revolts against David later in his reign
What is in this book
There are two distinct sections:
- Chapters 1-20 are mostly or entirely linear (this happened, then this)
- Chapters 21-24 are not. It’s a stylized ending to the book, in poetry and narrative
Theology and doctrine
David is the standard for a good king, and much more. He is mentioned almost 300 times outside of Samuel and Chronicles. On top of that, when you read of “the root of Jesse” in Isaiah 11:1,10, that is speaking of David, also (but as a prophesy of Christ).
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