David is honored as an ideal king and the forefather of the future Hebrew Messiah in Jewish prophetic literature, and many psalms are attributed to him. David is also richly represented in post-biblical Jewish written and oral tradition and referenced in the New Testament.
Although the boy David was anointed by the prophet Samuel as the future king of Israel (1 Samuel 16), his actions in exile helped ensure that he would be “invited” to become king as the true successor of Saul after Saul and Jonathan were slain in battle against the Philistines on Mount Gilboa.
King David was a shepherd boy who became Israel’s third and most important king. He slayed the giant, Goliath, became a mighty conqueror, and established God's headquarters in Jerusalem.
King David is arguably one of the three greatest individuals in the Old Testament along with Abraham and Moses. Of these three giants of faith, however, far more (as this timeline shows) is recorded about King David's life and actions than the other two!
According to biblical tradition (and some say myth), David (c. 1035-970 BCE) was the second king in the ancient United Kingdom of Israel who helped establish the eternal throne of God.
David, the second king of Israel, is one of the most significant figures in the Bible, known for his profound faith, military prowess, and complex personal life.
As Abner was leaving David, however, David’s advisor and army commander, Joab, killed Abner without David’s knowledge. Soon, Ish-Boshet was also killed and the tribes of Israel anointed David as their king. David was 30 years old at the time, and had ruled over Judah for seven years and six months.