The biblical account of D. is to be found (i.) in the narrative of 1 S 16- I K 2 ; (ii.) in 1 Ch 2. 3. 'harles Srribner's Sons
DAVID
10-29; see also Hu 41''--- ; and (^iii.) in the titles of many psalnis. Of these three sources the first is alike the oldest and the primary authority ; in- formation derived from the other two can be used only sparingly.
A considerable portion of the history in 1 Ch is derived directly or ultimately from the Books of Samuel, and cannot be cited as an independent narrative, though it is often valuable for the restoration of the text. The fresh information given by the Chronicler consist.s mainly of lists of names and statistical details. In many cases the numbers given condemn themselves ; where we have to deal with scries of names, there is no absolute criterion to guide us ; but it is to be noticed that the new narratives are nearly always marked by their late Ileb. style, and by the char- acteristic language of the Chronicler, while the statements made are often more or less at variance with the older account in Samuel. It is rarely clear that the author had access to ancient documents other than the Books of Samuel, and his unverified statements umst tlierefore be received with caution. The picture of I), presented by him differs in important respects from the earlier portrait ; it is indeed the picture of an idealized David, such as was present to the minds of devout .Jews of the ;ird cent. B.C.. when the true founder of the Isr. monarchy was regarded as a model of piety ; and the recognition of the full Priestly Code in the time of I), was a fact never questioned (see CllIiOSIOLES).
Seventy-three psalms bear the title ' to David,' and in many cases, especially in Book II., there is a fuller in.scription connecting the psalm with some particular event in D.'s life. Many of these titles recall the language of the Books of Sam., from which indeed they may be derived. The picture of D. which they .suggest is not unlike that of Chronicles. On clo.ser examination, however, it is seen that the contents of the psalm are often not suitable to the alleged occasion ; and so frc- <iuenlly is this the ca.se, that it becomes unsafe to accept the superscriptions, or even the Davidic authorship of 'Davidic' psalnis, \inless the titles are directly supported by internal evidence. But, without entering upon the wide question of the date and authorship of the Psalter (.see PSALMS), it may be said that in a large number of cases the thoughts and language even of ' Davidic ' psalms remind us of the teaching of the great l)roiihets, and seem to be largely dependent on it ; the circumstances of the psalmists are often those of the post-exilic Jews ; and the religious ideas and spiritual tone of the Psalter as a whole differ widely from tho.se which the most trustworthy authorities ascribe to D. himself, or to the period of the early monarchy. The tendency among the best .scholars of the present day is to reduce the directly Davidic element in the P.salter to the narrowest limits. Hence it does not seem advisable to illustrate the history or character of D. by quotations from the Psalms.
For the history of D. we are thus practically reduced to the Books of Samuel (with 1 K 1. 2); but even this work contains elements of unequal his- torical value, and it is necessary to consider briefly the structure of the book, and to form a critical estimate of its contents.
One noticeable feature of the D. narratives contained In 1 S lfi-:ll is the existence of a number of *iloubIet«.' i.«. aeconntti of very similar events, or dlverffent accounts i>f the sanie event. These mav be here ernnneraled. (1) The Introduction of I>. to .Saul. 1 S ir,"-»anil IT'-ls'; (2) the slavlni; of Oollalh of rtath, 1 S W-IH" and -i S 'Jl'"; (H) Saul easts his spear at I)., 1 8 IsiMianil 111". '»; (4) .lonalhan's Intercession for I)., lH'-' and 'in; (.'»! the covenant between I^. and •lonatban, -iuii-is. 4a and o;^ifl_iH . (,.,j ti,^, nrliriti of the proverb, * Is Saul also am4)n^ the prophets?' ill"', and lll>»-13; (7) I), at the court of Achlsh, ■.'!">-'» ond 2"-a?> 21); (8) D. spores Saul's life, -£4 and 20; (9)
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the death of Saul, 1 S 31 and 2 S li-i«. These paroUels are not all equally convincing ; in certain cases the diver{;ent narratives may bo harmonized more or less satisfactorily ; in others It is possible that an event occurred more than once In D.'s life, though it would be strange that with reference, e.g., to D.'s llicht to Gath. or his sparing Saul's life, no allusion should be iu.ide in the narrative to a previous similar occurrence. We cannot, however, separate these peculiarities in the historv of I>. from similar phenomena in the hi.story of Saul, where wefind two accounts of his appointment as kiiij;. and of his rejection. We are therefore obliged to recognize the existence of two I)arallel narratives in the present 1 S, and these must be separ- ated as far as possible, and coini)ared, if we would gain a clear idea of D.'s earlier life. In 2 S the case is somewhat ditlerent. Of a double narrative there we have hardly any traces. On the other hand, we have a detailed and continuous narrative {ch 11-20 with 1 K I. 2), the work of a single writer, which describes the history of D.'s family and court at Jerus., and is a document of the highest importance. The earlier chapters (.1-S) and the a[>i)endix (21-'i4) are of composite origin ; there are indi- cations that their contents have been partially rearranged ; and later editors or redactors have left their mark on these chapters. The following analysis, taken mainly from Budde {liichter uiid Snmuel)y will be found useftll. Some comments upon it will be found in the course of this article ; for fuller particulars see Sa-muel, Hooks of.