The first record of David's appearance in history at once admits us to the whole femily circle. B.C. 1068. There was a practice once a year at Bethlehem, prob- ably at the first new moon of the year, of holding a sacrificial feast, at which Jesse, as the chief proprietor of the place, would preside (1 Sam. xx, 6), with the elders of the town. At this or such like feast (xvi, 1) suddenly appeared the great prophet Samuel, driving a heifer before him, and having in his hand a horn of the consecrated oil of the Tabernacle. The elders of be little town were terrified at this apparition, but
were reassnnd by the augnst visitor, and invttodW him to the ceremony of sacrificing tiw beifcr, Tb heifer was killed. The party were waitiBe to bc^ the feast. Samuel stood witii his liom to po«r bA\ the oil, as if for an invitation to begin (coaip. ix. Si He was restrained by divine intimatioa as mem ate sonpossedby. £aiab, the eldest, by *' Ms bei^^" sii **his countenance," seemed the natnnd ocMXBtieT^ of Saul, whose rival, unknown to theai, tbe fvoftn came to select. But the day had gone by wbea ki^l were chosen because they were head and slioals^j taller than the rest. " Samuel said onto Jeasf. Ixi these all thy children ? And he sud. There yet rn maineth the youngest, and behold he ke^eth t^ sheep." The boy was brought in. We are essyaj to fix his appearance at once in oar miiiffat. He «iij of short stature, thus contrasting with his tall fanCkr Eliab, with his rival Saul, and with hia gigaitfic ee*J my of Gath. He had red or aubnm hair, aa is ec»^ sional in the East ; or at least a rafoos complexiaa b^\ sanguineous temperament. Sets Ruddt. Lsfeer a? wore a beard. His bright eyes are espedaOy nwmtaV ed (xvi, 12), and generally he was remarkabie Ibr tst grace of his figure and countenance (** fair of evei,''! "comely," "goodly," xvi, 12, 18; xvii, 4S), well iadt and of great strength and agility. His swiftaieBB a&l activity made him (like his nephew Aaahel) like a wui gazelle, his feet like harts^ feet, and his arms wtjvci enough to break a bow of steel (Psa. xvin, 3S, 54 1 He was pursuing the occupation allotted in "Eaaurt countries usually to the slaves, the femalea, or the ^ spised of the &mily (oomp. the caae of Moaes, of Ja- cob, of Zipporah, and of Rachel, and in latw times «f Mohammed ; Sprenger, p. 8). The partnree otBeo- lehem are fiimous throughout the sacred history. Tk Tower of Shepherds (Gen. xxxv, 21) was there : az^ there too the shepherds abode with their floc^ by s^;^ (Luke ii). He usually carried a switch or wand ic & hand (1 Sam. xvii, 40), such as would be nsed fer \bs dogs (xvii, 43), and a scrip or wallet roond hu skL to carry anything that was needed for his sh^i^rC) life (xvii, 40). Such was the outer life of Dav^ vba (as the later Psalmists described his caH) he «« " taken fh)m the sheepfblds, from following the evca great with young, to feed Israel according to the a- tegrity of his heart, and to guide them by tiie sldif^ ness of his hands" (Psa. Ixxviii, 70-72). The rec^ lection of the sudden and great elevation ttom thii humble station is deeply impressed on his after B£e. ** The man who was raised up on high'^ (2 Ssa. x±m, 1)— "I have exalted one chosen out of the pecfit" (Psa. Ixxxix, 19>— " I took thee fh>m the sltoepceur (2 Sam. vii, 8). The event itself prepared him to ^ that in which Saul had so eminently foiled, tiz. to ne- oncile his own military government with a filial refpetr? for the prophets and an honorable patronage c^ tbe priesthood. Besides this, he became knit into a bcs^ of brotherhood with his heroic comrades, to wltoci he was eminently endeared by hb personal self-deiuii and liberality (1 Sam. xxx, 21-81 ; 1 Chron. xi, 1^- 8. But there was another preparation etiD iccn needed for his ofiice, which probably had made faa already known to Samuel, and whidli, at any rrtc a his next introduction to the history. Wh«i the bodr. guard of Saul were discussing with their master when the best minstrel could be found to chase away bis madness by music, one of the young men in the guani suggested David. Saul, with the absolute control in- herent in the idea of an Oriental king, instantly seat for him, and in the successftil effbrt of Darid^s ksrp we have the first glimpse nato that genlns ftr raos- and poetry which was afterwards consecrated in t^ Psalms. It is impossible not to connect the early <fit- play of this gift with the schools of the prophets, whs exercised their vocation with tabret, pealtny, pipe; and harp (1 Sam. x, 6), in the pastures (Nahik ; temp. Psa. xxiil, 2), to which he afterwards retaned as Id
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natural home (1 Sam. xiz, 18). Whether any of \ existing Psalms can be referred to this epooh of vid's life is uncertain. The 28d, from its subject the shepherd, and from its extreme simplicity ough placed by Ewald somewhat later), may well re been suggested by this time. The 8th, 19th, 1 29th, which are nniversally recognised as I^vid's, tcribe the phenomena of nature, and, as such (at st the two former), may more naturally be referrod this tranquil peiM of his life than to any other. le imagery of danger frcm wild beasts, lions, wild lis, etc. (Psa. yii, 2; xxii, 20, 21), may be reminis- ices of this time. And now, at any rate, he must ve first acquired the art which gave him one of his ief claims to mention in alter times — **the sweet iger of Israel" (2 Sam. xxiii, 1), **the inyentor of ttmrnents of muric" (Amos vi, 5); "with his whole art he sung songs and loved him that made him" cclos. xlvli, 8).