King David Research Paper
King David Hero or Villain
University of Southern Indiana
Chris Govert
Most notable of David's great accomplishments is the battle between him and Goliath. Common held views of David in this battle described David as a weakling and incapable of defeating the giant Goliath. However, history has revealed this as a farce and that David was more a Goliath than Goliath. David's rise to power of the Israelite kingdom in 1000 BCE was shrouded in the timely deaths of a few people, which were in his way to the power of the throne. Another death ensued from his miss use of power to cover up his adulterous ways. Is David the hero of legend or is he just another power hungry monarch who gained his power through bloodshed to have ruled in ancient …show more content…
Mesopotamia. Sometimes in ancient history a battle's victory could be decided between two combatants as was the case in the Israeli and philistine battle which featured Goliath. Goliath was known for his size and brute strength who stared for the philistines. On the other side of the battle was David long thought to have been just a simple shepherd. The analogy of this fight between the gargantuan and the small is used still today, to symbolize the match up or the surmounting of enormous odds, from a wide arrangement of cases from sporting events, political arenas, to the business world. According to Britannica David's meteoric rise in fame throughout the Israeli people was based on his military prowess which threatened the King named Saul.
Saul was threatened so much that Saul had plotted to kill David. David learned of this and fled to escape the king's wrath. In hiding David further cemented his popularity among the Israelites by "Beginning as an outlaw, with a price on his head, David led the life of a Robin Hood on the desert frontier of his country (Judah). He became the leader and organizer of other outlaws and refugees; and, according to the Bible, ". . . everyone who was in distress, and everyone who was in debt, and everyone who was discontented, gathered to him; and he became captain over them." This group progressively ingratiated itself with the local population by protecting them from other bandits or, in case they had been raided, by pursuing the raiders and restoring the possessions that had been taken" (Britannica). David gained his popularity from this and eventually lead him to being selected as …show more content…
King.
"David is also a man prone to excessive violence, lust, and deception" (Bosworth).
A crime that David is actually accused of in the Bible is adultery. Other crimes that later scholars have put on his hands are that of murder. He is now being blamed for the death of the heirs of the throne who had coincidentally died at the right time in order for David to gain power of the throne.
Biblical accounts states David is not involved in the deaths of Abner (2 Sam 3:6-39), or Ishbaal (2 Sam 4:1-12) from which he benefits. This has led to the conspirator's to believe that David was behind them. In 2 Samuel 11 of the bible David is charged with the adultery with Bathsheba who bore a child upon the engagement. Following the pregnancy to cover up his crime David conspired a plot that eventually leads to the death of Bathsheba's husband Uriah. Uriah was placed at the lead of a battle and
killed.
Weather David is seen as a simple shepherd who rose to the throne of Israel or a bloodthirsty tyrant, David is the embodiment of the greatness of man and the truly ugly of which man is capable of. These characteristics which are still evident in political figures and all men today are what make David the legendary character he is today. His greatness allows for people to have hope of what they can accomplish from the triumphant of seemingly insurmountable odds to making moral choices in every day life. Although his dark side shows that his character is flawed and as great of a man as he is he still is tempted by sin and fails to conquer his daemons. David's flaws and failures in sin also give hope to ordinary people among those of who in the face of temptation rise above the flames. Sins that not all men even those as strong and as cunning as David could not overcome.
University of Southern Indiana
Chris Govert
Most notable of David's great accomplishments is the battle between him and Goliath. Common held views of David in this battle described David as a weakling and incapable of defeating the giant Goliath. However, history has revealed this as a farce and that David was more a Goliath than Goliath. David's rise to power of the Israelite kingdom in 1000 BCE was shrouded in the timely deaths of a few people, which were in his way to the power of the throne. Another death ensued from his miss use of power to cover up his adulterous ways. Is David the hero of legend or is he just another power hungry monarch who gained his power through bloodshed to have ruled in ancient …show more content…
Mesopotamia. Sometimes in ancient history a battle's victory could be decided between two combatants as was the case in the Israeli and philistine battle which featured Goliath. Goliath was known for his size and brute strength who stared for the philistines. On the other side of the battle was David long thought to have been just a simple shepherd. The analogy of this fight between the gargantuan and the small is used still today, to symbolize the match up or the surmounting of enormous odds, from a wide arrangement of cases from sporting events, political arenas, to the business world. According to Britannica David's meteoric rise in fame throughout the Israeli people was based on his military prowess which threatened the King named Saul.
Saul was threatened so much that Saul had plotted to kill David. David learned of this and fled to escape the king's wrath. In hiding David further cemented his popularity among the Israelites by "Beginning as an outlaw, with a price on his head, David led the life of a Robin Hood on the desert frontier of his country (Judah). He became the leader and organizer of other outlaws and refugees; and, according to the Bible, ". . . everyone who was in distress, and everyone who was in debt, and everyone who was discontented, gathered to him; and he became captain over them." This group progressively ingratiated itself with the local population by protecting them from other bandits or, in case they had been raided, by pursuing the raiders and restoring the possessions that had been taken" (Britannica). David gained his popularity from this and eventually lead him to being selected as …show more content…
King.
"David is also a man prone to excessive violence, lust, and deception" (Bosworth).
A crime that David is actually accused of in the Bible is adultery. Other crimes that later scholars have put on his hands are that of murder. He is now being blamed for the death of the heirs of the throne who had coincidentally died at the right time in order for David to gain power of the throne.
Biblical accounts states David is not involved in the deaths of Abner (2 Sam 3:6-39), or Ishbaal (2 Sam 4:1-12) from which he benefits. This has led to the conspirator's to believe that David was behind them. In 2 Samuel 11 of the bible David is charged with the adultery with Bathsheba who bore a child upon the engagement. Following the pregnancy to cover up his crime David conspired a plot that eventually leads to the death of Bathsheba's husband Uriah. Uriah was placed at the lead of a battle and
killed.
Weather David is seen as a simple shepherd who rose to the throne of Israel or a bloodthirsty tyrant, David is the embodiment of the greatness of man and the truly ugly of which man is capable of. These characteristics which are still evident in political figures and all men today are what make David the legendary character he is today. His greatness allows for people to have hope of what they can accomplish from the triumphant of seemingly insurmountable odds to making moral choices in every day life. Although his dark side shows that his character is flawed and as great of a man as he is he still is tempted by sin and fails to conquer his daemons. David's flaws and failures in sin also give hope to ordinary people among those of who in the face of temptation rise above the flames. Sins that not all men even those as strong and as cunning as David could not overcome.