Stand-in photograph: Gary Lee Todd, Ph.D. · CC0 1.0
The name in three scripts
HebrewדָּוִדDavid“beloved”
GreekΔαυίδDauidGreek
ArabicداودDāwūdgiven the Zabūr, the Psalms
One-minute snapshot
In a minute
c. 1000 BCERead time 1 min TorahGospelQur'an
David (peace be upon him) was a shepherd boy who faced the giant Goliath, became king of Israel, and made Jerusalem his capital. Jews and Christians honour him as the singer of the Psalms. The Qur'an says God gave him the Zabur, generally understood as the Psalms, and that mountains and birds joined his praise. All three remember a king who fell, repented and was forgiven. Christians call Jesus the “son of David”. Muslims remember David's fasting and his work with his own hands.
The Valley of Elah (1 Samuel 17). American Colony (Jerusalem) Photo Dept. / Matson Photo Service, Library of Congress (public domain)
Watch
Three traditions, three films
Each told by its own community, in its own words, side by side. More on F-ILM.
A Jewish telling
King David: Shepherd - Part 1 of the Animated Bible SeriesBimBam · 4 min Shows prophets (a film-maker's portrayal)Kids option: BimBam King David part 1, the shepherd.
A Christian telling
Book of 1 Samuel Summary: A Complete Animated OverviewBibleProject · 7 min Shows prophets (a film-maker's portrayal)BibleProject 1 Samuel: David's rise from shepherd to king.
A Muslim telling
David and Goliath in Islam | Khutbah by Dr. Omar SuleimanYaqeen Institute · 21 minOmar Suleiman: David and Goliath in Islam; 21-minute khutbah linking the shared story.
Side by side
Three tellings
Quotations: Torah and Hebrew Bible, JPS 1917 · New Testament, World English Bible (British Edition) · Qur'an, Pickthall (1930). Translations and sources
THebrew Bible · Torah
In Jewish tradition's own words.
The cliffs at Ein Gedi, where David hid from Saul (1 Samuel 24:1). American Colony (Jerusalem) Photo Dept. / Matson Photo Service, Library of Congress (public domain)
Anointed by Samuel; Goliath; Saul's jealousy.
King in Hebron, then in Jerusalem; the ark brought in with dancing.
The promise of a lasting dynasty.
Bathsheba and Nathan's rebuke; Absalom's revolt.
“A Psalm of David. The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.”Psalm 23:1 · JPS 1917
A harp hung over his bed and the north wind played it at midnight, waking him to study (Berakhot 3b).
Seventy-three psalms are headed “of David”. The Messiah is to be a “son of David”.
Key passages: 1 Samuel 16 – 1 Kings 2; 2 Samuel 7; 11–12; 1 Chronicles 11–29; Psalms
The shepherds' fields near Bethlehem, the city of David. American Colony (Jerusalem) Photo Dept. / Matson Photo Service, Library of Congress (public domain)
Jesus is called “son of David” from the first line of Matthew.
Peter and Paul preach David's psalms as pointing to Christ. Preaching at Antioch, Paul recalls what God said of David:
“When he had removed him, he raised up David to be their king, to whom he also testified, ‘I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after my heart, who will do all my will.’”Acts 13:22 · WEB (British Edition)
The Psalms are the core of daily prayer in monasteries, in Anglican Evensong and in Orthodox services.
Looking north from Mount Hermon: “We subdued the hills to hymn the praises (of their Lord) with him” (Qur'an 38:18). American Colony (Jerusalem) Photo Dept. / Matson Photo Service, Library of Congress (public domain)
David (peace be upon him) kills Goliath (Jalut) and is given kingship and wisdom.
He is given the Zabur; the mountains and birds glorify God with him.
Iron is made supple for him and he makes coats of mail.
The parable of the two litigants, after which he repents.
“And assuredly We gave David grace from Us, (saying): O ye hills and birds, echo his psalms of praise! And We made the iron supple unto him,”Qur'an 34:10 · Pickthall (1930)
The best fasting is the fast of David (peace be upon him), one day on and one day off (Bukhari 1131). He ate only from the work of his own hands (Bukhari 2072).
Most Muslim scholars reject the Bathsheba account as unworthy of a prophet.
A Psalm of David. The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
Read the passages The Christian telling · 5
Acts 13:22 · New Testament · WEB British Edition
22
When he had removed him, he raised up David to be their king, to whom he also testified, ‘I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after my heart, who will do all my will.’
Matthew 1:1 · New Testament · WEB British Edition
1
The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.
Luke 1:32 · New Testament · WEB British Edition
32
He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David,
Acts 2:29–36 · New Testament · WEB British Edition
29
“Brothers, I may tell you freely of the patriarch David, that he both died and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this day.
30
Therefore, being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him that of the fruit of his body, according to the flesh, he would raise up the Christ to sit on his throne,
31
he foreseeing this, spoke about the resurrection of the Christ, that his soul wasn’t left in Hades, and his flesh didn’t see decay.
32
This Jesus God raised up, to which we all are witnesses.
33
Being therefore exalted by the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has poured out this which you now see and hear.
34
For David didn’t ascend into the heavens, but he says himself, ‘The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit by my right hand
35
until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet.”’
36
“Let all the house of Israel therefore know certainly that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified.”
Romans 1:3 · New Testament · WEB British Edition
3
concerning his Son, who was born of the offspring of David according to the flesh,
So they routed them by Allah's leave and David slew Goliath; and Allah gave him the kingdom and wisdom, and taught him of that which He willeth. And if Allah had not repelled some men by others the earth would have been corrupted. But Allah is a Lord of Kindness to (His) creatures.
Lo! We inspire thee as We inspired Noah and the prophets after him, as We inspired Abraham and Ishmael and Isaac and Jacob and the tribes, and Jesus and Job and Jonah and Aaron and Solomon, and as We imparted unto David the Psalms;
And thy Lord is Best Aware of all who are in the heavens and the earth. And we preferred some of the prophets above others, and unto David We gave the Psalms.
And David and Solomon, when they gave judgment concerning the field, when people's sheep had strayed and browsed therein by night; and We were witnesses to their judgment.
And We made Solomon to understand (the case); and unto each of them We gave judgment and knowledge. And we subdued the hills and the birds to hymn (His) praise along with David. We were the doers (thereof).
And Solomon was David's heir. And he said: O mankind! Lo! we have been taught the language of birds, and have been given (abundance) of all things. This surely is evident favour.
How they burst in upon David, and he was afraid of them. They said: Be not afraid! (We are) two litigants, one of whom hath wronged the other, therefor judge aright between us; be not unjust; and show us the fair way.
(David) said: He hath wronged thee in demanding thine ewe in addition to his ewes, and lo! many partners oppress one another, save such as believe and do good works, and they are few. And David guessed that We had tried him, and he sought forgiveness of his Lord, and he bowed himself and fell down prostrate and repented.
(And it was said unto him): O David! Lo! We have set thee as a viceroy in the earth; therefor judge aright between mankind, and follow not desire that it beguile thee from the way of Allah. Lo! those who wander from the way of Allah have an awful doom, forasmuch as they forgot the Day of Reckoning.
The passage continues; open it in the player or your own Bible or Qur'an.
Common ground
Where they agree
Goliath and the kingship.
The Psalms, or Zabur, and his praise of God.
His repentance.
His wisdom in judgement.
Said plainly, ranked never
Where they differ
The Bathsheba episode is told plainly in Samuel; some read the parable of 38:21–25 as alluding to it, and most commentators reject it.
The messianic line of David is central in Judaism and Christianity.
The iron and the singing mountains are in the Qur'an only.
Era and place
The world of David
Where
Bethlehem, the Elah valley, Hebron and Jerusalem (the City of David (peace be upon him)).
When
About 1000 BCE.
What archaeology can and cannot say
The Tel Dan stele (9th century BCE) mentions the “House of David”: the earliest reference to his dynasty outside the Bible. The size of his kingdom is debated (Khirbet Qeiyafa; the Large Stone Structure in the City of David).
Félix Bonfils, Cedars of Lebanon, c. 1870. Félix Bonfils, Art Institute of Chicago (CC0)
Hebron, where David first reigned (2 Samuel 2:3–4). American Colony (Jerusalem) Photo Dept. / Matson Photo Service, Library of Congress (public domain)Midrash and Jewish tradition
Berakhot 3b tells of David's harp and the midnight wind. The Psalms are recited daily, and the hope of a Messiah from David's line runs through Jewish prayer.
Christian tradition
The New Testament calls Jesus “son of David” and reads many psalms as prophecy. The Psalter has been the prayer book of the Church from the beginning.
Tafsir and hadith
Ibn Kathir, on 38:17 and 34:10, describes David (peace be upon him)'s devotion, the mountains and birds praising with him, and his skill with iron.
Reference works: Encyclopaedia Judaica (2nd ed.); The Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church; Encyclopaedia of Islam (3rd ed.); Ibn Kathir, Qisas al-Anbiya.