Page:Catholic Encyclopedia, volume 4.djvu/721

 DAVID

643

DAVID

.1^ l.tnrs and malcontents, who gathered at the cave, nr -t ronghold, of Odollam (Adullam). Not long after till ir number was reckoned at six hundred. David (1. livrred the city of Ceila from the Philistines, but w IS iigain obliged to flee from Saul. His next abode was the wilderness of Ziph, made memorable by the M^u of Jonathan and by the treachery of the Ziphites, will I sent word to the king. David was saved from ' I ' it ure by the recall of Saul to repel an attack of the r liistines. In the deserts of Engaddi he was again •' ;i'':it danger, but when Saul was at his mercy, he t)usly spared his life. The adventure with il, David's marriage with Abigail, and a second i il to slay Saul were followed by David '.s decision ■ 'ITi.T his sendees to Achis of Geth and thus put an I II I to Saul's persecution. As a vassal of the Philis- I i king, he was set over the city of Siceleg, whence iide raids on the neighbouring tribes, wasting lands and sparing neither man nor woman. Tftending that these expeditions were against his " \-i people of Israel, he secured the favour of Achis. \\ lull, however, the Philistines prepared at Aphec to \\-:i'i<- war against Saul, the other princes were un- willing to trust David, and he returned to Siceleg. I'uiiiig his absence it had been attacked by the .Viiiileeites. David pursued them, destroyed their fnrr.'s, and recovered all their booty. Meanwhile the fii il Ijattle on Moimt Gelboe (Gilboa) had taken tiiuihing elegy, preserved for us in II Kings, i, is I) r> id's outburst of grief at their death.
 * il I' >'. in which Saul and Jonathan were slain. The

Hy God's command, David, who was now thirty y irs old, went up to Hebron to claim the kingly p v\iT. "The men of Juda accepted him as king, and ill was again anointed, solemnly and publicly. riui.iinh the influence of Abner, the rest of Israel re- iiiiiiH-.l faithful to Isboseth, the son of Saul. Abner iiMirki'd the forces of David, but was defeated at ililiaon. Civil war continued for some time, but 1 1 \ 1' I's power was ever on the increase. At Hebron -i\ -iins were born to him: Amnon, Cheleab, Absalom, All iiii.n.-i, Saphathia, and Jethraam. As the result of a i|i; irrrl with Isboseth, .\bner made overtures to bring ■ill Israel undrr the rule of David; he was, however, til irlierously murdered by Joab without the king's riwisiut. Isbo.seth was murdered by two Benjamites, His reign at Hebron over Juda alone had 1 .seven years and a half.
 * I D.avid was accepted by all Israel and anointed

. his successful wars David succeeded in making

I an independent state and causing his own name

' respected bj' all the surrounding nations. A

! lie exploit at the beginning of his reign was the

r ii|iiest of the Jebusite city of Jerusalem, which he

Ml I'll' the capital of his kingdom, "the city of David",

till political centre of the nation. He built a palace,

ti 11 L Miorc wives and concubines, and begat other sons

an) daugliters. Having cast off the yoke of the

1 '1 1 1 1 i - 1 iiK's, h(! resolved to make Jerusalem the religious

r 'III- of his people by transporting the Ark of the

' I ii.-int {<|. v.) from Cariathiarim. It was brought

I li rusalpm and placed in the new t«nt constructed

I'v the king. Later on, when he proposed to build a

ii iiipic for it, he was told by the prophet Nathan, that

' ; I I 1 1 ad reserv-ed this task for his successor. In re-

I for his piety, the promise was made that God

i build him up a house and establish his kingdom

I 'letailed account has been preserved of the vari-

vars undertaken by David ; only some isolated

are given. The war with the Ammonites is

led more fully because, whilst his army was in

Id during this campaign, David fell into the sins

1 ilterj' and murder, bringing thereby great cal.am-

III himself and his people. He was then at the

it of his power, a ruler respected by all the nations

I t he Euphrates to the Nile. After his sin with

Bethsabee and the indirect assassination of Urias, her husband, David made her his wife. A year elapsed before his repentance for the sin, but his contrition was so sincere that God pardoned him, though at the same time announcing the severe penalties that were to follow. The spirit in which David accepted these penalties has made him for all time the model of peni- tents. The incest of Aranon and the fratricide of Absalom (q. v.) brought shame and sorrow to David. For three years Absalom remained in exile. When he was recalled, David kept him in disfavour for two years more and then restored him to his former dig- nity, without any sign of repentance. Vexed by his father's treatment, Absalom devoted himself for the next four years to seducing the people and finally had himself proclaimed king at Hebron. David was taken by surprise and was forced to flee from Jerusalem. The circumstances of his flight are narrated in Scrip- ture with great simplicity and pathos. Absalom's disregard of the counsel of Achitophel and his con- sequent delay in the pursuit of the king made it possible for the latter to gather his forces and win a victory at Manahaim, where Absalom was killed. David returned in triumph to Jerusalem. A further rebellion under Seba at the Jordan was quickly sup- pressed.

At this point in the narrative of II ICings we read that "there was a famine in the days of David for three years successively", in punishment for Saul's sin against the Gabaonites. At their request seven of Saul's race were delivered up to be crucified. It is not possible to fix the exact date of this famine. On other occasions Da^^d showed great compassion for the descendants of Saul, especially for Miphiboseth, the son of his friend Jonathan. After a brief mention of four expeditions against the Philistines, the sacred writer records a sin of pride on David's part in his reso- lution to take a census of the people. As a penance for this sin, he was allowed to choose either a famine, an unsuccessful war, or pestilence. David chose the third and in three days 70,000 died. When the angel was about to strike Jerusalem, God was moved to pity and stayed the pestilence. David w.as conunanded to offer sacrifice at the threshing-floor of Areuna, the site of the future temple.

The last days of David were disturbed by the ambi- tion of Adonias, whose plans for the succession were frustrated by Nathan, the prophet, and Bethsabee, the mother of Solomon. The son who was born after David's repentance was chosen in preference to his older brothers. To make sure that Solomon would succeed to the throne, David had him publicly anointed. The hist recorded words of the aged king are an exhortation to Solomon to be faithful to God, to reward loyal servants, and to punish the wicked. David died at the age of seventy, having reigned in Jerusalem thirty-three years. He was buried on Mount Sion. St. Peter spoke of his tomb as still in existence on the day of Pentecost, when th<- Holy Ghost descended on the Apostles (Acts, ii, 29). David is honoured by the Church as a saint. He is men- tioned in the Roman Martyrology on 29 December.

The historical character of the narratives of David's life has been attacked chiefly by writers who have dis- regarded the purpose of the narrator in I Par. He p;i.sses over thase events that are not connected with the history of the Ark. In the Books of Kings all the chief events, good and bad, are narrated. 'The Bible records David's sins and weaknesses without excuse or palliation, but it also records his repentance, his acts of virttie, his generosity towards Saul, his great faith, and his piety. Critics who h.ave harshly crit- icized his character have not considered the difficult circumstances in which he lived or the matmers of his age. It is uncritical and unscientific to exaggerate his faults or to imagine that the whole history is a series of myths. Tlie life of David was an important