In a previous post, I mentioned the irony implicit in the name of Israel's first King-- Saul, the "one we asked for." As a further thought on the naming of kings in 1 Samuel, I can't help but notice that later, when David arrives on the scene, how compelling and attractive his character is.
In chapter 18, after his infamous melee with the giant from Gath, David comes to stay in Saul's house; and you don't have to look too closely to realize that everyone (and inparticular Saul's family) is falling in love with the guy. First Jonathan becomes "one in spirit" with David and "loves him as himself." Then, as David's sphere of influence swells, we're told that "all Israel and Judah loved David because he led them in their campaigns." And by the end of the chapter, Saul's daughter Michal has fallen in love wih this archtypal giant slayer.
Perhaps none of this should come as any surprise. YHWH told Saul he would strip the kingdom from him and give it to his reyah (companion). And if we pause to remember what David's own name means, it would probably come as even less a surprise, that this charismatic and good-looking lad is literally stealing the hearts of the whole kingdom, right down to Saul's own children.
"David," of course, means "beloved."
On the Naming of Kings
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