"The Davidic king is not conspicuous, but there is a sense in which he subtly dominates the book of Psalms."--Interpreting the Psalms edited by Philip Johnston and David Firth.
Who is David?
The story of David is found mainly in the books Samuel, 1 Kings and I Chronicles in the bible. This cartoon video version of David's heroic deeds is a fun overview. David as the writer of the Psalms has sometimes been disputed because the Hebrew translation "of David" could also be translated "to David" or "for David". Yet, David does have musical talent so much so that he could soothe King Saul's tormented mind and he calls himself "Israel's singer of songs". ( 2 Samuel 23:1) Some bloggers seem really certain about particular moments of David's life as background of the psalms, unfortunately I suspect the connection is not so straightforward. Still thinking about a possible setting does bring an interesting angle to psalm 17. For more possible settings, click here.
It has been suggested that Psalms 17 is set against the background of 1 Samuel 23 (esp v 25)
David wants God to listen, answer and arise. Does God do so in the life of David?
What is David's relationship with God like in 1 Samuel 23? What does David's prayer show?
Why is praying so intimately with God important to you? Think about how you prayed when you were younger, has the prayers you prayed changed? What do you think it shows about your relationship with God?
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