A Chronology of David's Life

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Appendix 4. A Chronology of David's Life

Life of David, Discipleship Lessons in 1 and 2 Samuel, by Dr. Ralph F. Wilson

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The absolute date of David's reign is based primarily on counting backwards from a fixed event, the Battle of Qarqar in 853 BC, in which Israel's King Ahab took part, as recorded on the Kurkh stela.[333] It's pretty complex when you get into it. K.A. Kitchen determines the date for David's 40-year reign to be from about 1010 to 970 BC.[334]

It is difficult to pinpoint relative dates for events in David's life. The primary scripture with relative dates of David's life follows:

"David was thirty years old when he became king, and he reigned forty years. In Hebron he reigned over Judah seven years and six months, and in Jerusalem he reigned over all Israel and Judah thirty-three years." (2 Samuel 5:4-5; cf. 1 Kings 2:11)

Here and there the scripture tells us the number of years for some event. But the rest of the dates in David's life are only approximate, suppositions based on the amount of time something might take.

Date	David's Age	Event	Reference
1040 BC	-	David born	2 Samuel 5:4
	~15-20	David and Goliath
1012	~25-30	David is a fugitive from Saul[335]
1010	30	David becomes king at Hebron	2 Samuel 5:4-5
1003	37	David becomes king over all Israel and conquers Jerusalem	2 Samuel 5:4-5
	~37-47	Palace built, Philistine and Aramean campaigns
	~47	David's kingdom established
	~47	David sins with Bathsheba
	~45-50[336]	Amnon rapes Tamar
	~47-52	Absalom kills Amnon, flees to Geshur, stays 3 years	2 Samuel 13:38
	~52-57	Absalom returns to Jerusalem	2 Samuel 14:28
	~54-59	Absalom sees David's face after 2 years in Jerusalem	2 Samuel 14:28
	~56-61	Absalom wins the hearts of Israel over 4 years	2 Samuel 15:7
	~61	Absalom becomes king in Hebron, David flees Jerusalem
	~62	Absalom killed
	~62-63	Sheba's rebellion
	~65-67	David becomes exhausted in Philistine battle	2 Sam 21:15
	~69	Adonijah and Solomon vie for the throne.
970	70	David dies	2 Samuel 5:4-5; cf. 1 Kings 2:11

[333] Baldwin, 1 and 2 Samuel, p. 19.

[334] K.A. Kitchen, "Chronology," DOTHB, 183-184. K.A. Kitchen, On the Reliability of the Old Testament (Eerdmans, 2003), pp. 82-83. So John N. Oswalt, "Chronology of the OT," ISBE 1:673-685.

[335] Bright (History, p. 194, fn. 23) says, "Saul's death end came within a very few years after he had driven David from him, perhaps three or four years at the outside. David's stay in Philistia was only a bit over a year (1 Samuel 27:7) -- and his outlaw days perhaps two or three years (?)"

[336] If David were 45, Amnon, Absalom, and Tamar would be no older than 15. If he were 50, they wouldn't be any older than 20 (Michael A. Whitney, "Lessons from the Life of David" (Navigators of Maine, 2009)

Life of David Bible Study: Discipleship Lessons

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