Why King David Wrote The Psalms Loved By All Peoples

 Nadene Goldfoot                                                

King David (reigned from 1010 BCE-970 BCE ( wrote nearly half of the Psalms during periods of intense trauma, betrayal, and deep personal failure. His writings span his entire life, covering his years fleeing from King Saul, a civil war started by his son Absalom, and the devastating fallout from his affair with Bathsheba.

Many of the Psalms serve as poetic journals of his emotional and spiritual journey through these crises:

                                  David and Goliath 

• Hunted as a Fugitive: Before becoming king, David spent years hiding in caves and deserts (such as the wilderness of En Gedi) while a jealous King Saul sought to kill him. Psalms written during this era (like Psalm 23 or Psalm 34) reflect deep fear, isolation, and a heavy reliance on God for protection. "Hashem is my shepherd, I shall not lack, In lush meadows He lays me down, beside tranquil waters He leads me.  He restores my soul.  He leads me on paths of righteousness for his Name's sake.  Though I walk in the valley overshadowed by death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me ....... (The morbid "valley" is a characterization of all exiles.  Also it is a place so dangerous that it is as dark and forbidding as the grave.)   Hashem is the earth and its fullness, the inhabited land and those who dwell in it.  For He founded it upon seas, and established it upon rivers.  Who may ascend the mountain of Hashem, and who may stand in the place of His sanctity?  and has not sworn deceitfully.......                        
  
                          David playing harp for King Saul
• Deep Personal Guilt: Following his moral failures involving Bathsheba and Uriah, David experienced profound remorse and spiritual agony . Psalm 51 is his famous plea for forgiveness and inner cleansing, written after the prophet Nathan confronted him about his sins. David's psalm of remorse includes the principles of repentance.  thus, it is a fitting prayer for any penitent. Show me favor, O God, according to him, when he came to Bath-sheba.  Show me favor, O God, according to  Your kindness, according to Your vast compassion erase my transgressions, Abundantly cleanse me from my iniquity, and from my sin purify me, For I  recognize my transgressions, and my sin is before me always.....  
  
                        Destruction of first Temple
• Betrayal and Grief: During his reign as king, David was forced to flee Jerusalem when his own son, Absalom, led a massive rebellion to steal the throne . Psalm 3, Psalm 55, and Psalm 63 were penned during this exile, echoing his heartbreak over betrayal by friends and his own family. Then He showed me Joshua, the Kohen Gadol, standing before the angel of Hashem, and the Satan was standing on his right to accuse him. "May Hashem denounce you, O Satan!  May Hashem, who chooses Jerusalem, denounce you!  Indeed, this man is like a firebrand saved from a fire!" ..... (The confrontation between Joshua and Satan represents the contention between the Jews who were trying to rebuild the Temple and the local chieftains, who tried to halt the constructions, as described  in the 4th chapter of Ezra. (Radak). Listen, O God, to my prayer, do not disregard my pleas.  Pay heed to me and answer me;  I lament as I speak, and I moan:  because of the shout of the foe, on account of the oppression of the wicked, for they accuse me of evil and hate me with passion, My heart shudders within me, and the terrors of death have befallen me, Fear and trembling penetrate me, and I am overcome with horror. (Despite the revolt of his son, Absalom and he defection of his intimate friend and adviser, Ahithophel,  David was unwavering in his faith that God would enable him to prevail.)  Oh God:  You are my God, I seek You, My soul thirsts for You, my flesh longs for you; in a parched and thirsty land with no water.  Thus to have beheld You  in the Sanctuary, to see Your might and Your glory.  For Your kindness is better than life, my lips shall praise you.  thus shall I bless you all my life; ....(Though a victim of malicious slander, exiled from nation, family, and home, alone in a desolate wilderness, David neve wavers in his love for God.) how many today can trust that there is a G-d?  Perhaps G-d himself knew when the end of times would be happening after all these 5,000-4,000 years and why !!!  
• Spiritual Despair: Beyond external threats, David occasionally battled intense periods of spiritual darkness, feeling as though God had abandoned him Psalm 13  captures his cries of despair and loneliness, ending ultimately with a declaration of trust in God's salvation. How long, Hashem, will You endlessly forget me?  How long will You hide Your countenance from me?  How long must I set schemes within myself?  My heart is melancholy even by day.  How long will my enemy triumph over me?  Look!  Answer me, Hashem, my God!  Enlighten my eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death.  Lest my enemy boast...(Exile is like a long, dark, seemingly endless night.  David speaks prophetically on behalf of Israel in exile.) 
• Resource:
• The Stone Edition of the Tanach (Old Testament), the Torah, Prophets, writings...using Hashem instead of God since Jews don't like to use the word in vain.  "HaShem (הַשֵּׁם) is a Hebrew term that literally translates to "the Name". It is the most common substitute used by Jewish people in everyday conversation to refer to God, allowing them to speak about the Creator with reverence while avoiding uttering His actual, holy names in vain.  Respect: In Judaism, the primary four-letter name of God (the Tetragrammaton) is considered too sacred to be spoken aloud outside of specific Temple rituals.  
• The Third Commandment: The prohibition against taking God's name in vain extends to almost all casual or conversational speech. 
• Context: When formally praying or reading directly from the Torah, Jews traditionally use the name Adonai (meaning "My Lord"), but HaShem is used everywhere else."

Trump Confronting the Pope

 Nadene Goldfoot                                           

Trump is now confronting the Pope, the leader over Catholics, over his comment of "Blessed are the Peacemakers. " This comes from Jesus who said "Blessed are the peacemakers" during his Sermon on the Mount, recorded in the Bible at Matthew 5:9. Part of the Beatitudes, the verse continues, "for they will be called children of God" (NIV) or "...sons of God" (KJV), promising spiritual recognition to those who actively seek reconciliation.

Of course, Pope Leo shows that Trump is no peacemaker and certainly not a son of G-d by not being a peacemaker.  

We have to give Trump credit, though.  He did give his adversaries chances to change their minds;  too many chances if you ask most generals.  He couldn't follow through with his big threats of destruction.  He hasn't followed through on any of his endeavors involving his threats.  He always gives in.  I wonder if Pope Leo notices that.  

     The psalms were written by King David, a Jewish King of the empire of Israel.  He ruled from 1010 BCE to 970 BCE for 40 years.  He was educated by the Torah;  the writings of Moses. 

• Theological Perspective: Jewish tradition views David as a prophet who composed psalms through divine inspiration, some describing events that happened long after his life. 

Trump doesn't know, but the idea of peace was also mentioned over 1,000 years before in the "Old Testament"  "The Old Testament (Jewish Tanakh) also highlights that false prophets would cry "peace" when there was no actual peace, warns against trusting in hollow security, and emphasizes that true peace is found only in obedience to God's law (Jeremiah 6:14, Psalm 119:165).  Israelis use the word "Shalom" every day, and this word means "Peace." 

Shalom (שָׁלוֹם)  is used for Hello, Goodbye and Peace.  A person is greeting with the word peace showing there is to be peace between them, and not meeting as opponents.  

 In the Old Testament, peace—primarily the Hebrew word shalom—signifies comprehensive completeness, wholeness, and safety rather than just the absence of conflict. It is portrayed as a gift from God (Leviticus 26:6), a result of righteousness and obedience (Isaiah 26:3, Psalm 119:165), and a future state of harmony for creation (Isaiah 11:6-9).

The Catholic church started off under the Romans with Emperor Constantine. The Roman Emperor Constantine I convened the First Council of Nicaea in 325 CE to address the nature of Jesus (Arianism) and unify Christian doctrine, including the timing of Easter. As the first ecumenical council, it aimed to resolve divisions within the church regarding Christ's divinity.  This is when they first started attacking Jews they saw as competitors to their new religion they were marketing. The fact is that it was not uncommon to see Romans converting to Judaism in Rome.  It was a religion of family, not fighting, and they liked it.  

Accordingly, though the traditional Jewish ideal was not pacifist,  it was always conceded that war can in some cases by justified.  In modern times, Jews, by virtue of their religious tradition as well as of their unique international position, have played an important part in international peace-movement.  

Saint Peter (born Shimon bar Yonah; c. 1 BC – AD 64/68), also known as Peter the Apostle and Simon Peter, was one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus and one of the first leaders of the early Christian Church, another Jewish seeker, a fisherman.   

According to Catholic tradition, St. Peter is recognized as the first Pope, establishing the papacy in Rome around 30–64 AD. While Peter is the first in the unbroken line of Bishops of Rome, the formal, exclusive title "Pope" was not used until later centuries, with Marcellinus (d. 304) being one of the first associated with the title. 

Pope Marcellinus of 3rd century b: abt 254 CE, d: 304  CE.  He is today venerated as a saint in the Catholic Church and in the Serbian Orthodox Church.   Marcellinus was a Roman, the son of Proiectus or Projectus. He succeeded Caius as bishop of Rome on 30 June 296. One reference said that during Diocletian’s persecution, Marcellinus offered incense to idols, but that, repenting shortly afterwards, he re-confessed the faith of Christ and suffered martyrdom with several companions.  I see that the change for all, including Constantine, was hard to handle from their idol worship and polytheistic belief of many gods and many slipped for years.  

The most harmful Popes towards the Jewish people were:  

• Pope Paul IV (1555–1559): Widely regarded as one of the most virulently antisemitic popes, Paul IV issued the papal bull Cum nimis absurdum in 1555, which created the Roman Ghetto, forced Jews to wear distinctive yellow hats, restricted their economic activity, and prohibited them from owning property.                    
  
  
  
• Pope Pius XII (1939–1958): Known for his controversial "silence" during the Holocaust, critics often describe him as a poor defender of Jews, with some calling him "Hitler's pope" for not publicly condemning the Nazi regime. But only one pope ever bore actual witness to a genocide and did absolutely nothing about it, and that was Eugenio Pacelli, Pope Pius XII, who reigned throughout all six years of the Second World War and the Holocaust.
• However, this view is heavily debated, as defenders point to his role in facilitating the rescue of thousands of Jews behind the scenes.  Notice that this was the period of the worst for Jews starting in Germany.  1939 was the tell-tale of the change in Germans towards Jews.  So I understand that he kept his mouth shut and didn't criticize the Nazis, and why? he would have been killed for it by the Nazis.  Trump, you should realize that you are President of a country who allows people to criticize their leader without fear.
  
                 Robert Francis Prevost b: 9/14/1955, age 71
• Today's Pope Leo XIV (born Robert Francis Prevost on September 14, 1955) is the 267th leader of the Roman Catholic Church, elected on May 8, 2025. As the first U.S.-born and first Augustinian pope, he is a former missionary to Peru who previously served as Prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops, focusing on bridging divides and continuing the reforms of his predecessor.
• Resource: 
• https://www.lifeway.com/en/articles/sermon-blessed-peacemakers-sons-god-matthew-5:9. 
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Council_of_Nicaea#:~:text=The%20First%20Council%20of%20Nicaea,have%20presided%20over%20its%20deliberations.
• https://rsc.byu.edu/vol-12-no-1-2011/jerusalem-conference-first-council-christian-church#:~:text=The%20most%20famous%20council%20of,local%20leader%20from%20Alexandria%2C%20Egypt.
• https://www.historyworld.net/history/Papacy/543?section=1st8thCentury
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pope_Marcellinus
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caius
• https://www.jpost.com/opinion/article-717557
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pope_Leo_XIV
• https://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/shalom/
• Tanakh (Old Testament)
• The New Standard Jewish Encyclopedia ,1992, 7th edition
• ABC news
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Peter

Judge and Kings: Samuel's Selection of Saul and David

Nadene Goldfoot                                         

Samuel, judge and prophet in his farewell speech

 
Before Israel had kings, they had judges.  Deborah was an important judge and prophet who lived in 1150 BCE.  She had led a revolt which led to a fight against the Canaanite king Jabin of Hazor and Sisera, 2 towns fighting against the Hebrew tribes.  Samuel, born in the 11th century BCE, was their last one.  He not only was a judge but a prophet, too. 
                                                                         

Samuel was born into the tribe of Levi, one of the 12 tribes of Jacob from where the tribe of Judah came from.  From Judah and a smattering of a few of the others comes the Jewish people.  From the tribe of Levi came the Cohens, Aaron's descendants and leaders in the Temple who today bear the DNA of haplogroup of J1.  Many of them are still Cohens in the synagogues. Leah on the left had Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issahar and Zebulun and daughter, Dinah.  Leah's younger sister,, Rachel, had Joseph and Benjamin and then died.  Handmaid of each wife was Zilpah who had Gad and Asher; and Bilhah who had Dan and Naphtali.

According to the Bible, the Tribe of Ephraim is descended from a man named Ephraim, who is recorded as the son of Joseph, the son of Jacob, and Asenath, the daughter of Potiphar.^[2] [3] The descendants of Joseph formed two of the tribes of Israel, whereas the other sons of Jacob were the founders of one tribe each. (Wikipedia) 
                                                                       

Maalei Ephraim in Jordan Valley of Israel 

Samuel's family lived  on Mt. Ephraim and at Ramah which was in the land of Zuph. " a district in which lay Samuel's city, Ramathaim-Zophim. It was probably so named after Zuph (1 Chr. 6:26). Zuph and the city of Ramathaim-Zophim are mentioned in the bible together with Mount Ephraim, suggesting that they shared a similar locality".  His mother had promised by consecrating him even before he was born as a Nazirite, people who would serve the sanctuary at Shiloh.  Shiloh was the first center of the Israelite religion after the conquest of Eretz Yisrael under Joshua.  It was 25 miles north of Jerusalem in the mountains of Ephraim.  The ark and Tabernacle were kept there during the period of the Judges, serving as the central national shrine and object of pilgrimage, especially during the long priesthood of Eli.

In the period of the judges, the tribe of Ephraim, the more northern of the two Israelite kingdoms, Ehraim included the hill-country in central Israel and was noted for its fertility.  Ephriam had claimed priority among the Israelite 12 tribes, partly because their religious center then was situated at Shiloh in their territory.  Much later in history, after King Solomon died,  the secession of the northern tribes centered on the tribe of Ephraim, to which Jeroboam, the 1st king of the northern kingdom of Israel, belonged.  Prophets later would talk about the House of Judah and the House of Ephraim, the 2 branches of the Hebrew people.
                                                                             

While there, he received a Divine call as a child and was later able to foretell the destruction of the House of Eli.  Eli was a high priest at the shrine of Shiloh and one of the last judges and had been the mentor of Samuel.  He had succeeded to the priesthood at the age of 58 and died 40 years later at 98 as a result of falling from his chair upon hearing of the Philistine capture of the Ark.  His family was then deprived of the high priesthood because of the immoral conduct of his sons, Hophni and Phinehas.  After Eli and his sons died and the Israelites were defeated by the Philistines at the battle of Aphek, Samuel tried to restore the traditional religious worship.

He lived in Ramah and judged Isralites in the sacred towns of Bethel, Gilgal and Mizpeh, and prepared the way for national unity.  With his own initiative, groups of prophets were formed to guide the people.
                                                                             

 

By the time he was an old man, external pressure on him became great for Israel to be governed by a king like other states and not judges.  He selected Saul for this role. Saul was the son of Kish of the tribe of Benjamin.  At the time, Israel was being threatened with a takeover from the Philistines.  Saul immediately was able to organize an army of men and trained them to fight.  They had a spectacular victory at Michmashl.  After that success they took on and won fights against other surrounding enemies that wanted their land; the Moabites, Ammonites and Arameans.

Saul disbanded such outgrowths of neighboring religions by eliminating witchcraft from Judaism.
                                                                         

At the same time, friction between Saul and Samuel had grown, and Saul appointed David as Saul's successor.  David was the son of Jesse, an Ephrathite man from Bethlehem in Judah who had 8 sons.  His first 3 sons were soldiers for Saul.   David had to travel back and forth between Saul's presence and his father's sheep in Bethlehem as he had befriended Saul in many ways.
                                                                         

David fighting the Ammonites

David's popularity with the people had been growing.  The crowds had sung out that though Saul had killed thousands of their enemies, David had slain tens of thousands.   Saul was terribly jealous about this and he in turn persecuted David, and drove him out of Israel.
                                                                         

 David when younger  had taken on the Philistine giant of a man, Goliath in a one on one combat.  Young David had slain him with his slingshot and a stone with a hit to his forehead. People had remembered this brave feat.

 At this point, Saul had David marry his daughter, Merab, but a change of heart cause her to be given to another.  But another daughter of Saul, Michal, was in love with David and so Saul gave her to David, hoping to snare David's talents to fight for him and not for himself.  It was a political move. 
                                                                         

Saul's fight with the Amalakites

"When Samuel found Saul the King said, ‘I have carried out the Lord’s instructions.’ Samuel replied, ‘What then is this bleating of sheep in my ears? What is this lowing of cattle that I hear?’" –
Saul had ignored G-ds word through Samuel to kill everything.
The Amalakites had come back in history as a chief antagonist of the Jewish people.  

 Tension arose between Saul and Samuel, however during his reign and they had a break in relations.  Finally, Saul went to Bethlehem and anointed David as Saul's successor. 

Then came a united attack on Israel from the Philistines, causing Saul and his 3 sons which included Jonathan, David's best friend,  to fight defensively only, the  4 dying in the attack on Mt. Gilboa.  A 4th son, Ishbosheath, became Saul's successor over part of Israel.  The Philistines had won a domination over part of the country which was only temporary.
                                                                         

David settled in Hebron and declared himself  king of Judah.  After Saul's son, Eshbaal was murdered, all the 12 tribes joined in wanting David King.   David was able to retrieve the Ark with 30,000 of his men when he had become king and it was brought to his city, Jerusalem, city of David.  Now, all along, G-d had reached the ears of the prophets and David, guiding them in their lives.
                                                                               

Beautiful Bath-Sheba was bathing one evening and David caught a glimpse of her and like all men, had thoughts of wanting her as his own.  The problem was that she was married to one of his soldiers, Uriah the Hittite,  who was away at battle.  They had an affair at any rate and Uriah's death in battle was caused by David's order of keeping him there on the front lines.  The result of this affair was a son that died.  Solomon was their 2nd son, being born and reigning as king from 961 to 920 BCE.  He was king before David had died because of Bathsheba and the prophet Nathan's manipulations.  They worked to anoint him over his older brother, Adonijah,  David's 4th son by another wife,  and others wanting the position.  David's 3rd son had been Absalom  who had killed his half brother, Ammon to revenge the rape of his sister, Tamar.  Absalom had led a rebellion against David, causing him to flee across the Jordan River.
                                                                           

Absalom killed by his long hair tangled in the tree branch

Moabites were into human sacrifice 

 In the end, Absalom's army was vanquished by David and he was killed by Moabites, on the east side of the Jordan,  after his long hair got entangled in a tree.  Moab much later was conquered by the Hashmoneans (Maccabees) who were persecuted by  Antiochus Epiphanes to the reign of John Hyrcanus, and later incorporated by the Romans into Arabia.  His life is remembered  with vanity and rebellion.
                                                                                   
In David's old age, his son Absalom rebelled against him and was killed in the revolt which caused Solomon to become king.  He had some vices along with many virtues.  Sometimes, his passions ruled his decisions, especially with Bathsheba.  He did become a symbol in Judaism and the Jewish messianic hope was attached to his descendangts.  Jewish tradition respects him highly and will still say the King David still lives.  Perhaps not in body, but certainly in his spirit.  The book of Psalms is said to have been written by him. "Not as a great warrior or mighty king did David win the everlasting love of our people, and indeed of all peoples on earth, but as the author of the Book of Psalms (Tehillim), the sweetest poetry of Israel." Chabad   "For time immemorial, whenever Jews found themselves in difficult situations, whether individually or communally, they would open up the Book of Psalms and use King David's ageless poetic praises and supplications to beseech G‑d for mercy."

 May the Lord answer you on the day of distress; may the Name of the God of Jacob fortify you.

. May He send your help from the Sanctuary, and support you from Zion.

  May He remember all your offerings, and always accept favorably your sacrifices.

. May He grant you your heart's desire, and fulfill your every counsel.

  We will rejoice in your deliverance, and raise our banners in the name of our God; may the Lord fulfill all your wishes.

"Christianity and Islam have derived from Judaism their admiration for David."

The New Standard Jewish Encyclopedia
Tanach, the Stone Edition- (Old Testament), Bible
https://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/2050/jewish/King-David-and-the-Psalms.htm