King David was one of the most important figures in the Old Testament. He was the second king of Israel and Judah, and reigned for 40 years from around 1010 BC to 970 BC. David is an incredibly important character in the biblical narrative, and his life and death are described in great detail in the books of Samuel, Kings, and Chronicles. Here is an overview of what the Bible tells us about how King David died:
David’s Declining Health
Towards the end of his life, the Bible describes King David as becoming increasingly frail and sickly. 2 Samuel 21:15 notes that “David grew weary.” In 1 Kings chapter 1, when David is old and “advanced in years,” it notes that “they covered him with clothes, but he could not get warm.” This suggests David was declining physically and increasingly feeble. 1 Kings 1:1 also notes that David’s servants advised him to “let a young woman be sought for my lord the king, and let her wait on the king and be in his service.” This indicates they believed a young woman could care for David in his weakened state.
David Decides Solomon Should Succeed Him
As David neared the end of his life, one of the most important things he had to do was decide who would succeed him as king. Although Adonijah, David’s fourth son, declared himself king (1 Kings 1:5), David did not want him as successor and instead chose his son Solomon. 1 Kings 1:28-30 describes how David formally declared that Solomon would succeed him as king. By formally naming Solomon as his successor, despite Adonijah’s schemes, David avoided a civil war between his sons.
David’s Last Instructions to Solomon
First Kings Chapter 2 records David’s final words and instructions to Solomon before his death. In these final words, David instructs Solomon to “be strong, and show yourself a man” (1 Kings 2:2) and to faithfully follow God’s laws (1 Kings 2:3). He also warns Solomon to punish those who had conspired against him, such as Joab and Shimei (1 Kings 2:5-9). David wanted to make sure Solomon consolidated his power and dealt with rivals decisively. He gave Solomon final advice on being a wise and successful king for the sake of the kingdom.
David’s Death
The Bible records David’s death succinctly in 1 Kings 2:10 – “Then David slept with his fathers and was buried in the city of David.” The phrase “slept with his fathers” is a common biblical way of saying someone died, and we see the same phrase used of other kings. The fact David was buried in the “city of David” refers to the original Jebusite city of Jerusalem that David had conquered and made his capital early in his reign.
David’s Age at Death
There is some uncertainty over David’s exact age when he died. Based on the biblical chronology, he appears to have been around 70 years old. 2 Samuel 5:4 states that David was 30 years old when he became king, and reigned over Judah for 7 years and 6 months in Hebron. He then ruled over a united Israel and Judah in Jerusalem for 33 years (2 Samuel 5:5). This puts David at a total age of about 70-71 when he died. Some scholars believe David may have been slightly older, up to 75 years old. Whatever his precise age, the Bible depicts David as dying at an advanced age, after a long and successful reign.
David’s Burial
As mentioned, 1 Kings 2:10 states David was buried in “the city of David.” This refers to a location on the southeast hill of Jerusalem, part of the original Jebusite city conquered by David. David was buried in “his house” (1 Kings 2:10), likely meaning a family tomb near his palace.
Many centuries later, when the second temple was being rebuilt, Nehemiah 3:16 identifies David’s tomb as near the pool of Siloam in Jerusalem. The tomb was likely originally a natural cave that was subsequently improved and monumentalized. Though its exact location is disputed today, the tomb of King David was an important shrine in ancient Jerusalem and venerated for centuries afterwards.
David’s Long Reign and Legacy
David had ruled over Israel for forty years (1 Kings 2:11) – seven years in Hebron and thirty-three in Jerusalem. This was a remarkably long reign in biblical times. During this time, David had consolidated Israel into a united kingdom, captured Jerusalem, and established a permanent center of worship there. His reign marked the high point of Israel’s strength and unity as a nation in Old Testament times.
Though David committed grave sins like adultery and murder, his repentance made him a model for faithfulness to God. God promised that the Messiah would come from the house and lineage of David (2 Samuel 7:12), which was fulfilled when Jesus was born as a descendant of David a thousand years later (Romans 1:3). In death as well as life, David was an enormously consequential figure in Israel’s history and in God’s purposes.
David’s Son Solomon Secures His Kingdom
After David’s death, Solomon quickly acted to secure his kingdom, following the advice David had given him. He dealt with certain individuals who had shown disloyalty or represented a threat, like Adonijah, Joab and Shimei (1 Kings 2:13-46). With these potential rivals out of the way, Solomon was able to establish a very prosperous and powerful kingdom, as described in 1 Kings 3-10. However, in his old age Solomon turned away from fully following the Lord, which eventually led to the division of the kingdom after his death.
Conclusions
In summary, the Bible provides a significant amount of detail about the final days, death, and burial of King David:
– David grew increasingly frail in old age, prompting his servants to recommend extra care.
– David formally named his son Solomon as his choice of successor.
– David provided final instructions and advice to Solomon before his death.
– David died at an advanced age after a long and momentous reign.
– The common biblical phrase “slept with his fathers” is used to describe David’s death.
– David was buried in the City of David, the original Jebusite city he conquered, likely in a family tomb.
– Though his exact age is uncertain, David seems to have been around 70 years old when he died.
– David had ruled over a united Israel for forty years, the peak of Israel’s power prior to the Exile.
– His son Solomon succeeded him after eliminating rivals, establishing the kingdom David had left him.
So while the account is relatively brief, we can piece together a good picture of King David in his final days, his careful succession planning, and the aftermath of his death under Solomon’s reign. This influential biblical king died at a ripe old age, was laid to rest in Jerusalem, and left a rich legacy that pointed ahead to the coming of Christ.
