Is David Among the Prophets?

Is David Among the Prophets? May 11, 2015

After describing the heroes of faith from creation to Jericho with some leisure, Hebrews 11 closes with a rapid-fire survey of everything from the judges on (vv. 32-38). It’s a nicely constructed passage.

First, six individuals are named, followed by a general reference to “prophets”: Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel, and the prophets. Seven heroes closes the chapter with a flourish.

Then ten heroic achievements: Conquered kingdoms, performed justice, obtained promises, shut lions’ mouths, quenched fire, escaped the sword, became strong, were mighty in war, put armies to flight, brought back the dead. Tales of escape and conquest climax with the greatest conquest of all, the conquest of death.

The heroes were also heroes of endurance, and again the author seems to list ten acts of perseverance (set off from the rest with alloi, “others”): Torture, mockings, chains, stonings, sawn in two, tempted, killed by sword, deprived of clothing, destitute and ill-treated by others, wandering in deserts and mountains, in caves and holes. Some of the heroes listed were heroes both of battle and endurance. David put other kings to flight and spent part of his life wandering and living in caves.

The two lists of exploits are tied together at the center. The tenth act of heroic power is resurrection (anastasis, v. 34); the first act of endurance is energized by hope for anastasis (v. 35).

That initial list of people is constructed in a surprising fashion. The first four are grouped together, both because the are judges and grammatically; there is no conjunction joining them, just as list of names. They are out of chronological order, since in reality Samson was the final judge. 

David and Samuel are set off from the others by a conjunction that disjuncts (Dauid te kai Samouel), and the two are grouped with prophets. Four judges, then three others. Like the judges, David and Samuel are out of chronological order, and the fact that they are linked with prophets is significant: Samuel is a prophet; is David also among the prophets?

It would seem so. David’s Psalms prophesy about a coming king, who both suffers and rules. David received the designs of the temple, as Moses received the tabnit of the tabernacle. David was allowed to be in the council of the Lord, like the prophets, and like the prophets he was persecuted and pursued. His very life was a prophetic icon of things to come.


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