--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: But in Hebrew scripture David is not just…" description: "\"“But in Hebrew scripture David is not just the “sweet singer of Israel,” the chiseled poet who plays a harp and composes the Psalms. After he makes his..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d76/steven-pinker-526_david_but-in-hebrew-scripture-david-is-not-jus_1154019.jpg" --- # But in Hebrew scripture David is not just the “sweet… ![“But in Hebrew scripture David is not just the “sweet singer of Israel,” the chiseled poet who plays a harp and composes the Psalms. After he makes his name by killing Goliath, David recruits a gang of guerrillas, extorts wealth from his fellow citizens at swordpoint, and fights as a mercenary for…” quote by steven pinker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d76/steven-pinker-526_david_but-in-hebrew-scripture-david-is-not-jus_1154019.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d76/steven-pinker-526_david_but-in-hebrew-scripture-david-is-not-jus_1154019.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d76/steven-pinker-526_david_but-in-hebrew-scripture-david-is-not-jus_1154019.jpg) > ““But in Hebrew scripture David is not just the “sweet singer of Israel,” the chiseled poet who plays a harp and composes the Psalms. After he makes his name by killing Goliath, David recruits a gang of guerrillas, extorts wealth from his fellow citizens at swordpoint, and fights as a mercenary for the Philistines. These achievements make Saul jealous: the women in his court are singing, “Saul has killed by the thousands, but David by the tens of thousands.” So Saul plots to have him assassinated.19 David narrowly escapes before staging a successful coup. When David becomes king, he keeps up his hard-earned reputation for killing by the tens of thousands. After his general Joab “wasted the country of the children of Ammon,” David “brought out the people that were in it, and cut them with saws, and with harrows of iron, and with axes.” 20 Finally he manages to do something that God considers immoral: he orders a census. To punish David for this lapse, God kills seventy thousand of his citizens.”” [steven pinker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-pinker/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. David’s biblical narrative shows a complex leader who combines artistic talent, military prowess, and moral ambiguity, illustrating that great figures can be both heroic and flawed. **In simple terms:** David was a talented, violent, and morally complex leader. Key Takeaway Great leaders often embody both virtue and vice. Themes leadership morality power violence heroism Mood thoughtful critical Type analytical historical When to use this quote - political leadership - military strategy - ethical decision‑making Key Concepts history biblical studies psychology Questions to Reflect On - How do we reconcile heroic deeds with moral failures? - What criteria should we use to judge historical figures? A Different Perspective David’s actions are judged by modern standards, which may oversimplify ancient contexts. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [David](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/david/) [God](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/god/) [Goliath David](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/goliath-david-1769990/) [Judaism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/judaism/) [Poetry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/poetry/) [Religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religion/) [Saul Jealous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/saul-jealous-3275845/) [Saul Killed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/saul-killed-3275843/) [Scripture David](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/scripture-david-426974/) [Thousands David](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thousands-david-3275844/) [Violence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/violence/) ## Related quotes > [I've learned a simple principle: all I have to do is be the best 'me' that I can be. 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Salvatore or David Gemmell.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-kazinsky/i-ve-read-everything-that-isaac-asimov-ever-wrote-for-a-start-i-m/) [Robert Kazinsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-kazinsky/) > [I love an underdog. No, I don't necessarily mean the cartoon. I mean like David, as in Goliath, or the Bears, as in The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-lublin/i-love-an-underdog-no-i-don-t-necessarily-mean-the-cartoon-i-mean/) [Nancy Lublin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-lublin/) > [“Mungu hutumia watu 'wajinga' na 'wapumbavu' kufanya mambo makubwa katika maisha yao na ya watu wengine. Katika Biblia, Musa aliitwa mjinga alipokiuka amri ya…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/enock-maregesi/mungu-hutumia-watu-wajinga-na-wapumbavu-kufanya-mambo-makubwa-katika/) [Enock Maregesi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/enock-maregesi/) > [“It was as if she was a wannabe Persian cat who had just tasted sour milk.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adele-rose/it-was-as-if-she-was-a-wannabe-persian-cat-who-had-just-tasted-sour/) [Adele Rose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adele-rose/) > [“Everyone roots for David, Nobody pulls for Goliath”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wilt-chamberlain/everyone-roots-for-david-nobody-pulls-for-goliath/) [Wilt Chamberlain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wilt-chamberlain/) > [I certainly know that on our first tour of America in 1968, David Crosby came to see us backstage at the Fillmore East in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-hayward/i-certainly-know-that-on-our-first-tour-of-america-in-1968-david/) [Justin Hayward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-hayward/) > [What's David's role? David looks good, that's what David does. David looks good, and I'm the funny one, that's what I hear constantly. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victoria-beckham/what-s-david-s-role-david-looks-good-that-s-what-david-does-david/) [Victoria Beckham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victoria-beckham/) > [Everyone kinda knows me as David and Victoria Beckham's son, and it doesn't, like, annoy me; I just kinda wanna make my own name…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brooklyn-beckham/everyone-kinda-knows-me-as-david-and-victoria-beckham-s-son-and-it/) [Brooklyn Beckham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brooklyn-beckham/) > [I look at a lot of shows. I look at a really broad spectrum; I look at everything from David Lean to Lina Wertmuller.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kari-skogland/i-look-at-a-lot-of-shows-i-look-at-a-really-broad-spectrum-i-look-at/) [Kari Skogland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kari-skogland/) > [I was David Bowie-thin up to about 28, and then I discovered food.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ricky-gervais/i-was-david-bowie-thin-up-to-about-28-and-then-i-discovered-food/) [Ricky Gervais](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ricky-gervais/) ## More by steven pinker > [Forcing modern speakers of English to not - whoops, not to split an infinitive because it isn't done in Latin makes about as much…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-pinker/forcing-modern-speakers-of-english-to-not-whoops-not-to-split-an/) [Steven Pinker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-pinker/) > [Consistent style prevents presentation from getting in the way of content.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-pinker/consistent-style-prevents-presentation-from-getting-in-the-way-of/) [Steven Pinker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-pinker/) > [The supposedly immaterial soul, we now know, can be bisected with a knife, altered by chemicals, started or stopped by electricity, and extinguished by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-pinker/the-supposedly-immaterial-soul-we-now-know-can-be-bisected-with-a/) [Steven Pinker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-pinker/) > [I've never argued that humans are massively hot-wired. 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Moral goodness is what gives…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-pinker/morality-is-not-just-any-old-topic-in-psychology-but-close-to-our/) [Steven Pinker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-pinker/) > [“The biblical story of the binding of Isaac shows that human sacrifice was far from unthinkable in the 1st millennium BCE. The Israelites boasted…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-pinker/the-biblical-story-of-the-binding-of-isaac-shows-that-human-sacrifice/) [Steven Pinker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-pinker/) > [Part of the bargain of being alive is that one takes a chance at dying a premature or painful death, be it from violence,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-pinker/part-of-the-bargain-of-being-alive-is-that-one-takes-a-chance-at/) [Steven Pinker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-pinker/) > [In fact, without a specification of a creature's goals, the very idea of intelligence is meaningless. 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And this offers priorities for educational policy: to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-pinker/the-obvious-cure-for-the-tragic-shortcomings-of-human-intuition-in-a/) [Steven Pinker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-pinker/) > [If you look in general at people who live in anarchy, they have quite high rates of death from either homicide or warfare or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-pinker/if-you-look-in-general-at-people-who-live-in-anarchy-they-have-quite/) [Steven Pinker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-pinker/) > [“In some eras, self-control defines the paragon of a decent person: a grown-up, a person of dignity, a lady or a gentleman, a mensch.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-pinker/in-some-eras-self-control-defines-the-paragon-of-a-decent-person-a/) [Steven Pinker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-pinker/) > [Knowledge is a continuous fabric, in which ideas are connected to other ideas. Reason-free zones, in which people can assert arbitrary beliefs safe from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-pinker/knowledge-is-a-continuous-fabric-in-which-ideas-are-connected-to/) [Steven Pinker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-pinker/) [Explore all 495 steven pinker quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-pinker/) ## More David quotes > [I was David Bowie-thin up to about 28, and then I discovered food.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ricky-gervais/i-was-david-bowie-thin-up-to-about-28-and-then-i-discovered-food/) [Ricky Gervais](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ricky-gervais/) > [I look at a lot of shows. I look at a really broad spectrum; I look at everything from David Lean to Lina Wertmuller.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kari-skogland/i-look-at-a-lot-of-shows-i-look-at-a-really-broad-spectrum-i-look-at/) [Kari Skogland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kari-skogland/) > [Everyone kinda knows me as David and Victoria Beckham's son, and it doesn't, like, annoy me; I just kinda wanna make my own name…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brooklyn-beckham/everyone-kinda-knows-me-as-david-and-victoria-beckham-s-son-and-it/) [Brooklyn Beckham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brooklyn-beckham/) > [What's David's role? David looks good, that's what David does. David looks good, and I'm the funny one, that's what I hear constantly. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victoria-beckham/what-s-david-s-role-david-looks-good-that-s-what-david-does-david/) [Victoria Beckham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victoria-beckham/) > [I certainly know that on our first tour of America in 1968, David Crosby came to see us backstage at the Fillmore East in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-hayward/i-certainly-know-that-on-our-first-tour-of-america-in-1968-david/) [Justin Hayward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-hayward/) > [I've learned a simple principle: all I have to do is be the best 'me' that I can be. One day when I read…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-osteen/i-ve-learned-a-simple-principle-all-i-have-to-do-is-be-the-best-me/) [Joel Osteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-osteen/) > [“Everyone roots for David, Nobody pulls for Goliath”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wilt-chamberlain/everyone-roots-for-david-nobody-pulls-for-goliath/) [Wilt Chamberlain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wilt-chamberlain/) > [“It was as if she was a wannabe Persian cat who had just tasted sour milk.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adele-rose/it-was-as-if-she-was-a-wannabe-persian-cat-who-had-just-tasted-sour/) [Adele Rose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adele-rose/) > [“Mungu hutumia watu 'wajinga' na 'wapumbavu' kufanya mambo makubwa katika maisha yao na ya watu wengine. 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After he makes his name by killing Goliath, David recruits a gang of guerrillas, extorts wealth from his fellow citizens at swordpoint, and fights as a mercenary for the Philistines. These achievements make Saul jealous: the women in his court are singing, “Saul has killed by the thousands, but David by the tens of thousands.” So Saul plots to have him assassinated.19 David narrowly escapes before staging a successful coup. When David becomes king, he keeps up his hard-earned reputation for killing by the tens of thousands. After his general Joab “wasted the country of the children of Ammon,” David “brought out the people that were in it, and cut them with saws, and with harrows of iron, and with axes.” 20 Finally he manages to do something that God considers immoral: he orders a census. 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