The Hebrew name David (דָּוִד) means 'beloved' or 'dear one.' It is one of the most important personal names in the Old Testament, identifying Israel's greatest king and the ancestor of the Messiah. The name appears over 1,000 times in Scripture.
David, son of Jesse of Bethlehem, was anointed king by the prophet Samuel (1 Samuel 16) and became the defining figure of Israel's monarchy. He was a man after God's own heart (1 Samuel 13:14) — a warrior, psalmist, king, and prophet. God made an everlasting covenant with David (2 Samuel 7:8–16), promising that his throne would be established forever. This Davidic Covenant reaches its ultimate fulfillment in Jesus Christ, the Son of David (Matthew 1:1), who sits on David's throne eternally. The messianic hope runs like a golden thread through David's lineage: from the Psalms of lament and praise, to Isaiah's promised king, to the rider on the white horse in Revelation 19.