David and His Allies

Tanakh

וַיַּבֵּ֧ט הַפְּלִשְׁתִּ֛י וַיִּרְאֶ֥ה אֶת־דָּוִ֖ד וַיִּבְזֵ֑הוּ כִּֽי־הָיָ֣ה נַ֔עַר וְאַדְמֹנִ֖י עִם־יְפֵ֥ה מַרְאֶֽה׃  

"And the Philistine looked out and saw David, and taunted him, for he was a lad, and ruddy, beautiful of appearance." — Sh'muel Aleph (Samuel I) 17:42; 1995 Schocken Bible Everett Fox translation

Date Made:

March 23, 2025

Description

David, the man, the legend, the ancestor for the Jewish kings but he's not quite there yet. To start with, he's David the shepherd boy, son of Yishai.

Name

David's name means "beloved, lover, beloved" which serves as a parallel to Shaul's name meaning "asked for/requested." Within David's name also has the Hebrew characters for two or double (דּוּ) and other prepositions if they are given different vowels. The same vowelization can also mean "uncle."

Tanakh

וְיוֹאָ֥ב בֶּן־צְרוּיָ֖ה עַל־הַצָּבָ֑א וִיהוֹשָׁפָ֥ט בֶּן־אֲחִיל֖וּד מַזְכִּֽיר׃  

"Now Yoav son of Tzeruya was [The One] Over the Armed-Forces, and Yehoshafat son of Ahilud was Herald, " — Sh'muel Bet (Samuel II) 8:16; 1995 Schocken Bible Everett Fox translation

Talmud

וּפְלִיגָא דְּרַבִּי אַבָּא בַּר כָּהֲנָא, דְּאָמַר רַבִּי אַבָּא בַּר כָּהֲנָא: אִילְמָלֵא דָּוִד לֹא עָשָׂה יוֹאָב מִלְחָמָה, וְאִילְמָלֵא יוֹאָב לֹא עָסַק דָּוִד בַּתּוֹרָה. דִּכְתִיב: ״וַיְהִי דָוִד עֹשֶׂה מִשְׁפָּט וּצְדָקָה לְכׇל עַמּוֹ וְיוֹאָב בֶּן צְרוּיָה עַל הַצָּבָא״. מָה טַעַם ״דָוִד עֹשֶׂה מִשְׁפָּט וּצְדָקָה לְכׇל עַמּוֹ״? מִשּׁוּם דְּ״יוֹאָב עַל הַצָּבָא״. וּמָה טַעַם ״יוֹאָב עַל הַצָּבָא״? מִשּׁוּם דְּ״דָוִד עֹשֶׂה מִשְׁפָּט וּצְדָקָה לְכׇל עַמּוֹ״. 

"The Gemara notes: And those who view Joab in a negative light disagree with the opinion of Rabbi Abba bar Kahana, as Rabbi Abba bar Kahana says: Were it not for David, who studied Torah, Joab would not have been able to wage war successfully, and were it not for the military acumen of Joab, David would not have been able to study Torah. As it is written: 'And David executed judgment and justice to all his people, and Joab, son of Zeruiah, was over the army' (II Samuel 8:15–16). What is the reason that David “executed judgment and justice to all his people”? He was able to do so because “Joab, son of Zeruiah, was over the army,” assisting him and fighting his battles. And what is the reason that “Joab, son of Zeruiah, was over the army”? He was able to do so because 'David executed judgment and justice to all his people.'" — Sanhedrin 49a:10; William Davidson Talmud Koren-Steinsaltz translation

Description

Yoav is David's nephew and his right hand, who commits a lot of the dirty work necessary for a secure kingship.

Although he is incredibly loyal to David, it is to the exclusion of anyone else. Even relatives are not safe from his fanatic loyalty to David or his blood lust for that matter.

In a sense, Doeg and Yoav are very similar but the only difference between the two comes from one being on Shaul's side and one being on David's.

Date Finished: 

September 18, 2025

Name

Yoav means "Hashem is father/master/teacher." Within Yoav's name comes the letters yud, vav, aleph, bet. The vav can mean a hook or peg. 

Tanakh

וַיִּמָּלֵ֣ט בֵּן־אֶחָ֗ד לַאֲחִימֶ֙לֶךְ֙ בֶּן־אֲחִט֔וּב וּשְׁמ֖וֹ אֶבְיָתָ֑ר וַיִּבְרַ֖ח אַחֲרֵ֥י דָוִֽד׃

"But one son of Ahimelekh son of Ahituv escaped—his name was Evyatar; he got away to David." — Sh'muel Aleph (Samuel I) 22:20; 1995 Schocken Bible Everett Fox translation

Talmud

וּמְנָלַן דִּכְלָה זַרְעֵיהּ דְּדָוִד? דִּכְתִיב: ״וַעֲתַלְיָה אֵם אֲחַזְיָהוּ רָאֲתָה כִּי מֵת בְּנָהּ וַתָּקׇם וַתְּאַבֵּד אֵת כׇּל זֶרַע הַמַּמְלָכָה״. וְהָא אִשְׁתְּיַיר לֵיהּ יוֹאָשׁ? הָתָם נָמֵי אִשְׁתְּיַיר אֶבְיָתָר, דִּכְתִיב: ״וַיִּמָּלֵט בֵּן אֶחָד לַאֲחִימֶלֶךְ בֶּן אֲחִטוּב וּשְׁמוֹ אֶבְיָתָר״. אָמַר רַב יְהוּדָה אָמַר רַב: אִלְמָלֵא לֹא נִשְׁתַּיֵּיר אֶבְיָתָר לַאֲחִימֶלֶךְ בֶּן אֲחִיטוּב, לֹא נִשְׁתַּיֵּיר מִזַּרְעוֹ שֶׁל דָּוִד שָׂרִיד וּפָלִיט.

"Apropos David’s prayer that his descendants cease, the Gemara asks: And from where do we derive that David’s descendants ceased to exist? It is derived from a verse, as it is stated: “And Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah saw that her son was dead, and she arose and destroyed all the royal descendants” (II Kings 11:1). The Gemara asks: But didn’t Joash remain alive, and therefore, not all of David’s descendants ceased to exist? The Gemara answers: There too, in the massacre in Nov, Abiathar, one of the priests, remained alive, as it is written: “And one of the sons of Ahimelech, son of Ahitub, named Abiathar, escaped” (I Samuel 22:20). Rav Yehuda says that Rav says: Were it not for the fact that Abiathar remained alive for Ahimelech, son of Ahitub, there would have been no remnant or refugee remaining from the descendants of David." — Sanhedrin 95b:4; William Davidson Talmud Koren-Steinsaltz translation

Description

Evyatar comes from the cursed line of Eli

Date Finished: 

May 13, 2025

Name

Evyatar means "my father is great" most likely referring to Achitub/Achimelech but if referring to Pinchas ben Eli, incredibly ironic.