There were two Saint Davids, and given that St Davids Close is part of the Bishopdown estate, where most of the roads are named after different saints, it could equally be named after either.
King David
King David was a pivotal figure in Jewish history. He is the David of ‘David and Goliath’, of the Psalms and of Michelangelo’s famous statue.
It doesn’t seem entirely right to think of King David as ‘Saint David’ – partly because from a British perspective ‘Saint David’ usually refers to David, the patron Saint of Wales, and partly because, I think, in the Western tradition, the Old Testament figures aren’t usually referred to as ‘saints’. He is though, clearly ‘Saint David’ to many – the Catholic Encyclopedia says that “David is honoured by the Church as a saint. He is mentioned in the Roman Martyrology on 29 December”.
David’s story is well known (and well told by both the Catholic Encyclopedia and by Wikipedia). The main events of his life were:
- the battle with Goliath (1 Samuel 17:4-51)
- playing the lyre for King Saul (1 Samuel 16:23)
- his years of exile, and persecution by Saul (1 Samuel 18)
- becoming King of Hebron (2 Samuel 2:4)
- becoming King of Israel (2_Samuel_5:3)
- committing adultery with Bathsheba, the wife of Uriah, and then having Uriah killed (2 Samuel 11)
- his son Absolom turning against him (2 Samuel 13:32)
- war with Absolom and Absolom’s death (2 Samuel 11)
- David’s death (1 Chronicles 29:28)
David was an ancestor of Joseph, the father of Jesus – The Gospel of St Matthew says that 1
{1:6} And Jesse begat David the king; and David the king begat Solomon of her [that had been the wife] of Urias; {1:7} And Solomon begat Roboam; and Roboam begat Abia; and Abia begat Asa; {1:8} And Asa begat Josaphat; and Josaphat begat Joram; and Joram begat Ozias; {1:9} And Ozias begat Joatham; and Joatham begat Achaz; and Achaz begat Ezekias; {1:10} And Ezekias begat Manasses; and Manasses begat Amon; and Amon begat Josias; {1:11} And Josias begat Jechonias and his brethren, about the time they were carried away to Babylon: {1:12} And after they were brought to Babylon, Jechonias begat Salathiel; and Salathiel begat Zorobabel; {1:13} And Zorobabel begat Abiud; and Abiud begat Eliakim; and Eliakim begat Azor; {1:14} And Azor begat Sadoc; and Sadoc begat Achim; and Achim begat Eliud; {1:15} And Eliud begat Eleazar; and Eleazar begat Matthan; and Matthan begat Jacob; {1:16} And Jacob begat Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ.
This is important to the claim that Jesus was the Messiah, as it had been prophesied that the Messiah would be a descendant of David’s father Jesse:
{11:1}
And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots: {11:2} And the spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD; … {11:4} But with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth: and he shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked. {11:5} And righteousness shall be the girdle of his loins, and faithfulness the girdle of his reins. {11:6} The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them.
David was believed to be the author of many of the psalms – he is referred to as ‘the sweet psalmist of Israel’ 2. This would include the famous Psalm 23, which reflects David’s youth as a shepherd:
1 The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.
3 He restoreth my soul:
he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.
4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil: for thou art with me;
thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
5 Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies:
thou anointest my head with oil;
my cup runneth over.
6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life:
and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.”
David is believed to have predicted the Crucifixion in Psalm 22:
{22:16} For dogs have compassed me: the assembly of the wicked have inclosed me: they pierced my hands and my feet.
{22:17} I may tell all my bones: they look [and] stare upon me.
{22:18} They part my garments among them, and cast lots upon my vesture.
Saint David, patron saint of Wales
There are differing opinions as to how much is ‘known’ about the Welsh Saint David.
The Catholic Encyclopedia, after enumerating a few known facts concludes that:
This is all that is known to history about the patron of Wales. His legend, however, is much more elaborate, and entirely unreliable.3
Wikipedia, on the other hand says that
a relatively large amount of information is known about his life4
The Catholic Encyclopedia says that it ‘is not improbable’ that he was born at Henvynyv in Cardiganshire, and that he was prominent at more than one synod. He was Bishop of Menevia (now St David’s) in Pembrokeshire. He died probably in either AD 544 or AD 601.
The legends are more detailed. The main events in his life, according to legend were:
- he may have been related to King Arthur
- an angel had foretold the birth of David to Saint Patrick
- he was baptized by a Saint Elvis of Munster – about whom little else is known
- Saint David founded or restored monastries in Bath and Glastonbury
- at a Synod, a hill miraculously rose up under David so that he could be better heard. As he spoke a white dove settled on his shoulder – a sign of God’s approval.
Saint David is typically depicted on a hill, with the white dove.
Footnotes
- Matthew 1:6-16 [↩]
- 2 Samuel 23:1 [↩]
- Catholic Encyclopedia (1913)/St. David – Wikisource [↩]
- Saint David – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia [↩]
