Leviathan · Character

David

Israel's second king, whose throne Hobbes treats as the legal hinge on which all legitimate Christian sovereignty turns.

supporting

Also known as king David

First appearance: part i of man

See David in part i of man Book page

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David matters less as a psalmist than as a precedent: Hobbes argues that God's kingdom was a real civil kingdom, and that Israel's demand for a king in Samuel's day interrupted it. When Gabriel promises Christ 'the throne of His father David,' Hobbes reads the phrase as a territorial, earthly claim — the same claim that got Jesus crucified under the title 'King of the Jews.' For a reader entering Leviathan, David is the proof-text that Scripture's kingdom language is political, not merely spiritual.

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See David in part i of man

Character Web

41 connections

A slice of how David sits in the book — open the reader for the full interactive map.

Relationship types

Family
Other

Character groups

Biblical and religious leaders
Protagonist
Early Christian and adversarial figures
Historical and theological exemplars

+36 more in the full Character Web

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Narrative arc

Story tension across the book — this chapter sits in Exposition.

Setup
Escalation
Breaking point
Aftermath
Closing

This is the story's dramatic climax because it reveals the sovereign's right to punish is not a gift from subj…

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Relationships

Jesus Christ
family · positive
Jesus Christ
family · positive

Relationship notes

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See David in part i of man

In the story

David appears across 4 companion beats. Open any chapter in the free preview to see the notes beside the text.

XX: Of Dominion Paternal, and Despotical
Refused to harm Saul, acknowledging him as the Lord's anointed, exemplifying obedience to sovereign authority.
XXI: Of the Liberty of Subjects
Mentioned for killing Uriah; Hobbes argues this was an injury to God, not to Uriah, because David was God's subject and violated the law of Nature.
Of the Office of the Sovereign Representative
Referenced as a king whose actions illustrate sovereign rights.
Of the Kingdom of God by Nature
Quoted from Psalms (97:1, 99:1, 73:1-3) to illustrate God's kingship and the problem of the prosperity of the wicked.

Chapter companion notes

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See David in part i of man