David - The Poet King
07 September 2025

David - The Poet King

Celebrate Creativity

About

Send us a text

“Hello, friends, and welcome to Celebrate Creativity! My name is George Bartley, and today we turn to one of the most influential writers of the ancient world — David, the poet-king.

David is certainly famous as a king of Israel, but, as I am sure you most of you know, he is also remembered as a prolific writer of Psalms — songs and poems that explore the full range of human emotion and our relationship with the divine. Unlike Moses, whose writings often focus on law and history, David’s work is intensely personal, lyrical, and designed to be felt as much as read.

Before we dive into some of his most memorable Psalms, a quick clarification: you may have heard of the Song of Solomon. While it is part of the Hebrew Bible, it is traditionally attributed to Solomon, not David. David’s contribution lies in his Psalms, which became a template for lyrical, devotional, and confessional poetry for generations.”

I am sure that you are familiar with Psalm 23 - one of his most famous works

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.


Support the show

Thank you for experiencing Celebrate Creativity.