The story of David is the greatest single narrative representation in antiquity of a human life evolving by slow stages through time. In its main character it provides the first full-length portrait of a Machiavellian prince in Western literature. The beautiful, musical David, the resourceful slayer of Goliath, loved by all, reveals himself as a calculating political animal. To advance his own cause, he becomes a collaborator with the archenemies of Israel, the Philistines. Later he commits adultory with Bathsheba and compounds the betrayal with murder. He exposes himself repeatedly to humiliation, oscillates between noble sentiment and harsh vindictiveness, and with his dying breath charges his son Solomon to wreak bloody vengeance on his enemies. This translation and commentary enables a great literary work to emerge from the Bible and stand on its own.