Editing David (section)

===Psalms===
[[File:Psautier de Paris, MSS. gr. 139, fol. 1v.jpg|thumb|David Composing the Psalms, [[Paris Psalter]], 10th century<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_Caqa12aj55wC|title=The Glory of Byzantium: Art and Culture of the Middle Byzantine Era, A.D. 843–1261|editor1=Helen C. Evans|editor2=William W. Wixom|date=5 March 1997|publisher=Metropolitan Museum of Art|access-date=5 March 2018|via=Internet Archive|page=[https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_Caqa12aj55wC/page/n114 86]|isbn=9780870997778}}</ref>]]
The [[Book of Samuel]] calls David a skillful harp (lyre) player<ref>{{bibleverse|1 Samuel|16:15–18|NIV}}</ref> and "the sweet psalmist of Israel."{{efn|1=Other translations say, "the hero of Israel's songs", "the favorite singer of Israel", "the contented psalm writer of Israel", and "Israel's beloved singer of songs".<ref>{{cite web |url=http://biblehub.com/2_samuel/23-1.htm |title=2 Samuel 23:1 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170727014338/http://biblehub.com/2_samuel/23-1.htm |archive-date=2017-07-27 }}</ref>}} Yet, while almost half of the [[Psalms]] are headed "A Psalm of David" (also translated as "to David" or "for David") and tradition identifies several with specific events in David's life (e.g., [[Psalm 3|Psalms 3]], [[Psalm 7|7]], [[Psalm 18|18]], [[Psalm 34|34]], [[Psalm 51|51]], [[Psalm 52|52]], [[Psalm 54|54]], [[Psalm 56|56]], [[Psalm 57|57]], [[Psalm 59|59]], [[Psalm 60|60]], [[Psalm 63|63]] and [[Psalm 142|142]]),<ref>Commentary on II Samuel 22, The Anchor Bible, Vol. 9. ''II Samuel''. [[P. Kyle McCarter, Jr.]], 1984. New York: Doubleday. {{ISBN|0-385-06808-5}}</ref> the headings are late additions and no psalm can be attributed to David with certainty.<ref name="McKenzie_on_David">{{cite web |url=http://www.bibleinterp.com/articles/McKensie_020301.shtml |author=Steven McKenzie |title=King David: A Biography |website=The Bible and Interpretation |url-status=dead |archive-date=2012-06-21 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20120621040818/http://www.bibleinterp.com/articles/McKensie_020301.shtml}}</ref>

Psalm 34 is attributed to David on the occasion of his escape from [[Abimelech]] (or King [[Achish]]) by pretending to be insane.<ref>Psalm 34, ''Interlinear NIV Hebrew-English Old Testament'', Kohlenberger, J.R, 1987. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan Publishing House {{ISBN|0-310-40200-X}}</ref> According to the parallel narrative in 1 Samuel 21, instead of killing the man who had exacted so many casualties from him, Abimelech allows David to leave, exclaiming, "Am I so short of madmen that you have to bring this fellow here to carry on like this in front of me? Must this man come into my house?"<ref>{{bibleverse|1 Samuel|21:15|NIV}}</ref>