Introduction: Death and Dynastic Transition in the Deuteronomistic History
1 Kings 2:10 marks the conclusion of King David’s life and the formal transition to Solomon’s reign. The verse reads:
וַיִּשְׁכַּ֥ב דָּוִ֖ד עִם־אֲבֹתָ֑יו וַיִּקָּבֵ֖ר בְּעִ֥יר דָּוִֽד׃
And David lay with his fathers, and he was buried in the City of David.
This verse utilizes two wayyiqtol verb forms (וַיִּשְׁכַּב, וַיִּקָּבֵר) in a sequential narrative formula that appears repeatedly throughout Kings and Chronicles to mark the death of a monarch. The language is stylized, conveying both theological and dynastic continuity through grammar and idiom. This formula is not merely a historical record; it encodes covenantal themes and royal ideology.
Grammatical Feature Analysis: Wayyiqtol and Idiomatic Death Formulae
The first verb וַיִּשְׁכַּב is a qal wayyiqtol 3ms form of שׁ־כ־ב (“to lie down”). In context, this is a euphemism for death and is frequently used in royal death notices. The accompanying phrase עִם־אֲבֹתָיו (“with his fathers”) is a standard Hebrew idiom for death, implying not only physical death but inclusion in the ancestral line and covenantal continuity.
The second verb וַיִּקָּבֵר is a nifal wayyiqtol 3ms form of ק־ב־ר (“to bury”). This verb follows sequentially, indicating narrative progression: after his death, David was buried. The location בְּעִיר דָּוִד (“in the City of David”) is both historical and symbolic, underscoring David’s significance in Jerusalem’s sanctification and in messianic expectation.
The wayyiqtol forms establish temporal succession and mark the closure of David’s reign. This structure is found in numerous royal summaries throughout Kings (e.g., 1 Kings 14:20; 15:8), and functions as a structural marker in the Deuteronomistic History to denote one king’s death and the rise of another.
Exegetical Implications of Formula and Syntax
The formula וַיִּשְׁכַּב… וַיִּקָּבֵר has both historical and theological implications. The verb שָׁכַב links the king to his ancestors, emphasizing dynastic succession and divine faithfulness to the Davidic line. It also echoes covenantal rest—David “lies down” in peace, his reign complete. This is consistent with the promise in 2 Samuel 7:12: “when your days are fulfilled and you lie down with your fathers…”
The burial in עִיר דָּוִד is not only geographical but ideological. The City of David becomes both tomb and throne—a sign of rooted kingship and sacred space. The use of the passive nifal verb וַיִּקָּבֵר may imply communal action or divine oversight in the king’s burial, consistent with honorific treatment of Israel’s righteous kings.
Cross-Linguistic and Literary Comparisons
In Akkadian royal inscriptions, kings are said to “sleep with their fathers” or “enter the house of eternity,” expressing similar euphemisms for death. Egyptian texts also use formulaic expressions to mark royal transitions, often involving burial in sacred precincts.
The Septuagint translates the Hebrew idiom וַיִּשְׁכַּב עִם־אֲבֹתָיו as ἐκοιμήθη Δαυὶδ μετὰ τῶν πατέρων αὐτοῦ (“David slept with his fathers”), preserving the idiomatic force. The Greek verb κοιμάομαι (“to sleep”) later becomes foundational in Christian eschatological language (e.g., 1 Thess 4:13).
Theological and Literary Significance of the Royal Death Formula
This short verse encapsulates an entire theological arc: from covenant to death to legacy. David’s lying with his fathers is not merely about mortality—it is about continuity. The formula reinforces the narrative theology of kingship in Israel: the king dies, but the covenant persists.
The paired wayyiqtol verbs carry forward the narrative with solemn finality. Yet the very structure points beyond David: to Solomon, to the Davidic hope, to the future messianic king who, like David, will die—but not remain buried. Thus, the verse functions both as a historical note and a literary hinge in biblical theology.
The Syntax of Succession: Grammar and Kingship in 1 Kings 2:10
1 Kings 2:10 uses the wayyiqtol sequence and Hebrew idiom to declare more than David’s death—it announces the theological stability of YHWH’s covenant with David. The grammar of this short verse affirms succession, sacred geography, and ancestral rest. In this way, biblical syntax becomes the architecture of royal theology, framing the rise and fall of kings within the enduring structure of divine promise.
