Notably, this small group of characters all fall into either the family of Abraham (Sarah, in Genesis 12:11 and 12:14; Rebecca, in Genesis 24:16; Rachel, in Genesis 29:17; and Joseph, in Genesis 39:6) or the family of David (David, in 1 Samuel 16:12 and 17:42; Abigail, in 1 Samuel 25:3; Batsheva, in 2 Samuel 11:2; Tamar, the daughter of David, in 2 Samuel 13:1; Avshalom, in 2 Samuel 14:25; Tamar, the daughter of Avshalom, in 2 Samuel 14:27; and Avishag, in 1 Kings 1:3-4).
*The books of Samuel are unique in that they contain the most embodied descriptions of appearance generally, and these descriptions are interrelated.
David is surrounded by beauty; genetically speaking his brothers are understood to be well-favored physically, his wives are quite striking - in some cases they are “chosen” for their beauty (Bathsheva, Avishag) - and his children are notably beautiful, both male and female alike. An apt comparison would be that “the house of David is the Kennedy clan of its time.”
But despite this preponderance of beautiful people populating these stories, the message the text presents on physical beauty is inconsistent. What makes David so well-favored is explicitly stated not to be his outward appearance (in fact, rather than making him extraordinary, in this cast of characters it nearly makes him ordinary). The moral the text points to again and again is God’s incomparable ability to see to the heart of a person or a matter, rather than the surface presentation.
How should a reader interpret the text’s mixed message that looks are not a clear indication of character, when all the good characters are good looking?
(ו) וַיְהִ֣י בְּבוֹאָ֔ם וַיַּ֖רְא אֶת־אֱלִיאָ֑ב וַיֹּ֕אמֶר אַ֛ךְ נֶ֥גֶד יְהֹוָ֖ה מְשִׁיחֽוֹ׃ (ז) וַיֹּ֨אמֶר יְהֹוָ֜ה אֶל־שְׁמוּאֵ֗ל אַל־תַּבֵּ֧ט אֶל־מַרְאֵ֛הוּ וְאֶל־גְּבֹ֥הַּ קוֹמָת֖וֹ כִּ֣י מְאַסְתִּ֑יהוּ כִּ֣י ׀ לֹ֗א אֲשֶׁ֤ר יִרְאֶה֙ הָאָדָ֔ם כִּ֤י הָאָדָם֙ יִרְאֶ֣ה לַעֵינַ֔יִם וַיהֹוָ֖ה יִרְאֶ֥ה לַלֵּבָֽב׃
(6) When they arrived and he [Samuel] saw Eliav, he thought: “Surely the Eternal’s anointed stands before us.” (7) But the Eternal said to Samuel, “Pay no attention to his appearance or his stature, for I have rejected him. For not as mortals see [does the Eternal see]; mortals see only what is visible, but the Eternal sees into the heart.”
How do you imagine King David looked, based on this opening description?
וַיֹּ֧אמֶר יְהֹוָ֛ה ק֥וּם מְשָׁחֵ֖הוּ כִּי־זֶ֥ה הֽוּא׃
(12) So they sent and brought him [David]. He was ruddy/red-haired/rosy-cheeked, with beautiful eyes, and good looking. And the Eternal said, “Rise and anoint him, for this is the one.”
How do David's looks affect the way others see him?
(יח) וַיַּ֩עַן֩ אֶחָ֨ד מֵהַנְּעָרִ֜ים וַיֹּ֗אמֶר הִנֵּ֨ה רָאִ֜יתִי בֵּ֣ן לְיִשַׁי֮ בֵּ֣ית הַלַּחְמִי֒ יֹדֵ֣עַ נַ֠גֵּ֠ן וְגִבּ֨וֹר חַ֜יִל וְאִ֧ישׁ מִלְחָמָ֛ה וּנְב֥וֹן דָּבָ֖ר וְאִ֣ישׁ תֹּ֑אַר וַיהֹוָ֖ה עִמּֽוֹ׃ (כא) וַיָּבֹ֤א דָוִד֙ אֶל־שָׁא֔וּל וַֽיַּעֲמֹ֖ד לְפָנָ֑יו וַיֶּאֱהָבֵ֣הֽוּ מְאֹ֔ד וַֽיְהִי־ל֖וֹ נֹשֵׂ֥א כֵלִֽים׃
(18) One of [King Saul's] attendants spoke up, “I have observed a son of Jesse the Bethlehemite who is skilled in music; he is a valiant soldier and a warrior, sensible in speech, and handsome in appearance, and the Eternal is with him...” (21) So David came to Saul and stood before him; and he [Saul] loved him immediately and made him one of his arms-bearers.
(מב) וַיַּבֵּ֧ט הַפְּלִשְׁתִּ֛י וַיִּרְאֶ֥ה אֶת־דָּוִ֖ד וַיִּבְזֵ֑הוּ כִּֽי־הָיָ֣ה נַ֔עַר וְאַדְמֹנִ֖י עִם־יְפֵ֥ה מַרְאֶֽה׃
(42) When [Goliath] the Philistine looked and saw David, and he despised him, for he was just a boy, and ruddy/red-haired/rosy-cheeked with pretty features.