Not allowed to rot.

Psalm 16.10.

Previously I referred to King David ben Jesse as “the prophet David.” Somebody actually tried to correct me for saying so. I remind you a prophet is someone who hears God and shares what he hears: By that metric David’s obviously a prophet. Considering all the Spirit-inspired psalms he wrote, David’s got more actual prophecy in the bible than Elijah and Elisha combined.

Jesus recognized David as a prophet, Lk 20.41-44 and taught his students to do likewise. Ac 2.30 This is why the apostles had no problem using David for proof texts when they taught about Jesus. One verse they particularly liked to use was David’s line, lo-tittén khacídkha li-reót šakhát/“You don’t give [over] your beloved to see rottenness.” Or in better English, “You don’t allow your beloved to rot.” Ps 16.10 Both Simon Peter and Paul of Tarsus quoted it in Acts—Peter in chapter 2, Paul in 13.

Acts 2.22-28 KWL

22 “Men of Israel, listen to these words! Jesus the Nazarene is a man endorsed by God to you

by power, wondrous things, and miracles which God did through him in your midst,

just as you know personally.

23 This Jesus, by the decided counsel and foreknowledge of God,

was given into lawless Roman hands, crucified, and killed.

24 But God raised Jesus up, loosing death’s pains.

For it’s impossible for Jesus to be held by death.

25 For David spoke of him: ‘I foresee the Master before me, throughout all.

Because he’s at my right hand, lest I might be shaken.

26 For this reason my heart rejoices and my tongue exults. Again: My flesh will dwell in hope,

27 because you won’t abandon my soul to the afterlife, nor allow your Righteous One to rot.

28 You make the road of life known to me. You’ll fill me with joy with your face.’ ” Ps 16.8-11

Acts 13.34-37 KWL

34 “Because God raised Jesus from the dead, no longer to go back to rotting,

he said this: ‘I’ll give you the righteous, faithful David.’ Is 55.3

35 Because David also said in another place,

‘You won’t allow your Righteous One to rot.’ “ Ps 16.10

When Jesus died, he was only dead two days before the Father raised him the third day. His corpse wasn’t in the sepulcher long enough for decay to happen. So Jesus’s situation sounds exactly like this line from David’s psalm. To the apostles and their listeners, Jesus absolutely fulfilled it. Better than David himself.

Acts 2.29-30 KWL

29 “Men—brothers—if I may boldly speak to you about the patriarch David:

He died, was entombed, and his monument is among us to this day.

30 Thus, as a prophet, knowing God swore an oath to him—

one from the fruit of David’s loins is to sit on his throne—

31 he who foresaw, spoke about Messiah’s resurrection:

He’s neither left behind in the afterlife, nor did his body rot.

32 God raised this Jesus. All us apostles are his witnesses.”

Acts 13.36-37 KWL

36 “After serving God’s will to his own generation, David ‘slept,’ was gathered to his ancestors,

and rotted— 37 and Jesus, whom God raised, didn’t rot.”

Now. Because your average Christian nowadays doesn’t understand how fulfillment works in the bible, they immediately assume David’s psalm is a specific prophecy about Jesus. It’s actually not, as you can tell when you actually read the psalm.