David was born to a very prominent family. Yishay, David’s father was among the four people that the reason of their death is described: ‘because of the serpent’, the sin of Adam. Otherwise, they were so clean from sin, that there was no reason for them to die. (The other three are: Benjamin, Amram-Moses father, and Kilav- King David’s son).

The Talmud tells us that wherever Yishay was going, he was escorted by delegations of thousands of people, in his honor. (Yevamot 76).

BUT..

David was the youngest of eight sons, born to Yishay and Nitzevet. After his seventh son, Yishay was once again not certain he is allowed to be with Nitzevet. (-Explanation below)

The Israelites are prohibited to marry a husband of the Moab nation (even a convert), as the Bible states in the Book of Devarim (23): “An Ammonite or Moabite shall not enter the assembly of the Lord; even the tenth generation shall never enter the assembly of the Lord. Because they did not greet you with bread and water on the way, when you left Egypt, and because he [the people of Moab] hired Balaam the son of Beor from Pethor in Aram Naharaim against you, to curse you.”

Although the law was decided that only to marry a ‘Moabite husband’ is prohibited, after the seventh son Yishay was again not certain about that (women were allowed, since it was not their duty to bring over the bred and water), therefore decided to stop his marital relations with Nitzevet and married another woman.

The second wife was a righteous woman, and let Nitzevet be withYishay in the night without his knowledge.

– That is the reason David was despised by his brothers, who suspected him to be a child out of the marriage, ‘bastard’. (His status is ‘Ben Temurah’, a person who is born, from an action of procreation while the man thinks about a different woman than the one he is at that time.).

When Shmuel the prophet searches for the future king of Israel at the house of Yishay, the latter doesn’t even bother to present David. One by one Samuel rejects the seven brothers, then he needs to encourage Yishay (Samuel 1, 16) “And Samuel said to Jesse, “Are these all the young men?” And he said, “The youngest still remains, and behold, he is tending the sheep.” And Samuel said to Jesse, “Send and bring him, for we shall not sit down until he comes here.“” – In it’s Hebrew form “עוד הקטן” is also translated “there is a small one” “not important”…. at that time David is twenty eight years old..