This article discusses the figure of David, king of Israel, and the way in which, through the use of typological symbolism, he was summoned as a model and prefiguration for some Christian rulers in the twelfth and thirteenth centuries: Sverrir Sigurðarson portrayed himself as the “David of Norway”; Louis IX was compared to David for his Christian virtues; for John Lackland the comparison emphasized the electivity of the English monarchy; finally, Frederick II, the universal emperor and Lord’s anointed, presented himself in Jerusalem as king David’s legitimate heir and successor.