The early life of the lad who tended sheep, slew Goliath and became king of ancient Judah and all of the Israel according to the Hebrew Bible comes to the screen in the robust, pious and playful “David.”

The debut animated feature from faith-based Angel Studios (“Truth & Treason,” “Sound of Freedom”), which also produced the animated “King of Kings” and “Young David” TV series of a couple of years back, is a polished and beautifully animated musical with Christian pop artists Phil Wickham, Jonas Myrin andBrandon Engman and Israeli pop singer Miri Mesika pitching in on lyrics to Joseph Trapanese’s tunes.

We meet young David (Engman) as he tends his flocks outside of Bethlehem, a brave, bushy-browed Chalamet-looking lad with the guts to go up against a lion to save his sheep and a song in his heart to celebrate whenever his faith helps him overcome his fear.

“Doesn’t it make you feel more alive?” he sings, noting that anything or anyone fighting him is fighting his God as well.

But David’s family is visited by the prophet Samuel (Brian Stivale), a sage old man who is sure one particular son of the House of Jesse (his parents aren’t seen) has been “chosen by God” to be the next King of Judah. King Saul?

“His love of the crown has consumed him,” Samuel admits. “There is a darkness over the land.”

David wants nothing to do with this “chosen” business, and when he’s summoned to see Saul, his family figures word is out and a threat to the House of Saul is about to be eliminated. But all the despairing, restless king (Adam Michael Gold) wants is music to lift his spirits. David plays a lyre and croons a little Israelite pop to soothe Saul’s soul.

Then the Philistines, led by sneering, preening King Achish (Asim Chaudhry) invade and their “champion” Goliath (Kamran Nikhad) challenges Saul, his son Jonathan (Mark Jacobson) or a fighter of their choice to single combat.

No worries, David will do it!

“Imgine the biggest human you’ve ever seen,” a brother warns him.

“OK.”

“Now imagine somebody ATE him!”

The animated design of the towering, sinister and sentient Goliath is one of the crown jewels in this animated treat. Tall, pale and slightly microcephalic, he’s The Addams Family’s Lurch on steroids. No kidding, he looks like the actor Ted Cassidy who played Lurch on TV.

The comically wide Samuel, amusingly drawn frumpy relatives and friends, desert scavengers and sheep give this account of David before Bathsheba a playful look to go along with lighthearted asides — “I know, right?” — and upbeat, servicable tunes.

David exults in his carefree life before being “chosen,” and learns of God’s plan for him through the weaving of a tapestry by his future second wife, Anihoam (Katie Bernstein), who sings (Mesika does the singing) “every thread has a purpose…you’re part of this tapestry.”

The script may not pass for history or even literal Biblical myth, as characters are left out, historical complications (Saul’s murderous jealousy is played up, his marrying David to his daughter ignored). But any Biblical movie has to winnow out verse upon verse of “begats” and characters to be rendered filmable.

You can hunt for “agenda” and parse how the Israelites are designed vs. the Philistines or Moabites are presented — severe features, etc. — but “David” manages to avoid any obvious pitfalls.

It comes off, it plays and it entertains. And the impressive, high-end Sunrise Animation Studio production values — realistic landscapes, clever character designs and tje scale of a capital city under construction (Gibeah, pre-Jerusalem) — are just the icing on the cake.

Rating: PG

Cast: The voices of Brandon Engman, Phil Wickhman, Katie Bernstein, Kamran Nikhad, Brian Stivale, Ashley Boettcher, Asim Chaudry and Adam Michael Gold.

Credits: Directed by Phil Cunningham and Brent Dawes, scripted by Brent Dawes, Kyle Portbury and Sam Wilson, taken from the Book of Samuel. An Angel Studios release.

Running time: 1:51