Ruth Rabbah (8:13) compares David to a diamond that a King once dropped in the sand. To recover it, he had to call many workers to sift and sieve the sand grain by grain. It also compares him to Avaraham. “The Holy One Blessed Be He said to Abraham: “Go you yourself out of your land. It is you who I was waiting for? Why did I need to list your genealogies – Shem, Arpachshad, Shelach, Eber, Peleg, Nachor, Terach”. Only for you – ‘Avram he is Abraham’, “ (of who it says) “You found his heart faithful before You”. This is what the Holy One said to David. Why did I need to list your genealogies – Peretz, Chetzron, Ram, Aminadav, Nachshon, Salmon, Boaz, Oved, Ishai? Only for you – “I found David my servant”.” Abraham was a diamond that represents the end of long process of sifting and selecting, rejection and election. So also is David. What is common to both is the sifting and the election. Just Avraham was the beginning of the Jewish people, David was the beginning of Jewish Royalty.
This may be why the same term is applied to both.
In the Jewish prayerbook, the term "Shield of David" appears at the end of the "Samkhaynu/Gladden us" blessing, which is recited after the reading of the Haftara . The term refers directly to God, who shielded the Biblical David in battle and during his flight from Saul. The term may be loosely based on Psalm 18, which is attributed to David, and in which God is compared to a shield (v. 31 and v. 36).
A similar term, "Shield of Abraham" appears in the first blessing of the "Amida" prayer, based on Genesis 15:1, where God promises to shield Abraham.
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