Review
Having just studied the stories of Samuel and Saul and David for my Game of Thrones, Bible Edition series, I was intrigued to watch the new Amazon Prime series House of David. Through the first four episodes of season one, it hasn’t disappointed. In fact, it far exceeded my expectations.
The visuals are spectacular, the acting magnificent, and the writing superb. In my Burning Bush blogs I often include a section called Imagine, where I try to place myself in the mind of one of the characters. This series does that times 10,000.
House of David opens with King Saul’s decisive victory over the nasty Amalekites. Having reached the pinnacle of his military career, Saul wants everyone to know what he’s accomplished. This is contrasted with the humble beginnings of David’s life as a young shepherd relegated to obscurity in the foothills of Judea, while his brothers search for glory in Saul’s army. By the time the 4th episode ends, David has the dangerous job of soothing Saul’s spirit with music in his throne room while Saul’s men are attempting to hunt down the man Samuel has anointed as Saul’s replacement, not knowing he’s in the capital wooing Saul’s daughter Michal under their noses.
I love the complexities displayed in these characters. Saul is torn between his ego, his fear of God, and his desire to please the heads of the tribes. The guy playing David can sing! I love David’s line at the end of the first episode: “I’m tired of waiting.” And Michal is captivating as the princess with a big heart, a stubborn mind of her own, and a fun playfulness.
I’ve seen some criticisms online, mainly from people who believe these accounts to be pure mythology. I admit I’m biased, but I think if you can set aside your disbelief and just enjoy the good storytelling, the action, and the intrigue, it’s an enjoyable ride. I highly recommend House of David from Amazon Prime.
Cast of Characters and Map
It’s a bit difficult to keep track of all the characters, but it made sense to me because of my recent studies. Therefore, I’ve provided a guide below, kind of like what an author might place at the back (or front) of an epic historical tale. And if you subscribe to my newsletter, I’ve created a beautiful PDF that documents the two royal houses and their relationships, which you can download for free. A preview of the chart can be viewed at the bottom of this post. Enjoy!
House of Saul
King Saul – The first king of a united tribes of Israel.
Queen Ahinoam – The wife of Saul. We don’t know much about her from Scripture. In the series, she is the rock that keeps the kingdom afloat after the king is cursed and struggling to function.
Jonathan – Warrior, prince, and firstborn son of Saul. Heir to the throne. Full of integrity and valor and love for God, he is torn between is faith and his loyalty to his father.
Ish-Bosheth – lazy younger brother, couldn’t be bothered to join in battle.
Click here to read spoiler about his future
After his father and brothers die, he is installed as king of the northern tribes, and heads up a short-lived civil war against the house of David
Michal – Daughter of Saul. We see a fledgling romance developing with young David in the first four episodes. Will they live happily ever after?
Spoiler Alert (click to expand)
David wins her in battle as his bride. She saves him from one of Saul’s attempts on his life. She is given to another man while David is on the run. After he gains power, he forcibly takes her back, and her love changes to disdain.
Mirab – The other daughter of Saul. We don’t know much about her from Scripture, but she has distinct personality in the series.
Other sons and a concubine – These exist in scripture, but are not portrayed in the first four episodes.
Abner – Commander of Saul’s forces. He is also Saul’s cousin by birth.
House of God
Samuel – The last great judge of Israel. Also a prophet and a seer. Not a great parent, but a devoted man of God.
Enemies
Agag – King of the evil Amalekites, captured by Saul, and killed by Samuel.
Achish – King of the Philistine stronghold of Gath.
Goliath – The giant from Gath. In the series, he is recruited as opposed to a native Philistine. The Bible doesn’t claim this, but it is possible that the remaining giants in the world became mercenaries. There is record of one of David’s mighty men slaying an Egyptian giant too.
The lion – In the Bible, David does claim to Saul to have killed a lion and a bear. Did the beast kill his mother? Did David kill the lion with his bare hands?
House of David
David – The young star of the show and the series. The youngest of 8 brothers. A lowly shepherd. Anointed future king of the tribes of Israel.
Jesse – Father of David. David is often referred to as David, the son of Jesse. Other than the fact that David is the youngest, the Bible doesn’t say why Jesse relegated him to the fields with the sheep.
Avva – Appears to be a younger sister of David in the television show? He did have a sister named Abigail. I’m not sure if this is who Avva is supposed to be. It’s likely Abigail was older than David based on the fact that she was the mother of a future commander, but not impossible that this was Abigail’s age.
Eliab – The oldest brother of David, and a proficient warrior of Judah. Spoke angrily to David before David confronted Goliath.
Abinadab and Shammah – Two additional older brothers listed as present when David took on Goliath.
Other older brothers – Shimea, Nethanel, Raddai, Ozem.
Joab – A ruthless, conniving, ambitious warrior. He was David’s nephew through an older sister, but calls David “cousin” in the TV series. Joab becomes the loyal commander of David’s forces, and his right-hand man and fixer.
Scriptural Accuracy
Worried about how accurately the show portrays the events surrounding these two men? While the producers admit there were some liberties taken, I was pleased at the high level of consistency with Scripture. Also encouraging is that Greg Laurie, made famous in Jesus Revolution, also supports the show.
Many quotes are taken directly from the Bible, such as Samuel’s words to Agag before he slays the monstrous Amalekite. The characters line up quite well with the biblical account; in fact, it’s fascinating to see the personalities of these individuals unfold and interact on screen. The traits assigned to them make sense and add intriguing nuance to the story.
There are, however, a few possible deviations from reality added for theatrical effect:
- A preview of David’s showdown with Goliath has the young Hebrew wounded by a spear.
- David is portrayed as only a half-brother of the others. Furthermore, he is shown as an out of wedlock child of a non-Hebrew woman.
- David’s mother was killed by a lion when he was a youngster in the show.
- Mighty Joab is a member of Abner’s elite forces. This is plausible, but it seems the actual Joab would have been too young for this to fit. Also, Joab will have to switch sides in a future episode to follow David (although David is his kin).
- Goliath and the other giants are shown as living in exile/hiding before the Philistine leader uncovers them. Possible, but Scripture doesn’t say anything about Goliath not being a native Philistine.
- Agag and the Amalekites are portrayed as blood-drinking cannibals. Possible, but not mentioned in the Bible. However, the Amalekites were horrible people, preying on exposed women and children. A descendent of Agag even attempted a genocide of the Hebrew people (see the story of Haman and Esther).
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