Prime Video’s immensely popular seriesHouse of Davidblends historical records with modern storytelling. Great care and attention to detail have been taken by the writers to match the Biblical accounts as much as possible, and it shows.House of Davidincludes some fascinating meta-factsthatmay not be part of the main plot points, but they are still fascinating, and cleverly included in the series.
Like aMarvelfan finding aStan Leecameo, or aMinecraftaficionado noting gaming Easter eggs inA Minecraft Movie, those familiar withDavid(Michael Iskander)’s story will get a kick out of knowing these small, but interesting components are mentioned in the series. For first-time viewers, it is all the more intriguing to know thatthe writers did a deep-diveinto the source material and incorporatedunique aspects of the charactersthat other productions leave out. Here are 7 meta-facts from the Bible that are inHouse of David.
House of David
And three of them have names.
The giant named Goliath(Martyn Ford) was from Gath and stood over nine feet tall. (1 Samuel 17:4), He had four brothers and three are namedLahmi,Ishbi-Benob, andSaph(2 Samuel 21:16-22). One of them is noted as having six fingers on each hand and six toes on each foot. They were theoffspring of supernatural originswhen fallen angels intermixed with human women.
The Bible mentionsthree subsets of giant people groups, Nephilim, Rephaim, and Anakim. Goliath and his brothers were part of the Rephaim or Rapha. Some scholars believe the races of giants were differentiated by their genetic makeup, and some by their location or geographical place of origin. Either way, there appears to be enough variation that separate classifications were necessary. And facing any one of them in battle would have been daunting!
6Samuel’s Backstory
All the details are true.
Brought to life inHouse of Davidby the immensely talentedStephen Lang, the prophetSamuelwas destined for greatness, even before he could walk or talk. Samuel’s mother,Hannah, did not have any children, but she desperately wanted them. One year, during an annual trip to the temple with her husband,she prayed so desperately and passionately that Eli the priest thought she was drunk, which is mentioned in the show (1 Samuel 1:9-13).
Hannah promised that if she was given a child she would dedicate him to the Lord and no razor would cut his hair, so seeing Samuel with long hair while most of the men have short hair is a great attention to detail.
After Hannah’s prayer was answered and she gave birth to Samuel, she took him to live with the priests at the temple when he was weaned, so probably a toddler like Lang mentions in episode seven, “David and Goliath Part 1”. And his mother would make him clothes and bring them to him every year when she visited (1 Samuel 1:24-28, 19). The writers ofHouse of Daviduse this meta-fact as a great bonding moment between Samuel and David, asthey both recognize the significant impact their mothers have had on their lives.
5Saul and David Were Both Livestock Farmers
Their appointments to the throne were by God, not genetics.
InHouse of David, the audience is takenon David’s journey from farmboy to king. The series follows him as a humble shepherd with a complicated relationship with his family. He is banished to the hills to watch sheep by his father,Jesse(Louis Ferreira).
While this detail of David’s life is correct (1 Samuel 16:11) it is alsoan interesting commonality between David and the current king, Saul(Ali Suliman). Saul, however, herded donkeys, not sheep (1 Samuel 9:2-3), ashe mentions in episode 6 “Giants Awakened”. These similar backgrounds make their appointment to rule even more important because they were selected by God to be king.They received the authority to rule a nation not by birth, status, or military conquest, but by divine intervention.But coming from nothing to becoming royalty is a drastic life change and the allure of wealth and power can corrupt anyone.
A nuanced and significant scene comes in episode 5, “The Wolf and the Lion,” when David and Saul talk about being anointed as king. This exchange is even more layered because Saul does not yet know that it is David who has been chosen to be his successor. As Saul stares at the empty throne, he says, “This chair that every man dreams about. It changes you sitting there.”
4David’s Music Was the Only Thing That Would Calm Saul
He was handsome and a good singer.
David was a man of many talents. He was not only brave but eloquent, and he would go onto write over 70 poetic psalms in the Bible. He was also a talented musician, handsome, and had attractive features (1 Samuel 16:12). When Saul was disobedient to God the Spirit of God left him and he was afflicted with an evil spirit instead. Saul’s servants suggested that musicians should be summoned to help ease his mind and one of them recommended David (1 Samuel 16:14-18).
AsHouse of Davidfollows the chronological order of events, David was anointed by the prophet Samuel to be king of Israel and then summoned to play music for Saul.The series does a great job of exploring the whirlwind of emotions that must have been going through their minds.David was now serving in the palace and for the throne that he was destined to inherit. David’s music helped Saul greatly and brought him momentary peace (1 Samuel 16:23). But as the story unfolds Saul’s selfish rage and jealousy would not be appeased as easily.
3Jonathan’s Victory
He took on an army.
One character who hasn’t had a chance to shine too much in the first seasonis Jonathan (Ethan Kai). As the son of Saul, he was the supposed heir and if Saul’s actions hadn’t altered the trajectory of his lineage,he would have ruled in place of his father as king. Jonathan is fiercely loyal and brave. IfHouse of Davidcontinues with the fantastic writing and attention to detail,Jonathan’s loyalty will be put to the test on whether he chooses to serve God or man.
In episode 7, “David and Goliath Part 1”, Abner (Oded Fehr) references an incident when Jonathan’s bravery was put to the test, and he passed with amazing stamina. When facing the Philistines in battle, Saul’s disobedience almost cost them the war and their lives. Jonathan summoned his armor-bearer and the two of them snuck up on one of the encampments. After waiting for a sign from God,they took on 20 warriors without backup(1 Samuel 14:1-14).
This victory isa great insight into Jonathan’s character. His faith was so strong that he knew numbers didn’t matter and that it was truly God who was in control of the outcome. It is also a great example of how different he and his father, Saul, were when choices of faith and obedience were important. Hopefully audiences will get to see Jonathan’s journey more in the second season.
2Saul and Spearing People
He got very suspicious and stabby.
Ali Suliman, known for his roles inLone SurvivorandBody of Liesis perfection as the tormented and tumultuous Saul.Suliman captures the inner storm of emotions and suspicionsas Saul’s life and sanity begin to unravel. The first-ever king started to mistrust everyone around him, even those he was closest to.He would sit in his house with a spear in his hand(1 Samuel 19:9).He tried to spear David twice (1 Samuel 18:11,1 Samuel 19:10), and his son Jonathan (1 Samuel 20:33).
This erratic behavior was another clear sign of just how far Saul’s mental state had deteriorated. His innate feelings of jealousy, envy, and fear fermented inside him andthe worst parts of his character took overtowards the end of his life. Suliman has already given a captivating performance and watching him bring Saul’s descent to the screen will be riveting.
1David Cut Off Goliath’s Head
With his own sword!
Most peoplefamiliar with the storyknow that Davidused a sling and a small stone to subdue the giant Goliath(1 Samuel 17:49). What is less commonly known or shown in most depictions is that after knocking the large warrior unconscious,David picked up Goliath’s sword and cut off his head(1 Samuel 17:51).
This moment is fascinating not only because of the sheer strength it would have taken to lift Goliath’s sword, but becauseDavid had told Goliath that is exactly what he was going to do(1 Samuel 17:46). All the gathered armies would have scoffed at such a bold declaration from the young shepherd, but they soon wouldn’t believe their eyes as they saw it all played out in front of them just as he predicted.
The choice to include this scene is one of the reasonsHouse of Davidis getting all the noteworthy buzz and rave reviews it so rightfully deserves. Taking care to include details and interesting anecdotes adds depth and commitment to a portrayal and is something that all the best biopics include. New and seasoned audiences to the story of Davidcan look forward to more meta-factsand phenomenal performances as this great new series goes on.
NEXT: ‘House of David’ Season 2 Is Already One Step Closer to Our Screens Following the Finale
