House of David Season 1 Episode 3: Recap, Review, & Analysis
Amazon's House of David series leans into the supernatural elements found in the Bible in Episode 3 of Season 1 (The Anointing), establishing even more firmly the show’s mythic tone. While Episode 3 is less action-packed than the previous two episodes, the episode keeps us engaged with a mixture of world-building, interpersonal drama, and complex characterization. Below I will recap what happens in Episode 3 of House of David (*SPOILERS*), review the episode, and analyze some of the key themes. [Also check out my reviews for Episode 1 here and Episode 2 here]
What Happened in House of David Season 1 Episode 3 (The Anointing)
Episode 3 contains several storylines which are thematically tied (more on that in my analysis):
Ahinoam in House of David Season 1 Episode 3
Episode 3 opens with a disturbing dream/nightmare sequence. Saul sees a candle in his room dripping with blood and hears the voice of Samuel calling him to let go. He then sees a younger version of his wife, Ahinoam, caring for a baby Jonathan – but this initially reassuring image takes a dark turn as dream-Ahinoam declares that Jonathan will never be king. We shift to a desert-like camp, with Samuel walking through it, as Saul promises to make amends. Again, we shift to a battle-field, where Saul takes an arrow from Achish – and then watches as Jonathan takes an even more fatal arrow (a foreboding of the Battle of Mount Gilboa described in 1 Samuel 31). As Saul holds Jonathan, Samuel walks up and takes the crown, calling him to let go of what is no longer his. In response Saul declares that the crown is his and in wrath hurls a spear at Samuel. Only the dream has ended – and instead of hurling a spear at Samuel, Saul has impaled his young servant, Yoshia, just as Ahinoam enters his chamber.
Forced to deal with the aftermath, Ahinoam meets with Yoshia’s peasant mother, who struggles to understand how her son was violently killed even though he wasn’t a soldier. Ahinoam covers up Saul’s part and claims that Yoshia dove in front of his master to save Saul from an assassin. She offers the poor mother her personal bedside Scriptures (“I am with you. I will never forsake or abandon you” – a paraphrase of Deuteronomy 31:8) and vows to carry her suffering as if she herself was responsible. Yoshia’s mother is floored by the sacred gift and doesn’t perceive the irony – the house of Saul is indeed responsible for her son’s death and Ahinoam is not giving her something she holds sacred – she is casting away her last connection to the God that she believes has abandoned her.
Meanwhile, as Saul’s children sit around, Eshbaal callously questions why the others are crying over the death of a single servant boy, when hundreds of others have already been sacrificed in battle to advance the power of their family. Given the benefits that Yoshia’s mother will receive, he considers it the best thing that could have happened to her. When Jonathan lashes out at him, insisting this is why he will never be king, Eshbaal shrugs him off, wondering what Saul will do to Jonathan when he inevitably has to seize the crown.
Saul is personally shaken up by the events and swears to Ahinoam that he would have never hurt Yoshia on purpose. Ahinoam assures Saul that Samuel is the one to blame for what happened, not him, and she promises to take care of everything.
Ahinoam meets with Abner and inquires about his mother, who we learn is a spiritist/medium in Endor. Abner cautions her against seeking a remedy through witchcraft that may be worse than the illness itself – he abandoned his mother’s practices long ago when he saw what she became. He also reminds her that God has forbidden such things – but that has no bearing on Ahinoam, who cynically questions whether the many prohibitions proclaimed by the prophets are actually from God. In spite of his pleas, she insists that he take her to see a medium in Endor (most likely the one Saul himself will seek in 1 Samuel 28).
When they arrive in Endor, hooded and cloaked, the medium initially feigns ignorance and acts like a simple vendor. Even when Abner and Ahinoam reveal themselves, she hesitates, since Saul himself was responsible for outlawing the spiritists and mediums earlier in his reign (1 Samuel 28:3). But Ahinoam won’t take no for an answer and insists that the medium prove Saul’s past decision to be wrong. The medium relents and engages in magic incantations to Baal.
Later, Ahinoam returns home accompanied by the medium. When Jonathan asks his mother about her, she lies and claims that she is nothing more than an artisan. Jonathan also expresses concern over the fact that his mother no longer has her beside Scriptures, insisting that God rules their house and is the one who will restore Saul. Ahinoam pushes back that Saul rules the house and one day he will as well – but until then he needs to respect her.
The episode ends with Ahinoam accompanying Saul, now in his right mind, as he resumes his throne before the nobles of Israel. As Saul looks out on his followers, his herald proclaims his greatness and calls for his house to endure forever.
Samuel in House of David Season 1 Episode 3
In the aftermath of David and Eliab’s disastrous visit to Baal Hatzor in Episode 2, David prays for Eliab and is then called to help hold him down as Jesse and his other brothers remove the arrow and cauterize the wound with a hot iron. When David apologizes, Jesse gruffly replies that he needs no apologies, only obedience. David remains with Eliab and tries to soothe his pain with his music.
Samuel returns home to his wife, Hilah. God has told him to stop weeping for Saul, since he has chosen another (1 Samuel 16:1). But Samuel recognizes that what the Lord has called him to do will be considered treason. He also wonders if any of this would have happened if he had been a better father and raised sons who could lead people to God like he once did. Hilah laughs at the thought of calling God’s instructions treason and calls him to submit, since God alone is the great author of the story. She only hopes that the new king will prove to be a better one.
As Samuel travels with his assistant, Silas asks him about who they are going to anoint but he doesn’t know yet. When Silas reveals that his wife is set to give birth in less than a month, Samuel urges him to head back home, knowing that his current mission could bring with it a death sentence.
Arriving in Bethlehem, Samuel assures the local elders that he comes in peace (1 Samuel 16:4-5) but learns that Jesse is no longer welcomed among them because he fathered a b*****d child (David) with the daughter of an enemy (Nitzevet). Samuel laughs at God’s sense of humor and proceeds to Jesse’s homestead.
When Samuel arrives, Eliab cautions Jesse against trusting him, insisting that has gone mad. Samuel proceeds to inspect Jesse’s sons, beginning with Eliab, who he assumes must be the one that the Lord demands – until he senses the fear in his heart. Having passed each of them, he questions why Jesse has disobeyed and withheld one of his sons (1 Samuel 16:6-11). As Avva runs to get David, Samuel privately chides Jesse for being ashamed of what the Lord intends to magnify and hiding a great light. Meanwhile, Eliab worries that Samuel intends to kill David (ala the sacrifice of Isaac in Genesis 22) and considers striking first, but his brothers restrain him, insisting that he will only get himself killed.
When David arrives, Samuel receives him with honor. Examining his heart, Samuel is amazed by what he finds and explains that this is what the Lord looks at, not the outer appearance (1 Samuel 16:7). As David kneels, Saul anoints him with oil (1 Samuel 16:13). To their shock, Samuel explains that the Lord has rejected the house of Saul and claimed David as his royal son and the King of Israel.
Doeg in House of David Season 1 Episode 3
Following Saul’s directive to have Samuel tracked, Abner finds Doeg, an eccentric Edomite who experiments with animals. Contrary to Ahinoam’s orders, Abner tells Doeg only to track Samuel and find out who he is meeting with – not to kill anyone. Doeg points out that it would make more sense to persuade Samuel to lift the curse on Saul, conspicuously revealing that he has inside information about Saul’s condition.
Doeg travels to Nob and coaxes one of the priests there to point him toward Samuel. He then finds Silas, who is on his way back home, and pretends to be in search of a seer who can help him. When Silas perceives Doeg’s duplicity and tries to avoid answering, Doeg knocks him out and restrains him. After Silas awakens, Doeg threatens to torture him if he doesn’t reveal Samuel’s true location. Silas warns that he is a servant of the Most High, but Doeg shrugs that off, being a servant to nothing but his own ambition. Though Silas tries to placate his captor by sending him in the wrong direction, Doeg perceives the lie and proceeds to torture the young man.
Achish in House of David Season 1 Episode 3
Having discovered the giant attack on Baal Hatzor in Episode 2, Achish’s men lead him to the Valley of the Giants, where the giants are rumored to live. Descending into the valley, they pass a hill of skulls and Achish’s men caution him that no one returns from this place. Determined, Achish continues down the valley and eventually comes to a massive door in the side of a mountain. Approaching the door, he identifies himself and expresses his desire to befriend the Anakim. Orpah, the mother of the giants, allows him to enter but warns that none who enter return. Against the wishes of his men, Achish enters alone.
Inside the cave, Achish meets with Orpah and shows himself to be fluent in “the old tongue.” He offers an alliance between Gath and the Anakim but insists that he must speak to the father of the house. Orpah explains that this is impossible – unless he wishes to speak with the gods, which would almost certainly mean his death. Achish offers wealth, honor, worship, and peace with mortals – but most importantly, vengeance against the children of Israel who drove the Anakim out of Canaan (Joshua 15:13-14). Satisfied, Orpah introduces Achish to her giant sons, the great of which introduces himself as Goliath.
Review of House of David Season 1 Episode 3
Episode 3 accomplishes a lot and serves as a strong conclusion to the three-part premiere for House of David. A few elements that stood out to me:
Complex Characterization: Ahinoam is turning out to be one of my favorite characters of the show so far. The tension between her genuine care for Saul (and even for Yoshia’s mother) and her godless ambition is fascinating. We also get to see a little more complexity to Abner, who seems torn between his dedication to the house of Saul and his personal ethics. Making him the son of one of the witches of Endor is a surprising choice – I’m curious to see what the show intends to do with that. Oh, and I like Eliab’s reaction to Samuel’s arrival and his well-intentioned but misplaced desire to protect David.
Villains: Not all good characterization is about complexity. Eshbaal continues to be a total git, but one that plays an important role in stirring up drama in the house of Saul. Doeg is also a welcomed addition to the cast. Making Doeg a kind of nihilistic mad scientist/spy is an interesting choice and makes sense in light of his main function in the biblical story (1 Samuel 22:6-19). Bringing the witch of Endor into the story at an earlier point also strikes me as a wise move, given the important part she will eventually play.
World-building: Episode 3 amplifies the fantastical elements in the source material by making use of well-established mythic imagery and tropes (e.g. the hill of skulls, a door in the side of a mountain, phrases like “the old tongue”). This gives the world of House of David an organic sense of depth and familiarity.
Biblical remixing: As far as I know, there’s no reason to believe that David’s mother was a Gentile. But his great-grandmother, Ruth, and his great-great-grandmother, Rahab, were. There’s also no reason to believe that David was an illegitimate child. But his ancestor, Perez, was (Genesis 38). Instead of narrating the details of David’s family history, House of David appears to have drawn these elements forward and applied them more directly to his own birth. It thus conveys the theological point that we might get from studying David’s family tree (i.e. God brings about his purposes through the least expected people and sometimes even through their sin) but does so in a way that is more dramatic and present.
Stakes: Episode 3 more firmly establishes the dramatic conflict and high stakes for all the characters involved. The House of Saul is now firmly determined to hold onto power, even though it means transgressing even further and bringing down more wrath, Samuel is now firmly determined to execute God’s alternate plan, even though it means transgressing against Saul’s reign and bringing down his wrath, and David will finally now have a clear direction that he can pursue, even though it will mean bringing down wrath from Saul and his family.
Beginning and Ending: The opening sequence, ending in the unintentional murder of Yoshia was a riveting start to the episode. Likewise, the closing shot of Saul returning to his throne was beautifully done and quite an effective way to end this first batch of episodes.
Again, I enjoyed most of the performances, visuals, etc.
A couple critiques:
Achish’s journey: I like the concept of Achish going in search of the giants, but I think it could have been executed in a more dramatic fashion. Instead of having him just waltz in and get what he wanted without much opposition (other than some vague threats), it would have been more engaging and revealing if the giants were less receptive (e.g. maybe attacking them on the way and/or capturing him and his men) and if Achish was forced to do more to win them over (e.g. ruthless sacrificing his own men).
David’s Characterization: At this point, the House of David character I find myself least interested in is David himself. That’s not because of Michael Iskander’s performance. It’s because the show hasn’t really allowed him to have the same amount of complexity that it’s given to other characters. Early David may be a man who seeks after God, but he’s not perfect – the Bible offers several early hints at his selfish ambition (e.g. 1 Samuel 17:26, 18:26) and self-protective deceitfulness (1 Samuel 17:29-30, 1 Samuel 22:22). So far, the David of the show feels more pure than the David of Scripture. But the issue may be due more to execution. In these first three episodes, David goes through a lot (defeating a lion, only to get slapped by his Dad, witnessing violence and death for the first time, almost causing the death of his brother, and again getting rebuked harshly by his father) but gets relatively little time to process through what he’s thinking and feeling. We see him sing, but for those who don’t know Hebrew, his songs only communicate vague emotion. It would be helpful if David was able to confide in his younger sister, Avva, or if we saw him express emotion in other concrete ways.
The Giant Origins: I am totally onboard with the supernatural interpretation of Genesis 6:1-4 (i.e. that it refers to fallen spirits mingling with human women, not kings taking multiple wives or Sethites mingling with Cainites or Adamites mingling with neanderthals). But Orpah’s words to Achish suggest that Goliath and his siblings are themselves the direct result of such a union. What the Bible actually says is that Goliath and his siblings are “descendents of giants” (e.g. 1 Chronicles 20:8), not that they were first generation giants. I think the show wants both to be true – they are descended from the giant Anak through their mother but also have a god/spirit for a father. But, if that was the case, it seems like the biblical text would probably just call them giants. It doesn’t actually bother me – they are probably intentionally simplifying things – but I just wanted to point it out.
Key Themes of House of David Season 1 Episode 3
Episode 3 of House of David is full of interesting themes, including:
God is Funny
The refrain “God is funny” comes up several times in Samuel’s storyline. At first, Samuel is a little aghast after he tells Hilah that God is calling him to commit treason and she responds by laughing. Eventually, she helps him also see the irony: how can Saul, whose only claim to the throne is that he was anointed by Samuel at the direction of the Most High God, call it treason when Samuel anoints someone else at God’s direction? Later, when Samuel learns that the father of the new king has been shunned by the elders of Bethlehem for having a child with an enemy, Samuel recognizes God’s humor. Here, the irony is that the one who will soon rule over all of Israel is from a family that isn’t even welcomed in his own town. That irony gets even more extreme when Samuel realizes that the new king isn’t even the strongest or most accomplished of Jesse’s sons – he’s an outcast b*****d-child who isn’t even considered worthy of attending a feast with God’s prophet.
“God is funny” is cute and pithy distillation of the theme of the divine reversal, which is perhaps best stated in the famous Song of Hannah:
“The bows of the mighty are broken, but the feeble bind on strength. Those who were full have hired themselves out for bread, but those who were hungry have ceased to hunger. The barren has borne seven, but she who has many children is forlorn.” (1 Samuel 2:4-5, ESV)
God has a funny way of popping overinflated human egos – while puffing up underinflated human hearts. In doing so he is exposing a comedic truth about humanity: we humans are far more fragile and vulnerable than we like to admit, and yet we aren’t destined for sadness. There is hope even for the dumbest and most incompetent among us to receive victory and joy against all odds. Strength (like Eliab’s) isn’t as strong as it appears. But lowliness (like David’s) also isn’t as permanent as we fear. This belief in the possibility of change is one of the essential elements of comedy, which distinguishes it from the sense of inexorable fate in tragedy.
There are a couple more interesting themes in Episode 3, but I’m going to save my thoughts on those for my next monthly members-only blogpost on my Buy Me a Coffee.
Hope you enjoyed this first batch of House of David reviews. I'll be releasing these weekly as soon as each new episode drops, so check back soon for my thoughts on Episode 4! Also check out my YouTube channel for my House of David-related content. And don't forget to leave your thoughts, feedback, and questions in the comments below!
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