Spoilers for House of David Episode 8.
If there’s one thing that House of David has done quite well so far, it’s foreshadowing. From the opening moments of the three-part series premiere, the show has been teasing what is to come for young David (Michael Iskander) and King Saul (Ali Suliman). But ever since Samuel (Stephen Lang) spoke to him, the first King of Israel has been plagued by visions of the future, visions that now seem to have extended to his son, Jonathan (Ethan Kai), as well. Are these visions simply torments from an evil spirit or are they warnings for the king and prince to heed? We’ve turned to the biblical record to try and find the answer.
Saul and Jonathan’s Visions May Speak to Their Inevitable Deaths
Since the Spirit of the Lord left Saul — and he was thrown into the thralls of a demonic spirit — he has continued to see a dark vision of the future, one where he and Jonathan are killed together in battle. It’s no doubt disheartening and worrisome for the king, who struggles to keep his throne knowing that Samuel has anointed another. As he loses his mind, these visions torment and dishearten him, to the point where he struggles to cling to reality itself. But now he isn’t the only one. In the sixth episode, “Giants Awakened,” Jonathan searches for answers to his father’s condition, and in doing so, he receives a vision of his own. It turns out, Jonathan and Saul see very similar scenes, a vision that Samuel tells Jonathan may or may not come to pass, though he never explains what may prevent it. For those unfamiliar with the biblical account, this may be foreshadowing a deadly event chronicled at the end of the First Book of Samuel, the same Old Testament book from where most of Season 1 derives.
In 1 Samuel chapter 31 (also found in 1 Chronicles chapter 10), Saul, Jonathan, and some of Saul’s other sons — who are interestingly not referenced at all in House of David, unlike Sam Otto‘s Eshbaal — find themselves at war with the Philistines. In battle on Mount Gilboa, the enemy army overtakes them, and Jonathan is quickly killed. Then, Saul is wounded by Philistine archers, who skewer him similarly to how Boromir is killed in The Lord of the Rings. At death’s door, Saul tells his armor-bearer to kill him, hoping that his servant will put him out of his misery before the Philistines have the satisfaction to do so themselves. The boy refuses, and instead, Saul decides to “fall on his own sword” instead. It’s a brutal scene, and the Philistines make it even worse by stripping Saul of his armor and cutting off his head, displaying it as a trophy for their triumphs. It’s a harrowing picture, one that David struggles with when he is later told the news.
From what we can tell, what Saul and Jonathan are seeing may be this very moment. Because the vision takes place at night, it’s hard to tell which enemy Saul and his son are fighting, though it’s easy to assume that it’s the Philistines given the context of the first season. Additionally, Jonathan is shot with an arrow, as is Saul. Both of them are wounded, and seemingly near the brink of death. If this doesn’t accurately describe the Old Testament story recounted above, we don’t know what would. Of course, just because House of David seems to be foreshadowing this very specific event, doesn’t mean that it will come to pass exactly as we’ve seen it here. After all, Samuel told Jonathan that these events may or may not happen, offering at least a sliver of hope for the young prince.
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These Visions Inform Saul and Jonathan’s Actions on ‘House of David’
Still, it seems that House of David is offering us this vision for a reason. Considering the way that the show has pulled from various Bible stories before, even putting deep, theological truths in layman’s terms for non-religious audiences, this shared vision may simply be a warning from God rather than some villainous scheme of the Devil. We know that the evil spirit that is tormenting Saul was sent to the king as a punishment for his disobedience in not killing King Agag (Jeremy Xido) in “A Shepherd and a King.” We also know, as Samuel explained to Jonathan in “Giants Awakened,” that Saul has been rejected by God as king due to this disobedience. However, the prophet still believes that Saul could change his ways. Admitting his mistakes (while relinquishing the throne) may be the thing that keeps this vision from coming to pass. That’s no doubt what Jonathan hopes for.
Additionally, in the Old Testament account, Saul dies at his own hand. Yes, he’s gravely wounded in combat, but unlike what these visions may imply, Saul doesn’t succumb to his injuries. Instead, likely worried about the horrors the Philistines may inflict upon him, he falls on his own sword. Some biblical scholars have even interpreted this act as the ultimate expression of his faithlessness toward God. Despite Samuel and Jonathan’s hopes to the contrary, being tormented by these visions will all the more likely drive Saul to cling even more tightly to his throne, which will certainly put him at greater odds with David. But from what we’ve seen of Jonathan so far, and this is especially seen in the penultimate episode, “David and Goliath – Part 1,” he seems to be willing to give up his birthright without second thought, willing to follow what God commands rather than his own desire.
There is a reason that the story of King Saul is often considered a tragedy. A man whom God anointed for one task turned his back on the one who crowned him, and as a result, he suffered immeasurable loss and humiliation, leading to his death. As we’ve seen on House of David, Saul continues to act irrationally and mercilessly at every turn. He called off his daughter’s wedding in “The Wolf and The Lion,” and nearly killed Jonathan while in a fiery rage. His recent addition to Besai’s (Eden Saban) potion — coupled with his growing fear of his giant opponents — continues to emphasize his wayward spirit, and yet, he continues to receive these visions, seemingly as a warning. It will be interesting to see how Jonathan handles this going forward, and if knowing the fate he may suffer if his father doesn’t change will at all affect his decisions as a warrior prince.
New episodes of House of David stream every Thursday on Prime Video.
