“House of David” – A Review and a Reflection
Season One of Amazon’s House of David premiered on February 27th this year. Based on all the available metrics and numbers I’ve been able to find, it was a resounding success for the streaming service. It was such a success, that Season Two will be hitting the platform in less than a week, something that is entirely unheard of in the world of streaming television. So yes, House of David is popular enough to warrant a new season, but that is not nearly the most important question in my mind.
Is House of David worth your time? That seems to be the most pressing question, yet I’m not sure if it’s a good enough reason to write another review for another show. You can find many good reviews of House of David if that is truly all you want. Two such reviews can be found here and here, though I would disagree with the latter’s critical aside about The Rings of Power.
I would rather discuss big picture ideas. Things like, “Are shows like House of David and The Chosen good for Christians to watch?” The main problem with the approach I will take in this article is twofold: I lack the requisite expertise to dive as deep as the topic deserves, and many of our readers are probably less interested in this than I am. So, I’ll split the difference. You’ll get a little of both in this piece, and I hope it will not fall apart in the writing.
With that out of the way, let’s get to the two big questions before us. First, is House of David worth your time? Absolutely. House of David is not just good Christian entertainment, whatever that might mean to you. House of David sits very comfortably beside any major television series in terms of quality. It’s of the highest standards with an impressive cast, confident writing, lush cinematography, powerful emotions, and all the other things you want and expect from top-tier television. In fact, I would argue it’s much higher quality than most things that are slapped on our TV screens.
The cast is universally impressive, breathing life into these people we have read about all of our lives. Some performances match my vision of who these characters were – David (Michael Iskander) and Jonathan (Ethan Kai) are everything I could hope for them to be – while others offer surprising interpretations that captivated and delighted me – Saul (Ali Suliman) and Samuel (Stephen Lang) being the strongest in this category. But truly, there is no weak link in the cast. Everyone has their moments to shine, and I look forward to spending more time with them in the following seasons.
The show looks incredible, with detailed sets and costumes. Nothing feels fake or artificial.1 The show was filmed in Greece, and the landscapes are jaw dropping. There is a lived-in feel to the show, but it avoids looking or feeling cheap.
The storytelling is nuanced and immersive, adding layers of context and character development not found in the pages of Scripture. Political factions, intrigue, betrayal, loyalty are all explored in detail, and many of these things had to be guessed at since the Bible does not speak directly about them. And this is my second big question and where I believe audiences will divide. Is there room for creative license when adapting Biblical stories?
If you love and appreciate The Chosen, you will likely enjoy House of David. They both walk a fine line in staying true to the Biblical accounts while also creating plausible backstories and historical contexts that Scripture is silent about. For example, where The Chosen gave us a Matthew who is on the spectrum. House of David adds a pretty radical twist to David’s familial ties. These are bold changes and it’s just these types of additions that cause some viewers to walk away. These changes beg the question: Are these shows “adding” words to Scripture or are they simply making reasonable creative choices to better tell their stories?
If you believe that creative liberties are lines that should not be crossed when it comes to the Bible, then both The Chosen and House of David are non-starters. I respect that stance, even if I do not agree with it. I land on the side that believes that to tell compelling long-form stories like this, creative liberties are essential. These shows are pieces of entertainment at their core and works of art at their best, and they do their best to stick with the Biblical accounts. Yes, they deviate at times, but it’s never from a place of “we know better” or “we do not trust the words in the pages of Scripture.”
What sets these types of shows apart from previous attempts to adapt the Bible is a love and reverence for God’s word. A love for Scripture saturates every frame and every plot point. To me at least, it’s clear that they view themselves as stewards and not owners of these stories.
A low view of Scripture gives filmmakers a license to disfigure Scripture in whatever way they please to tell a more entertaining story or to smuggle in contra-Biblical values. House of David does not make this mistake, and I believe it’s due to the writer’s high view of Scripture. Additions or embellishments are used to service the story, not to undermine God’s word. (For examples of adaptations gone wrong, see: Kings, NBC’s awful attempt at updating this story. Or worse, Of Kings and Prophets, an attempt to make a Game of Thrones-style adaptation, with all the vulgarity and prurience they could cram into the story.)
As Tolkien believed, we are sub-creators, working under and for the glory of the one true Creator of everything. I believe Dallas Jenkins (The Chosen, The Best Christmas Pageant Ever) and Jon Erwin (House of David, I Can Only Imagine) view themselves in this light, as sub-creators who are using their gifts to point others to Jesus in all they do. Both of these shows do just that. They do not claim to be inspired Scripture or even a replacement for Scripture. They simply tell engrossing and captivating stories that continually point viewers back to the Word of God for the True story.
Just as a preacher will use an illustration to help elucidate a Biblical truth, the makers of these shows are using these stories from the pages of the Bible to display the power, love, and greatness of God to viewers. I don’t agree with all of their creative choices, just as I don’t agree with every sermon I have heard. And to be clear, I don’t believe a sermon and a TV show are the same thing. They have very different purposes – one to share the bread of Life and the other to entertain. Yet just because one is a much higher calling, that should not negate the impact and relevance of the other.
House of David takes quite a few creative liberties with the Biblical text; some work better than others. I would argue that The Chosen’s expansions on Scripture hew closer to what’s found in the Word than House of David, but your mileage may vary. With that said, at no point in watching House of David did I feel the changes and additions were disrespectful of Scripture, nor did they water down the essential truths found in these well-known stories.
God is still very much God in House of David. Obedience, humility, and sacrifice are held up as virtues, with no quarter given to any opposing worldview. You will walk away from Season One with a high view of God and deeper appreciation for what these Old Testament characters went through.
I eagerly look forward to Season Two, as well as introducing my family to this wonderful show. And I am excited about what the future will hold, with more and more talented and creative artists using their God-given gifts to create powerful and excellent art that has the potential to not only bless viewers but to point millions to Christ.
Parental note: House of David is much more action oriented than The Chosen and would skew older as far as viewing age. Think: PG-13 for violence.
- Except for one controversial scene in the beginning of Episode 6 that used AI to create a flashback that is open to interpretation as to whether it’s history or mythology that is being shown. This is probably worth more time exploring but I’ll simply say the scene works for the show, though I hope it’s not something they use in the future. ↩
- A Comprehensive Guide to the Music of Future of Forestry - December 4, 2025
- My Seven Favorite Versions of “Silent Night” - December 1, 2025
- 10 Reasons We Love “The Rings of Power” Season Two - November 21, 2025
Discover more from Rambling Ever On
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
Thanks. Your review is the impetus for me to watch the show.
I would love to hear your thoughts once you’ve seen it.