Original subtitles

[Achish] Previously on House of David...

[Achish] It has been many weeks. I feared you wouldn't come.

Together we can find vengeance.

One condition. Your throne.

Let me show you freedom.

My future is not mine to decide.

- [Mirab] Going somewhere? - I can do no good here.

Greetings from the house of Saul.

Goliath!

- [grunts, screams] - No! No!

Let me fight their king.

[Jonathan] The Philistines have assembled.

We shall do what we have always done. Fight!

[David singing in Hebrew]

[harp playing]

[music stops]

- [Nathaneel] Father, please. - [Jesse] Nathaneel.

You know the king has called for every able man.

[Nathaneel] I am not able. I am no warrior.

Father, I will be the first to die.

- [Jesse] You will have your brothers. - What is this?

Father is sending us all to war.

- War? What war? - [sibling 1] The Philistines.

They have rallied against us.

Father, this is madness. I-I will not go.

- I will take his place. Send me. - He will take my place.

- Send him. - He cannot go.

Why not? You said every man.

- He is not yet a man. - [Nathaneel] Neither am I.

- If there is a war, I will fight. - Do as I say.

Travel to the king.

- David must remain with me. - Nathaneel, come on.

- Come. - Remove your hands from me.

Father. Father.

Father, you send me to my grave.

For a king you despise.

[Jesse] Nathaneel, come. Come, come, come.

I send you to fight alongside your brothers. Mmm?

For God, and for Israel.

Understand?

- [Nathaneel] Yes. [sniffles] - [kisses]

[Jesse] Go.

[sibling 2] Enough, brother. You embarrass yourself.

[David] Why?

- Do not. - [David] Give me an answer.

Not today, David.

Not as I've just sent all my sons to war.

I am also your son.

That is not what I meant.

- I deserve... - What is it

you believe you deserve, David?

What do you deserve?

Honesty.

For once.

I deserve to know why you keep me in these hills.

And I have told you many times.

[sighs] Deep calls to deep.

- Didn't she say this? - Deep calls to deep.

I know in my soul, you have never told me the truth.

[crying] No. Please.

Please.

- Tend to the sheep, David. - [sighs] No.

[Jesse scoffs]

[exhales sharply]

[screams]

Let me go!

[bird calling]

[indistinct chattering]

[horses whinny]

The day I've long dreamed of.

What dream is that?

Our forces unified.

We shall see.

[Saul] Thirty years.

Thirty years I have served these people.

Led them.

Fought for them.

I grow weary.

[Abner] What's on your mind, Saul?

I'm taking stock.

[smacks lips] Ah.

You're complaining.

Do I not have the right?

No, by all means.

By all means.

[chuckles]

I pray only you do it quickly before our enemies arrive.

- [chuckles] - There's quite a lot of them this time.

What happened to the days when you would build me up before battle?

[Abner chuckles]

Well, I suppose I too grow weary.

Tell me, Abner.

Tell me who I am.

You are Saul the conqueror.

First in the reign of the kings of Israel, uniter of the tribes.

No.

Tell me who I am.

To you.

My king.

You have lifted our people from fear to certainty.

No matter the odds, you never wavered.

You saved me from a life I could not escape.

Gave me purpose.

I will die without regret if you willed it.

That's who you are to me, my king.

[sighs]

And why was I anointed king?

For this very moment.

How was that?

- It will do. - [chuckles]

[inhales deeply] I'm glad you are with me, old friend.

Always, my king.

[Joab] Over 150,000 Philistines so far.

And more arrive by the day.

Philistines outnumber us three to one.

Doesn't seem fair, does it?

I did not ask for fair.

We'll kill ten of theirs for every one of ours.

And I, for one, will take great pleasure in it.

Oh, no.

Rise.

It is a fine sword.

May I?

My, uh... My father took it from a Philistine 20 years ago.

In the first of your father's victories.

Yes, I remember.

What is your name?

Eliazar.

- Son of Asher of the house of Si... - Simeon.

[chuckles] Yes.

Straight and true.

The House of Asher has long served us.

I'm honored to fight beside you.

Eliazar?

Hmm?

What do we have to fear?

God is with us.

[chuckles]

[Eliazar] Is Samuel coming?

To bless the battle as he always does.

[Jonathan grunts]

If God wills it.

Did you just give that child false hope?

It's better than no hope at all.

[Saul] Courage, brothers.

Courage.

Who can stand against us?

Who?

[Adriel] My king.

As always, we have come to fight.

Myself, and 25,000 of the Tribe of Judah.

All is not forgotten, my king.

But today, we fight as one.

- We fight as one. - [chuckles] As one.

Brothers!

Behold the king!

[soldiers cheering, clamoring]

[harp playing]

[Jesse] We thank you, God, for our many blessings.

For this house.

For our food.

For this family.

[David] Thank you, Lord, for everything you give us.

Allow us to stay humble, to give you the glory in everything that we do.

[sighs] And to trust in you, every day of our lives.

Amen.

[Jesse] Our dear God, we are your children.

We ask for your guidance, your strength, and that you be with us, always.

- Amen. - Amen.

[chuckles]

- Samuel. - Hello, David.

[stammers, exclaims]

[Samuel chuckles]

I thought you'd be at the battle.

- Hmm. I could say the same of you, yes? - [chuckles]

And yet, here we are, at the dawn of a new day.

- Ah? - Hmm.

Take me to your father.

Right, he's...

- he's in the house. - [chuckles]

[David chuckles] It's good to see you.

[Samuel] It is good to see you, as well.

[grunts] It will be better to see you when I'm sitting down.

[Jesse] My... [sighs] ...apologies, great one.

I can offer very little.

I sent to the king's army the very best of what I have.

Did you?

Huh.

Bless this fruit of the tree to our nourishment

as we consecrate ourselves with it to your purpose.

[smacks lips]

Hmm.

The olive tree...

In the winter the branches give us heat,

in the summer, shade and the oil of the olive.

Oh, it is life itself.

You see, to everything there is a purpose.

[sighs]

- Samuel. - David.

Uh. [clears throat]

I want to go fight.

- [blows] - [David] I told my father...

Did you know that there is an olive tree at the peak of Nob,

outside my home, that is said to be a thousand years old?

I like to think that Joshua rested beneath it

when he was entering the holy land, yeah.

[sucks, blows] Do you know, my wife, Hila,

she uses the oil of the olive to tame her hair.

[clicks teeth] And can I tell you, she taught me the same thing.

[chuckles] What do you think?

- Does it work? [chuckles] - [chuckles]

[inhales sharply]

Holy seer, if I may, why are you here?

[smacks lips]

I'm glad you ask me, son of Obed.

I've come to complete what I said I would do when I was with you last.

I've come to sacrifice.

To atone for the sins of this house.

Hmm.

To redeem them.

[horses whinnying]

- Achish of Gath leads them. - Hmm.

He seems angry.

[Jonathan chuckles] After what you did to his father on the battlefield,

I cannot blame him. I would be.

You would lead with strategy, not with emotion.

Ashkelon unites.

[Saul] Ashdod and Yurza.

Didn't even plant their own flags.

Cowards.

And what of Ekron?

[Abner] It seems he hasn't united all five territories.

That's a good sign.

[inhales deeply, screams]

[soldiers cheering, clamoring]

How many are they?

Upwards of 200,000, with more horses and chariots than we can count quickly.

That has never stopped us before.

We should attack while we have the numbers.

When have superior numbers ever mattered when fighting Hebrews?

We must take their spirits first.

[cheering, clamoring stops]

[horse blusters]

[horse blusters]

[footsteps approaching]

[horses whinnying]

Easy, easy, easy.

God of heaven.

Gods of earth.

Where is your king?

Send him out to face me

that I may hack him apart and feed him and your gods to the crows.

He's just a man, Father.

And I will reclaim these lands with blood.

- Is he? - [Goliath] Send me your king.

Or one mightier than he, if he should exist here in Israel.

I will call down my gods.

Have your champion call down his

so that our blood may decide the fate of our people.

And then we will see whose is greater.

And the victor will enslave the other until their dying breath.

As I stand here today, I defy Israel.

- [groans] - [Goliath] I defy your God.

Send me your champion.

[shouts indistinctly]

[clamoring]

[chuckles]

[Saul groans, breathes heavily]

[Goliath laughs]

[grunting, panting]

- Father, gather yourself. - [grunts]

[speaks Ugaritic, laughs]

[speaking Ugaritic]

[grunts]

[groans]

Oh, no.

Get it off me. [groans]

[grumbles]

[laughs]

- [groaning] - [horse whinnies]

[horse whinnies]

[Saul] No!

Father!

[Saul strains] Curse you, demon.

- [Jonathan] Father. You need to get up. - Away from me! [groaning]

Father, look at your men. You are their king.

Get him to his tent.

- [Saul] We will die in darkness and fear! - Now!

[Saul] Away from me! Away from me.

Find someone willing to fight him!

I will offer my daughter in marriage!

Erase their debts. Anything. Go!

Go!

- [harp plays] - [David singing in Hebrew]

[sighs, chuckles]

Samuel, why do we wait?

There is a battle.

I must go.

- [grunts] - I am ready.

It was your mother taught you to play, yes?

Hmm. Do you miss her?

A woman of purpose, I think.

[chuckles] There are few things more potent in this world than that.

[mumbles]

My own mother, she prayed so fervently

at the temple that the priests thought that she was drunk.

[chuckles] But no, it was deep purpose, it was faithfulness.

And it is the reason that I am here now.

The influence of a mother is greater than a king,

a thousand kings.

So beautiful.

She sewed this for me when I was born and then she wrapped it...

[chuckles] ...around me when I was sent to live among the priests.

- I was two years old. - Mmm.

I wear this to honor her memory.

I thought it looked old.

[laughs] You're...

Yeah...

Hmm.

Can I tell you something?

Anything.

I've been seeing things.

Huh?

Or dreams.

Visions.

But they feel so real.

[Samuel] Mmm.

It's as if...

- As if... - As if you are somewhere else entirely.

- Yes. - Hmm.

[grunts]

It's a place I've never been.

But it feels like home.

Ah.

Peace, beyond understanding.

Tell me.

I see a stream beneath mountains.

And it's so beautiful.

I've never seen anything like it before.

And a warrior.

His sword drawn.

What is this place?

Protecting the stream.

[Samuel] Ah.

I know of this. It is written.

It is Joshua.

Yes.

The night before the great battle at Jericho,

Joshua encountered... [stammers] ...a figure, a warrior with a drawn sword.

Who was he?

Ah.

And Joshua asked the warrior,

"Are you for us

or are you for our enemies?"

And the warrior replied, "Neither.

As captain of the armies of the lord of hosts, I now come."

You see, what men forget, they ask, "Is God for us?

Is God with us?"

But the question they should be asking is,

"Are we with God?"

And then Joshua asked him, "What do you call upon your servants to do?"

And this is the correct question to ask.

And the warrior replied,

"Remove the shoes from your feet,

for you stand on holy ground."

And Joshua did and he fell upon his face and worshipped.

And perhaps this is the reason

that the walls of Jericho fell down before him.

[chuckles]

[grunts] But, why show these visions to me?

Well, because

you have a role to play in this grand design.

How can I do that trapped in a field?

David, you speak as if today is yesterday. Huh?

As if they are the same.

Listen, to everything, there is a season

and a time for every... [sighs] ...purpose under heaven.

So when will my time come?

Too many questions.

Play me another song.

If you don't mind.

Yes.

[harp plays]

I make this offer to you again today...

Choose a man.

Send him down to me.

And if he strikes me down, we will be your slaves!

But if he dies at my hand, you will be our slaves!

Well?

I'll see you tomorrow.

[banging on drums]

How many days must we do this?

Is there no champion in Israel?

Day after day after day, I defy Israel!

[Nathaneel] Why must they do that?

My head hurts.

That is why.

Nine days and still no one who will face me!

Are you not servants of your God?

Come and fight me!

[Philistine army shouting, clamoring]

I will get my revenge.

[Kezia] My queen.

News from the battle.

- [Mychal] What? What is it? - [Ahinoam] News from Abner.

"The Philistines have united their armies against us.

Some 250,000 men."

What?

And they have a giant.

[Mirab] A giant?

How?

Mother?

What does it say?

Father is again trapped in darkness.

Worse than before.

What should we do?

There is nothing left to do.

There's... There's always something.

At the very least we pray.

To whom?

You know to whom.

I will save my breath.

Mother... [inhales sharply] ...Hashem has answered our cry before, he...

He will answer again.

I do not wish to hear that name in my presence.

Ever again.

I am weary of it.

No, we... [breathes shakily] We-We have to...

We have to do something.

[breathes shakily]

[Mychal sniffles]

[Mirab] Mychal?

I'm going to see Father.

To battle? Have you lost your mind?

- He needs me. - I need you!

Mychal, our brothers are gone, our mother has given up.

- It is only us. - [Mychal sighs]

Come with me then.

Don't be a fool.

What could we possibly do?

If Father is in his right mind, he...

[inhales deeply] He will lead them.

He will defeat our enemies as he always has.

And you believe you can bring him back?

[horse blusters]

Do you know which way Elah is?

It's north. [inhales deeply]

- North? - I will ride north and I will find it.

I have to.

[Mirab sighs]

All right. Come on.

- What are you doing? - Just help me, please.

If you die there will be no one left to entertain me.

Well, we can't have that. [chuckles]

Hey. Thank you.

[clicks tongue] He's my father too.

And I disagree with Mother.

There is always hope.

Come on.

- An entire tribe of cowards and traitors. - Watch your tongue.

You plan to hide in caves while your brethren face this enemy?

What they face is certain death.

Eliab. What is this?

The Tribe of Zebulun has chosen to abandon our battle and our king.

- How many? - All of them.

They have a giant.

We have nothing.

Zebulun fights for God.

And God is not with our king.

Let all of Israel know that Zebulun has surrendered to their own fear.

And when we fight this battle, and when we win,

our sons and their sons will tell the tale of how you fled.

If you believe victory so certain, why don't you face the giant, son of Jesse?

I do not blame them, sitting here day after day after day doing nothing.

We'll starve before we ever set foot on the battlefield.

This is no strategy.

- This is cowardice. - [Abner] Adriel.

This is your prince you're speaking to.

[Adriel] Oh, yes.

Son of a deranged king, heir to a dying legacy.

Enough.

If your father will not lead, then I will.

I say we fight!

[soldiers] Yeah! We fight.

And even if we cannot win, we will at least die in the trying!

[soldiers] Yeah!

For God and Israel!

- For God and Israel! - [soldiers shouting, clamoring]

[Adriel] Ah, that's it. Flee, flee!

Hide in your tent with your father!

One more word and it'll be your last.

Anyone else with words of treason?

- What are you doing? - I'm going to face the giant.

- No, you're not. - Adriel speaks the truth.

Someone must do it.

Let it be me.

And what do you think is going to happen, hmm?

God will decide.

That thing is going to tear you apart.

He's gonna rip you in half

- before the eyes of our brethren. - There is no other way!

Yes, there is.

There is.

[Mychal humming]

By now Mother must know we're gone.

If there were any decent horsemen left in the palace,

she would send them to stop us, but...

Or not.

I think she's lost patience with me.

Take comfort in knowing you lost something she never offered me.

[Mychal] Hmm.

Are you afraid?

There is no time for it now.

[Mychal humming]

Mychalie.

Hard to forget, eh?

The song?

No.

David.

He abandoned our father, I...

I don't want to think about him.

[Mychal humming]

[chuckling]

[sighs]

Blessed are you, Jesse, son of Obed.

The sins of your house are atoned by blood.

A worthy sacrifice.

How did you choose it?

- In accordance with our laws. - [Samuel] Tell me.

The best of the flock.

One without spot or blemish.

Is that not the law of Moses?

[Samuel] Yes. Yes, indeed.

Now, go away.

I must speak with your father.

- [David] I will be in the east fields. - [Samuel] Ah.

Join me when you've finished, great one.

I will teach you how to be a shepherd.

[laughs]

This should be an offering of thanksgiving.

The blessing of the most high is upon your house.

But your spirit is heavy.

[grunts]

There is no weight so great as a lie.

Is that not so, Jesse?

When Saul called your sons to war

you gave them up.

When I demanded your sons you did not hesitate

to bring them forth, to offer them all.

All but for one.

So why do you cling to him, huh?

- I keep him from himself. - [sighs]

And shame from this family.

Jesse, speak the truth.

My David.

David is young, wild, restless.

His heart is like a deep fire.

He's headstrong, unbroken.

Yes. Yes, he is.

You are the mouth of the Lord.

You must know that David cannot be king.

Surely you must see this.

Shall I tell you what I see?

You are right.

You are right to dread the fire in your son's heart, for it burns very hot.

Like the Lord's own.

And he is beloved by God because of this,

and perhaps it is the very reason that he was chosen.

So, you, a man, you stand in the way of God.

Is it because you begat your son in sin, huh?

The son of Jesse.

The sin of Jesse.

Anointed for all to see.

- Is it shame that compels you? - [sighs]

No, it is not. It is something else.

It is something deeper.

And yet these are words that you have never spoken.

Have God ask anything of me,

anything else, I will give all.

You have given God many things, but you have not given your all.

You have not given what is most precious.

You have not offered the best of the flock.

Hmm?

It is these sacrifices that are the greatest.

It is this that God requires of us.

To give what we love the most.

If you try to cling to him...

your fingers will break.

Send me your champion!

Or you shall all be slain!

Cowards!

All of you, cowards!

Remember when the Philistines assembled at Michmash?

There was courage in no man, brothers hiding in caves.

[horse whinnies]

You attacked by night.

Alone, only with your armor-bearer.

You confused them, disoriented them.

Hashem gave us that victory.

Yes, yes, but you started it.

You gave us hope.

These are not men of Israel.

Hunters from Asher.

Best mercenaries. Assassins from Egypt.

You will attack by night.

And if God is with you, you will slay that giant in his sleep.

[Jonathan] And you will stay by my father's side?

I will.

I will do all I can.

Till the end.

Come.

[water running]

What would you have your servant do?

[inhales sharply]

[breathes heavily]

Why?

Why choose me for something I'll never do?

[sighs]

I wish I understood you.

[Jesse] David!

David. Come.

- [grunts] - Father, where are you going?

I am not going anywhere.

Come, David.

[sighs]

[sighs, chuckles]

There are things I've wanted to say for so long,

and suddenly I have no words to say them.

[inhales sharply]

[Nitzevet] David, come.

Come here.

[Jesse] David.

Please.

[sighs]

I took my first wife in prudence.

Mmm. Our union was wise.

[inhales sharply] For her tribe and mine.

My bloodline was... [inhales sharply] ...tainted.

Because of grandmother Ruth?

Yes, she was a Moabite.

[inhales deeply] But my wife, she was pure.

She bore me mighty sons, your brothers.

It was after she returned to the dust that I met your mother.

She... [sighs, grunts] She was so different.

The opposite of... [inhales sharply] ...everything I was taught to seek.

Born an enemy of our people.

Yet, her spirit, her warmth, something I had never known.

I took her in haste.

Married unlawfully.

But I loved her, David.

With a love I did not know was possible.

[sighs] And she loved me.

Your mother's final words to me...

I know. She said to keep me safe.

[Jesse] No.

That is not what she said.

[sighs deeply]

"Let him rise."

Let him rise.

[Jesse] Those were her words.

She saw visions, your mother.

She had dreams about you.

About what you would become.

Dreams of violence.

Both beautiful and terrifying.

[breathes shakily, cries]

And her last request to me...

was for me to release you to those dreams.

Forgive me, son.

Forgive me.

I have kept you here because you are the last part of her that remains.

I don't send you to the fields because I am ashamed of you.

I keep you here because...

David, because I love you as I loved her.

Forgive me, son.

Come.

I have loaded the donkey with food and supplies.

I need you to take them.

Where?

To the battlefield.

To your brothers.

[David breathes heavily]

[grunting]

[sighs]

The night of the shepherds.

It is a heavy burden to be a king before your time.

Leave us.

What are you doing here?

To offer counsel in your hour of need.

To serve you, as I did your father.

You serve no one but yourself, Doeg.

And you believe in nothing.

[Doeg chuckles]

I believe you have a bigger problem than that giant.

Words travel vast distances if one listens carefully enough.

Stories of the great seer journeying

to the Tribe of Judah, to the city of Bethlehem.

I could be of great service to you.

Should you command it, I will hunt and kill whoever it is

that has been anointed to replace your father.

Speak of my father again.

[chuckles] All I need is just a name.

The final piece, Jonathan.

I have no time for your games, Doeg.

[Doeg] Fine.

Then go fight a battle you know you cannot win.

Mark my words, Edomite.

Even if I die on that field,

it will not be before I watch the life drain from your eyes.

[chuckles] That would be interesting to watch.

[inhales deeply, chuckles]

[Saul grunts, sighs]

[Jonathan] I know the truth, Father.

But I also know that I am your son.

- I love you and I am with you, to the end. - [whimpers]

Sleep now.

And if you wake, pray for me.

- [soldiers shouting, clamoring] - No.

- [grunts] - No!

[grunts] No.

No! No!

Jonathan!

No!

[Abner] God be with you.

My son.

[sighs] I love you.

- [David] I love you too. - [sighs]

[kisses, sighs] All right.

Will we go together?

I have my own journey to make.

Do you remember the first words that I said to you?

I said, "God does not see as man sees.

He sees into the heart."

And you, you have the heart of a lion.

What do lions do?

[chuckles]

- They roar. - [chuckles]

- [roars] - [chuckles]

Rise, my son.

Rise.

[Goliath] How many days must we do this?

Is there no champion in Israel?

Anybody who will fight me?