Amazon Prime’s House of David has reignited some of the oldest debates in biblical history. In Episode 6, titled “Giants Awakened” (aired March 20, 2025), the series dives headfirst into the mysterious world of giants, the Nephilim, and the rebellion of the Watchers.
In a key sequence narrated by Orpah, the story of the Nephilim is retold: rebellious angels—called Watchers and led by Samyaza—descended to earth, took human wives, and fathered giant offspring. Goliath, along with Lahmi, Ishbi, and Benob, are portrayed as the last surviving remnants of this forbidden union.
Adding to the discussion, the sequence’s use of AI-generated imagery stirred controversy among audiences and critics, with some questioning whether it undercut the storytelling’s historical seriousness (Variety).
As someone who has spent over 15 years working to bring the Genesis 6 story to life—first through a screenplay that received consideration in multiple film festivals, and later expanded into a novel titled The Descent of the Gods—I watched this sequence with a mixture of amazement and appreciation.
Seeing such a bold depiction of the Watchers, Nephilim, and the early rebellion portrayed onscreen felt like a rare and encouraging moment, especially given how often this part of biblical history is overlooked or misunderstood.
While the rest of the episode follows political and personal developments between David, Saul, and the Philistines, this mythic retelling of Goliath’s origin stands out. It’s visually striking, narratively bold, and theologically loaded.
This article will focus on that sequence specifically—analyzing it scene-by-scene against Scripture, ancient interpretations, and reliable sources.
We’ll explore what House of David gets right, where it stretches tradition, and why this ancient story continues to fascinate.
Biblical Foundations: How Genesis 6 Frames the Nephilim Story
To fully understand the sequence portrayed in House of David, we need to start where the Bible does: in Genesis 6, a passage as brief as it is mysterious.
“When man began to multiply on the face of the land and daughters were born to them, the sons of God saw that the daughters of man were attractive. And they took as their wives any they chose. Then the Lord said, ‘My Spirit shall not abide in man forever, for he is flesh: his days shall be 120 years.’ The Nephilim were on the earth in those days, and also afterward, when the sons of God came in to the daughters of man and they bore children to them. These were the mighty men who were of old, the men of renown.”
(Genesis 6:1–4, ESV)
In just four verses, Genesis introduces three central figures:
- Sons of God (bene Elohim) — mysterious beings who intermarry with human women.
- Daughters of Men — human women, bearing the image of Adam’s lineage.
- Nephilim — the offspring, described as the “mighty men of old, men of renown.”
But the text leaves many questions unanswered:
- Who exactly were these “sons of God”?
- Were they fallen angels?
- Were they godly human descendants of Seth?
- Were they powerful rulers corrupted by pride?
The oldest interpretations, stretching from ancient Jewish writings like 1 Enoch (The Book of Enoch, an early Jewish apocalyptic work written centuries before Christ, expands Genesis 6’s story, describing the Watchers’ descent to earth and their corrupt influence on humanity.) to historians like Josephus and theologians like Irenaeus and Tertullian, firmly leaned toward the supernatural view. The “sons of God” were understood to be angelic beings — direct creations of God who overstepped their boundaries.
In contrast, the Sethite view—the idea that the “sons of God” were simply righteous men marrying sinful women—emerged much later, gaining popularity through figures like Augustine. It was in part a move to distance Christianity from uncomfortable associations with myths of gods mating with humans.
The language of Genesis 6 itself strongly supports a supernatural reading:
- Bene Elohim is consistently used elsewhere (Job 1:6; Job 38:7) to refer to angelic beings.
- The lack of qualification in Genesis — treating “sons of God” and “daughters of men” as distinct categories — suggests an extraordinary, not mundane, event.
- The rapid shift to divine judgment through the Flood shows how severe this corruption was.
Early Jewish writings like the Book of Enoch expand on Genesis 6, filling in vivid (and admittedly speculative) details:
The Watchers, a group of angels led by Samyaza, made a pact to descend to Mount Hermon, take human wives, and teach forbidden knowledge to mankind. Their hybrid offspring, the Nephilim, grew to be destructive giants whose violence and sin helped trigger the Flood.
Though Genesis 6 remains sparse, the cascading tradition across Jewish and early Christian thought made it clear: this was a cosmic rebellion — a breach between heaven and earth with disastrous consequences.
And yet, the Genesis text includes an important note that would fuel later debates:
“The Nephilim were on the earth in those days — and also afterward…”
(Genesis 6:4)
This brief phrase suggests that echoes of this supernatural event, or at least its memory, persisted even beyond the judgment of the Flood.
As we’ll see, House of David picks up this thread, blending biblical hints and apocryphal traditions to weave Goliath into this ancient, rebellious lineage.
Breaking Down House of David‘s Sequence: A Scene-by-Scene Commentary
The House of David sequence exploring Goliath’s supposed Nephilim heritage is striking, and draws heavily from biblical text, second temple sources like the Book of Enoch, and creative storytelling.
Let’s break down the sequence VERY carefully to show where it aligns, stretches, and imagines.
The Great Rebellion and the Fall of the Angels
The scene opens with Orpah narrating:
“It all began in the days of the great rebellion when the angels of heaven sought after the eternal throne. They rose in defiance but were defeated and cast out. They fell unto the earth.”
This presents what is generally known from Christian tradition — the rebellion of angels against God. It draws influence from interpretations like John Milton’s Paradise Lost and centuries of accepted Christian thought that a third of the angels fell before or during mankind’s fall.
However, the actual biblical record (Isaiah 14, Ezekiel 28, Revelation 12) does not clearly spell out this timeline. It’s debated whether “Lucifer” refers specifically to Satan and when exactly the angels fell in relation to the Creation of mankind. So the show simplifies and dramatizes this idea for storytelling purposes.
Cast Out or Tasked with Watching?
The narration continues:
“These angels cast out by God or tasked with watching the sons of men. It is not truly known.”
This line introduces another layer — the differences in the stories told of this event found much later in Second Temple writings.
In the Book of Jubilees, angels were tasked by God to instruct humanity but fell into corruption. In 1 Enoch, the Watchers descended willingly out of desire for human women. (Second Temple writings, like the Book of Jubilees and the Book of Enoch, were Jewish works written between 300 BC and 70 AD that explored angelology and early biblical stories.)
The show’s wording reflects this uncertainty, accurately showing that ancient sources did not completely agree about the nature of the angels’ descent. Genesis 6 itself gives little detail beyond stating that these sons of God took wives, so the ancient writers filled in the blanks differently.
The show reflects that there isn’t a simple answer here — both ideas existed in the tradition.
The Daughters of Men and the Desire of the Angels
The sequence says:
“Born unto men were fair and beautiful daughters, bearing the image of God. Some angels saw them and found themselves filled with craven desire.”
This part aligns closely with Genesis 6:2, which says that the sons of God saw that the daughters of men were beautiful and took them as wives. This matches not just Scripture but also ancient Jewish sources like Josephus and Philo, who understood this as a supernatural event.
The show doesn’t need to embellish here — the biblical text itself is clear that desire motivated this union.
Semyaza Borrowed from Enoch
The next line signals a shift from scriptural canon to pseudepigraphal sources:
“And the leader Semyaza said unto the others, ‘Let us choose wives from the daughters of men, and let us beget for ourselves children.’”
Semyaza (called Shamazar here) is not mentioned in Genesis but comes straight from the Book of Enoch. In 1 Enoch, Semyaza is the chief of the Watchers who proposes the pact to descend to earth, take wives, and have children.
It’s an important distinction to note thate the show directly quotes from Enoch’s account here, and again frames it as part of a passed-down story rather than a definitive historical claim. The creators of the show aren’t just making up stuff, but they are pulling from different sources of varying credibility, as Orpah retells the ‘legend’ to Goliath.
The Birth of Giants
Then Orpah says:
“And from that union sprang forth something other than sons of men. Giants born from a forbidden union. Men of renowned and great ability. They walk the earth as gods among us.”
This is a combination of Genesis 6’s description of the Nephilim as “mighty men of old, men of renown” and later mythological expansions. Pagan cultures often described semi-divine heroes like Hercules and Gilgamesh, and many scholars suggest that the memory of the Nephilim helped fuel those legends.
The show clearly sides with the interpretation that the offspring were literal giants which was an idea heavily influenced by Enoch and other Second Temple literature. But it also promotes the idea that the offspring weren’t quite ‘human’, which is debatable.
The Punishment of the Angels
The next part says:
“But God punished the angels for their sin and banished them into eternal darkness, never to walk the earth again.”
This fits with the teachings found in Jude 6 and 2 Peter 2:4, which describe rebellious angels being imprisoned in “gloomy darkness” awaiting judgment for their crimes ‘before the flood’ and for ‘leaving their habitation’.
It also reflects Enoch‘s account that the Watchers were bound and locked away.
The sequence follows Second Temple tradition here fairly accurately — but it notably leaves out the Flood, which Genesis presents as God’s major response to the corruption of the earth caused by the Nephilim and widespread sin.
Leaving the Flood out subtly shifts the tone. It keeps the focus on angelic rebellion and its lingering human consequences, rather than God’s cleansing judgment.
The Sire of Rebellion and Goliath’s Identity
The sequence ends:
“All that was left was the sire of their rebellion, feared and hunted by men. They are you, my children. You are the last of the Nephilim.”
This part ties the legend directly to Goliath and his kin. It reflects ideas in Enoch where the Nephilim who survived the initial judgment were feared, and in some versions of the story, turned on each other and were hunted by mankind, but this was always portrayed as pre-flood.
Orpah wants Goliath to believe he is also one of the Nephilim, although that begs a lot of questions that she leaves out.
But it’s important to notice: this is the voice of Goliath’s mother, Orpah, not an omniscient narrator. She is telling Goliath a story — a powerful story that gives him a mythic identity whether or not it’s true.
The show isn’t asserting that Goliath is truly of Nephilim descent. Instead, it shows that his mother wants him to believe he is, to instill pride, legacy, defiance, and perhaps a sense of destiny against Israel’s God.
In the ancient world, myths shaped identity. Even if Goliath was merely a large and powerful human descended from the Rapha giants of Gath, believing he was the last son of the Watchers would define how he saw himself — and how he fought.
I feel like the writes of the show may have not explained this as well as they could have, because most casual viewers of the show aren’t going to be able to dissect this sequence as carefully as this, but I guess that’s why I’m writing this article!
Where House of David Aligns with Ancient Sources
For all the creative license House of David takes in its depiction of Goliath’s heritage, there are several areas where it closely reflects ancient interpretations of Genesis 6 and the Nephilim.
1. The Supernatural View of the Sons of God
The show’s portrayal of heavenly beings descending and intermingling with humanity is not a modern invention. It’s directly in line with how early Jewish interpreters and church fathers understood Genesis 6.
Writers like Josephus, Philo, Tertullian, and Justin Martyr upheld that the “sons of God” were angels, not merely human rulers.
House of David accurately leans into that older supernatural interpretation rather than adopting the more sanitized “Sethite” view that became popular much later.
2. The Role of Desire
The idea that the angels acted out of lustful desire mirrors the straightforward reading of Genesis 6:2, as well as expansions in the Book of Enoch, and even the larger context of Jude’ reference.
The show correctly portrays the angels’ downfall as rooted in their attraction to human women—a motive affirmed by both biblical hints and later traditions.
3. Semyaza and the Pact
The leader of the rebellion, Semyaza, comes straight from the Book of Enoch.
The notion of a “pact” among angels to take human wives and beget children is found nowhere in Genesis itself but is central to Enochian literature.
House of David faithfully draws on that source when depicting the Watchers’ rebellion, and they acknowledge by framing it through Orpah’s storytelling that this is part of broader legend rather than hard biblical history.
4. The Imprisonment of the Watchers
The show’s description of the angels being “banished into eternal darkness” fits squarely with Jude 6 and 2 Peter 2:4, both of which describe rebellious angels bound in chains awaiting judgment, as well providing basis for pagan myths such as the Greek Titan wars.
Where House of David Takes Liberties
While House of David draws heavily from ancient traditions, it also takes notable liberties in its portrayal of the Nephilim story.
These creative choices don’t necessarily break with the spirit of the biblical narrative, but they do blend elements together in ways that viewers should be aware of.
1. Combining the Fall of the Angels with the Genesis 6 Account
The show begins the sequence with a general rebellion in heaven for the “eternal throne,” leading to the angels’ downfall.
While this draws from Christian tradition, Genesis 6 does not describe a rebellion against God’s throne. It only describes the “sons of God” taking wives among human women.
The idea of a political rebellion among angels stems more from passages like Isaiah 14 and Revelation 12—and even there, details are sparse and debated.
By linking the Watchers’ sin to a broader heavenly rebellion, the show blends multiple traditions into one seamless (but simplified) narrative.
2. Omitting the Flood
One of the most glaring omissions is the Flood. Genesis 6–9 portrays the Flood as God’s primary judgment on the earth’s corruption, wiping out all inhabitants except for those on the Ark and cleansing creation.
The Book of Enoch also connects the Flood directly to the violence caused by the giants.
In House of David, however, the punishment focuses entirely on the angels’ banishment to “eternal darkness,” leaving out the Flood altogether, with the idea that the Nephilim somehow were able to survive and continue ‘begetting’ more of their kind.
This also is a bit of an issue if they’re drawing on sources like the Book of Enoch that clearly talk about the Nephilim being sterile due to their being hybrids.
3. Goliath’s Direct Descent from the Nephilim
Nowhere in Scripture is Goliath explicitly called a Nephilim. As discussed earlier, Goliath is described as a descendant of Rapha in Gath (2 Samuel 21), part of a clan of giants, but the term Nephilim is never applied to him.
By having Orpah tell Goliath that he is “the last of the Nephilim,” the show elevates his status from a powerful human giant to a near-mythical figure descended from heavenly rebellion.
While it serves the narrative and ties into ancient memory, it stretches what the Bible actually says.
4. Presenting the Watchers’ Rebellion as Historical Memory
The show frames the story as a legend passed down through generations, which gives it a degree of plausible deniability.
However, by having Orpah use authoritative, sweeping language—”You are the last of the Nephilim”—it could leave the impression that this connection is fact rather than folklore.
This is a subtle but important point: the blending of legend and history in storytelling can easily blur lines for viewers unfamiliar with the biblical text.
Post-Flood Giants — Was Goliath a Biological Nephilim?
After the Flood, the Bible continues to describe the existence of unusually large and fearsome warriors—giants who terrified Israelite spies and battled David’s men. But an important question remains: were these later giants direct biological descendants of the Nephilim, or were they something else?
The biblical evidence leans toward caution. In Numbers 13:32–33, the spies report:
“The land we explored devours those living in it. All the people we saw there are of great size. We saw the Nephilim there (the descendants of Anak come from the Nephilim). We seemed like grasshoppers in our own eyes, and we looked the same to them.”
The connection between the Anakim and the Nephilim is made—but it comes from the lips of terrified spies, not a definitive statement from God or Moses. It suggests that the term “Nephilim” may have become a kind of shorthand for extraordinary warriors—an archetype lodged in the cultural memory, rather than a strict genetic claim.
As GotQuestions.org points out:
“Any time an exceptional warrior was found, he was called a ‘Nephilim’ without necessarily implying that he was the offspring of the ‘sons of God’ in Genesis 6. This could explain how giants—fearfully large and ferocious warriors—are called Nephilim after the flood.”
(GotQuestions – Was Goliath a Nephilim?)
In short, “Nephilim” might have evolved into a semi-technical term for larger-than-life figures—much like we call real-life heroes “superheroes” today without claiming they have actual superpowers. It carried overtones of size, ferocity, and mystery.
When it comes to Goliath himself, the biblical record is precise but measured:
- 1 Samuel 17 describes Goliath’s immense stature—about 9 feet 9 inches tall—with armor and weapons of massive weight.
- 2 Samuel 21 and 1 Chronicles 20 describe Goliath and his relatives as descendants of Rapha in Gath, not explicitly Nephilim.
- Other giants, like Og of Bashan (Deuteronomy 3:11) and the Egyptian slain by Benaiah (1 Chronicles 11:22–23), are noted for their size but not tied directly to angelic unions.
Nowhere in Scripture is Goliath called a Nephilim. No mention of angelic heritage, no claim of supernatural parentage. Instead, the text points toward natural human variation, amplified by ancient warfare’s brutal demands.
As GotQuestions.org summarizes:
“Goliath was very likely not the offspring of humans and angels, and he is never called a Nephilim; however, he was a fierce, gigantic warrior and might have been described, in the parlance of the Philistines or Israelites, as a ‘modern-day Nephilim.’”
(GotQuestions – Was Goliath a Nephilim?)
This distinction matters.
Biblically speaking, Goliath likely belonged to a naturally occurring line of giants from the region of Gath—descendants of Rapha, formidable but fully human.
However, House of David adds another layer.
Rather than claiming objective biological fact, the show implies that Goliath’s mother, Orpah, tells him he is a Nephilim descendant—not necessarily because it’s true, but because it serves a powerful purpose.
By identifying him with the ancient giants, Orpah taps into a mythic identity that elevates Goliath beyond ordinary men. It grants him a terrifying reputation, a spiritualized lineage of rebellion against God, and a reason to pursue vengeance without fear or restraint.
In the ancient world, identity was destiny.
Whether or not Goliath had Nephilim blood, believing he carried the legacy of the Watchers could shape his character—and the fate of nations.
Summing up my Thoughts on how House of David Repackages the Genesis 6 Story
After examining the House of David Nephilim sequence carefully, I have to say: I appreciate what the show’s creators attempted here.
As someone who has spent over 15 years developing a fictional retelling of Genesis 6—both as a screenplay and a novel titled The Descent of the Gods—I understand firsthand just how difficult it is to bring these ancient, mysterious stories to life without either watering them down or veering into sensationalism.
There are so many gaps in the Genesis 6 narrative, and yet so many rich traditions surrounding it: from the Watchers in 1 Enoch to the scattered echoes in Jude and Peter. Trying to weave those fragments into a coherent story that respects Scripture while embracing imagination is a daunting task.
I think House of David handled it about as well as one could hope for in a modern production.
- They made it clear that the story was a legend being passed down, not a dogmatic retelling of events.
- They drew from ancient extra-biblical sources without going overboard and didn’t invent entirely new mythology out of thin air.
- They allowed for an unreliable narrator that we aren’t meant to trust fully.
Could they have clarified some points better? Yes.
I think many casual viewers may not realize how much of what they are seeing comes from later traditions rather than straight from the Bible.
Leaving out the Flood removes a critical piece of the Genesis context, and framing Orpah’s claims as legend rather than fact could have been emphasized even a little more.
But overall, I have to respect what they tried to do.
They introduced millions of people to one of the most fascinating—and most neglected—passages in the Bible. The show is one of the most watched on Amazon Prime.
They handled the Watchers and Nephilim with surprising caution and care, rather than just turning it into fantasy.
At the end of the day, House of David invited a fresh generation to ask old questions:
- Who were the sons of God?
- What happened before the Flood?
- Why does Genesis hint at an ancient rebellion between heaven and earth?
And those are exactly the kinds of questions we should be asking—not to chase after myths, but to better understand the spiritual battles the Bible has described from Genesis to Revelation.
I’m grateful House of David stirred up these conversations. And if my own work on The Descent of the Gods has taught me anything, it’s that even the most careful retelling still leaves many questions.
Sources and References
- Genesis 6:1–4 — BibleGateway ESV
- Numbers 13:32–33 — BibleGateway ESV
- 1 Samuel 17:5–7 — BibleGateway ESV
- 2 Samuel 21:15–22 — BibleGateway ESV
- Deuteronomy 3:11 — BibleGateway ESV
- Jude 6 — BibleGateway ESV
- 2 Peter 2:4 — BibleGateway ESV
Articles and Research Links
- GotQuestions.org — “Was Goliath a Nephilim?”
(Referenced for discussion on post-Flood use of “Nephilim” and the hero-archetype analogy.) - Variety — “House of David’ AI Goliath Origin Sequence”
(Referenced regarding the AI controversy surrounding the Goliath sequence.) - The Bible Artist — “Goliath in House of David and Scripture: Adapting Biblical Characters”
(Referenced for analysis of House of David’s approach to biblical adaptation.) - Christianity Today — “How Biblically Accurate is House of David?”
(Referenced for critical insights on the show’s biblical interpretation.) - Church Leaders — “House of David and Goliath”
(Referenced for theological reactions to the show’s portrayal.) - Humble Theology — “House of David: A Theologian’s Analysis”
(Referenced for theological breakdown and cautionary views on the show’s adaptation.)
