Ahithophel advises Absalom to immediately pursue David with twelve thousand men to kill only the king, a plan initially pleasing to Absalom. However, Hushai the Archite offers counter-counsel, urging Absalom to gather all Israel and personally lead a massive army, which Absalom accepts, a decision divinely influenced to defeat Ahithophel's plan. Hushai then sends a warning to David, who swiftly crosses the Jordan, leading to Ahithophel's suicide upon the rejection of his counsel.
And I will come upon him while he is weary and weak handed, and will make him afraid: and all the people that are with him shall flee; and I will smite the king only:
And when Hushai was come to Absalom, Absalom spake unto him, saying, Ahithophel hath spoken after this manner: shall we do after his saying? if not; speak thou.
For, said Hushai, thou knowest thy father and his men, that they be mighty men, and they be chafed in their minds, as a bear robbed of her whelps in the field: and thy father is a man of war, and will not lodge with the people.
Behold, he is hid now in some pit, or in some other place: and it will come to pass, when some of them be overthrown at the first, that whosoever heareth it will say, There is a slaughter among the people that follow Absalom.
And he also that is valiant, whose heart is as the heart of a lion, shall utterly melt: for all Israel knoweth that thy father is a mighty man, and they which be with him are valiant men.
Therefore I counsel that all Israel be generally gathered unto thee, from Dan even to Beersheba, as the sand that is by the sea for multitude; and that thou go to battle in thine own person.
So shall we come upon him in some place where he shall be found, and we will light upon him as the dew falleth on the ground: and of him and of all the men that are with him there shall not be left so much as one.
Moreover, if he be gotten into a city, then shall all Israel bring ropes to that city, and we will draw it into the river, until there be not one small stone found there.
And Absalom and all the men of Israel said, The counsel of Hushai the Archite is better than the counsel of Ahithophel. For the LORD had appointed to defeat the good counsel of Ahithophel, to the intent that the LORD might bring evil upon Absalom.
¶ Then said Hushai unto Zadok and to Abiathar the priests, Thus and thus did Ahithophel counsel Absalom and the elders of Israel; and thus and thus have I counselled.
Now therefore send quickly, and tell David, saying, Lodge not this night in the plains of the wilderness, but speedily pass over; lest the king be swallowed up, and all the people that are with him.
Now Jonathan and Ahimaaz stayed by Enrogel; for they might not be seen to come into the city: and a wench went and told them; and they went and told king David.
Nevertheless a lad saw them, and told Absalom: but they went both of them away quickly, and came to a man's house in Bahurim, which had a well in his court; whither they went down.
And when Absalom's servants came to the woman to the house, they said, Where is Ahimaaz and Jonathan? And the woman said unto them, They be gone over the brook of water. And when they had sought and could not find them, they returned to Jerusalem.
And it came to pass, after they were departed, that they came up out of the well, and went and told king David, and said unto David, Arise, and pass quickly over the water: for thus hath Ahithophel counselled against you.
¶ Then David arose, and all the people that were with him, and they passed over Jordan: by the morning light there lacked not one of them that was not gone over Jordan.
And when Ahithophel saw that his counsel was not followed, he saddled his ass, and arose, and gat him home to his house, to his city, and put his household in order, and hanged himself, and died, and was buried in the sepulchre of his father.
And Absalom made Amasa captain of the host instead of Joab: which Amasa was a man's son, whose name was Ithra an Israelite, that went in to Abigail the daughter of Nahash, sister to Zeruiah Joab's mother.
And it came to pass, when David was come to Mahanaim, that Shobi the son of Nahash of Rabbah of the children of Ammon, and Machir the son of Ammiel of Lodebar, and Barzillai the Gileadite of Rogelim,
And honey, and butter, and sheep, and cheese of kine, for David, and for the people that were with him, to eat: for they said, The people is hungry, and weary, and thirsty, in the wilderness.
Study Notes for 2 Samuel 17
Verse 1
Ahithophel’s plan was militarily sound and decisive, focusing on eliminating David quickly before he could organize resistance. He understood that the rebellion depended entirely on the rapid removal of the king.
Verse 2
The strategy was to 'smite the king only,' ensuring minimal bloodshed among the Israelite population and guaranteeing a swift, peaceful transition of power to Absalom.
Verse 4
The immediate acceptance of Ahithophel’s counsel highlights its perceived wisdom and urgency. By seeking a second opinion (v. 5), Absalom displays a fatal indecision that ultimately costs him the throne.
Verse 5
Absalom calls for Hushai, David’s loyal spy, demonstrating his vanity. He wants consensus and validation, failing to recognize that Ahithophel's counsel was the only path to swift victory.
Verse 8
Hushai uses powerful rhetoric, appealing to Absalom’s pride while simultaneously elevating David’s reputation as a fearsome warrior. The comparison to a 'bear robbed of her whelps' emphasizes David’s dangerous desperation.
Verse 11
Hushai’s plan for slow, massive mobilization from Dan to Beersheba was designed to waste time and allow David the crucial opportunity to escape across the Jordan and prepare his forces.
Verse 14
This verse is the theological key to the chapter. The success of Hushai’s inferior advice was due to divine intervention; God actively worked to defeat Ahithophel’s 'good counsel' and bring disaster upon Absalom, fulfilling the prophecies against David's house.
Verse 15
Hushai immediately relays both counsels to the priests, Zadok and Abiathar, who were vital participants in the intelligence network established earlier by David (2 Sam 15:27).
Verse 17
Jonathan and Ahimaaz, the priests' sons, waited at Enrogel (a spring outside the city walls) to receive the message covertly, as entering Jerusalem would have exposed them as spies.
Verse 21
The message emphasizes the urgency of Ahithophel's original plan, confirming that David’s immediate flight was necessary to prevent his immediate defeat and death.
Verse 23
Ahithophel realized that if his counsel was rejected, Absalom was doomed, and he himself would face execution by David. His suicide fulfills the prayer David offered in 2 Samuel 15:31, confirming his reputation as a man whose advice was ruined by divine decree.
Verse 24
By crossing the Jordan River, David gained a natural defensive barrier and strategic ground, moving his forces toward the territory of Gilead, a region known for its loyalty to the house of Saul and David.
Verse 25
Absalom's decision to appoint Amasa, his cousin, as commander instead of Joab (David’s established general) further demonstrates his political maneuvering but sacrifices military experience for personal loyalty. Amasa was related to both David and Joab through their mother/sister, Abigail/Zeruiah.
Verse 27
Upon reaching Mahanaim, David immediately receives crucial support. Shobi, Machir, and Barzillai represent vital loyalists, some of whom had previously shown kindness to the house of Saul, now extending aid to David in his time of need.
Verse 29
The detailed list of provisions emphasizes the dire condition of David’s followers—hungry, weary, and thirsty—and underscores the immense generosity and practical loyalty displayed by the people of Gilead.
Use ←→ arrow keys to navigate
Settings
Reading Style
Typeface
Font Size px
The Calling of Disciples
19And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.
Options
Choose a Book
Study Note
Bible Version
Recent History
Get the App
Add TrulyRandomVerse to your home screen for instant access
TRV