1 Moreover Ahithophel H302 said H559 unto Absalom, H53 Let me now choose out H977 twelve H8147 H6240 thousand H505 men, H376 and I will arise H6965 and pursue H7291 after H310 David H1732 this night: H3915
2 And I will come H935 upon him while he is weary H3023 and weak H7504 handed, H3027 and will make him afraid: H2729 and all the people H5971 that are with him shall flee; H5127 and I will smite H5221 the king H4428 only:
3 And I will bring back H7725 all the people H5971 unto thee: the man H376 whom thou seekest H1245 is as if all returned: H7725 so all the people H5971 shall be in peace. H7965
4 And the saying H1697 pleased H3474 Absalom H53 well, H5869 and all the elders H2205 of Israel. H3478
5 Then said H559 Absalom, H53 Call H7121 now Hushai H2365 the Archite H757 also, and let us hear H8085 likewise what he saith. H6310
6 And when Hushai H2365 was come H935 to Absalom, H53 Absalom H53 spake H559 unto him, saying, H559 Ahithophel H302 hath spoken H1696 after this manner: H1697 shall we do H6213 after his saying? H1697 if not; speak H1696 thou.
7 And Hushai H2365 said H559 unto Absalom, H53 The counsel H6098 that Ahithophel H302 hath given H3289 is not good H2896 at this time. H6471
8 For, said H559 Hushai, H2365 thou knowest H3045 thy father H1 and his men, H582 that they be mighty men, H1368 and they be chafed H4751 in their minds, H5315 as a bear H1677 robbed H7909 of her whelps in the field: H7704 and thy father H1 is a man H376 of war, H4421 and will not lodge H3885 with the people. H5971
9 Behold, he is hid H2244 now in some H259 pit, H6354 or in some H259 other place: H4725 and it will come to pass, when some of them be overthrown H5307 at the first, H8462 that whosoever H8085 heareth H8085 it will say, H559 There is a slaughter H4046 among the people H5971 that follow H310 Absalom. H53
10 And he also that is valiant, H1121 H2428 whose heart H3820 is as the heart H3820 of a lion, H738 shall utterly H4549 melt: H4549 for all Israel H3478 knoweth H3045 that thy father H1 is a mighty man, H1368 and they which be with him are valiant H2428 men. H1121
11 Therefore I counsel H3289 that all Israel H3478 be generally H622 gathered H622 unto thee, from Dan H1835 even to Beersheba, H884 as the sand H2344 that is by the sea H3220 for multitude; H7230 and that thou go H1980 to battle H7128 in thine own person. H6440
12 So shall we come H935 upon him in some H259 place H4725 where he shall be found, H4672 and we will light H5168 upon him as the dew H2919 falleth H5307 on the ground: H127 and of him and of all the men H582 that are with him there shall not be left H3498 so much as H1571 one. H259
13 Moreover, if H518 he be gotten H622 into a city, H5892 then shall all Israel H3478 bring H5375 ropes H2256 to that city, H5892 and we will draw H5498 it into the river, H5158 until there be not one H1571 small stone H6872 found H4672 there.
14 And Absalom H53 and all the men H376 of Israel H3478 said, H559 The counsel H6098 of Hushai H2365 the Archite H757 is better H2896 than the counsel H6098 of Ahithophel. H302 For the LORD H3068 had appointed H6680 to defeat H6565 the good H2896 counsel H6098 of Ahithophel, H302 to the intent H5668 that the LORD H3068 might bring H935 evil H7451 upon Absalom. H53
15 Then said H559 Hushai H2365 unto Zadok H6659 and to Abiathar H54 the priests, H3548 Thus and thus did Ahithophel H302 counsel H3289 Absalom H53 and the elders H2205 of Israel; H3478 and thus and thus have I counselled. H3289
16 Now therefore send H7971 quickly, H4120 and tell H5046 David, H1732 saying, H559 Lodge H3885 not this night H3915 in the plains H6160 H5679 of the wilderness, H4057 but speedily H5674 pass over; H5674 lest the king H4428 be swallowed up, H1104 and all the people H5971 that are with him.
17 Now Jonathan H3083 and Ahimaaz H290 stayed H5975 by Enrogel; H5883 for they might H3201 not be seen H7200 to come H935 into the city: H5892 and a wench H8198 went H1980 and told H5046 them; and they went H3212 and told H5046 king H4428 David. H1732
18 Nevertheless a lad H5288 saw H7200 them, and told H5046 Absalom: H53 but they went H3212 both H8147 of them away quickly, H4120 and came H935 to a man's H376 house H1004 in Bahurim, H980 which had a well H875 in his court; H2691 whither H8033 they went down. H3381
19 And the woman H802 took H3947 and spread H6566 a covering H4539 over the well's H875 mouth, H6440 and spread H7849 ground corn H7383 thereon; and the thing H1697 was not known. H3045
20 And when Absalom's H53 servants H5650 came H935 to the woman H802 to the house, H1004 they said, H559 Where is Ahimaaz H290 and Jonathan? H3083 And the woman H802 said H559 unto them, They be gone over H5674 the brook H4323 of water. H4325 And when they had sought H1245 and could not find H4672 them, they returned H7725 to Jerusalem. H3389
21 And it came to pass, after H310 they were departed, H3212 that they came up H5927 out of the well, H875 and went H3212 and told H5046 king H4428 David, H1732 and said H559 unto David, H1732 Arise, H6965 and pass quickly H4120 over H5674 the water: H4325 for thus hath Ahithophel H302 counselled H3289 against you.
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on 2 Samuel 17
Commentary on 2 Samuel 17 Matthew Henry Commentary
Chapter 17
The contest between David and Absalom is now hasting towards a crisis. It must be determined by the sword, and preparation is made accordingly in this chapter.
There we shall, in the next chapter, find the cause decided by a battle: hitherto, every thing has looked black upon poor David, but now the day of his deliverance begins to dawn.
2Sa 17:1-14
Absalom is now in peaceable possession of Jerusalem; the palace-royal is his own, as are the thrones of judgment, even the thrones of the house of David. His good father reigned in Hebron, and only over the tribe of Judah, above seven years, and was not hasty to destroy his rival; his government was built upon a divine promise, the performance of which he was sure of in due time, and therefore he waited patiently in the mean time. But the young man, Absalom, not only hastens from Hebron to Jerusalem, but is impatient there till he has destroyed his father, cannot be content with his throne till he has his life; for his government is founded in iniquity, and therefore feels itself tottering and thinks itself obliged to do every thing with violence. That so profligate a wretch as Absalom should aim at the life of so good a father is not so strange (there are here and there monsters in nature); but that the body of the people of Israel, to whom David had been so great a blessing in all respects, should join with him in his attempt, is very amazing. But their fathers often mutinied against Moses. The best of parents, and the best of princes will not think it strange if they be made uneasy by those who should be their support and joy, when they consider what sons and what subjects David himself had.
David and all that adhered to him must be cut off. This was resolved, for aught that appears, nemine contradicente-unanimously. None durst mention his personal merits, and the great services done to his country, in opposition to this resolve, nor so much as ask, "Why, what evil has he done to forfeit his crown, much less his head?' None durst propose that his banishment should suffice, for the present, nor that agents should be sent to treat with him to resign the crown, which, having so tamely quitted the city, they might think he would easily be persuaded to do. It was not long since that Absalom himself fled for a crime, and David contented himself with his being an exile, though he deserved death, nay, he mourned and longed for him; but so perfectly void of all natural affection is this ungrateful Absalom that he eagerly thirsts after his own father's blood. It is past dispute that David must be destroyed; all the question is how he may be destroyed.
2Sa 17:15-21
We must now leave David's enemies pleasing themselves with the thoughts of a sure victory by following Hushai's counsel, and sending a summons, no doubt, to all the tribes of Israel, to come to the general rendezvous at a place appointed, pursuant to that counsel; and we next find David's friends consulting how to get him notice of all this, that he might steer his course accordingly. Hushai tells the priests what had passed in council, v. 15. But, it should seem, he was not sure but that yet Ahithophel's counsel might be followed, and was therefore jealous lest, if he made not the best of his way, the king would be swallowed up, and all the people that were with him, v. 16. Perhaps, as he was called in to give advice (v. 5), so he was dismissed before they came to that resolve (v. 14) in favour of his advice, or he feared they might afterwards change their mind. However, it was good to provide against the worst, and therefore to hasten those valuable lives out of the reach of these destroyers. Such strict guards did Absalom set upon all the avenues to Jerusalem that they had much ado to get this necessary intelligence to David.
2Sa 17:22-29
Here is,