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 » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on 2 Samuel 17
Commentary on 2 Samuel 17 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
CHAPTER 17
2Sa 17:1-14. Ahithophel's Counsel Overthrown by Hushai.
1-11. Moreover Ahithophel said unto Absalom—The recommendation to take prompt and decisive measures before the royalist forces could be collected and arranged, evinced the deep political sagacity of this councillor. The adoption of his advice would have extinguished the cause of David; and it affords a dreadful proof of the extremities to which the heartless prince was, to secure his ambitious objects, prepared to go, that the parricidal counsel "pleased Absalom well, and all the elders of Israel." It was happily overruled, however, by the address of Hushai, who saw the imminent danger to which it would expose the king and the royal cause. He dwelt upon the warlike character and military experience of the old king—represented him and his adherents as mighty men, who would fight with desperation; and who, most probably, secure in some stronghold, would be beyond reach, while the smallest loss of Absalom's men at the outset might be fatal to the success of the conspiracy. But his dexterity was chiefly displayed in that part of his counsel which recommended a general levy throughout the country; and that Absalom should take command of it in person—thereby flattering at once the pride and ambition of the usurper. The bait was caught by the vainglorious and wicked prince.
12. we will light upon him as the dew falleth on the ground—No image could have symbolized the sudden onset of an enemy so graphically to an Oriental mind as the silent, irresistible, and rapid descent of this natural moisture on every field and blade of grass.
13. all Israel shall bring ropes to that city—In besieging a town, hooks or cranes were often thrown upon the walls or turrets, by which, with ropes attached to them, the besiegers, uniting all their force, pulled down the fortifications in a mass of ruins.
14. The counsel of Hushai the Archite is better than the counsel of Ahithophel—The reasons specified being extremely plausible, and expressed in the strong hyperbolical language suited to dazzle an Oriental imagination, the council declared in favor of Hushai's advice; and their resolution was the immediate cause of the discomfiture of the rebellion, although the council itself was only a link in the chain of causation held by the controlling hand of the Lord.
2Sa 17:15-22. Secret Intelligence Sent to David.
16. send quickly, and tell David—Apparently doubting that his advice would be followed, Hushai ordered secret intelligence to be conveyed to David of all that transpired, with an urgent recommendation to cross the Jordan without a moment's delay, lest Ahithophel's address and influence might produce a change on the prince's mind, and an immediate pursuit be determined on.
17. by En-rogel—the fuller's well in the neighborhood of Jerusalem, below the junction of the valley of Hinnom with that of Jehoshaphat.
18. and came to a man's house in Bahurim, which had a well in his court—The court was that of the house, and the well an empty cistern. All the houses of the better class are furnished with such reservoirs. Nothing could more easily happen than that one of these wells, in consequence of a deficiency of water, should become dry and it would then answer as a place of retreat, such as David's friends found in the man's house at Bahurim. The spreading of a covering over the well's mouth for the drying of corn is a common practice.
2Sa 17:23-29. Ahithophel Hangs Himself.
23. when Ahithophel saw that his counsel was not followed—His vanity was wounded, his pride mortified on finding that his ascendency was gone; but that chagrin was aggravated by other feelings—a painful conviction that through the delay which had been resolved on, the cause of Absalom was lost. Hastening home, therefore, he arranged his private affairs, and knowing that the storm of retributive vengeance would fall chiefly upon him as the instigator and prop of the rebellion, he hanged himself. It may be remarked that the Israelites did not, at that time, refuse the rites of sepulture even to those who died by their own hands. He had an imitator in Judas, who resembled him in his treason, as well as in his infamous end.
24. Then David came to Mahanaim—in the high eastern country of Gilead, the seat of Ish-bosheth's government.
Absalom passed over Jordan—It is not said how long an interval elapsed, but there must have been sufficient time to make the intended levy throughout the kingdom.
25. Amasa—By the genealogy it appears that this captain stood in the same relation to David as Joab, both being his nephews. Of course, Amasa was Absalom's cousin, and though himself an Israelite, his father was an Ishmaelite (1Ch 2:17).
Nahash—is thought by some to be another name of Jesse, or according to others, the name of Jesse's wife.
27-29. when David was come to Mahanaim—The necessities of the king and his followers were hospitably ministered to by three chiefs, whose generous loyalty is recorded with honor in the sacred narrative.
Shobi—must have been a brother of Hanun. Disapproving, probably, of that young king's outrage upon the Israelite ambassadors, he had been made governor of Ammon by David on the conquest of that country.
Machir—(See 2Sa 9:4). Supposed by some to have been a brother of Bath-sheba, and
Barzillai—a wealthy old grandee, whose great age and infirmities made his loyal devotion to the distressed monarch peculiarly affecting. The supplies they brought, which (besides beds for the weary) consisted of the staple produce of their rich lands and pastures, may be classified as follows: eatables—wheat, barley, flour, beans, lentils, sheep, and cheese; drinkables—"honey and butter" or cream, which, being mixed together, form a thin, diluted beverage, light, cool, and refreshing. Being considered a luxurious refreshment (So 4:11), the supply of it shows the high respect that was paid to David by his loyal and faithful subjects at Mahanaim.
29. in the wilderness—spread out beyond the cultivated tablelands into the steppes of Hauran.