Passage Resources Hebrew/Greek Your Content
Previous Next
Add parallel Print Page Options
Close LSB

2 Samuel 16:15-17:23
Legacy Standard Bible

Absalom Enters Jerusalem

15 (A)Now Absalom and all the people, the men of Israel, had entered Jerusalem, and Ahithophel with him. 16 And it happened that when (B)Hushai the Archite, David’s friend, came to Absalom, that (C)Hushai said to Absalom, “(D)Long live the king! Long live the king!” 17 And Absalom said to Hushai, “Is this your lovingkindness to your friend? (E)Why did you not go with your friend?” 18 Then Hushai said to Absalom, “No! For whom Yahweh, this people, and all the men of Israel have chosen, his I will be, and with him I will remain. 19 Besides, (F)whom should I serve? Should I not serve in the presence of his son? As I have served in your father’s presence, so I will be in your presence.”

20 Then Absalom said to Ahithophel, “Give your advice. What shall we do?” 21 And Ahithophel said to Absalom, “(G)Go in to your father’s concubines, whom he has left to keep the house; then all Israel will hear that you have made yourself odious to your father. The hands of all who are with you will also be strengthened.” 22 So they pitched a tent for Absalom on the roof, (H)and Absalom went in to his father’s concubines (I)in the sight of all Israel. 23 (J)Now the counsel of Ahithophel, which he counseled in those days, was as if one asked of the word of God; (K)so was all the counsel of Ahithophel regarded by both David and Absalom.

Absalom Calls for Hushai’s Counsel

17 Then Ahithophel said to Absalom, “Please let me choose 12,000 men that I may arise and pursue David tonight. 2 (L)And I will come upon him while he is weary with his hands falling limp and throw him into utter fright, so that all the people who are with him will flee. Then (M)I will strike down the king alone, 3 and I will cause all the people to return to you. [a]The return of everyone depends on the man you seek; then all the people will be at (N)peace.” 4 And the word was right in the eyes of Absalom and all the elders of Israel.

5 Then Absalom said, “Call now (O)Hushai the Archite also, and let us hear what is also in his mouth.” 6 Then Hushai came to Absalom. And Absalom spoke to him, saying, “Ahithophel has spoken [b]thus. Shall we [c]carry out his word? If not, you speak.” 7 And Hushai said to Absalom, “(P)This time the counsel that Ahithophel has counseled is not good.” 8 Then Hushai said, “You know your father and his men, that they are mighty men and they are bitter of soul, (Q)like a bear robbed of her cubs in the field. And your father is a man of war, and will not spend the night with the people. 9 Behold, he has now hidden himself in one of the [d]caves or in another place; and it will be [e]when he falls on them at the first attack, that whoever hears it will say, ‘There has been a slaughter among the people who follow Absalom.’ 10 And even the one who is a man of valor, whose heart is like the heart of a lion, (R)will utterly melt; for all Israel knows that your father is a mighty man and those who are with him are men of valor. 11 But I counsel that all Israel be utterly gathered to you, (S)from Dan even to Beersheba, (T)as the sand that is by the sea in abundance, and that [f]you personally go into battle. 12 So we shall come to him in one of the places where he can be found, and we will set down on him (U)as the dew falls on the ground; and of him and of all the men who are with him, not even one will be left. 13 If he withdraws into a city, then all Israel shall carry ropes to that city, and we will (V)drag it into the [g]valley until not even a small stone is found there.” 14 Then Absalom and all the men of Israel said, “The counsel of Hushai the Archite is better than the counsel of Ahithophel.” For (W)Yahweh had [h]ordained to thwart the good counsel of Ahithophel, so that Yahweh might bring calamity on Absalom.

Hushai Informs David

15 Then (X)Hushai said to Zadok and to Abiathar the priests, “[i]This is what Ahithophel counseled Absalom and the elders of Israel, and [j]this is what I have counseled. 16 So now, send quickly and inform David, saying, ‘(Y)Do not spend the night at the fords of the wilderness, but by all means cross over, lest the king and all the people who are with him be swallowed up.’” 17 (Z)Now Jonathan and Ahimaaz were staying at (AA)En-rogel, and a servant-woman would go and inform them, and they would go and inform King David, for they could not be seen entering the city. 18 But a boy did see them and informed Absalom; so the two of them went quickly and came to the house of a man (AB)in Bahurim, who had a well in his courtyard, and they went down [k]into it. 19 And (AC)the woman [l]took a covering and spread it over the well’s mouth and scattered crushed grain on it, so that nothing was known. 20 Then Absalom’s servants came to the woman at the house and said, “Where are Ahimaaz and Jonathan?” And (AD)the woman said to them, “They have crossed the brook of water.” And when they searched and could not find them, they returned to Jerusalem.

21 Now it happened after they went away, that they came up out of the well and went and informed King David; and they said to David, “(AE)Arise and cross over the water quickly for thus Ahithophel has counseled against you.” 22 Then David and all the people who were with him arose and crossed the Jordan; and by [m]dawn not even one remained who had not crossed the Jordan.

23 Now Ahithophel saw that his counsel was not [n]followed. So he [o]saddled his donkey and arose and went to his home, to (AF)his city, and [p](AG)set his house in order, and (AH)strangled himself; thus he died and was buried in the grave of his father.

Footnotes

  1. 2 Samuel 17:3 Lit Like the return of the whole is the man whom you seek
  2. 2 Samuel 17:6 Lit according to this word
  3. 2 Samuel 17:6 Lit do
  4. 2 Samuel 17:9 Lit pits
  5. 2 Samuel 17:9 Lit according to a falling among them
  6. 2 Samuel 17:11 Lit your face go
  7. 2 Samuel 17:13 Or wadi
  8. 2 Samuel 17:14 Lit commanded
  9. 2 Samuel 17:15 Lit Thus and thus
  10. 2 Samuel 17:15 Lit Thus and thus
  11. 2 Samuel 17:18 Lit there
  12. 2 Samuel 17:19 Lit took and spread the covering
  13. 2 Samuel 17:22 Lit the light of the morning
  14. 2 Samuel 17:23 Lit done
  15. 2 Samuel 17:23 Lit bound
  16. 2 Samuel 17:23 Lit gave charge to
Close LEB

2 Samuel 16:15-17:23
Lexham English Bible

Hushai Comes to Absalom

15 Now Absalom and all the people, the men of Israel, had come to Jerusalem, and Ahithophel was with him. 16 When Hushai the Arkite the friend of David came to Absalom, Hushai said to Absalom, “Long live the king, long live the king!” 17 Absalom said to Hushai, “This is your loyal love with your friend? Why did you not go with your friend?” 18 Then Hushai said to Absalom, “No, rather, whom Yahweh and this people and all the men of Israel have chosen, to him[a] I will be, and with him I will remain. 19 Furthermore,[b] for whom have I served? Is it not in the presence of his son that I have served before your father? So shall I serve you!”[c] 20 Then Absalom said to Ahithophel, “Give your advice. What shall we do?” 21 And Ahithophel said to Absalom, “Go to the concubines of your father whom he left behind to watch over the house, then all of Israel will hear that you made yourself odious to your father, and all of your followers will be motivated!”[d] 22 Then they pitched a tent for Absalom on the roof, and he went in to the concubines of his father before the eyes of all Israel. 23 The counsel that Ahithophel gave in those days was regarded as when a man[e] inquired of the word of God, so all the counsel of Ahithophel was esteemed both by David and by Absalom.

Hushai Frustrates the Counsel of Ahithophel

17 Then Ahithophel said to Absalom, “Please let me choose twelve thousand men, and I will set out and pursue after David tonight.[f] 2 I will come upon him while he is weary and weak.[g] I will startle him, and all of the people who are with him will flee. Then I will strike down the king while he is alone. 3 Then I will return all the people to you; when all have returned, the man whom you are seeking will be dead,[h] but all the people will be safe.” 4 The word was right in the eyes of Absalom and in the eyes of all the elders of Israel. 5 Then Absalom said, “Please call also for Hushai the Arkite, and let us hear what he has to say[i] also.” 6 So Hushai came to Absalom, who said to him, “Shall we do according to this word that Ahithophel has spoken? If not, then you tell us.” 7 Then Hushai said to Absalom, “The counsel that Ahithophel gave is not good at this time.”[j] 8 Hushai continued, “You know your father and his men, that they are mighty warriors and they are enraged[k] as a bear robbed of her offspring in the field. Your father is a man of war, so he will not spend the night with the troops. 9 Now he has hidden himself in one of the caves or in one of the places. At the moment he falls on them[l] the first time, whoever hears[m] the report will say, ‘There has been a defeat among the people who follow after Absalom.’ 10 And he is also a valiant warrior,[n] whose heart is like the heart of the lion. He[o] will certainly melt[p] with fear, for all Israel knows that your father is a mighty warrior and those who are with him are valiant warriors.[q] 11 I give the advice that all of Israel from Dan to Beersheba should be completely gathered to you, as the sand which is on the seashore for abundance, with you personally[r] going into the battle. 12 Then we will come to him in one of the places where he may be found, and we shall come upon him as the dew falls on the ground. He and all the men who are with him will not survive, not even one! 13 Even if he withdraws to a city, all Israel will bring up ropes to that city, and they will drag him away to the valley until there is not even a pebble to be found.” 14 Then Absalom and all the men of Israel said, “The advice of Hushai the Arkite is better than the advice of Ahithophel.” (Now Yahweh had ordained to frustrate the good counsel of Ahithophel in order for Yahweh to bring misery upon Absalom).

Hushai Sends Word to David

15 Hushai said to Zadok and to Abiathar the priests, “Thus and so[s] Ahithophel advised Absalom and the elders of Israel, but thus and so[t] I have advised. 16 So then, send quickly and tell David, ‘Don’t spend the night at the fords of the wilderness! Moreover, by all means cross over lest the king and all the people who are with him be swallowed up.’” 17 Now Jonathan and Ahimaaz were staying at En Rogel, so a servant girl used to go and tell them, then they would go and tell King David, for they were not able to be seen coming to the city. 18 But a young man saw them and told Absalom, so both of them went quickly and came to the house of a man at Bahurim. Now he had a well in his courtyard, so they went down there. 19 Then the woman took and spread a covering over the opening of the well; then she spread out dried grain on it, so nothing was discovered. 20 When the servants of Absalom came to the woman at the house, they said, “Where are Ahimaaz and Jonathan?” And she said to them, “They crossed over the brook of water.” So they searched but could not find them, so they returned to Jerusalem. 21 After they left, they came up from the well and went and told King David. They said to David, “Set out and cross over the water quickly, for thus Ahithophel has advised against you.” 22 So David and all the people who were with him set out, and they crossed over the Jordan until morning light until there was no one[u] missing who had not crossed over the Jordan. 23 When Ahithophel saw that his advice was not followed, he saddled the donkey, and he set out and went up to his house in his city. After he set his house in order,[v] he hanged himself, and he died and was buried in the tomb of his ancestors.[w]

Footnotes

  1. 2 Samuel 16:18 According to the reading tradition (Qere); Kethib has “no”
  2. 2 Samuel 16:19 Literally “And the second thing”
  3. 2 Samuel 16:19 Literally “So shall I be in your presence”
  4. 2 Samuel 16:21 Literally “the hands of all who are with you will be strengthened”
  5. 2 Samuel 16:23 Qere reads “a man inquired”; Kethib omits “a man”
  6. 2 Samuel 17:1 Literally “the night”
  7. 2 Samuel 17:2 Literally “slack of hands”
  8. 2 Samuel 17:3 According to the MT; the LXX has “and I will return all the people to you the way a bride returns to her husband, except the life of the one man whom you are seeking”
  9. 2 Samuel 17:5 Literally “what is in his mouth”
  10. 2 Samuel 17:7 Literally “at this occurrence”
  11. 2 Samuel 17:8 Literally “are bitter of soul”
  12. 2 Samuel 17:9 I.e., Absalom’s troops
  13. 2 Samuel 17:9 Literally “and the one who hears hears”
  14. 2 Samuel 17:10 Literally “son of ability”
  15. 2 Samuel 17:10 i.e., one of Absalom’s troops
  16. 2 Samuel 17:10 Literally “melting he will melt”
  17. 2 Samuel 17:10 Literally “son of ability”
  18. 2 Samuel 17:11 Literally “your face”
  19. 2 Samuel 17:15 Literally “so this and so this”
  20. 2 Samuel 17:15 Literally “so this and so this”
  21. 2 Samuel 17:22 Literally “until one was not missing”
  22. 2 Samuel 17:23 Literally “And he commanded to his household”
  23. 2 Samuel 17:23 Or “fathers”
Next
2 Samuel 15
2 Samuel 18
Next
dropdown
Legacy Standard Bible (LSB)

Legacy Standard Bible Copyright ©2021 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved. Managed in partnership with Three Sixteen Publishing Inc. LSBible.org For Permission to Quote Information visit https://www.LSBible.org.

Lexham English Bible (LEB)

2012 by Logos Bible Software. Lexham is a registered trademark of Logos Bible Software