Bible Commentaries

Moreover Ahithophel said unto Absalom, ^a Let me now choose out twelve thousand men, and I will arise and pursue after David this night:

(a) The wicked are so greedy to execute their malice, that they leave no opportunity that may further the same.

And I will bring back all the people unto thee: ^b the man whom thou seekest [is] as if all returned: [so] all the people shall be in peace.

(b) Meaning David.

And Hushai said unto Absalom, The counsel that Ahithophel hath given [is] not ^c good at this time.

(c) Hushai shows himself faithful to David, in that he reproves this wicked counsel and purpose.

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 ^d good counsel of Ahithophel, to the intent that the LORD might ^e bring evil upon Absalom.

(d) That counsel which seemed good at first to Absalom, (2 Samuel 17:4).

(e) For by the counsel of Hushai, he went to the battle, where he was destroyed.

Now therefore send quickly, and tell David, saying, Lodge not this night in the plains of the wilderness, but speedily pass ^f over; lest the king be swallowed up, and all the people that [are] with him.

(f) That is, over Jordan.

Now Jonathan and Ahimaaz stayed by Enrogel; for they might not be seen to come into the city: and a wench went and told ^g them; and they went and told king David.

(g) Meaning, the message from their fathers.

And ^h the woman took and spread a covering over the well's mouth, and spread ground corn thereon; and the thing was not known.

(h) Thus God sends help to his, in their greatest dangers.

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 ⁱ brook of water. And when they had sought and could not find [them], they returned to Jerusalem.

(i) The Chaldee text reads: Now they have passed the Jordan.

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 ^k thus hath Ahithophel counselled against you.

(k) That is, to pursue you with all haste.

Then David arose, and all the people that [were] with him, and they passed over Jordan: ^l by the morning light there lacked not one of them that was not gone over Jordan.

(l) They travelled all night, and by morning had all their company passed over.

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 ^m hanged himself, and died, and was buried in the sepulchre of his father.

(m) God's just vengeance even in this life is poured on them who are enemies, traitors, or persecutors of his Church.

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 ⁿ Nahash, sister to Zeruiah Joab's mother.

(n) Who was also called Jesse, David's father.

^o Brought beds, and basons, and earthen vessels, and wheat, and barley, and flour, and parched [corn], and beans, and lentiles, and parched [pulse],

(o) God shows himself most liberal to his, when they seem to be utterly destitute.