Bible Commentaries

2 Samuel 17:1-14. Ahithophel advises the instant pursuit and capture of David. "I," he says, "will bring back all the people unto thee, as a bride returns to her husband; thou seekest the life of only one man, there shall be peace for all the people"; read 2 Samuel 17:3 thus with LXX. Hushai advised delay, till an overwhelming force could be gathered which would overcome any possible resistance. Yahweh makes Absalom follow Hushai's counsel, to his own ruin.

2 Samuel 17:15-29. David Comes to Mahanaim (J).

2 Samuel 17:15-21. Meanwhile David was in constant communication with his agents in Jerusalem through Jonathan and Ahimaaz. But one day, apparently when the news of Ahithophel's advice was being conveyed to David, they were seen and pursued, but escaped by being hidden in a well (cf. Joshua 2:6), and got away and brought the news to the king.

2 Samuel 17:17. En-rogel: 1 Kings 1:9*.

2 Samuel 17:20. brook: michal, a word of unknown meaning, occurring only here.

2 Samuel 17:22-26. David moves to Mahanaim, and Absalom pursues him with the whole levy of Israel. Ahithophel had committed suicide. Absalom's commander-in-chief was Amasa, son of Jether the Ishmaelite (so with 1 Chronicles 2:17), and of Abigail, the daughter of Jesse. (So Klostermann and others, with LXX and 1 Chronicles 2:17.) The "Nahash" of the Heb. text may perhaps be partly due to the presence of the name in 2 Samuel 17:27. (Of, on 1 Samuel 26:6.)

2 Samuel 17:27-29. The Sheikhs in the lands E. of the Jordan supply David and his followers with provisions. Shobi may now have been king of Ammon, tributary to David.

2 Samuel 17:27. Rogelim: not identified.

2 Samuel 17:28. beds; read "couches and rugs," with Budde and others, on the basis of LXX.—parched pulse: omit.—cheese: shphoth only occurs here, meaning unknown; is as likely to be cheese as anything else.