2 Samuel 17

King James Version

Full text for 2 Samuel Chapter 17

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

2And I will come upon him while he [is] weary and weak handed, and will make him afraid: and all the people that [are] with him shall flee; and I will smite the king only:

3And I will bring back all the people unto thee: the man whom thou seekest [is] as if all returned: [so] all the people shall be in peace.

4And the saying pleased Absalom well, and all the elders of Israel.

5Then said Absalom, Call now Hushai the Archite also, and let us hear likewise what he saith.

6And when Hushai was come to Absalom, Absalom spake unto him, saying, Ahithophel hath spoken after this manner: shall we do [after] his saying? if not; speak thou.

7And Hushai said unto Absalom, The counsel that Ahithophel hath given [is] not good at this time.

8For, said Hushai, thou knowest thy father and his men, that they [be] mighty men, and they [be] chafed in their minds, as a bear robbed of her whelps in the field: and thy father [is] a man of war, and will not lodge with the people.

9Behold, he is hid now in some pit, or in some [other] place: and it will come to pass, when some of them be overthrown at the first, that whosoever heareth it will say, There is a slaughter among the people that follow Absalom.

10And he also [that is] valiant, whose heart [is] as the heart of a lion, shall utterly melt: for all Israel knoweth that thy father [is] a mighty man, and [they] which [be] with him [are] valiant men.

11Therefore I counsel that all Israel be generally gathered unto thee, from Dan even to Beersheba, as the sand that [is] by the sea for multitude; and that thou go to battle in thine own person.

12So shall we come upon him in some place where he shall be found, and we will light upon him as the dew falleth on the ground: and of him and of all the men that [are] with him there shall not be left so much as one.

13Moreover, if he be gotten into a city, then shall all Israel bring ropes to that city, and we will draw it into the river, until there be not one small stone found there.

14And 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 good counsel of Ahithophel, to the intent that the LORD might bring evil upon Absalom.

15¶ Then said Hushai unto Zadok and to Abiathar the priests, Thus and thus did Ahithophel counsel Absalom and the elders of Israel; and thus and thus have I counselled.

16Now therefore send quickly, and tell David, saying, Lodge not this night in the plains of the wilderness, but speedily pass over; lest the king be swallowed up, and all the people that [are] with him.

17Now Jonathan and Ahimaaz stayed by Enrogel; for they might not be seen to come into the city: and a wench went and told them; and they went and told king David.

18Nevertheless a lad saw them, and told Absalom: but they went both of them away quickly, and came to a man's house in Bahurim, which had a well in his court; whither they went down.

19And the woman took and spread a covering over the well's mouth, and spread ground corn thereon; and the thing was not known.

20And 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 brook of water. And when they had sought and could not find [them], they returned to Jerusalem.

21And 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 thus hath Ahithophel counselled against you.

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

23And 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 hanged himself, and died, and was buried in the sepulchre of his father.

24Then David came to Mahanaim. And Absalom passed over Jordan, he and all the men of Israel with him.

25And 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 Nahash, sister to Zeruiah Joab's mother.

26So Israel and Absalom pitched in the land of Gilead.

27And it came to pass, when David was come to Mahanaim, that Shobi the son of Nahash of Rabbah of the children of Ammon, and Machir the son of Ammiel of Lodebar, and Barzillai the Gileadite of Rogelim,

28Brought beds, and basons, and earthen vessels, and wheat, and barley, and flour, and parched [corn], and beans, and lentiles, and parched [pulse],

29And honey, and butter, and sheep, and cheese of kine, for David, and for the people that [were] with him, to eat: for they said, The people [is] hungry, and weary, and thirsty, in the wilderness.

AI Analysis

AI Summaries

Short Summary

Ahithophel advises Absalom to immediately pursue David with twelve thousand men to kill only the king, a plan initially pleasing to Absalom. However, Hushai the Archite offers counter-counsel, urging Absalom to gather all Israel and personally lead a massive army, which Absalom accepts, a decision divinely influenced to defeat Ahithophel's plan. Hushai then sends a warning to David, who swiftly crosses the Jordan, leading to Ahithophel's suicide upon the rejection of his counsel.

Medium Summary

The chapter begins with Ahithophel's counsel to Absalom, urging a swift pursuit of David with a small, elite force to strike only the king, a strategy that initially found favor. Absalom then consults Hushai, who, acting as a loyal agent for David, skillfully undermines Ahithophel's sound advice. Hushai argues that David and his men are formidable warriors and suggests a grander strategy: gathering all Israel into a vast army for Absalom to personally lead, ensuring total annihilation. Absalom and the elders prefer Hushai's counsel, a choice explicitly stated to be the LORD's doing to bring evil upon Absalom. Hushai immediately dispatches messengers, Jonathan and Ahimaaz, to warn David to cross the Jordan without delay. Despite being nearly apprehended, the messengers successfully convey the urgent warning to David. Consequently, David and his people cross the Jordan by morning light, ensuring their safety. Upon learning his counsel was rejected, Ahithophel returns home, puts his affairs in order, and commits suicide. David settles in Mahanaim, while Absalom, having appointed Amasa as his captain, also crosses into Gilead, and David's weary company receives vital provisions from loyal supporters.

Long Summary

Second Samuel chapter 17 details the critical strategic counsels presented to Absalom concerning his pursuit of King David, and the subsequent events that lead to David's escape and Ahithophel's self-destruction. Ahithophel, known for his astute judgment, first advises Absalom to select twelve thousand men and pursue David immediately that very night. His plan was to come upon David while he was weary and weak, to strike only the king, and thereby cause all the people with him to flee, bringing them back to Absalom in peace. This counsel was well-received by Absalom and all the elders of Israel. However, Absalom then called for Hushai the Archite, David's loyal friend who had infiltrated Absalom's inner circle, to hear his opinion. Hushai, acting as a double agent, skillfully countered Ahithophel's militarily sound advice. He argued that David and his men were mighty warriors, fierce as a bear robbed of her whelps, and that David himself was a man of war who would not lodge with the people, making a swift strike difficult. Hushai contended that an initial defeat of Absalom's forces would demoralize his entire following. Instead, Hushai proposed a grander, more time-consuming strategy: gathering all Israel from Dan to Beersheba, a multitude like the sand of the sea, and for Absalom to personally lead this immense army into battle. He envisioned overwhelming David and his men completely, leaving no survivor, even suggesting they could pull a city into a river if David sought refuge there. Absalom and the men of Israel were persuaded by Hushai's counsel, a decision explicitly attributed to the LORD, who had appointed to defeat Ahithophel's good counsel to bring evil upon Absalom. Immediately following this, Hushai sent word to the priests Zadok and Abiathar, instructing their sons, Jonathan and Ahimaaz, to warn David to cross the Jordan swiftly that night to avoid being swallowed up with his people. The messengers, waiting by Enrogel, were spotted by a lad who informed Absalom, but they managed to escape detection by hiding in a well and being concealed by a woman. After Absalom's servants departed, they emerged and successfully delivered the urgent message to David. Consequently, David and all his people arose and crossed the Jordan by morning light, with not one person remaining behind. Upon realizing his counsel had been rejected, Ahithophel, understanding the dire implications for Absalom's rebellion and his own position, returned to his city, put his household in order, and tragically hanged himself, being buried in his father's sepulchre. David eventually reached Mahanaim, while Absalom, having appointed Amasa as the new captain of his host, also crossed the Jordan and pitched his camp in the land of Gilead. Finally, as David and his weary company settled in Mahanaim, compassionate individuals like Shobi, Machir, and Barzillai brought abundant provisions, including food, beds, and vessels, to sustain them in the wilderness.

Core Concepts

  • Ahithophel's CounselAhithophel's initial advice to Absalom was a swift, targeted strike against King David with a small force, designed to kill only the king and preserve the people. This counsel was considered strategically sound, but ultimately rejected.
  • Hushai's Counter-CounselHushai, acting as a loyal friend to David, deliberately offered a contrasting strategy to Absalom, advocating for a massive, all-encompassing military mobilization led by Absalom himself. His counsel, though seemingly grander, was designed to delay Absalom and give David time to escape.
  • Divine InterventionThe chapter explicitly states that the LORD 'appointed to defeat the good counsel of Ahithophel' to bring evil upon Absalom. This highlights a theological perspective where God actively influences human decisions to achieve His purposes.
  • Loyalty and EspionageHushai's role exemplifies loyalty to David through an act of espionage, deliberately misleading Absalom while risking his own life. His actions were crucial in securing David's escape.
  • Consequences of Rejected CounselAhithophel's suicide immediately follows the rejection of his counsel, indicating his understanding of the dire implications for Absalom's rebellion and perhaps his own fate. This act underscores the gravity of his political and personal position.
  • David's Escape and ProvisionDavid and his followers, warned by Hushai's messengers, successfully cross the Jordan River to safety. Upon reaching Mahanaim, they receive essential provisions from loyal individuals, demonstrating God's care and the support David still commanded.
  • Absalom's Strategic MisstepBy choosing Hushai's counsel over Ahithophel's, Absalom made a critical strategic error that allowed David to escape and regroup. This decision, influenced by divine will, ultimately contributed to the failure of his rebellion.