2 Samuel 17

This chapter focuses on Absalom’s advisors, Ahithophel and Hushai, as they give opposing counsel on how to deal with David. Ahithophel, a former trusted counselor of David, suggests a quick strike against David, while Hushai, David’s ally, gives advice meant to buy David time. The chapter highlights the tension between loyalty and betrayal, with God’s intervention ultimately thwarting Ahithophel’s plan.

2 Samuel 17:1-5 (NKJV)
1 Moreover Ahithophel said to Absalom, "Now let me choose twelve thousand men, and I will arise and pursue David tonight.
2 I will come upon him while he is weary and weak, and make him afraid. And all the people who are with him will flee, and I will strike only the king.
3 Then I will bring back all the people to you. When all return except the man whom you seek, all the people will be at peace."
4 And the saying pleased Absalom and all the elders of Israel.
5 Then Absalom said, "Now call Hushai the Archite also, and let us hear what he says too."

Ahithophel proposes a swift and decisive attack against David, aiming to exploit David’s vulnerable position. He plans to use a small, efficient force to kill only David, hoping this will quickly end the rebellion and restore unity. This strategy appeals to Absalom and his advisors. However, Absalom, in a rare moment of caution, decides to hear another opinion, calling for Hushai, which allows room for God’s providence to intervene in David’s favor.

2 Samuel 17:6-10 (NKJV)
6 And when Hushai came to Absalom, Absalom spoke to him, saying, "Ahithophel has spoken in this manner. Shall we do as he says? If not, speak up."
7 So Hushai said to Absalom: "The advice that Ahithophel has given is not good at this time.
8 For," said Hushai, "you know your father and his men, that they are mighty men, and they are enraged in their minds, like a bear robbed of her cubs in the field; and your father is a man of war, and will not camp with the people.
9 Surely by now he is hidden in some pit, or in some other place. And it will be, when some of them are overthrown at the first, that whoever hears it will say, ‘There is a slaughter among the people who follow Absalom.’
10 And even he who is valiant, whose heart is like the heart of a lion, will melt completely. For all Israel knows that your father is a mighty man, and those who are with him are valiant men."

Hushai counters Ahithophel’s plan by playing on Absalom’s fears and insecurities. He paints David as a formidable and seasoned warrior, well-prepared for such an attack, warning that even a small initial defeat could cause widespread panic among Absalom’s forces. Hushai’s description of David’s men as dangerous and enraged instills doubt, and he subtly suggests that the situation requires more caution than Ahithophel proposed.

2 Samuel 17:11-14 (NKJV)
11 Therefore I advise that all Israel be fully gathered to you, from Dan to Beersheba, like the sand that is by the sea for multitude, and that you go to battle in person.
12 So we will come upon him in some place where he may be found, and we will fall on him as the dew falls on the ground. And of him and all the men who are with him there shall not be left so much as one.
13 Moreover, if he has withdrawn into a city, then all Israel shall bring ropes to that city; and we will pull it into the river, until there is not one small stone found there."
14 So Absalom and all the men of Israel said, "The advice of Hushai the Archite is better than the advice of Ahithophel." For the Lord had purposed to defeat the good advice of Ahithophel, to the intent that the Lord might bring disaster on Absalom.

Hushai’s advice appeals to Absalom’s vanity by suggesting he lead the army personally, which flatters him. He proposes a larger, more overwhelming force to ensure total victory, but his real aim is to delay Absalom’s attack, giving David time to escape. Ultimately, Absalom and his advisors accept Hushai’s plan, unaware that God is working behind the scenes to thwart Ahithophel’s advice, which would have been more effective.

2 Samuel 17:15-16 (NKJV)
15 Then Hushai said to Zadok and Abiathar the priests, "Thus and so Ahithophel advised Absalom and the elders of Israel, and thus and so I have advised.
16 Now therefore, send quickly and tell David, saying, ‘Do not spend this night in the plains of the wilderness, but speedily cross over, lest the king and all the people who are with him be swallowed up.’"

Hushai immediately informs Zadok and Abiathar, the priests who were secretly loyal to David, about both Ahithophel’s and his own counsel to Absalom. Hushai instructs them to warn David to cross the Jordan River without delay, as Ahithophel’s plan, though rejected, still poses a threat. This communication is vital for David’s survival.

2 Samuel 17:17-20 (NKJV)
17 Now Jonathan and Ahimaaz stayed at En Rogel, for they dared not be seen coming into the city; so a female servant would come and tell them, and they would go and tell King David.
18 Nevertheless a lad saw them, and told Absalom. But both of them went away quickly and came to a man’s house in Bahurim, who had a well in his court, and they went down into it.
19 Then the woman took and spread a covering over the well’s mouth, and spread ground grain on it; and the thing was not known.
20 And when Absalom’s servants came to the woman at the house, they said, "Where are Ahimaaz and Jonathan?" So the woman said to them, "They have gone over the water brook." And when they had searched and could not find them, they returned to Jerusalem.

Jonathan and Ahimaaz act as messengers to relay the vital information to David. When they are spotted, they flee and hide in a well, assisted by a loyal woman who cleverly disguises the hiding place. Her quick thinking prevents Absalom’s men from discovering them. This episode highlights the loyalty of David’s supporters and the providential help that protects the messengers from harm.

2 Samuel 17:21-22 (NKJV)
21 Now it came to pass, after they had departed, that they came up out of the well and went and told King David, and said to David, "Arise and cross over the water quickly. For thus has Ahithophel advised against you."
22 So David and all the people who were with him arose and crossed over the Jordan. By morning light not one of them was left who had not gone over the Jordan.

The messengers finally reach David and urge him to move swiftly to escape the danger posed by Ahithophel’s plan. David takes immediate action, crossing the Jordan River with his entire group before dawn. This decisive move ensures that David and his followers are safely out of Absalom’s reach for the time being.

2 Samuel 17:23 (NKJV)
23 Now when Ahithophel saw that his advice was not followed, he saddled a donkey, and arose and went home to his house, to his city. Then he put his household in order, and hanged himself, and died; and he was buried in his father’s tomb.

Ahithophel, realizing that his counsel was rejected and foreseeing the failure of Absalom’s rebellion, takes his own life. His suicide reflects both the weight of his betrayal and the gravity of his lost influence. Ahithophel’s death marks the end of a significant chapter in David’s life, as the man who betrayed him falls victim to despair and defeat.

2 Samuel 17:24-26 (NKJV)
24 Then David went to Mahanaim. And Absalom crossed over the Jordan, he and all the men of Israel with him.
25 And Absalom made Amasa captain of the army instead of Joab. This Amasa was the son of a man whose name was Jithra, an Israelite, who had gone in to Abigail the daughter of Nahash, sister of Zeruiah, Joab’s mother.
26 So Israel and Absalom encamped in the land of Gilead.

David reaches Mahanaim, a safe location beyond the Jordan River. Meanwhile, Absalom crosses the Jordan with his army, preparing for the impending battle. Absalom replaces Joab, David’s former commander, with Amasa, signaling a shift in military leadership. This change, however, would later prove to be a weak point in Absalom’s strategy.

2 Samuel 17:27-29 (NKJV)
27 Now it happened, when David had come to Mahanaim, that Shobi the son of Nahash from Rabbah of the people of Ammon, Machir the son of Ammiel from Lo Debar, and Barzillai the Gileadite from Rogelim,
28 brought beds and basins, earthen vessels and wheat, barley and flour, parched grain and beans, lentils and parched seeds,
29 honey and curds, sheep and cheese of the herd, for David and the people who were with him to eat. For they said, "The people are hungry and weary and thirsty in the wilderness."

David receives support from various allies, including Shobi, Machir, and Barzillai. These men provide much-needed supplies for David and his people, showing the loyalty and kindness of those who remained faithful to him. Their assistance is a sign of God’s continued provision for David, even during his time of crisis and exile. The chapter ends with David being cared for in the wilderness, preparing for the next phase of the conflict.