2 Samuel 17

Hushai Saves David

1 Moreover, Ahithophel said to Absalom, "Let me choose twelve thousand men, and I will arise and pursue David tonight. 2 I will come upon him while he is q weary and discouraged and throw him into a panic, and all the people who are with him will flee. r I will strike down only the king, 3 and I will bring all the people back to you as a bride comes home to her husband. You seek the life of only one man, 1 and all the people will be at peace." 4 And the advice seemed right in the eyes of Absalom and all the elders of Israel.

5 Then Absalom said, "Call s Hushai the Archite also, and let us hear what he has to say." 6 And when Hushai came to Absalom, Absalom said to him, "Thus has Ahithophel spoken; shall we do as he says? If not, you speak." 7 Then Hushai said to Absalom, "This time the counsel that Ahithophel has given is not good." 8 Hushai said, "You know that your father and his men are mighty men, and that they are enraged, 2 t like a bear robbed of her cubs in the field. Besides, your father is expert in war; he will not spend the night with the people. 9 Behold, even now he has hidden himself in one of the pits or in some other place. And as soon as some of the people fall 3 at the first attack, whoever hears it will say, 'There has been a slaughter among the people who follow Absalom.' 10 Then even the valiant man, whose heart is like the heart of a lion, will utterly u melt with fear, for all Israel knows that your father is a mighty man, and that those who are with him are valiant men. 11 But my counsel is that all Israel be gathered to you, v from Dan to Beersheba, w as the sand by the sea for multitude, and that you go to battle in person. 12 So we shall come upon him in some place where he is to be found, and we shall light upon him as the dew falls on the ground, and of him and all the men with him not one will be left. 13 If he withdraws into a city, then all Israel will bring ropes to that city, and we shall drag it into the valley, until not even a pebble is to be found there." 14 And Absalom and all the men of Israel said, "The counsel of Hushai the Archite is better than the counsel of Ahithophel." x For the Lord had ordained 4 to defeat the good counsel of Ahithophel, so that the Lord might bring harm upon Absalom.

15 y Then Hushai said to Zadok and Abiathar the priests, "Thus and so did Ahithophel counsel Absalom and the elders of Israel, and thus and so have I counseled. 16 Now therefore send quickly and tell David, 'Do not stay tonight at z the fords of the wilderness, but by all means pass over, lest the king and all the people who are with him be a swallowed up.'" 17 Now b Jonathan and Ahimaaz were waiting at c En-rogel. A female servant was to go and tell them, and they were to go and tell King David, for they were not to be seen entering the city. 18 But a young man saw them and told Absalom. So both of them went away quickly and came to the house of a man at d Bahurim, who had a well in his courtyard. And they went down into it. 19 e And the woman took and spread a covering over the well's mouth and scattered grain on it, and nothing was known of it. 20 When Absalom's servants came to the woman at the house, they said, "Where are Ahimaaz and Jonathan?" And the woman said to them, "They have gone over the brook 5 of water." And when they had sought and could not find them, they returned to Jerusalem.

21 After they had gone, the men came up out of the well, and went and told King David. They said to David, f "Arise, and go quickly over the water, for thus and so has Ahithophel counseled against you." 22 Then David arose, and all the people who were with him, and they crossed the Jordan. By daybreak not one was left who had not crossed the Jordan.

23 When Ahithophel saw that his counsel was not followed, he saddled his donkey and went off home to g his own city. He h set his house in order and i hanged himself, and he died and was buried in the tomb of his father.

24 Then David came to j Mahanaim. And Absalom crossed the Jordan with all the men of Israel. 25 Now Absalom had set k Amasa over the army instead of Joab. Amasa was the son of a man named Ithra the Ishmaelite, 6 who had married Abigal the daughter of l Nahash, sister of Zeruiah, Joab's mother. 26 And Israel and Absalom encamped in the land of Gilead.

27 When David came to Mahanaim, m Shobi the son of Nahash from n Rabbah of the Ammonites, and o Machir the son of Ammiel from Lo-debar, and p Barzillai the Gileadite from Rogelim, 28 brought beds, basins, and earthen vessels, wheat, barley, flour, parched grain, beans and lentils, 7 29 honey and curds and sheep and cheese from the herd, for David and the people with him to eat, for they said, "The people are hungry and q weary and thirsty r in the wilderness."

  1. Cross References
    2 Samuel 16:14
    And the king, and all the people who were with him, arrived weary at the Jordan. And there he refreshed himself.
    Deuteronomy 25:18
    How he attacked you on the way when you were faint and weary, and cut off your tail, those who were lagging behind you, and he did not fear God.
  2. Cross References
    1 Kings 22:31
    Now the king of Syria had commanded the thirty-two captains of his chariots, "Fight with neither small nor great, but only with the king of Israel.
  3. Cross References
    2 Samuel 16:16 - 18
    And when Hushai the Archite, David's friend, came to Absalom, Hushai said to Absalom, "Long live the king! Long live the king!
  4. Cross References
    Proverbs 17:12
    Let a man meet a she-bear robbed of her cubs rather than a fool in his folly.
    Hosea 13:8
    I will fall upon them like a bear robbed of her cubs; I will tear open their breast, and there I will devour them like a lion, as a wild beast would rip them open.
  5. Cross References
    Joshua 2:11
    And as soon as we heard it, our hearts melted, and there was no spirit left in any man because of you, for the Lord your God, he is God in the heavens above and on the earth beneath.
  6. Cross References
    2 Samuel 3:10
    To transfer the kingdom from the house of Saul and set up the throne of David over Israel and over Judah, from Dan to Beersheba.
  7. Cross References
    Genesis 22:17
    I will surely bless you, and I will surely multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven and as the sand that is on the seashore. And your offspring shall possess the gate of his enemies.
  8. Cross References
    2 Samuel 15:31
    And it was told David, "Ahithophel is among the conspirators with Absalom." And David said, "O Lord, please turn the counsel of Ahithophel into foolishness.
    2 Samuel 15:34
    But if you return to the city and say to Absalom, 'I will be your servant, O king; as I have been your father's servant in time past, so now I will be your servant,' then you will defeat for me the counsel of Ahithophel.
  9. Cross References
    2 Samuel 15:35 - 36
    Are not Zadok and Abiathar the priests with you there? So whatever you hear from the king's house, tell it to Zadok and Abiathar the priests.
  10. Cross References
    2 Samuel 15:28
    See, I will wait at the fords of the wilderness until word comes from you to inform me.
  11. Cross References
    2 Samuel 20:19
    I am one of those who are peaceable and faithful in Israel. You seek to destroy a city that is a mother in Israel. Why will you swallow up the heritage of the Lord ?
  12. Cross References
    2 Samuel 15:27
    The king also said to Zadok the priest, "Are you not a seer? Go back to the city in peace, with your two sons, Ahimaaz your son, and Jonathan the son of Abiathar.
    2 Samuel 15:36
    Behold, their two sons are with them there, Ahimaaz, Zadok's son, and Jonathan, Abiathar's son, and by them you shall send to me everything you hear.
  13. Cross References
    Joshua 15:7
    And the boundary goes up to Debir from the Valley of Achor, and so northward, turning toward Gilgal, which is opposite the ascent of Adummim, which is on the south side of the valley. And the boundary passes along to the waters of En-shemesh and ends at En-rogel.
    Joshua 18:16
    Then the boundary goes down to the border of the mountain that overlooks the Valley of the Son of Hinnom, which is at the north end of the Valley of Rephaim. And it then goes down the Valley of Hinnom, south of the shoulder of the Jebusites, and downward to En-rogel.
  14. Cross References
    2 Samuel 3:16
    But her husband went with her, weeping after her all the way to Bahurim. Then Abner said to him, "Go, return." And he returned.
  15. Cross References
    Joshua 2:6
    But she had brought them up to the roof and hid them with the stalks of flax that she had laid in order on the roof.
  16. Cross References
    2 Samuel 17:15 - 16
    Then Hushai said to Zadok and Abiathar the priests, "Thus and so did Ahithophel counsel Absalom and the elders of Israel, and thus and so have I counseled.
  17. Cross References
    2 Samuel 15:12
    And while Absalom was offering the sacrifices, he sent for Ahithophel the Gilonite, David's counselor, from his city Giloh. And the conspiracy grew strong, and the people with Absalom kept increasing.
  18. Cross References
    2 Kings 20:1
    In those days Hezekiah became sick and was at the point of death. And Isaiah the prophet the son of Amoz came to him and said to him, "Thus says the Lord, 'Set your house in order, for you shall die; you shall not recover.'
  19. Cross References
    Matthew 27:5
    And throwing down the pieces of silver into the temple, he departed, and he went and hanged himself.
  20. Cross References
    Joshua 13:26
    And from Heshbon to Ramath-mizpeh and Betonim, and from Mahanaim to the territory of Debir.
  21. Cross References
    2 Samuel 19:13
    And say to Amasa, 'Are you not my bone and my flesh? God do so to me and more also, if you are not commander of my army from now on in place of Joab.'
    2 Samuel 20:9
    And Joab said to Amasa, "Is it well with you, my brother?" And Joab took Amasa by the beard with his right hand to kiss him.
    2 Samuel 20:12
    And Amasa lay wallowing in his blood in the highway. And anyone who came by, seeing him, stopped. And when the man saw that all the people stopped, he carried Amasa out of the highway into the field and threw a garment over him.
    1 Kings 2:5
    Moreover, you also know what Joab the son of Zeruiah did to me, how he dealt with the two commanders of the armies of Israel, Abner the son of Ner, and Amasa the son of Jether, whom he killed, avenging in time of peace for blood that had been shed in war, and putting the blood of war on the belt around his waist and on the sandals on his feet.
    1 Kings 2:32
    The Lord will bring back his bloody deeds on his own head, because, without the knowledge of my father David, he attacked and killed with the sword two men more righteous and better than himself, Abner the son of Ner, commander of the army of Israel, and Amasa the son of Jether, commander of the army of Judah.
  22. Cross References
    1 Chronicles 2:13
    Jesse fathered Eliab his firstborn, Abinadab the second, Shimea the third.
    1 Chronicles 2:16
    And their sisters were Zeruiah and Abigail. The sons of Zeruiah: Abishai, Joab, and Asahel, three.
  23. Cross References
    2 Samuel 10:1 - 2
    After this the king of the Ammonites died, and Hanun his son reigned in his place.
  24. Cross References
    2 Samuel 12:26
    Now Joab fought against Rabbah of the Ammonites and took the royal city.
    2 Samuel 12:29
    So David gathered all the people together and went to Rabbah and fought against it and took it.
  25. Cross References
    2 Samuel 9:4
    The king said to him, "Where is he?" And Ziba said to the king, "He is in the house of Machir the son of Ammiel, at Lo-debar.
  26. Cross References
    2 Samuel 19:31 - 32
    Now Barzillai the Gileadite had come down from Rogelim, and he went on with the king to the Jordan, to escort him over the Jordan.
    1 Kings 2:7
    But deal loyally with the sons of Barzillai the Gileadite, and let them be among those who eat at your table, for with such loyalty they met me when I fled from Absalom your brother.
    Ezra 2:61
    Also, of the sons of the priests: the sons of Habaiah, the sons of Hakkoz, and the sons of Barzillai (who had taken a wife from the daughters of Barzillai the Gileadite, and was called by their name).
  27. Cross References
    2 Samuel 16:2
    And the king said to Ziba, "Why have you brought these?" Ziba answered, "The donkeys are for the king's household to ride on, the bread and summer fruit for the young men to eat, and the wine for those who faint in the wilderness to drink.
  28. Cross References
    2 Samuel 15:23
    And all the land wept aloud as all the people passed by, and the king crossed the brook Kidron, and all the people passed on toward the wilderness.
English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers.
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