2 Samuel 15:12

12 And Absalom sent for Ahithophel the Gilonite, one of David's helpers, from Giloh his town, while he was making the offerings. And the design against David became strong, for more and more people were joined to Absalom.

2 Samuel 15:12 Meaning and Commentary

2 Samuel 15:12

And Absalom sent for Ahithophel, the Gilonite, David's
counsellor
To advise with about this treasonable affair he was engaged in, and to get out of him David's secrets, who was reckoned the best counsellor in the land; and he might rather hope he would come to him, if he was the grandfather of Bathsheba, as say the Jews, ( 2 Samuel 11:3 ) ( 23:34 ) ; since he might be disgusted with and resent David's adultery with Bathsheba his granddaughter, and the murder of her husband Uriah: him he sent for,

from his city, [even] from Giloh;
a city in the tribe of Judah, in the mountainous part of it, near to Hebron, where Absalom now was; and, according to Bunting ^F9, twenty miles from Jerusalem, see ( Joshua 15:48 Joshua 15:51 Joshua 15:54 ) ;

while he offered sacrifices;
not Ahithophel, but Absalom, his peace offerings at Hebron, to which he invited Ahithophel to come and partake of:

and the conspiracy was strong;
or there was a great number in the conspiracy, who were assembled together:

for the people increased continually with Absalom;
being drawn to him by the comeliness of his person, his affable behaviour, the pomp and magnificence in which he appeared, the great number of the principal inhabitants of Jerusalem with him, and he the king's eldest son, and so heir to the crown; whereas it might begin to be rumoured about, that David designed Solomon, a son of Bathsheba, a young prince, to be his successor, which did not meet with general approbation at first.

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FOOTNOTES:

F9 Travels p. 149.

2 Samuel 15:12 In-Context

10 But Absalom at the same time sent watchers through all the tribes of Israel to say, At the sound of the horn you are to say, Absalom is king in Hebron.

11 And with Absalom, at his request, went two hundred men from Jerusalem, who were completely unconscious of his designs.

12 And Absalom sent for Ahithophel the Gilonite, one of David's helpers, from Giloh his town, while he was making the offerings. And the design against David became strong, for more and more people were joined to Absalom.

13 And one came to David and said, The hearts of the men of Israel have gone after Absalom.

14 And David said to all his servants who were with him at Jerusalem, Come, let us go in flight, or not one of us will be safe from Absalom: let us go without loss of time, or he will overtake us quickly and send evil on us, and put the town to the sword.