2 Samuel 17:14

14 And Absalom said, and all the men of Israel, The counsel of Hushai of Archi is better than the counsel of Ahithophel; and the profitable counsel of Ahithophel was destroyed by God's will, that the Lord should bring in evil on Absalom. (And Absalom, and all the men of Israel, said, Hushai the Archite's advice is better than Ahithophel's; and so Ahithophel's good advice was destroyed by God's will, so that the Lord could bring in evil upon Absalom.)

2 Samuel 17:14 Meaning and Commentary

2 Samuel 17:14

And Absalom and all the men of Israel said
That is, the elders, who before approved of the counsel of Ahithophel, ( 2 Samuel 17:4 ) ;

the counsel of Hushai the Archite [is] better than the counsel of
Ahithophel;
it appeared to them most plausible, and most likely to be attended with success:

for the Lord had appointed to defeat the good counsel of Ahithophel;
for so it was to Absalom and his party the best and wisest that could be given them; but it was the Lord's will it should be defeated, and therefore the minds of Absalom and of the elders of Israel were blinded:

to the intent that the Lord might bring evil upon Absalom;
his person and cause; that his cause might be ruined, and he himself slain in battle; see ( Proverbs 19:21 ) .

2 Samuel 17:14 In-Context

12 And we shall fall upon him, in whatever place he is found, and we shall cover him, as dew is wont to fall on the earth; and we shall not leave (any) of the men that be with him, soothly not one. (And then we shall fall on David wherever he is found, and we shall cover him like dew is wont to fall on the ground; and we shall not leave alive any of the men who be with him, no not one.)

13 That if he entereth into any city, all Israel shall compass that city with ropes, and we shall draw it into the strand, yea that nothing be found, soothly not a little stone thereof. (And if he entereth into any city, all Israel shall surround that city with ropes, and we shall draw it into the stream, yea so that nothing be found of it, truly not even a little stone of it.)

14 And Absalom said, and all the men of Israel, The counsel of Hushai of Archi is better than the counsel of Ahithophel; and the profitable counsel of Ahithophel was destroyed by God's will, that the Lord should bring in evil on Absalom. (And Absalom, and all the men of Israel, said, Hushai the Archite's advice is better than Ahithophel's; and so Ahithophel's good advice was destroyed by God's will, so that the Lord could bring in evil upon Absalom.)

15 And Hushai said to Zadok and to Abiathar, the priests, Ahithophel gave counsel to Absalom, and to the elder men of Israel in this and this manner, and I gave such and such counsel.

16 Now therefore send ye soon, and tell ye to David, and say ye, Dwell thou not this night in [the] field places of the desert, but pass thou [over] without delay; lest peradventure the king be swallowed up, and all the people that is with him. (And so now send ye to him soon, and tell ye to David, Stay thou not this night at the Fords, or the crossings, of the Wilderness, but cross thou over the river without delay; lest perhaps the king be swallowed up, and all the people who be with him.)