2 Samuel 17:14

14 Since the Lord had decreed that Ahithophel's good advice be undermined in order to bring about Absalom's ruin,^[a] Absalom and all the men of Israel said, "The advice of Hushai the Archite is better than Ahithophel's advice."

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 Then we will attack David wherever we find him, and we will descend on him like dew on the ground. Not even one will be left of all the men with him.

13 If he retreats to some city, all Israel will bring ropes to that city, and we will drag its [stones] into the valley until not even a pebble can be found there."

14 Since the Lord had decreed that Ahithophel's good advice be undermined in order to bring about Absalom's ruin, Absalom and all the men of Israel said, "The advice of Hushai the Archite is better than Ahithophel's advice."

15 Hushai then told the priests Zadok and Abiathar, "This is what Ahithophel advised Absalom and the elders of Israel, and this is what I advised.

16 Now send someone quickly and tell David, 'Don't spend the night at the wilderness ford [of the Jordan], but be sure to cross over, or the king and all the people with him will be destroyed.' "

Footnotes

• [a]. Pr 21:30; Isa 29:14; 1 Co 1:19