2 Samuel 15:34

34 "But if you return to the city, and ¹say to Absalom, 'I will be your servant, O king; as I have been your father's servant in time past, so I will now be your servant,' then you can thwart the counsel of Ahithophel for me.

2 Samuel 15:34 Meaning and Commentary

2 Samuel 15:34

But if thou return to the city
To the city of Jerusalem, from whence it seems he came:

and say unto Absalom, I will be thy servant, O king;
as he was by usurpation, and by the proclamation of the people with him. David directs him to address him thus, that he might have no suspicion of him, having been an old friend of his:

[as] I [have been] thy father's servant hitherto;
perhaps in the character of a counsellor, as it should seem, since as such he was afterwards employed by Absalom:

so [will] I now also [be] thy servant;
in whatsoever thou shall please to employ me under thee:

then mayest thou for me defeat the counsel of Ahithophel;
for being taken into Absalom's service, and made one of his counsellors, he would be privy to the advice of Ahithophel, and so be able to work against him.

2 Samuel 15:34 In-Context

32 It happened as David was coming to the summit, where God was worshiped, that behold, Hushai the Archite met him with his coat torn and dust on his head.

33 David said to him, "If you pass over with me, then you will be a burden to me.

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 I will now be your servant,' then you can thwart the counsel of Ahithophel for me.

35 "Are not Zadok and Abiathar the priests with you there? So it shall be that whatever you hear from the king's house, you shall report to Zadok and Abiathar the priests.

36 "Behold their two sons are with them there, Ahimaaz, Zadok's son and Jonathan, Abiathar's son; and by them you shall send me everything that you hear."

Cross References

• 1. 2 Samuel 16:19