2 Samuel 17:14-24

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.)
17 And Jonathan and Ahimaaz stood beside the well of Rogel (And Jonathan and Ahimaaz were waiting at Enrogel); (and) an handmaid went, and told to them, and (then) they went forth to tell the message to king David; for they might not be seen, neither (could) enter into the city.
18 And a child saw them, and he showed it to Absalom; and they entered with swift going into the house of a man in Bahurim, that had a pit in his place, and they went down into that pit. (But a boy saw them, and he went and told Absalom; and going swiftly, Jonathan and Ahimaaz entered into the house of a man in Bahurim, who had a well at his place, and they went down into that well.)
19 And a woman took, and spread abroad a covering over the mouth of the pit, as (if) drying barley with the peel taken away, and so the thing was hid. (And a woman took, and spread out a covering over the mouth of the well, and then put some peeled barley on top of it, as if to dry it, and so they were hid.)
20 And when the servants of Absalom had come into the house, they said to the woman, Where is Ahimaaz and Jonathan? And the woman answered to them, They passed (over) the river of waters, that is, (over the) Jordan. And when they that sought them had not found them, they turned again into Jerusalem (And so when the men who sought them could not find them, they returned to Jerusalem).
21 And when they had gone forth, they went up from the pit; and they went, and told to king David, and said, Rise ye up, and passeth soon (over) the flood, for Ahithophel hath given such counsel against you. (And when the men had gone, Ahimaaz and Jonathan went up from the well; and they went, and said to King David, Quickly rise ye up, and cross ye over the river, and know ye also that Ahithophel hath spoken such and such a plan against you.)
22 Therefore David rose up, and all the people that was with him, and they passed (over) Jordan, till it was clear day, before that the word was published; and soothly not one was left, that passed not (over) the flood. (And so David, and all the people who were with him, rose up, and they crossed the Jordan River before anyone knew it; and by daylight, everyone had crossed over the river.)
23 And Ahithophel saw, that his counsel was not done, and he saddled his ass, and rose up, and went into his house, and into his city; and when his house was disposed, he perished by hanging himself, and he was buried in the sepulchre of his father. (And Ahithophel saw that his advice was not followed, and so he saddled up his donkey, and went back to his house in his city; and after his affairs were in order, he hanged himself, and he was buried in his father's tomb, or his grave.)
24 And David came into the castles, and Absalom passed [over] Jordan, he and all the men of Israel with him. (And as David came to Mahanaim, Absalom, and all the men of Israel who were with him, crossed over the Jordan River.)

2 Samuel 17:14-24 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO SECOND SAMUEL 17

This chapter relates the advice Ahithophel gave to march out speedily with a number of men in pursuit of David, which at first seemed agreeable, 2Sa 17:1-4; but Hushai's opinion being asked, and he giving counsel to raise a larger army, which required time, and was taken to, hereby the counsel of Ahithophel was defeated, 2Sa 17:5-14; upon which he hanged himself, 2Sa 17:23; these different counsels being communicated by Hushai to the priests, they found means to transmit them to David, with an instruction to him to pass over Jordan immediately; which he did, and pitched in Gilead, and whither he was followed by Absalom, 2Sa 17:15-26; and where he met with a supply of provisions for his army from some eminent persons in and near that place, 2Sa 17:27-29.

Copyright © 2001 by Terence P. Noble. For personal use only.