But [it was] thou
The Targum is, "but thou Ahithophel"; of whom the words are
literally to be understood, and so they are in the Talmud
F21; and mystically and typically of
Judas;
a man mine equal;
"a man", and not a beast, nor a devil; but a man, from whom
humanity, kindness, and tenderness might have been expected;
though both Ahithophel and Judas acted the part of a devil; and
the latter is expressly called one, ( John 6:70 ) ; "mine
equal"; or like unto me; as the Targum. Ahithophel was not equal
to David in dignity, as the king of Israel; nor in gifts, as the
sweet psalmist of Israel; nor in grace as he; but as a man, a
mortal dying man: kings and subjects are of the same blood,
equally liable to death, and in the grave will be manifestly on a
level: or rather the sense is, that he was in his esteem and
affliction as himself; he was his friend that he loved as his own
soul: so Judas could not be in every sense equal to Christ who is
Jehovah's fellow, and thought it no robbery to be equal with God.
Indeed as a man he was like unto him; a frail, mortal man, though
not sinless as Christ. The word (ykrek) may be rendered "according to my appointment"
F23, ordination, or constitution; Judas
being a man appointed and ordained to be an apostle of Christ
with the rest: or, "according to my esteem" F24; being
had in great esteem and familiarity with Christ: or, "according
to my order" F25, rank and class; being taken into
his family, admitted to his table, where be sat down and ate with
him, as if he was his equal;
my guide:
or "governor" F26. Ahithophel was not governor over
David; but was made a governor by him: he was one of his dukes or
nobles, as the word is rendered in ( Genesis
36:15 ) , was raised to great dignity by him; perhaps was
chief minister of state: it is certain he was his counsellor, and
his counsel was with him as the oracle of God, ( 1
Chronicles 27:33 ) ( 2 Samuel
16:23 ) ; he was his guide in civil affairs; he was directed
by his advice, and it may be was president of his privy council.
Judas was not only the guide of them to Christ who took him, (
Acts 1:16 ) ;
but when the apostles were sent out two by two before the face of
Christ, to preach where he himself should come, Judas was sent
also, ( Mark 6:7 )
( Luke 10:1 ) ;
and mine acquaintance:
one well known to him, as Ahithophel was to David, and Judas to
Christ, his friend and companion, in whom he confided, and who
ate of his bread; and all these characters are so many
aggravations of his treachery and wickedness.