2 Samuel - Chapter 17

2 Samuel 17.1 Moreover Ahithophel said unto Absalom, Let me now choose out twelve thousand men, and I will arise and pursue after David this night: 2 Samuel 17.2 And I will come upon him while he is weary and weak handed, and will make him afraid: and all the people that are with him shall flee; and I will smite the king only: 2 Samuel 17.3 And I will bring back all the people unto thee: the man whom thou seekest is as if all returned: so all the people shall be in peace. 2 Samuel 17.4 And the saying pleased Absalom well, and all the elders of Israel. 2 Samuel 17.5 Then said Absalom, Call now Hushai the Archite also, and let us hear likewise what he saith. 2 Samuel 17.6 And when Hushai was come to Absalom, Absalom spake unto him, saying, Ahithophel hath spoken after this manner: shall we do after his saying? if not; speak thou. 2 Samuel 17.7 And Hushai said unto Absalom, The counsel that Ahithophel hath given is not good at this time. 2 Samuel 17.8 For, said Hushai, thou knowest thy father and his men, that they be mighty men, and they be chafed in their minds, as a bear robbed of her whelps in the field: and thy father is a man of war, and will not lodge with the people. 2 Samuel 17.9 Behold, he is hid now in some pit, or in some other place: and it will come to pass, when some of them be overthrown at the first, that whosoever heareth it will say, There is a slaughter among the people that follow Absalom. 2 Samuel 17.10 And he also that is valiant, whose heart is as the heart of a lion, shall utterly melt: for all Israel knoweth that thy father is a mighty man, and they which be with him are valiant men. 2 Samuel 17.11 Therefore I counsel that all Israel be generally gathered unto thee, from Dan even to Beersheba, as the sand that is by the sea for multitude; and that thou go to battle in thine own person. 2 Samuel 17.12 So shall we come upon him in some place where he shall be found, and we will light upon him as the dew falleth on the ground: and of him and of all the men that are with him there shall not be left so much as one. 2 Samuel 17.13 Moreover, if he be gotten into a city, then shall all Israel bring ropes to that city, and we will draw it into the river, until there be not one small stone found there. 2 Samuel 17.14 And Absalom and all the men of Israel said, The counsel of Hushai the Archite is better than the counsel of Ahithophel. For the LORD had appointed to defeat the good counsel of Ahithophel, to the intent that the LORD might bring evil upon Absalom. 2 Samuel 17.15 Then said Hushai unto Zadok and to Abiathar the priests, Thus and thus did Ahithophel counsel Absalom and the elders of Israel; and thus and thus have I counselled. 2 Samuel 17.16 Now therefore send quickly, and tell David, saying, Lodge not this night in the plains of the wilderness, but speedily pass over; lest the king be swallowed up, and all the people that are with him. 2 Samuel 17.18 Nevertheless a lad saw them, and told Absalom: but they went both of them away quickly, and came to a man’s house in Bahurim, which had a well in his court; whither they went down. 2 Samuel 17.19 And the woman took and spread a covering over the well’s mouth, and spread ground corn thereon; and the thing was not known. 2 Samuel 17.20 And when Absalom’s servants came to the woman to the house, they said, Where is Ahimaaz and Jonathan? And the woman said unto them, They be gone over the brook of water. And when they had sought and could not find them, they returned to Jerusalem. 2 Samuel 17.21 And it came to pass, after they were departed, that they came up out of the well, and went and told king David, and said unto David, Arise, and pass quickly over the water: for thus hath Ahithophel counselled against you. 2 Samuel 17.22 Then David arose, and all the people that were with him, and they passed over Jordan: by the morning light there lacked not one of them that was not gone over Jordan. 2 Samuel 17.23 And when Ahithophel saw that his counsel was not followed, he saddled his ass, and arose, and gat him home to his house, to his city, and put his household in order, and hanged himself, and died, and was buried in the sepulchre of his father. 2 Samuel 17.24 Then David came to Mahanaim. And Absalom passed over Jordan, he and all the men of Israel with him. 2 Samuel 17.25 And Absalom made Amasa captain of the host instead of Joab: which Amasa was a man’s son, whose name was Ithra an Israelite, that went in to Abigail the daughter of Nahash, sister to Zeruiah Joab’s mother. 2 Samuel 17.26 So Israel and Absalom pitched in the land of Gilead. 2 Samuel 17.27 And it came to pass, when David was come to Mahanaim, that Shobi the son of Nahash of Rabbah of the children of Ammon, and Machir the son of Ammiel of Lodebar, and Barzillai the Gileadite of Rogelim, 2 Samuel 17.28 Brought beds, and basons, and earthen vessels, and wheat, and barley, and flour, and parched corn, and beans, and lentiles, and parched pulse, 2 Samuel 17.29 And honey, and butter, and sheep, and cheese of kine, for David, and for the people that were with him, to eat: for they said, The people is hungry, and weary, and thirsty, in the wilderness.

2 Samuel : Chapter 17

Reflections on 2 Samuel Chapter 17

Chapter 17 of the book of 2 Samuel immerses us in the contradictory strategies of Absalom's rebellion. This passage illustrates how God intervenes in human plans, often in unexpected ways. Through the counsel of Ahithophel and Hushai, as well as the flight of the messengers and the death of Ahithophel himself, we discover a dramatic tension that highlights several fundamental themes.

Divine and Human Wisdom

This chapter examines the differences between divine wisdom and human wisdom, while emphasizing loyalty and the role of providence in human affairs. Thus, 2 Samuel 17 teaches us that God is able to thwart the plans of the wicked, even when they seem inevitable.

Correlated Bible Passages

To better understand the profound themes of this strategic chapter, let's explore together five Bible passages that resonate with its message:

Psalm 31:13

"For I have heard the slander of many, terror on every side; they conspire together against me, they plot to kill me." This psalm reflects David's feelings about Absalom's conspiracy, as described in 2 Samuel 17.

Proverbs 21:30

"There is no wisdom, nor understanding, nor counsel against the Lord." This proverb highlights how Ahithophel's counsel was thwarted, illustrating God's sovereignty in human affairs (2 Samuel 17:14). Psalm 41:9 Even my closest friend, in whom I trusted, who ate my bread, has lifted up his heel against me. This verse evokes the betrayal of Ahithophel, one of David's advisors, as mentioned in 2 Samuel 17.

Proverbs 11:14

"Where there is no counsel, the people fall, but in the multitude of counselors there is safety." This proverb recalls the importance of counsel in the story of 2 Samuel 17.

Psalm 55:12-14

"For it is not an enemy who confronts me; if so, I could bear it; nor is it someone who hates me and rises up against me, for I would hide from him. But you are my equal, my companion, and my closest friend. Together we have shared sweet secrets; In the house of God, we have walked with the multitude." These verses seem to capture David's feelings about Ahithophel's betrayal, revealing the depth of his pain. Conclusion As we meditate on 2 Samuel 17, we are invited to reflect on how God's wisdom surpasses human wisdom. Loyalty, betrayal, and divine providence are themes that still resonate in our lives today. May this chapter inspire us to remain faithful to God, even in the most difficult times.