2 Samuel 17:14
in 2 Samuel 17Then Absalom and all the men of Israel said, “The advice of Hushai the Archite is better than that of Ahithophel.” For the LORD had purposed to thwart the good counsel of Ahithophel in order to bring disaster on Absalom.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And Absalom and all the men of Israel said, The counsel of Hushai the Archite is better than the counsel of Ahithophel. For Jehovah had ordained to defeat the good counsel of Ahithophel, to the intent that Jehovah might bring evil upon Absalom.
KJV
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.
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This verse in 2 Samuel 17
Commentary
5 notes on this verseFor what shall we say about Hushai's pious deception of Absalom for the sake of King David's safety which, although formulated with good will by the deceiver and cheater and opposed to the well-being of the questioner, is approved by the text of divine Scripture that says, "By the will of the Lord the useful advice of Ahithophel was undone, so that the Lord might bring evil upon Absalom"?
This site's exposition
the Lord had appointed to defeat
The narrator states the theology of the whole rebellion in one clause: the Lord had appointed to defeat the good counsel of Ahithophel, to the intent that the Lord might bring evil upon Absalom. Hushai's flattering speech works because Absalom wants it to work, and the text credits the outcome to God rather than to Hushai's rhetoric. It is the answer to David's prayer at 15:31, O Lord, I pray thee, turn the counsel of Ahithophel into foolishness, given almost word for word.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
Accordingly, as the Scripture says, "And by the command of the Lord the good counsel of Ahithophel was defeated, that the Lord might bring evil upon Absalom." The counsel of Ahithophel was called "good" because it served his purpose for the time, since it favored Absalom over his father whom he had risen up against in rebellion. And it might well have destroyed him if the Lord had not frustrated Ahithophel's counsel by influencing the heart of Absalom to reject this counsel and to choose another which was not to his advantage.
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
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. 20 And when Absalom's servants came to the woman to the house, they said, Where is Ahimaaz and Jonathan?
quarantine:scripture (2026-07-29) — verbatim-scripture
And Absalom and all the men of Israel said,....
The words behind it
25 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיֹּ֤אמֶר | vaiyomer | and he said | H559 → | 5305 times |
| אַבְשָׁלוֹם֙ | ʾavshalom | Absalom | H53 → | 110 times |
| וְכָל־ | vekhol | and every | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| אִ֣ישׁ | ʾish | <the> man of | H376 → | 1663 times |
| יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל | yisrael | Israel | H3478 → | 2507 times |
| טוֹבָ֗ה | tovah | [is] good | H2896 → | 538 times |
| עֲצַת֙ | ʾatzat | [the] counsel of | H6098 → | 89 times |
| חוּשַׁ֣י | chushai | Hushai | H2365 → | 14 times |
| הָאַרְכִּ֔י | haarki | the Arkite | H757 → | 6 times |
| מֵעֲצַ֖ת | meatzat | more than [the] counsel of | H6098 → | 89 times |
| אֲחִיתֹ֑פֶל | ʾachitofel | Ahithophel | H302 → | 20 times |
| וַיהוָ֣ה | vayahweh | and Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| צִוָּ֗ה | tzivah | he had commanded | H6680 → | 494 times |
| לְהָפֵ֞ר | lehafer | to frustrate | H6565 → | |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| עֲצַ֤ת | ʾatzat | [the] counsel of | H6098 → | 89 times |
| אֲחִיתֹ֙פֶל֙ | ʾachitofel | Ahithophel | H302 → | 20 times |
| הַטּוֹבָ֔ה | hatovah | <the> good | H2896 → | 538 times |
| לְבַעֲב֗וּר | levaavur | <to> in order | H5668 → | 49 times |
| הָבִ֧יא | havi' | to bring | H935 → | 2568 times |
| יְהוָ֛ה | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| אֶל־ | ʾel- | to | H413 → | 5510 times |
| אַבְשָׁל֖וֹם | ʾavshalom | Absalom | H53 → | 110 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| הָרָעָֽה׃ ס | haraah | <the> calamity | H7451 → | 662 times |
וַיֹּ֤אמֶרand he said
vaiyomerH559 →5305 times
אַבְשָׁלוֹם֙Absalom
ʾavshalomH53 →110 times
וְכָל־and every
vekholH3605 →5413 times
אִ֣ישׁ<the> man of
ʾishH376 →1663 times
יִשְׂרָאֵ֔לIsrael
yisraelH3478 →2507 times
טוֹבָ֗ה[is] good
tovahH2896 →538 times
עֲצַת֙[the] counsel of
ʾatzatH6098 →89 times
חוּשַׁ֣יHushai
chushaiH2365 →14 times
הָאַרְכִּ֔יthe Arkite
haarkiH757 →6 times
מֵעֲצַ֖תmore than [the] counsel of
meatzatH6098 →89 times
אֲחִיתֹ֑פֶלAhithophel
ʾachitofelH302 →20 times
וַיהוָ֣הand Yahweh
vayahwehH3068 →6520 times
צִוָּ֗הhe had commanded
tzivahH6680 →494 times
לְהָפֵ֞רto frustrate
lehaferH6565 →
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
עֲצַ֤ת[the] counsel of
ʾatzatH6098 →89 times
אֲחִיתֹ֙פֶל֙Ahithophel
ʾachitofelH302 →20 times
הַטּוֹבָ֔ה<the> good
hatovahH2896 →538 times
לְבַעֲב֗וּר<to> in order
levaavurH5668 →49 times
הָבִ֧יאto bring
havi'H935 →2568 times
יְהוָ֛הYahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
אֶל־to
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
אַבְשָׁל֖וֹםAbsalom
ʾavshalomH53 →110 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
הָרָעָֽה׃ ס<the> calamity
haraahH7451 →662 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Proverbs 19:21Many plans are in a man’s heart, but the purpose of the LORD will prevail.
it leads to
- Proverbs 16:9
A man’s heart plans his course, but the LORD determines his steps.
- Isaiah 14:24
The LORD of Hosts has sworn: “Surely, as I have planned, so will it be; as I have purposed, so will it stand.
- Proverbs 16:1
The plans of the heart belong to man, but the reply of the tongue is from the LORD.
- Psalms 33:10–11
The LORD frustrates the plans of the nations; He thwarts the devices of the peoples.
- Isaiah 46:10
I declare the end from the beginning, and ancient times from what is still to come. I say, ‘My purpose will stand, and all My good pleasure I will accomplish.’
- Proverbs 16:9
Through
Isaiah 8:10Devise a plan, but it will be thwarted; state a proposal, but it will not happen. For God is with us.”
it leads to
- Lamentations 3:37
Who has spoken and it came to pass, unless the Lord has ordained it?
- Romans 8:31
What then shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?
- Job 5:12
He thwarts the schemes of the crafty, so that their hands find no success.
- Lamentations 3:37
About 2 Samuel
This page draws on Augustine of Hippo, ON GRACE AND FREE WILL 20.41; John Cassian, CONFERENCE 17.19.5; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); Keil and Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Books of Samuel and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.