2 Samuel 17

This chapter belongs to the account of Absalom's rebellion in the middle section of 2 Samuel. It continues from the previous chapter: Absalom, having entered Jerusalem, now deliberates over how to strike David.

Outline

• Verses 1–4: Ahithophel proposes choosing twelve thousand men to pursue the weary David that very night and strike down the king alone. Absalom and the elders approve.
• Verses 5–13: Hushai argues that David is a mighty man skilled in war, and he urges that all Israel be gathered from Dan to Beersheba, with Absalom leading them into battle in person.
• Verse 14: Absalom and the people choose Hushai's counsel. The text states that this came about because the LORD had determined to defeat the counsel of Ahithophel.
• Verses 15–22: Hushai informs the priests Zadok and Abiathar. Jonathan and Ahimaaz hide in a well at Bahurim and then deliver the message to David. By daybreak David's entire company has crossed the Jordan.
• Verse 23: Ahithophel returns to his hometown, sets his house in order, and hangs himself.
• Verses 24–26: David reaches Mahanaim, while Absalom appoints Amasa commander of the army and encamps in Gilead.
• Verses 27–29: Shobi, Machir, and Barzillai bring bedding and food to David and his company.

Key Verses

• 2 Samuel 17:14 "For the LORD had appointed to defeat the good counsel of Ahithophel" — The text explicitly reveals God at work behind human schemes.
• 2 Samuel 17:23 "and hanged himself, and died" — This is the end of a counselor who joined in rebellion.
• 2 Samuel 17:29 "The people is hungry, and weary, and thirsty, in the wilderness" — This shows the concern of those who aided the fleeing king.

Characters and Places

• Ahithophel: A Gilonite who had been David's counselor before siding with Absalom.
• Hushai: An Archite and David's friend, who remained with Absalom in order to help David.
• Zadok and Abiathar: Priests loyal to David. Ahimaaz is the son of Zadok, and Jonathan is the son of Abiathar; he is not to be confused with Jonathan the son of Saul.
• Absalom: The son who rebelled against his father David.
• David: The king, who has left Jerusalem and is in flight.
• Amasa: Absalom's army commander and a first cousin of Joab.
• Barzillai: A Gileadite of Rogelim who helped David. Shobi was from Rabbah of the Ammonites, and Machir was from Lo-debar.
• Places: En-rogel, Bahurim, the Jordan, Mahanaim, and Gilead.

Points for Reflection

• In 2 Samuel 15, David prayed that the counsel of Ahithophel would be turned into foolishness. Many interpreters read verse 14 as the answer to that prayer and treat it as a passage that displays God's providence.
• Some hold that Ahithophel was Bathsheba's grandfather. This is an inference drawn by connecting 2 Samuel 11:3 and 23:34; the text does not state it directly.
• Christian tradition frequently compares the death of Ahithophel with that of Judas Iscariot (Matthew 27:5). Some interpreters also connect Ahithophel with the "familiar friend" of Psalm 41:9, which is quoted in John 13:18.
• 1 Chronicles 2:17 identifies Amasa's father as "Jether the Ishmeelite," which differs from the form given in verse 25 of this chapter.

In the Korean Church

Verse 14 is used as a sermon text on the sovereignty of God. Barzillai in verses 27–29 is often presented as an example of someone who served a leader in a time of hardship.