Ahithophel's Advice
Study note
Ahithophel proposed a swift, surgical strike against David while he was tired and disorganized. He would take twelve thousand men, attack that very night, and target only David. Once the king was dead, Ahithophel would bring everyone else back peacefully to Absalom. This was brilliant military advice that would have ended the war quickly with minimal bloodshed.
1 Ahithophel proposed to Absalom, "Let me pick 12,000 men and go after David tonight." Moreover Ahithophel said unto Absalom, Let me now choose out twelve thousand men, and I will arise and pursue after David this night:
2 "I will catch him while he is exhausted and unable to fight back. I will throw his followers into a panic so they scatter, and I will kill only the king." 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:
3 "Then I will bring all the people back to you peacefully. Once the one man you are after is dead, everyone else will come home without a fight." 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.
4 Absalom and all the leaders of Israel thought this was an excellent plan. And the saying pleased Absalom well, and all the elders of Israel.
Hushai's Counter-Advice
Study note
Absalom also asked Hushai for his opinion. Hushai argued against an immediate attack, warning that David was an experienced warrior who would not be caught easily. He painted a scary picture of what would happen if Absalom's forces suffered even a small defeat. Instead, Hushai recommended gathering a massive army from all Israel with Absalom personally leading them. Absalom and the elders chose Hushai's advice, because the Lord had decided to defeat Ahithophel's better counsel in order to bring disaster on Absalom.
5 But then Absalom said, "Bring in Hushai the Arkite as well. I want to hear his opinion." Then said Absalom, Call now Hushai the Archite also, and let us hear likewise what he saith.
6 When Hushai arrived, Absalom explained Ahithophel's plan and asked, "Should we go with this? If not, what do you suggest?" 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.
7 Hushai said, "This time, Ahithophel's advice is not the right move." And Hushai said unto Absalom, The counsel that Ahithophel hath given is not good at this time.
8 He continued, "You know how your father and his men operate. They are seasoned fighters, and right now they are as dangerous as a mother bear whose cubs have been stolen. Your father is too experienced to camp with the main group." 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.
9 "He is probably already hiding in some cave or other secret spot. If he ambushes your men first, word will spread that Absalom's army is losing, and everyone will panic." 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.
10 "Even the bravest soldier, with the heart of a lion, will melt with fear. Everyone in Israel knows your father is a legendary warrior and that his men are tough." 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.
11 "Here is what I recommend: assemble the entire fighting force of Israel from Dan to Beersheba -- an army as countless as sand on the beach. And you personally must lead the charge." Therefore I counsel that all Israel be generally gathered unto thee, from Dan even to Beer-sheba, as the sand that is by the sea for multitude; and that thou go to battle in thine own person.
12 "We will swoop down on David wherever he is hiding and cover him like morning dew covers the ground. He and every last one of his men will be wiped out." 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.
13 "If he hides in a city, all Israel's army will bring ropes. They will drag the city walls into the valley. Not one stone will be left." 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.
14 Absalom and all the Israelites agreed, "Hushai's plan is better than Ahithophel's." The Lord had arranged this to ruin Ahithophel's smart advice so that disaster would come upon Absalom. 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.
The Message Reaches David
Study note
Hushai immediately told the priests Zadok and Abiathar what both advisors had recommended and urged them to warn David to cross the Jordan immediately. Jonathan and Ahimaaz, the priests' sons, were waiting at En-rogel outside the city. A servant girl brought them the message, but a young boy spotted them and told Absalom. The two messengers hid in a well at Bahurim, where a woman covered it and spread grain over the cover. When Absalom's men came looking, she sent them the wrong direction. After the search party left, the messengers emerged and warned David, who crossed the Jordan that night with all his people.
15 Hushai quickly told the priests Zadok and Abiathar: "Ahithophel gave one plan, but I gave a different one." 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.
16 "Send an urgent message to David right now: 'Do not spend tonight at the river crossings in the wilderness. Get across the Jordan immediately, or the king and all his people will be destroyed.'" 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.
17 Jonathan and Ahimaaz were camped at En-rogel. They could not risk being seen in the city. A servant girl went out to give them news. Then they would pass it along to King David. Now Jonathan and Ahimaaz stayed by En-rogel; for they might not be seen to come into the city: and a wench went and told them; and they went and told king David.
18 But a young man noticed them and reported it to Absalom. The two messengers quickly left and went to a house in Bahurim where the owner had a well in the courtyard. They climbed down into it. 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.
19 The man's wife spread a cover over the well opening and scattered grain on top so it looked completely normal. 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 Absalom's search party came to the house and asked the woman, "Where are Ahimaaz and Jonathan?" She told them, "They crossed the stream and kept going." The soldiers searched but found nothing, so they went back to Jerusalem. 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.
21 After the search party left, Jonathan and Ahimaaz climbed out of the well and hurried to David. "Leave immediately and cross the river!" they urged. "Ahithophel has given Absalom a plan to attack you." 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.
22 David and everyone with him got moving and crossed the Jordan River. By the time the sun came up, every last person had made it across. 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.
Ahithophel's Suicide and Preparations for War
Study note
When Ahithophel saw that his advice was not followed, he knew the rebellion would fail. He went home, put his affairs in order, and hanged himself. He is one of the few suicides recorded in the Bible. Meanwhile, Absalom crossed the Jordan with his forces and made Amasa his army commander instead of Joab. When David arrived at Mahanaim, loyal supporters brought him beds, food, and supplies for his exhausted and hungry people.
23 When Ahithophel realized that his advice had been ignored, he saddled his donkey and rode home to his own town. He settled his affairs, then hanged himself. He was buried in his family's tomb. 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.
24 David went on to Mahanaim. Absalom crossed the Jordan with the whole Israelite army. Then David came to Mahanaim. And Absalom passed over Jordan, he and all the men of Israel with him.
25 Absalom had put Amasa in charge of the army instead of Joab. Amasa's father was a man named Ithra, who had married Abigail, the daughter of Nahash and sister of Joab's mother Zeruiah. 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.
26 Absalom and the Israelite army set up camp in the land of Gilead. So Israel and Absalom pitched in the land of Gilead.
27 David reached Mahanaim. Three men came to help. They were Shobi son of Nahash from Rabbah. Machir son of Ammiel from Lo-debar came too. So did Barzillai from Rogelim in Gilead. 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 Lo-debar, and Barzillai the Gileadite of Rogelim,
28 They brought beds, bowls, pottery, wheat, barley, flour, roasted grain, beans, lentils, roasted seeds, Brought beds, and basins, and earthen vessels, and wheat, and barley, and flour, and parched corn, and beans, and lentiles, and parched pulse,
29 honey, butter, sheep, and cheese for David and his people. They said, "These people must be starving, worn out, and parched from their journey through the wilderness." 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.