2 Samuel 17:15 — meaning, Hebrew and Greek word study, commentary
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.
to say (used with great latitude) · conjunction + verb, qal sequential imperfect, 3rd person masculine singular
Hushai
חוּשַׁ֗יchu.Shai
H2365
Chushai · proper noun, a man's name
Zadok
צָד֤וֹקtza.Dok
H6659
Tsadok · proper noun, a man's name
Abiathar
אֶבְיָתָר֙'ev.ya.Tar
H54
Ebjathar · proper noun, a man's name
priests
הַכֹּ֣הֲנִ֔יםha.Ko.ha.Nim
H3548
literally one officiating · definite article + noun, common masculine plural absolute
Ahithophel
אֲחִיתֹ֙פֶל֙'a.chi.To.fel
H302
Achithophel · proper noun, a man's name
counsel
יָעַ֤ץya.'Atz
H3289
to advise · verb, qal perfect, 3rd person masculine singular
Absalom
אַבְשָׁלֹ֔ם'av.sha.Lom
H53
Abshalom · proper noun, a man's name
elders
זִקְנֵ֣יzik.Nei
H2205
old · adjective, masculine plural construct
Israel
יִשְׂרָאֵ֑לYis.ra.'El
H3478
Jisrael · proper noun, a place name
counselled
יָעַ֥צְתִּיya.'Atz.ti
H3289
to advise · verb, qal perfect, 1st person common singular
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (James Strong, 1890/1894), public domain; digitized by Open Scriptures (CC BY-SA). KJV word tagging: eBible.org (public domain). Original-language text, parsing and brief lexicon: STEPBible.org data from Tyndale House, Cambridge (CC BY 4.0).
Cross-references
2 Samuel 15:35-36 And hast thou not there with thee Zadok and Abiathar the priests? therefore it shall be, that what thing soever thou shalt hear out of the k…
Cross-references from OpenBible.info (CC BY), in the lineage of the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (public domain).
Commentary
Matthew Henry on 2 Samuel 17:15-21
We must now leave David's enemies pleasing themselves with the thoughts of a sure victory by following Hushai's counsel, and sending a summons, no doubt, to all the tribes of Israel, to come to the general rendezvous at a place appointed, pursuant to that counsel; and we next find David's friends consulting how to get him notice of all this, that he might steer his course accordingly. Hushai tells the priests what had passed in council, Sa2 17:15. But, it should seem, he was not sure but that yet Ahithophel's counsel might be followed, and was therefore jealous lest, if he made not the best of his way, the king would be swallowed up, and all the people that were with him, Sa2 17:16. Perhaps,…
The counsel of Hushai the Archite is better than the counsel of Ahithophel--The reasons specified being extremely plausible, and expressed in the strong hyperbolical language suited to dazzle an Oriental imagination, the council declared in favor of Hushai's advice; and their resolution was the immediate cause of the discomfiture of the rebellion, although the council itself was only a link in the chain of causation held by the controlling hand of the Lord.
Adam Clarke on 2 Samuel 17:13
Shall all Israel bring ropes to that city - The original word חבלים chabalim, which signifies ropes, and from which we have our word cable, may have some peculiarity of meaning here; for it is not likely that any city could be pulled down with ropes. The Chaldee, which should be best judge in this case, translates the original word by משרין mashreyan, towers: this gives an easy sense.
John Gill on 2 Samuel 17:15
Then said Hushai unto Zadok and to Abiathar the priests,.... After he was returned from the council board, he immediately went to these priests, who he knew were in the interest of David, and to whom he was to communicate, and by them transmit, what passed at Jerusalem, 2 Samuel 15:35,
thus and thus did Ahithophel counsel Absalom and the elders of Israel; relating to them in express words what he advised to:
and thus and thus have I counselled; telling them in what manner he had given his counsel.
The Church Fathers
For in the history, Hushai is mentioned as the chief companion of David and the son of Arachi, but in the psalm, Hushai is the son of Jemini. Neither he nor any other of those appearing in the history was the son of Jemini. Perhaps he was called the son of Jemini for this reason, because he displayed great valor and strength through a mere pretense of friendship, going over, as he pretended, to Absalom, but in reality thwarting the plans of Ahithophel, a very skilled man, well trained in military affairs, who was giving his counsel. "The son of Jemini" is interpreted "the son of the right hand." By his proposals he prevented the acceptance of the plan of Ahithophel—that no time should intervene in the affairs but that an attack should be made immediately on the father while he was unprepared—"in order that," as Scripture says, "the Lord might bring all evils upon Absalom." At all events, he seemed to them to introduce more plausible reasons for postponement and delay, while his real purpose was to give time to David to gather his forces. Because of Hushai's counsel he was acceptable to Absalom, who said, "The counsel of Hushai the Archite is better than the counsel of Ahithophel."However, Hushai informed David through the priests Zadok and Abiathar of the decision and bade him not to camp in Araboth in the desert but urged him to cross it. Since, then, he was on the right hand of David through his good advice, he obtained the name from his brave deed. Surely it is because of this that he is called "son of Jemini," that is, "son of the right hand." It is a custom of Scripture not only to give those who are more wicked a name from their sin rather than from their fathers but also to call the better sons from the virtue characterizing them.
The Church Fathers: public-domain translations (Ante-Nicene and Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers), verse-indexed by SermonIndex (CC BY 4.0).
Dictionary and topics
Abiathar — Father of abundance, or my father excels, the son of Ahimelech the high priest. He was the tenth high priest, and the fourth in descent from Eli. When his father was slain with the priests of Nob, he…
Ahimaaz — Brother of anger = irascible. (1.) The father Ahinoam, the wife of Saul (1 Sam. 14:50). (2.) The son and successor of Zadok in the office of high priest (1 Chr. 6:8, 53). On the occasion of the…
Ahithophel — Brother of insipidity or impiety, a man greatly renowned for his sagacity among the Jews. At the time of Absalom’s revolt he deserted David (Ps. 41:9; 55:12-14) and espoused the cause of Absalom (2…
Jonathan — Whom Jehovah gave, the name of fifteen or more persons that are mentioned in Scripture. The chief of these are, (1.) A Levite descended from Gershom (Judg. 18:30). His history is recorded in 17:7-13…
Prayer — Is converse with God; the intercourse of the soul with God, not in contemplation or meditation, but in direct address to him. Prayer may be oral or mental, occasional or constant, ejaculatory or…
Abiathar · information concerning the counsel of Ahithophel — information concerning the counsel of Ahithophel
Ahithophel · Joins Absalom — Joins Absalom
Citizens · .Hushai — .Hushai
Council · Of War — Of War
Friendship · .David and Hushai — .David and Hushai
Loyalty · .Hushai — .Hushai
Providence Of God, The · Is exercised in: Defeating wicked designs
Keil & Delitzsch on 2 Samuel 17:15-16
David is informed of what has occurred. - Sa2 17:15, Sa2 17:16. Hushai communicated without delay to the priests Zadok and Abiathar the advice which had been given to Absalom both by Ahithophel and himself, and requested them to make it known to David as quickly as possible. "Stay not the night," he said, "by the ferries (עברות, as in Sa2 15:28) of the desert; but rather go over, lest the king and all the people with him be destroyed." וגם, "and indeed," or after a negative clause, "but rather." למּלך יבלּע is either "there will be a devouring," i.e., destruction, to the king, it will fall upon him; of if we supply the subject from the previous clause תּעבור עבור as Bttcher proposes, "that i…
Ahithophel’s strategy was actually better. However, Hushai had the psychological and rhetorical advantage as well as the Lord’s purpose, so he won Absalom’s favor. • the Lord had determined to defeat: Despite early advances, Absalom’s power grab was doomed from the start.
Rashi on 2 Samuel 17:13
In groups. [Yonoson translates:] "Groups" as [we find], "A group of prophets."4Shmuel I 10:5. [and] "Groups of evildoers."5Tehilim 119:61.
Into the valley [below]. We will drag the city wall into the valley.
Spies · Used at the court of Absalom — Used at the court of Absalom
Zadok · Absalom’ s usurpation; returns with the ark of the covenant at David’ s command — Absalom’ s usurpation; returns with the ark of the covenant at David’ s command
Dictionary: Easton's (1897) and Smith's (1863), public domain. Topics: Nave's Topical Bible (1896) and Torrey's Topical Textbook (1897), public domain. Both as parsed by NEUU (CC BY 4.0).
