17:1 Moreover Ahithophel said unto Absalom, a Let me now
choose out twelve thousand men, and I will arise and pursue
after David this night:
(a) The wicked are so greedy to execute their malice, that
they leave no opportunity that may further the same.
17:3 And I will bring back all the people unto thee: b the man
whom thou seekest [is] as if all returned: [so] all the
people shall be in peace.
(b) Meaning David.
17:7 And Hushai said unto Absalom, The counsel that Ahithophel
hath given [is] not c good at this time.
(c) Hushai shows himself faithful to David, in that he
reproves this wicked counsel and purpose.
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 d
good counsel of Ahithophel, to the intent that the LORD
might e bring evil upon Absalom.
(d) That counsel which seemed good at first to Absalom,
(2Sa 17:4).
(e) For by the counsel of Hushai, he went to the battle,
where he was destroyed.
17:16 Now therefore send quickly, and tell David, saying, Lodge
not this night in the plains of the wilderness, but
speedily pass f over; lest the king be swallowed up, and
all the people that [are] with him.
(f) That is, over Jordan.
17:17 Now Jonathan and Ahimaaz stayed by Enrogel; for they might
not be seen to come into the city: and a wench went and
told g them; and they went and told king David.
(g) Meaning, the message from their fathers.
17:19 And h the woman took and spread a covering over the
well's mouth, and spread ground corn thereon; and the
thing was not known.
(h) Thus God sends help to his, in their greatest dangers.
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 i brook of
water. And when they had sought and could not find [them],
they returned to Jerusalem.
(i) The Chaldee text reads: Now they have passed the
Jordan.
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 k thus hath Ahithophel counselled against you.
(k) That is, to pursue you with all haste.
17:22 Then David arose, and all the people that [were] with him,
and they passed over Jordan: l by the morning light
there lacked not one of them that was not gone over
Jordan.
(l) They travelled all night, and by morning had all their
company passed over.
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
m hanged himself, and died, and was buried in the
sepulchre of his father.
(m) God's just vengeance even in this life is poured on
them who are enemies, traitors, or persecutors of his
Church.
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 n Nahash, sister to Zeruiah Joab's mother.
(n) Who was also called Jesse, David's father.
17:28o Brought beds, and basons, and earthen vessels, and
wheat, and barley, and flour, and parched [corn], and
beans, and lentiles, and parched [pulse],
(o) God shows himself most liberal to his, when they seem
to be utterly destitute.
