2 Samuel 17:14

2 Samuel 17:14 in other versions

• King James Version (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.
• English Standard Version (ESV)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 ordained to defeat the good counsel of Ahithophel, so that the Lord might bring harm upon Absalom.
• New King James Version (NKJV)So Absalom and all the men of Israel said, “The advice of Hushai the Archite is better than the advice of Ahithophel.” For the Lord had purposed to defeat the good advice of Ahithophel, to the intent that the Lord might bring disaster on Absalom.
• New Living Translation (NLT)Then Absalom and all the men of Israel said, “Hushai’s advice is better than Ahithophel’s.” For the Lord had determined to defeat the counsel of Ahithophel, which really was the better plan, so that he could bring disaster on Absalom!

Context of 2 Samuel 17:14

12Then we will attack him wherever he may be found, and we will fall on him as dew settles on the ground. Neither he nor any of his men will be left alive. 13If he withdraws into a city, then all Israel will bring ropes to that city, and we will drag it down to the valley until not so much as a pebble is left.” Absalom and all the men of Israel said, “The advice of Hushai the Arkite is better than that of Ahithophel.” For the Lord had determined to frustrate the good advice of Ahithophel in order to bring disaster on Absalom. 15Hushai told Zadok and Abiathar, the priests, “Ahithophel has advised Absalom and the elders of Israel to do such and such, but I have advised them to do so and so. 16Now send a message at once and tell David, ‘Do not spend the night at the fords in the wilderness; cross over without fail, or the king and all the people with him will be swallowed up.’ ”

2 Samuel 17:14 word by word

וַיֹּ֤אמֶר אַבְשָׁלוֹם֙ וְכָל־אִ֣ישׁ יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל טוֹבָ֗ה עֲצַת֙ חוּשַׁ֣י הָאַרְכִּ֔י מֵעֲצַ֖ת אֲחִיתֹ֑פֶל וַיהוָ֣ה צִוָּ֗ה לְהָפֵ֞ר אֶת־עֲצַ֤ת אֲחִיתֹ֙פֶל֙ הַטּוֹבָ֔ה לְבַעֲב֗וּר הָבִ֧יא יְהוָ֛ה אֶל־אַבְשָׁל֖וֹם אֶת־הָרָעָֽה׃ סRead the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And Absalomאֲבִישָׁלוֹם'ăbîyshâlôm 'abshâlôm · AbsalomH53
• and all the menאִישׁ'îysh · manH376
• of Israelיִשְׂרָאֵלyiώrâ'êl · IsraelH3478
• saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• The counselעֵצָה‛êtsâh · counselH6098
• of Hushaiחוּשַׁיchûshay · HushaiH2365
• the Architeאַרְכִּי'arkîy · ArchiteH757
• betterטוֹבţôb · pleasantH2896
• of Ahithophelאֲחִיתֹ֫פֶל'ăchîythôphel · AhithophelH302
• For the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
• had appointedצָוָהtsâvâh · to commandH6680
• to defeatפָּרַרpârar · to breakH6565
• to the intentעָבוּר‛âbûr ‛âbûr · for the sake ofH5668
• might bringבּוֹאbô' · to come (in): bringH935
• evilרָעָהra‛ râ‛âh · distress: harmH7451

Cross-references for 2 Samuel 17:14

• 2 Samuel 15:31Now David had been told, “Ahithophel is among the conspirators with Absalom.” So David prayed, “Lord, turn Ahithophel’s counsel into foolishness.”
• Genesis 32:28Then the man said, “Your name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel, because you have struggled with God and with humans and have overcome.”
• Exodus 9:16But I have raised you up for this very purpose, that I might show you my power and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth.
• Deuteronomy 2:30But Sihon king of Heshbon refused to let us pass through. For the Lord your God had made his spirit stubborn and his heart obstinate in order to give him into your hands, as he has now done.
• 2 Chronicles 25:16While he was still speaking, the king said to him, “Have we appointed you an adviser to the king? Stop! Why be struck down?” So the prophet stopped but said, “I know that God has determined to destroy you, because you have done this and have not listened to my counsel.”
• Psalms 33:9For he spoke, and it came to be; he commanded, and it stood firm.
• Lamentations 3:37Who can speak and have it happen if the Lord has not decreed it?
• Amos 9:3Though they hide themselves on the top of Carmel, there I will hunt them down and seize them. Though they hide from my eyes at the bottom of the sea, there I will command the serpent to bite them.
• 2 Samuel 15:34But if you return to the city and say to Absalom, ‘Your Majesty, I will be your servant; I was your father’s servant in the past, but now I will be your servant,’ then you can help me by frustrating Ahithophel’s advice.
• 2 Samuel 16:23Now in those days the advice Ahithophel gave was like that of one who inquires of God. That was how both David and Absalom regarded all of Ahithophel’s advice.
• Job 5:12He thwarts the plans of the crafty, so that their hands achieve no success.
• Proverbs 19:21Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.
• Proverbs 21:30There is no wisdom, no insight, no plan that can succeed against the Lord.
• Isaiah 8:10Devise your strategy, but it will be thwarted; propose your plan, but it will not stand, for God is with us.
• 1 Corinthians 1:19For it is written: “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise; the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate.”
• 1 Corinthians 3:19For the wisdom of this world is foolishness in God’s sight. As it is written: “He catches the wise in their craftiness”;

Commentaries on 2 Samuel 17:14

• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 14Ahithophel’s strategy was the stronger military plan. However, Hushai had a psychological and rhetorical advantage (he understood how to persuade Absalom). He also carried out the Lord’s purpose. Because of this, Hushai gained Absalom’s favor. the LORD had purposed to thwart: Although Absalom made early gains, his attempt to take the throne was doomed from the beginning.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1414. 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…Read the comment

Topics related to 2 Samuel 17:14

• Ahithophel
• Armies
• Council
• Diplomacy
• Falsehood
• Friendship
• Spies
• Strategy
• War

In the dictionaries

• Absalom
• Israel
• Israel, Israelites
• Jacob, Israel
• Ahithophel
• Archite
• Instead
• Prayer
• Bible, the
• David

Commentaries on 2 Samuel 17

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings