2 Samuel 16:23

The counsel of Ahithophel, which he gave in those days, was as if a man inquired at the inner sanctuary of God. So was all the counsel of Ahithophel both with David and with Absalom.

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Other translations

WEBBE

The counsel of Ahithophel, which he gave in those days, was as if a man enquired at the inner sanctuary of God. All the counsel of Ahithophel was like this both with David and with Absalom.

BSB

Now in those days the advice of Ahithophel was like the consultation of the word of God. Such was the regard that both David and Absalom had for Ahithophel’s advice.

KJV

And the counsel of Ahithophel, which he counselled in those days, was as if a man had enquired at the oracle of God: so was all the counsel of Ahithophel both with David and with Absalom.

ASV

And the counsel of Ahithophel, which he gave in those days, was as if a man inquired at the oracle of God: so was all the counsel of Ahithophel both with David and with Absalom.

BBE

In those days the opinions of Ahithophel were valued as highly as if through him a man might get direction from God; so were they valued by David as much as by Absalom.

Original Hebrew

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וַעֲצַת va·'a·tzat and [the] counsel of H6098 אֲחִיתֹפֶל 'a·chi·to·fel Ahithophel H302 אֲשֶׁר 'a·sher which H834 יָעַץ ya·'atz he counseled H3289 בַּיָּמִים bai·ya·mim in the days H3117 הָהֵם ha·hem (the) those H1992 כַּאֲשֶׁר ka·'a·sher [was] just as H834 יִשְׁאַל־אִישׁ yish·'al-ish- he enquires - anyone H7592 בִּדְבַר bid·var by [the] word of H1697 הָאֱלֹהִים ha·'e·lo·him (the) God H430 כֵּן ken [was] so H3651 כָּל־ kol- all H3605 עֲצַת 'a·tzat [the] counsel of H6098 אֲחִיתֹפֶל 'a·chi·to·fel Ahithophel H302 גַּם־ gam- both H1571 לְדָוִד le·da·vid to David H1732 גַּם gam as well as H1571 לְאַבְשָׁלֹם ס le·'av·sha·lom to Absalom H53

Commentary

Matthew Henry · Verses 15–23

The wisest counsellors of that age were Ahithophel and Hushai: Absalom thinks himself sure of success, when he has both; on them he relies, and consults not the ark, though he had that with him. But miserable counsellors were they both. Hushai would never counsel him to do wisely. Ahithophel counselled him to do wickedly; and so did as effectually betray him, as he did, who was designedly false to him: for they that advise men to sin, certainly advise them to their hurt. After all, honesty is the best policy, and will be found so in the long run. Ahithophel gave wicked counsel to Absalom; to render himself so hateful to his father, that he would never be reconciled to him; this cursed policy was of the devil. How desperately wicked is the human heart!

Read Matthew Henry on 2 Samuel 16 →

Cross-references

18

People & places

AbsalomDavidAhithophel

Topics

Counsellor

Cross-references: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. Hebrew and Greek data from STEPBible.org (Tyndale House, Cambridge), CC BY 4.0. Library: sources.