Outline of Chapter 17:

Introduction

         vv.     1–4           Ahithophel’s Counsel to Absalom

         vv.     5–14         Absalom Calls in Hushai to Hear his Advice; Absalom Prefers Hushai’s Plan

         vv.    15–17         David’s Intelligence Network

         vv.    18–20         Jonathan and Ahimaaz, David’s Intelligence Couriers, Avoid Capture

         vv.    21–22         David Crosses over the Jordan

         v.       23           Ahithophel Hangs Himself

         vv.    24–26         The Troop Movements of David and Absalom’s Armies

         vv.    27–29         The Supply Lines for David’s Troops

Addendum

Charts, Maps and Short Doctrines:

         Introduction         Matthew Henry’s Outline

         Introduction         The Principals of 2Samuel 17

         Introduction         The Prequel of 2Samuel 17

         Introduction         The Abbreviated Davidic Timeline

         Introduction         A Synopsis of 2Samuel 17

         Introduction         Gill Summarizes 2Samuel 17

         Introduction         God and Revolution

         v.       1              Evidence that this is Jerusalem Day One

         v.       2              The Doctrine of “I will strike the king by himself”

         v.       3              Various Translations of 2Samuel 17:3

         v.       3              2Samuel 17:3 Text from the Greek Septuagint

         v.       3              The Selling of Ahithophel’s Battle-Plan

         v.       4              Why There is Only One Plan

         v.       5              The Four Men

         v.       5              Why Absalom calls for Hushai

         v.       7              Warfare and Revolution Require a New Set of Values for the Believer

         v.       7              Advantage Hushai

         v.       9              Absalom and Public Opinion

         v.      11              Why Absalom was willing to go to war against David and Joab

         v.      14              Comparing the Plans

         v.      14              Links to the Doctrine of a Personal Sense of Destiny

         v.      15              Hushai the Archite

         v.      17              The Serenity Prayer

         v.      20              Legitimate Lies in Scripture

         v.      23              Why Ahithophel Killed Himself

         v.      23              Ahithophel’s Betrayal of David is a Type of Judas’s Betrayal of Jesus

         v.      24              Map of Mahanaim

         v.      24              Nave’s Topical Bible Summarizes the City of Mahanaim

         v.      25              David’s Line, Including Abigail (genealogy chart)

         v.      27              The Nahash’s of Scripture

         v.      27              Map of the Rebellion of Absalom

         v.      29              The Sharing of Our Material Goods with the Servants of God

         Addendum          What We Learn from 2Samuel 17

         Addendum          Josephus’ History of this Time Period

         Addendum          Edersheim Summarizes 2Samuel 17

         Addendum          A Complete Translation of 2Samuel 17

         Addendum          Word Cloud for 2Samuel 17 Exegesis

         Addendum          Word Cloud for 2Samuel 17 (Voice of the Wilderness text)

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An Introduction to 2Samuel 17

I ntroduction: 2Sam. 17 is, again, one of the fascinating chapters of the Bible, nearly ignored by most pastors, yet teaches great principles of doctrine and establishment. We get to see how Absalom, the criminal revolutionary thinks; and we get to see how those correctly related to King David and establishment function.

We again, as in the previous chapter, see David as the true king of Israel, the king put into place by God, the establishment king. Absalom is portrayed as an upstart who suddenly has run out of ideas, but his ego will not allow him to appear to not be in charge.

The concept of counterinsurgency warfare was begun in the previous chapter. It is continued in this chapter, and is the basis for this entire chapter. We will find counterinsurgents and patriots who lie and deceive in order to bring about David’s eventual victory over Absalom, all of which is clearly in God’s will.

This chapter allows us to see the concept of counterinsurgency play out, something which every believer in the United States needs to know and understand. This is extremely important information for those in the armed forces, particularly those in elite teams and intelligence agencies. This is also similarly applicable to law-enforcement types who operate underground, whether it be to foil drug traffickers or mafia types.

At the very end of this chapter, we see the importance of logistics in warfare.

Speaking of logistics, it ought to be well-noted that the Bible often spends a great deal of time on warfare, which includes the basic concepts of mass, strategy and tactics, logistics, surprise, troops and troop movement, and many other aspects of military action. This is not by mistake and the Bible nearly always presents those in the military as serving selflessly and honorably. Whereas, on one occasion, and one occasion only, Jesus tells one rich man to seel everything he has and give the proceeds to the poor, He never tells a military man to forsake his profession and pursue a path to world peace through disarmament (see Matt. 8:5–13, for instance). My point is, and this was difficult for me as a one-time hippie from the 60's to grasp, the Word of God treats the military as an honorable institution, and actually provides a great deal of insight for the military man. In fact, one of the final chapters of 2Samuel will be a list of military heroes who served under David.

As an aside, I began to add a new translation to the mix known as the Knox Bible. By v. 5, I discovered (yes, sometimes I am slow) that this is the translation used by the New Advent Bible.

On a personal note, you have no idea what a privilege it is to be able to lay all of this out carefully, word-by-word and verse-by-verse. Given the political unrest and insanity which seems to be a part of the United States at this time, it is wonderful to be able to present God’s approach at a time of even greater unrest in Israel.

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Ahithophel's Counsel to Absalom

We need a lead-in for this first verse, which is given to us from 2Sam. 16:20–23 Then Absalom said to Ahithophel, "Give your counsel. What shall we do?" Ahithophel said to Absalom, "Go in to your father's concubines, whom he has left to keep the house, and all Israel will hear that you have made yourself a stench to your father, and the hands of all who are with you will be strengthened." So they pitched a tent for Absalom on the roof. And Absalom went in to his father's concubines in the sight of all Israel. Now in those days the counsel that Ahithophel gave was as if one consulted the word of God; so was all the counsel of Ahithophel esteemed, both by David and by Absalom. (ESV) Absalom had effected a great revolution in Jerusalem without firing a shot (in that day, without shooting an arrow). He and his supporters come into Jerusalem, and David and his supporters are gone. There is no fighting, there is no resistence. Absalom can walk right into the palace and set up shot as the new king.

This somewhat throws Absalom out of kilter, and he does not know what to do next, so he asks Ahithophel, and Ahithophel tells him to rape David’s mistresses, which he does. This gives Ahithophel time to plan out the next move, as Ahithophel has figured out that Absalom does not have many plans at this point. This is fine with Ahithophel, who uses the time while Absalom is raping David’s mistresses to fully assess the situation and to develop a plan. When Ahithophel gives Absalom the plan for Absalom’s next move, let me suggest that Absalom has spent a day raping this mistresses and has probably raped 4 of them, maybe 5. He doesn’t know it, but this gets Absalom out of the way while Ahithophel can do the real work of gathering intel and putting together a plan.

Here is how others have translated this verse:

Ancient texts:                       Note: I compare the Hebrew text to English translations of the Latin, Syriac and Greek texts, using the Douay-Rheims translation ; George Lamsa’s translation, and Sir Lancelot Charles Lee Brenton’s translation as revised and edited by Paul W. Esposito, respectively. I often update these texts with non-substantive changes (e.g., you for thou, etc.). I often use the text of the Complete Apostles’ Bible instead of Brenton’s translation, because it updates the English text.

The Septuagint was the earliest known translation of a book (circa 200 b.c.). Since this translation was made before the textual criticism had been developed into a science and because different books appear to be translated by different men, the Greek translation can sometimes be very uneven.

When there are serious disparities between my translation and Brenton’s (or the text of the Complete Apostles’ Bible), I look at the Greek text of the Septuagint (the LXX) to see if a substantive difference actually exists (and I reflect these changes in the English rendering of the Greek text). I use the Greek LXX with Strong’s numbers and morphology available for e-sword. The only problem with this resource (which is a problem for similar resources) is, there is no way to further explore Greek verbs which are not found in the New Testament. Although I usually quote the Complete Apostles’ Bible here, I have begun to make changes in the translation when their translation conflicts with the Greek and note what those changes are.

The Masoretic text is the Hebrew text with all of the vowels (vowel points) inserted (the original Hebrew text lacked vowels). We take the Masoretic text to be the text closest to the original. However, differences between the Masoretic text and the Greek, Latin and Syriac are worth noting and, once in a great while, represent a more accurate text possessed by those other ancient translators.

In general, the Latin text is an outstanding translation from the Hebrew text into Latin and very trustworthy (I say this as a non-Catholic). Unfortunately, I do not read Latin—apart from some very obvious words—so I am dependent upon the English translation of the Latin (principally, the Douay-Rheims translation). I sometimes update this text, which essentially means getting rid of the thee’s and thou’s.

I have begun to include the Knox Bible, which was translated by Ronald Knox from the Latin Vulgate and compared with the Greek and Hebrew texts by himself over a period of nine years. I have done some updating on this version. However, I do find that it varies enough from the Latin Vulgate so that I felt it better located in the nearly literal translations (with moderate paraphrasing).

Underlined words indicate differences in the text.

Bracketed portions of the Dead Sea Scrolls are words, letters and phrases lost in the scroll due to various types of damage. Underlined words or phrases are those in the Dead Sea Scrolls but not in the Masoretic text.

Ancient texts:

Latin Vulgate                          And Achitophel said to Absalom: I will choose me twelve thousand men, and I will arise and pursue after David this night.

Masoretic Text (Hebrew)        And so says Ahithophel unto Absalom, “Let me choose, please, two-ten a thousand a man and I will rise up and I will pursue after David the night.

Peshitta (Syriac)                    MOREOVER Ahithophel said to Absalom, Let me now choose twelve thousand men, and I will arise and pursue David this night.

Septuagint (Greek)                And Ahithophel said to Absalom, Let me now choose out for myself twelve thousand men, and I will arise and follow after David this night.

Significant differences:           No significant differences.

Thought-for-thought translations; paraphrases:

Contemporary English V.       Ahithophel said to Absalom: Let me choose twelve thousand men and attack David tonight,...

Easy English                          Ahithophel and Hushai advise Absalom

Then Ahithophel said to Absalom, `Let me choose 12 000 men. I will go and chase David tonight.

Easy-to-Read Version            Ahithophel also said to Absalom, “Let me now choose 12,000 men. Then I will chase David tonight.

Good News Bible (TEV)         Not long after that, Ahithophel said to Absalom, "Let me choose twelve thousand men, and tonight I will set out after David.

The Message                         Next Ahithophel advised Absalom, "Let me handpick twelve thousand men and go after David tonight.

New Berkeley Version           Ahithophel next recommended to Absalom, “Let me now select twelve thousand troops that I may set out and pursue David this very night.

New Life Bible                        Then Ahithophel said to Absalom, "Let me choose 12,000 men, and I will leave and go after David tonight.

New Living Translation           Now Ahithophel urged Absalom, "Let me choose 12,000 men to start out after David tonight.

The Voice                               Ahithophel had a strategy for victory over David and advised Absalom.

Ahithophel: Let me choose 12,000 men, and tonight we will pursue David.

Partially literal and partially paraphrased translations:

American English Bible          Well, AhiThophel said to AbSalom: 'I'll choose twelve thousand men and go after David tonight;...

New American Bible (R.E.)    Ahithophel went on to say to Absalom: "Let me choose twelve thousand men and be off in pursuit of David tonight.

NIRV                                      One day Ahithophel said to Absalom, "Here's what I suggest. Choose 12,000 men. Start out tonight and go after David.

New Jerusalem Bible             Ahithophel said to Absalom, 'Let me choose twelve thousand men and set off this very night in pursuit of David.

New Simplified Bible              Later Ahithophel said to Absalom: »Let me choose twelve thousand men. Tonight I will set out after David.

Mostly literal renderings (with some occasional paraphrasing):

Bible in Basic English             Then Ahithophel said to Absalom, Let me take out twelve thousand men and this very night I will go after David:...

Ferar-Fenton Bible                 Akhitophel advices to Capture and Murder David (b.c. 1023)

Then Akhitophel said to Absalom, “Select at once twelve thousand men, and I will start and pursue David to-night,...

The Knox Bible                      Now, said Achitophel to Absalom, let me pick twelve thousand men, and set out in pursuit of David this very night;...

New Advent Bible                  Now, said Achitophel to Absalom, let me pick twelve thousand men, and set out in pursuit of David this very night;...

NET Bible®                             The Death of Ahithophel

Ahithophel said to Absalom, "Let me pick out twelve thousand men. Then I will go and pursue David this very night. When it comes to making an actual material change to the text, the NET Bible® is pretty good about indicating this. Since most of these corrections will be clear in the more literal translations below and within the Hebrew exegesis itself, I will not continue to list every NET Bible® footnote.

NIV – UK                                Ahithophel said to Absalom, `I would[a] choose twelve thousand men and set out tonight in pursuit of David.

Jewish/Hebrew Names Bibles:

Complete Jewish Bible           Achitofel said to Avshalom, "Let me now choose 12,000 men, and I will pursue David tonight.

exeGeses companion Bible   THE COUNSEL OF HUSHAY

And Achiy Thophel says to Abi Shalom,

I pray you that I may choose twelve thousand men

and I rise and pursue after David this night:.

Orthodox Jewish Bible           Moreover Achitophel said unto Avshalom, Let me now choose out shneym asar elef ish, and I will arise and pursue after Dovid halailah (this night);...

Literal, almost word-for-word, renderings:

English Standard Version      Hushai Saves David

Moreover, Ahithophel said to Absalom, "Let me choose twelve thousand men, and I will arise and pursue David tonight.

NASB                                     Hushai's Counsel

Furthermore, Ahithophel said to Absalom, "Please let me choose 12,000 men that I may arise and pursue David tonight.

Syndein/Thieme                     {Verses 1-3: Ahithophel's Proposal}

Moreover Ahithophel requested of Absalom, let me now select twelve thousand men, will move out and pursue after David this night. {Note: This is after the rape of the 10 mistresses. Ahithophel knows David is now weak since he left Jerusalem. He has the castle guard and the local police so maybe 2000 men. He wants 12,000 of the best that move out before the rape of the city begins and many will want David back.}.

Third Millennium Bible            Moreover Ahithophel said unto Absalom, "Let me now choose out twelve thousand men, and I will arise and pursue after David this night.

Young’s Updated LT             And Ahithophel said unto Absalom, “Let me choose, I pray you, twelve thousand men, and I arise and pursue after David tonight.

The gist of this verse:          Ahithophel suggests that he take 12,000 troops and immediately go after David.

Translation: Later, Ahithophel said to Absalom,... This comes later. Ahithophel has looked over the situation while Absalom is raping David’s mistresses in the tent. He has had 1–3 days to make an appraisal of what has taken place. He knows how many are in his army; he knows where David has gone to; he knows who has gone with David. So, while Absalom fornicated, Ahithophel did all of the leg work, gathering information and determining what their next step would be. My guess is, Ahithophel formed a plan within the first day, before Absalom has raped the final woman for that day.

You may recall from 2Samuel 16 (HTML) (PDF) (WPD) that Ahithophel suddenly realized that Absalom could only take this so far. He plotted out how to become king, but he had no plans after entering into Jerusalem. So Ahithophel had to give Absalom something to keep him busy, and he, Ahithophel, scoped out the situation.

Now that Ahithophel knows what is going on, he is prepared to make a suggestion as to what Absalom’s next step is. His idea is simple and the right way to go.

Ahithophel may have come up with this plan in the first day, after determining what David has done and what his own resources are. What Ahithophel needed was information. With Absalom busy, Ahithophel was able to find out when David left, who he took with him, and who remains behind. That information could be found out within a few hours.

Translation:...“Let me choose [right] now 12,000 men... Ahithophel knows how many men he has at his disposal, and he realizes that some of them are not going to go along with his proposal. Therefore, he needs to be able to choose the right men to go with him, who would be willing to right against David.

The number 12,000 suggests that Absalom had a fairly large following as well as a fairly wide base of support in Jerusalem and the surrounding area. Ahithophel believed that he could get this many people and leave that very night.

By this time, Ahithophel had determined just how many men went with David, so he knows how many men that he needs to be able to both pursue David and to beat him in battle. The idea would be to kill David. That is Ahithophel’s objective, and he will share this objective with Absalom, not knowing that Absalom is able to stomach it, having been hardened by raping these women.

Again, we do not know what day this is, and Absalom might still be in the midst of operation rape. In fact, that seems very likely. Ahithophel knows that Absalom is not half the man that David is, and Ahithophel would prefer to have the pleasure of killing David anyway (or ordering his death).

Translation: ...that I may rise up... The imperfect tense is often used for the future; and this particular verb indicates that the subject of the verb is going to do something. He has a purpose and he will go out and accomplish that purpose.

The voluntative hê indicates that Absalom is requesting permission here. He says it out of being polite, but he is certain that his plans will be green-lighted. After all, what has Absalom been doing? He has been raping 10 women, one after another, over a period or a few days. By my estimation, Absalom has raped probably 3 women by this time on the first day; perhaps 4. So Absalom becomes more and more brutalized as he rapes one woman after another; but what he does not do is figure out what his next move is. In fact, very likely, Absalom feels fairly comfortable with the idea that he is the boss and Ahithophel will make a suggestion, and then he, the boss, will decide whether to go along with his plan or not. After all, he is the king with all the power.

Translation: ...and chase after David tonight. Ahithophel knows how far David may have gotten. He has collected information. He knows that he and his troops will have to move fast to catch up to David.

V. 1 reads: Later, Ahithophel said to Absalom, “Let me choose right now twelve-thousand men so that I may rise up and chase after David tonight. So, Absalom is raping David’s mistresses, on a break at this time, as Ahithophel suggests the next move. This next move leaves Absalom out of the picture, which makes perfect sense if Absalom is performing the important duty of raping David’s mistresses.

Ahithophel correctly suggests that time is of the essence. Without slighting Absalom, Ahithophel cannot sit around and wait 2 or 3 more days for Absalom to completely raping David’s mistresses (furthermore, Absalom cannot just quit part way through this process either). He needs to catch up to David and he needs to get David while he is on the run. 12,000 is a large enough force to strike David, but small enough to lead quickly out of Jerusalem.

The general idea of this appears to be found in Prov. 1:16 Their feet run to evil, and they make haste to shed blood. We find similar sentiments expressed in Isa. 59:7–9 Their feet run to evil, and they are swift to shed innocent blood; their thoughts are thoughts of iniquity; desolation and destruction are in their highways. The way of peace they do not know, and there is no justice in their paths; they have made their roads crooked; no one who treads on them knows peace. Therefore justice is far from us, and righteousness does not overtake us; we hope for light, and behold, darkness, and for brightness, but we walk in gloom.

Clarke: Had this counsel been followed, David and his little troop would soon have been destroyed; nothing but the miraculous interposition of God could have saved them. Twelve thousand chosen troops coming against him, in his totally unprepared state, would have soon settled the business of the kingdom. Ahithophel well saw that, this advice neglected, all was lost.

With each passing hour, David is allowed more and more time to think, and more time to organize his army, and to consider all of the options before him. Ahithophel knows this. The sooner that he attacks David, the better chance that he has for success. However, what Ahithophel did not count on was Absalom’s tremendous ego getting in the way.

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Here is how others have translated this verse:

Ancient texts:

Latin Vulgate                          And coming upon him (for he is now weary, and weak handed) I will defeat him: and when all the people is put to flight that is with him, I will kill the king who will be left alone.

Masoretic Text (Hebrew)        And I will come upon him and he [is] weary and slack of [two] hands and I have made him frightened and has fled all the people who [are] with him and I have struck down the king to him alone.

Peshitta (Syriac)                    And I will overtake him while he is weary and weak, and I will throw him into a panic, and all the people who are with him shall flee, and I will kill the king only.

Septuagint (Greek)                And I will come upon him when he is weary and weak-handed, and I will strike him with terror; and all the people with him shall flee, and I will smite the king alone.

Significant differences:           The verb to overtake is fairly similar to come upon.

Thought-for-thought translations; paraphrases:

Common English Bible           I will attack him while he is tired and weak, and I will throw him into a panic. All the troops with him will run off. I promise to kill the king alone, and I will bring all the people back to you like a bride comes back to her husband [LXX; Heb uncertain]. A portion of v. 3 was added for context.

Contemporary English V.       ...while he is tired and discouraged. He will panic, and everyone with him will run away. I won't kill anyone except David,...

Easy English                          I will attack him when he is tired and weak. I will frighten him. All the people who are with him will run away. I will kill only the king.

Easy-to-Read Version            I will catch him while he is tired and weak. I will scare him. And all his people will run away. But I will kill only King David.

Good News Bible (TEV)         I will attack him while he is tired and discouraged. He will be frightened, and all his men will run away. I will kill only the king...

The Message                         I'll come on him when he's bone tired and take him by complete surprise. The whole army will run off and I'll kill only David.

New Berkeley Version           In this way I can overtake him while he is exhausted and still without resources and throw him into a panic, so that all the men with him will run.

New Century Version             I'll catch him while he is tired and weak, and I'll frighten him so all his people will run away. But I'll kill only King David.

New Life Bible                        I will come upon him while he is tired and weak. I will fill him with fear so that all the people who are with him will run away. Then I will kill the king alone and return all the people to you. A portion of v. 3 was included for context.

The Voice                               Ahithophel: Let me choose 12,000 men, and tonight we will pursue David while he is weak and weary. We'll throw him into a panic; then all of the people will run away from him, come back to you, and be safe. I will strike down the king. If we take only the life of this one man here—your father—then everyone else can return to you. Vv. 1–3 are given for context.

Partially literal and partially paraphrased translations:

American English Bible          ...because, when I get there he'll be tired and weak. We'll catch him unaware and startle him; then his people will flee, and I can kill the king when he's alone.

NIRV                                      Attack him while he's tired and weak. Fill him with terror. Then all of the people who are with him will run away. Don't strike down anyone except the king.

New Jerusalem Bible             I shall fall on him while he is tired and dispirited; I shall strike terror into him, and all the people who are with him will run away. I shall kill only the king,...

New Simplified Bible              »I will attack him while he is tired and discouraged. He will be frightened! All his men will run away. I will kill only the king.

Revised English Bible            If I overtake him when he is tired and dispirited I shall cut him off from his people and they will all scatter; I shall kill no one but the king.

Mostly literal renderings (with some occasional paraphrasing):

Ancient Roots Translinear      ...coming over him as he labors with weak hands to make him tremble. All the people with him will flee, and I also will smite the king.

Bible in Basic English             And I will come up with him when he is tired and feeble, and make him full of fear: and all the people with him will go in flight; and I will make an attack on the king only:...

The Expanded Bible              I'll catch him while he is tired and ·weak [discouraged], and I'll ·frighten [terrorize] him so all his ·people [troops] will run away. But I'll ·kill [strike down] only King David.

Ferar-Fenton Bible                 ...and come on him whilst he is weary and weak-handed, when I shall terrify him; and all the force with him will fly, —and I will kill the king alone.

HCSB                                     I will attack him while he is weak and weary, throw him into a panic, and all the people with him will scatter. I will strike down only the king...

The Knox Bible                      ...so I shall overtake him and easily defeat him, weary as he is and unnerved; first scatter the company that went with him, and then strike him down, with none to aid him.

New Advent Bible                  ...so I shall overtake him and easily defeat him, weary as he is and unnerved; first scatter the company that went with him, and then strike him down, with none to aid him.

NET Bible®                             When I catch up with [Heb "and I will come upon him."] him he will be exhausted and worn out [Heb "exhausted and slack of hands."]. I will rout him, and the entire army that is with him will flee. I will kill only the king and will bring the entire army back to you. In exchange for the life of the man you are seeking, you will get back everyone [Heb "like the returning of all, the man whom you are seeking." The LXX reads differently: "And I will return all the people to you the way a bride returns to her husband, except for the life of the one man whom you are seeking." The other early versions also struggled with this verse. Modern translations are divided as well: the NAB, NRSV, REB, and NLT follow the LXX, while the NASB and NIV follow the Hebrew text.]. The entire army will return unharmed." Vv. 2–3 are given for context.

Jewish/Hebrew Names Bibles:

Complete Jewish Bible           I'll fall on him unexpectedly when he's tired and powerless. I'll frighten him, all the people with him will flee, and I'll attack only the king.

exeGeses companion Bible   ...and I come on him

- belabored and weak handed; and tremble him:

and all the people with him flee;

and I smite the sovereign only:...

JPS (Tanakh—1985)               I will come upon him when he is weary and disheartened, and I will throw him into a panic; and when all the troops with him flee, I will kill the king alone.

Orthodox Jewish Bible           And I will come upon him while he is weary and weak of hands, and will make him tremble with fear; and kol haAm that are with him shall flee; and I will strike HaMelech only;...

The Scriptures 1998              ...and come upon him while he is weary and weak. And I shall make him afraid and all the people who are with him shall flee. And I shall smite the sovereign alone,...

Literal, almost word-for-word, renderings:

English Standard Version      I will come upon him while he is weary and discouraged and throw him into a panic, and all the people who are with him will flee. I will strike down only the king,...

Green’s Literal Translation    And I shall come on him, and he shall be weary and feeble handed. And I will make him tremble, and the people with him shall flee. And I shall strike the king by himself.

NASB                                     I will come upon him while he is weary and exhausted [Lit slack of hands] and terrify him, so that all the people who are with him will flee. Then I will strike down the king alone,...

Syndein/Thieme                     {Ahithophel's Plan}

Consequently, I will surprise him when he is weary and 'weak and exhausted'/ 'weak of hands' {no more nervous energy}, and will 'terrify him'/'cause him to panic'. {a tired person is irritable and 'weaker than normal'} And all the people who are with him will flee/'run away'. And I will assasinate the king while he is isolated/alone.

World English Bible                ...and I will come on him while he is weary and weak-handed, and will make him afraid; and all the people who are with him shall flee; and I will strike the king only;...

Young's Updated LT              And I will come upon him, and he [is] weary and feeble-handed, and I have caused him to tremble, and all the people have fled who are with him, and I have struck down the king by himself.

The gist of this verse:          Ahithophel explains that, when he catches David’s army off-guard, they will flee, and he will go to kill David specifically.

Translation: I will come upon him... Notice the 1^st person singular verb; Ahithophel is going to do this himself; there is no 1^st person plural verb used here, which would be Absalom and Ahithophel working together. This is not out of the ordinary, as Joab led the armies of Israel for many years while David stayed in Jerusalem and ruled the country from there. David led his own troops by means of intelligence briefings that he received from soldiers (2Sam. 11:18–25 12:27–28), although it is clear that Joab ran the show and called the shots when it came to the military (2Sam. 12:26–31). My point is, what Ahithophel is suggesting is not out of line; it does not suggest any sort of usurping of Absalom’s authority.

Ahithophel has determined that David will not be expecting a sudden attack from Absalom. He will expect Absalom to enter into the city and then start being a king. If there is no David, why pursue him? That can be done later. So, when Ahithophel says, “I will come upon him;” this is a surprise attack that David will not see coming. That is the theory.

In reality, David does not know what Absalom will do; and has no idea what he is capable of. It is David’s intelligence network, shown in this chapter to be set up and functioning, which will be key to his survival. They will keep Absalom from being able to surprise David, and thus possibly gain the momentum in battle; as surprise is key in military conflict.

Translation: ...when he [is] weary and discouraged [lit., slack of hands],... Right now, David is tired and despondent. This is one of the worst things that could happen to him. The people have rejected him; they have gone after his son, and David will have very little heart for a war. After all, very few people have left with him.

We know that David and his men are weary; we are told this in 2Sam. 16:14.

The phrase slack of hands means that his hands are hanging down; he is despondent and discouraged. He does not have it in him to fight at this point. This would be a low point in his life. Ahithophel has rightly determined the situation as well as David’s psyche.

Furthermore, Ahithophel has determined roughly the number of men that have exited Jerusalem with David. It is not a large army by any means. At this point, David should be at his weakest mentally, emotionally and militarily. He does not even have a supply line set up, and an army cannot function without supplies. If Ahithophel strikes quickly, he expects to break through David’s small army and get to David directly.

Translation: ...and I will frighten him;... The idea is to come upon David suddenly, and to make him afraid. David’s fear will be transmitted to the rest of his army, who will also become frightened by such a sudden attack.

Translation: ...and the people with him will flee. What Ahithophel expect is, David is despondent, he responds in fear, then his people look to him, look at him, and they become afraid as well.

This suggests that Ahithophel with 12,000 men would strongly outnumber David. So we do not know how many are with him, but I would estimate between 1000 and 6000.

This is the way that Ahithophel has chosen to pitch his plan. This does not mean that Ahithophel has not anticipated problems nor does it mean that Ahithophel believes that this plan will come off this smoothly. However, he is the only man with a plan, so he knows that he does not need to sell this plan to Absalom. Absalom does not have his own plan.

Therefore, Ahithophel is not going to spend time worrying Absalom about contingency plans, loss of life, or any mistakes in initial estimates. For all we know, Ahithophel may expect that he will have to destroy David’s entire army. However, to Absalom, he is painting this as a relatively simple operation. Get to David’s army, plow through his line, send his men running, and then take David out.

Remember, Ahithophel is a brilliant man with a great military mind. No doubt he has plan A, plan B and then plan C. His plan is the only plan before Absalom, so he needs to sell this plan, but not oversell it. The details will be worked out in the actual conflict, not in Absalom’s war room.

Translation: Then I will strike down the king by himself. Here is the plan: Ahithophel wants to kill David. So Ahithophel is filled with anger and rage, and killing David is something that he has probably fantasized about for some time, and this gives him the perfect excuse to kill David.

The plan is simple: a quick surprise attack while David is still weak. Then separate David from his troops, and then kill David.

The verse reads: I will advance quickly against the king, while he is yet weary and discouraged in a surprise attack, causing the people with him to flee. Then I will strike down the king while he is by himself. It is quite fascinating that Ahithophel calls David the king here. Although this may be shorthand, and this may be how David is spoken of, it is more evidence by God the Holy Spirit that David remains the true king of Israel. This may be a slip of the tongue by which Ahithophel essentially is telling Absalom, “I don’t really recognize you as king of Israel.”

To some degree, Ahithophel is playing Absalom. He knows that Absalom has taken this revolution just as far as he can take it. Ahithophel is the one who must see it through to the end. However, he is more than willing to do this. This will allow Ahithophel to take revenge against David, and to consolidate his power as the Absalom’s chief advisor, as the man behind the man.

Do not be confused here—Ahithophel does not want Absalom’s job. Ahithophel does not want to be king. He wants to be able to control the king, which is much more satisfying, and much safer during a time of political instability. Given what happened at the end of the previous chapter, Ahithophel is quite confident that he can guide Absalom in any direction that he wants.

Vv. 1–2: Later, Ahithophel said to Absalom, “Let me choose right now twelve-thousand men so that I may rise up and chase after David tonight. I will advance quickly against the king, while he is yet weary and discouraged in a surprise attack, causing the people with him to flee. Then I will strike down the king while he is by himself.” Ahithophel has correctly determined that David is weary and discouraged, and probably without a clear logistical supply of food and other important items. Ahithophel needs to get David as quickly as possible. He cannot allow for David to build up his supplies, to get to a good place, to rest and regroup. He needs to hit David quickly; and he needs to go after the head, who is David.

The Pulpit Commentary: Now, if Ahithophel’s advice had been followed, he would have reached the fords as quickly as the young men did; for they lost time at Bahu-rim. Upon this David had not calculated, but supposed that anyhow he should have the interval won by Ahimaaz"s fleetness. With twelve thousand picked troops unencumbered with baggage, Ahithophel would thus have found David still on the west of the Jordan, 0and though Joab and Abishai would have done all that brave men could, yet they would scarcely have been in a position to make a long defence. And the command was to "smite the king only." A panic was inevitable, and confusion among David"s followers, who had women and children to defend; and in the midst of it Ahithophel would direct his main attack on the part where David was, and single him out for slaughter. When this was done all would be accomplished; for Absalom would become king by right of succession. Even Joab and the Gibborim would acknowledge him, and the whole nation be at peace.

What Ahithophel has suggested would work. He would have defeated and killed David. It may not have gone down exactly as he has explained it to Absalom, but it would have worked. God the Holy Spirit calls this good advice in v. 14. The more quickly Ahithophel can be on top of David, the less time David will have to organize his own troops and form a solid defense which could then be turned into an strong offense. But given time, thought and supplies, David will turn his supporters into a formidable army.

The problem for Absalom is, Ahithophel would be making two very big decisions right in a row, and this concerns Absalom. We will see that by the time we get to v. 5.

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Here is how others have translated this verse:

Ancient texts:

Latin Vulgate                          And I will bring back all the people, as if they were but one man: for you seek but one man: and all the people will be in peace.

Masoretic Text (Hebrew)        And let me bring back all of the people unto you as a return of the all; the man whom you are seeking; all of the people will be [at] peace.

Peshitta (Syriac)                    And I will bring back all the people to you, just as those whom you sought have come back; so all the people shall be in peace.

Septuagint (Greek)                And I will bring back all the people to you, as a bride returns to her husband: only you seek the life of one man, and all the people shall have peace.

Significant differences:           There is the additional phrase of as a bride returns to her husband in the Greek.

Thought-for-thought translations; paraphrases:

Common English Bible           ...and I will bring all the people back to you like a bride comes back to her husband.[a] It's only one man's life you are seeking; everyone else can be at peace."

Contemporary English V.       ...since he's the one you want to get rid of. Then I'll bring the whole nation back to you like a bride coming home to her husband. This way there won't be a civil war.

Easy English                          Then I will bring all his people back to you. When David is dead, everyone will return to you. Everyone will be safe.

Easy-to-Read Version            Then I will bring all the people back to you. If David is dead, then all the people will come back in peace.”

Good News Bible (TEV)         ...and then bring back all his men to you, like a bride returning to her husband. You want to kill only one man; the rest of the people will be safe."

The Message                         Then I'll bring the army back to you--a bride brought back to her husband! You're only after one man, after all. Then everyone will be together in peace!"

New Berkeley Version           I’ll return all the people to you as a bridge returns to her husband. Since you seek the life of only one man [I’ll...one man follows the Greek; Hebrew is unintelligible], all the people will have peace.”

New Century Version             Then I'll bring everyone back to you. If the man you are looking for is dead, everyone else will return safely."

New Life Bible                        ...and return all the people to you. All will return if the man you want to kill is dead. Then all the people will be at peace."

New Living Translation           ...and I will bring all the people back to you as a bride returns to her husband. After all, it is only one man's life that you seek.[a] Then you will be at peace with all the people."

Partially literal and partially paraphrased translations:

American English Bible          Then I'll bring all his people back to you the way a bride is brought to her husband. And after [we've taken] the life of the man you're searching for, all the people will be at peace.

Beck’s American Translation ...and restore the entire nation to you [The Septuagint adds “as a bride returns to her husband.”]. The one man you are after means the return of all; thus the whole nation will be at peace [Had this plan been carried out, David’s cause would have been utterly lost; but God works in human minds to work out His program.].”

Christian Community Bible     Then I will bring all the people back to you as a bride comes home to her husband. Seek the death of only one man and then all the people will be unharmed.”

God’s Word™                         I'll return all the people to you as a bride is returned to her husband. Since you will be seeking the life of only one man, all the people will have peace."

New American Bible (R.E.)    Then I can bring back the rest of the people to you, as a bride returns to her husband. It is the death of only one man you are seeking; then all the people will be at peace."

NIRV                                      Bring all of the other people back. After the man you want to kill is dead, everyone else will return to you. And none of the people will be harmed."

New Jerusalem Bible             ...and I shall then bring all the people back to you, like a bride returning to her husband. You seek the life of one individual only; the people as a whole will have peace.'

New Simplified Bible              »Then I will bring back all his men to you. It will be like a bride returning to her husband. Kill one man and the rest of the people return safely.«

Today’s NIV                          ...and bring all the people back to you. The death of the man you seek will mean the return of all; all the people will be unharmed."

Mostly literal renderings (with some occasional paraphrasing):

Bible in Basic English             And I will make all the people come back to you as a bride comes back to her husband: it is the life of only one man you are going after; so all the people will be at peace.

The Expanded Bible              Then I'll bring everyone back to you [^Las a bride returns to her husband] [Some Greek copies read "as a bride returns to her husband." Hebrew copies read "like the return of the whole is the man you seek."]. ·If the man you are looking for is dead [Since you seek the life of only one man], everyone else will ·return safely [be at peace]."

Ferar-Fenton Bible                 Then I shall turn all the people to you, as all the men whom you have sought have turned. The other people will be quiet.”

HCSB                                     ...and bring all the people back to you. When everyone returns except the man you're seeking, all the people will be at peace."

The updated Knox Bible         All the people I will bring round to your cause, as easily as I would persuade a single man; you have but one enemy, the rest of the people will be well content.

New Advent Bible                  All the people I will bring round to thy cause, as easily as I would persuade a single man; thou hast but one enemy, the rest of the people will be well content.

New Heart English Bible        I will strike the king only; and I will bring back all the people to you. The man whom you seek is as if all returned. All the people shall be in peace." A portion of v. 2 was included for context.

NIV – UK                                I would strike down only the king and bring all the people back to you. The death of the man you seek will mean the return of all; all the people will be unharmed.' A portion of v. 2 was included for context.

Jewish/Hebrew Names Bibles:

Complete Jewish Bible           Then I will bring back to you all the people; and when they have all returned, except the one you are seeking, all the people will be at peace."

exeGeses companion Bible   ...and I return all the people to you

— return the man you seek and all:

— all the people being in shalom.

Hebrew Names Version         ...and I will bring back all the people to you: the man whom you seek is as if all returned: [so] all the people shall be in shalom.

JPS (Tanakh—1985)               And I will bring back all the people to you; when all have come back [excet] the man you are after [to you;...are after: Meaning of Hebrew uncertain. Septuagint reads “to you as a bride comes back to her husband, you seek the life of but one man, and...”], all the people will be at peace.”

Orthodox Jewish Bible           When I return kol HaAm to you, all except the ish whom thou seekest, it is as if [kol HaAm] returned; so kol haAm shall be in shalom.

Literal, almost word-for-word, renderings:

The Amplified Bible                I will bring back all the people to you. [The removal of] the man whom you seek is the assurance that all will return; and all the people will be at peace.

Context Group Version          ...and I will bring back all the people to you: all the people will return [ if ] the man you are seeking [ is struck ]: all the people shall be in peace

English Standard Version      ...and I will bring all the people back to you as a bride comes home to her husband [Septuagint; Hebrew back to you. Like the return of the whole is the man whom you seek]. You seek the life of only one man, and all the people will be at peace."

The updated Geneva Bible    And I will bring back all the people unto you: the man whom you seek [Meaning David.] [is] as if all returned: [so] all the people will be in peace.

Green’s Literal Translation    And I shall bring all the people back to you when all return, except the man whom you are seeking. All the people shall be in peace.

NASB                                     ...and I will bring back all the people to you. The return of everyone depends on the man you seek [Lit Like the return of the whole is the man whom you seek]; then all the people will be at peace."

New RSV                               ...and I will bring all the people back to you as a bride comes home to her husband. You seek the life of only one man [Gk: Heb like the return of the whole (is) the man whom you seek], and all the people will be at peace.'

Syndein/Thieme                     {Objective of Ahithophel's Plan}

And I will restore/'cause to return' all the people to you {Absalom}. 'Obviously, the death of the man whom you are seeking to destroy is tantamount to the return of all the people." {Idiom: literally "which is tantamount to the return of all the people . . . is the man whom you are seeking." - means kill David and the people will recognize Absalom as the rightful leader and return.} Furthermore, {the death of David means} that all the people shall be in peace. {Note: Sounds so good and sincere. Absalom, kill your father David and you will 'save lives' - no civil war! We know Ahithophel's counsel was 'wise' and had to be frustrated. This plan of his was the only one which would have defeated David.}.

Updated Bible Version 2.11   ...and I will bring back all the people to you: all the people will return [if] the man you are seeking [is struck]: all the people will be in peace.

World English Bible                ...and I will bring back all the people to you: the man whom you seek is as if all returned: so all the people shall be in peace.

Young’s Updated LT             And I bring back all the people unto you—as the turning back of the whole is the man whom you are seeking—all the people are peace.”

The gist of this verse:          Ahithophel says that he will bring all the people back to Absalom in peace.

What appears to be the case in this verse is, there are a lot of and’s left out, and possibly because Ahithophel is very enthusiastic about his plan. There is also the possibility that much of the text was dropped out of the manuscripts, as the Greek has an additional phrase. However, this verse does make perfect sense without the addition of the text of the Greek.

Translation: Let me bring back all of the people to you... Ahithophel plans to go after David and kill him alone. Then he will bring back these other people as errant sheep. He will bring them back into the fold, so that they will serve Absalom. Without David, who else could they serve? They have no reason to oppose Absalom, as their leader will be dead.

Ahithophel hates one man, and that is David. Ahithophel wants to take out David. Therefore, he is not concerned about the disposition of the rest of the people. He has nothing against them. He does against David, and then against anyone who stands between him and David.

Ahithophel realizes that it may not turn out this way; that it may not be so clean. However, he has no reason to specify his contingency plans to Absalom, as Ahithophel’s plan is the only one before Absalom.

Translation: ...when everything is restored... There are some concerns with this verse—an alternate reading—which are listed in the exegesis above. It is possible that this is an idiom for, when all things are brought back to normal; when all things return to normal. Ahithophel is going to, according to his plan, bring the function of government and the people back to a normal state of affairs, but with Absalom in charge.

Now, this is probably a bit of an overstatement, because a revolution does not bring back a normal state of affairs. A revolution tears down the laws of divine establishment, and the people are left somewhat lawless. So, to bring things back to normal, Absalom is going to have to be a fairly harsh ruler—at least for awhile.

Application: After a revolution, the result is never sweetness and light. I don’t care what a lousy sob the previous ruler was, when there is a revolution, there are those who support the opposition leader and those who support the existing ruler. The those in revolution are violent enough to turn against their fellow countrymen, then, even if the revolution is successful, these fellow countrymen are not going to necessarily go quiet into the night, even if their leader has been killed. The lawlessness of the revolution is continued on both sides of the revolution after the revolution, whether the revolution is put down or whether it is successful. If a country has sunk into a state of greater lawlessness than it was before the revolution (which is inevitable), then it will take a greater force to calm the people. One side or the other will have to be broken, and that will involve great and vicious force.

Application: There were revolutions all over the Middle East in the past few years (I write this in 2013), and so many people foolishly thought the people were throwing off the yoke of tyranny and moving toward a more progressive and democratic government—perhaps not yet a Jeffersonian democracy, but a government moving in that direction. That idea is poppycock and the result of our people having their heads filled with false information about revolutions. When power is removed, then that power will be seized. When power is removed, there is a power vacuum, and those who lust after power will be there to take it and to take it by any means necessary. The end result will not be pretty; and the force used to gain and maintain power will not be much different than the force used by the original ruler.

Application: Then what about the American Revolution? “The American Revolution” is a misnomer. There was no attempt to depose or to kill King George III of England. What happened in the United States was a war for independence, which is quite different. This does not mean that everyone on our side acted as if they lacked sin natures and that everyone in Britain was evil; there were clear manifestations of the sin natures of man prevalent on both sides. God decreed the independence of the United States, and so it came to pass; but after a great deal of bloodshed and suffering.

Application: Another thing which you were lied to in school is, that this was all about taxes. Taxation without representation, as you and I learned it. There were over 25 specific complaints made by the colonists, taxation without representation being #17 of that list.

Translation:...—[along with the body of] the man whom you are seeking. The man that Absalom seeks is his father David. Now, if Absalom strikes him down, then Absalom is going to be bringing back the body of the man whom you are seeking.

The lack of wâw conjunctions suggests to me that Ahithophel is quite excited about this plan, and he cannot hardly wait to tell Absalom all about it. So, where there ought to be a wâw conjunction, it is missing because he is speaking so quickly. What I think is the case is, Ahithophel does not need to sell his plan to Absalom; it is the only plan on the table. Therefore, he will lay it out—its barest outlines—as Absalom is not going to come up with his own plan.

Here may be the problem; Ahithophel has a good plan, although he would not get all of the results that he is promising. He probably needs to slow down, offer up a more likely scenario for how the people react, and sell this plan a little more. However, given the circumstances as he understands them, there is no reason to do this.

Matthew Henry: Ahithophel advises that David be pursued immediately, this very night, with a flying army (which he himself undertakes the command of), that the king only be smitten and his forces dispersed, and then the people that were now for him would fall in with Absalom of course, and there would not be such a long war as had been between the house of Saul and David.

There is also the possibility that the text is corrupt at this point, which will be discussed below.

You will note that there is a whole other way to understand this portion of the verse, if the Greek text is taken to be accurate (which at first, I believe it to be; and since changed my mind). Ahithophel promises to return all of the people to Absalom as a bride is brought to her husband. Furthermore, there is only one life which is sought here, and that is David’s.

Translation: All of the people will be [at] peace. This final statement might be a bit of an oversell. After a revolution, almost immediately, Absalom is promising peace and prosperity.

Barnes: Ahithophel means to say: “If I can only smite David, there will be no civil war, all the people will peaceably submit.” 

Gill: David, of whom Ahithophel speaks of contemptibly, is the sole life that Absalom sought, as well as his crown. Once he is dead, it would be all over at once with the people; they would immediately return to their own habitations, and yield obedience to Absalom as the rightful heir and successor; all depended on his death.

There is also another big plus here for both Ahithophel and Absalom: Absalom is not included in this plan. He is not riding out there with Ahithophel. In fact, presumably, he has 1 or 2 days of raping left to do (I estimate that Ahithophel brought this plan to Absalom on the first day—Ahithophel was able to gather the intelligence that he needed that quickly). In war, Absalom has no real experience, insofar as we know. Although David’s nephews are great soldiers; none of his own children are known for their service in the military. So Absalom probably has no experience with the military; or, he may have tried it and quit. We do not know (remember, he did not kill Amnon, his rapist half-brother, himself). Furthermore, Absalom is probably just a criminal but not a soldier. So, in war, Ahithophel would have to spend as much time holding Absalom’s hand as well as directing the troops; and that could get complicated. Remember, Ahithophel is the man behind the man; but that does not mean that Ahithophel wants the man in front—Absalom—to always be out there in front. Sometimes that is more trouble than it is worth.

The English Standard Version translates these 3 verses in this way: Moreover, Ahithophel said to Absalom, "Let me choose twelve thousand men, and I will arise and pursue David tonight. I will come upon him while he is weary and discouraged and throw him into a panic, and all the people who are with him will flee. I will strike down only the king, and I will bring all the people back to you as a bride comes home to her husband. You seek the life of only one man, and all the people will be at peace." The ESV, like many translations, incorporates the Greek into their translation.

Although there are certainly flaws in this plan—how does one really separate David from his men? Would the men run, as Ahithophel predicts. His general approach of getting their quickly with a sufficient force, hitting David hard, and going right after David specifically could be devastating. Also, not having Absalom there is helpful; Ahithophel can simply be the one in charge. He knows war; Absalom does not. The last thing he needs is Absalom freaking out in battle.

Let me suggest something else: Ahithophel has over-simplified this plan for the sake of Absalom. Does Ahithophel really believe that he can immediately separate David from his men, and that they will all run, leaving David exposed? I think not. I do not think that is a reasonable scenario and I don’t think that Ahithophel believes it to be what will happen either. I think he dumbed down this plan; he knows that there will be a lot of bloodshed, but what Ahithophel will be after is to get David and kill him by any means necessary. In other words, this could all get quite messy, but Ahithophel does not feel the need to clutter Absalom’s handsome head with all that information. What I am saying here is, to be sure, conjecture; but I am basing this upon Ahithophel’s brilliance as a man of war, along with his understanding that Absalom knows nearly nothing about war.

Application: Most people know nothing about war, except that it is gruesome. Few people have even the slightest realistic take on war. So, it is quite easy for young college students to be convinced that war is bad (particularly under the helm of a Republican president) and that we ought not to have it. However, the realistic position is, there are wars going on all the time. Although I tend to think that there are 10–15 wars going on simultaneously, R. B. Thieme, III, this evening said that he counted about 52 conflicts going on right now. I would think that he is better qualified to make this count than I am. According to the website Warsintheworld, there are 60 countries in which there are armed conflicts occurring right now. However, on most college campuses, this often eludes many of the anti-war protestors (or anti-war sympathizers). Liberals tend to think that, if you don’t see it, then it really isn’t happening. Since we do not have news on these many wars, we tend to greatly underestimate their frequency in life. As an aside, this page may help to prove just how much God has blessed the United States.

My point in all of this is, it would seem reasonable that Ahithophel gave Absalom the reduced detail version of his plan. Why try to convince Absalom that this will be messy, but Ahithophel will bring David’s head to him? So Absalom is given the sanitized version of Ahithophel’s plan.

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Here is how others have translated this verse:

Ancient texts:

Latin Vulgate                          And his saying pleased Absalom, and all the ancients of Israel.

Masoretic Text (Hebrew)        And so is pleasing the word in eyes of Absalom and in eyes of all elders of Israel.

Peshitta (Syriac)                    And the saying pleased Absalom well, and all the elders of Israel.

Septuagint (Greek)                And the saying was right in the eyes of Absalom, and in the eyes of all the elders of Israel.

Significant differences:           Although the phrase in the eyes of is lacking in the Latin and Syriac, that does not mean that their original Hebrew text lacked these words.

Thought-for-thought translations; paraphrases:

Common English Bible           This plan seemed excellent to Absalom and the Israelite elders.

Contemporary English V.       Absalom and all the leaders of the tribes of Israel agreed that Ahithophel had a good plan.

Easy English                          Absalom and all the leaders in *Israel thought that this was good advice.

Good News Bible (TEV)         This seemed like good advice to Absalom and all the Israelite leaders.

The Message                         Absalom thought it was an excellent strategy, and all the elders of Israel agreed.

New Berkeley Version           The plan seemed good to Absalom, as well as to all the elders of Israel.

The Voice                               This advice appealed to Absalom and to Israel's elders.

Partially literal and partially paraphrased translations:

American English Bible          Well, this sounded like a good idea to AbSalom and all the elders of IsraEl, but AbSalom said: 'Call HushAi the Arachite; for, I want to hear what he has to say about this.' V. 5 was included for context.

Beck’s American Translation Absalom and all the elders of Israel thought it was a good plan.

God’s Word™                         Absalom and all the leaders of Israel approved this plan.

New American Bible              This plan was agreeable to Absalom and to all the elders of Israel.

New American Bible (R.E.)    This plan sounded good to Absalom and to all the elders of Israel.

NIRV                                      Ahithophel's plan seemed good to Absalom. It also seemed good to all of the elders of Israel.