2 Samuel 15:31-37 Meaning: When Wisdom Turns to Foolishness
31Someone told David, saying, “Ahithophel is among the conspirators with Absalom.” David said, “Yahweh, please turn the counsel of Ahithophel into foolishness.”
32When David had come to the top, where God was worshiped, behold, Hushai the Archite came to meet him with his tunic torn and earth on his head.
33David said to him, “If you pass on with me, then you will be a burden to me;
34but if you return to the city, and tell Absalom, ‘I will be your servant, O king. As I have been your father’s servant in time past, so I will now be your servant; then you will defeat for me the counsel of Ahithophel.’
35Don’t you have Zadok and Abiathar the priests there with you? Therefore whatever you hear out of the king’s house, tell it to Zadok and Abiathar the priests.
36Behold, they have there with them their two sons, Ahimaaz, Zadok’s son, and Jonathan, Abiathar’s son. Send to me everything that you shall hear by them.”
37So Hushai, David’s friend, came into the city; and Absalom came into Jerusalem.
31And one told David, saying, Ahithophel is among the conspirators with Absalom. And David said, O Lord, I pray thee, turn the counsel of Ahithophel into foolishness.
32And it came to pass, that when David was come to the top of the mount, where he worshipped God, behold, Hushai the Archite came to meet him with his coat rent, and earth upon his head:
33Unto whom David said, If thou passest on with me, then thou shalt be a burden unto me:
34But if thou return to the city, and say unto Absalom, I will be thy servant, O king; as I have been thy father’s servant hitherto, so will I now also be thy servant: then mayest thou for me defeat the counsel of Ahithophel.
35And 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 king’s house, thou shalt tell it to Zadok and Abiathar the priests.
36Behold, they have there with them their two sons, Ahimaaz Zadok’s son, and Jonathan Abiathar’s son; and by them ye shall send unto me every thing that ye can hear.
37So Hushai David’s friend came into the city, and Absalom came into Jerusalem.
31And one told David, saying, Ahithophel is among the conspirators with Absalom. And David said, O Jehovah, I pray thee, turn the counsel of Ahithophel into foolishness.
32And it came to pass, that, when David was come to the top of the ascent, where God was worshipped, behold, Hushai the Archite came to meet him with his coat rent, and earth upon his head.
33And David said unto him, If thou passest on with me, then thou wilt be a burden unto me:
34but if thou return to the city, and say unto Absalom, I will be thy servant, O king; as I have been thy father’s servant in time past, so will I now be thy servant; then wilt thou defeat for me the counsel of Ahithophel.
35And 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 king’s house, thou shalt tell it to Zadok and Abiathar the priests.
36Behold, they have there with them their two sons, Ahimaaz, Zadok’s son, and Jonathan, Abiathar’s son; and by them ye shall send unto me everything that ye shall hear.
37So Hushai, David’s friend, came into the city; and Absalom came into Jerusalem.
31and David declared, saying, `Ahithophel is among the conspirators with Absalom;' and David saith, `Make foolish, I pray Thee, the counsel of Ahithophel, O Jehovah.'
32And it cometh to pass, David hath come unto the top, where he boweth himself to God, and lo, to meet him is Hushai the Archite, his coat rent, and earth on his head;
33and David saith to him, `If thou hast passed on with me then thou hast been on me for a burden,
34and if to the city thou dost turn back, and hast said to Absalom, Thy servant I am, O king; servant of thy father I am also hitherto, and now, I am also thy servant; then thou hast made void for me the counsel of Ahithophel;
35and are there not with thee there Zadok and Abiathar the priests? and it hath been, the whole of the matter that thou hearest from the house of the king thou dost declare to Zadok and to Abiathar the priests.
36Lo, there with them are their two sons, Ahimaaz to Zadok, and Jonathan to Abiathar, and ye have sent by their hand unto me anything that ye hear.'
37And Hushai, David's friend, cometh in to the city, and Absalom cometh in to Jerusalem.
31And one told David saying, Ahithophel is among the conspirators with Absalom. Then said David, Jehovah, I pray thee, turn the counsel of Ahithophel into foolishness.
32And it came to pass, when David had come to the summit, where he worshipped God, that behold, Hushai the Archite came to meet him with his coat rent, and earth upon his head.
33And David said to him, If thou passest on with me, thou wilt be a burden to me;
34but if thou return to the city, and say to Absalom, I will be thy servant, O king; as I have been thy father's servant hitherto, so now will I be thy servant; then mayest thou for me defeat the counsel of Ahithophel.
35And hast thou not there with thee Zadok and Abiathar the priests? and it shall be, [that] whatsoever thing thou shalt hear out of the king's house, thou shalt tell it to Zadok and Abiathar the priests.
36Behold, they have there with them their two sons, Ahimaaz Zadok's [son], and Jonathan Abiathar's son; and by them ye shall send to me everything that ye shall hear.
37And Hushai David's friend came into the city, and Absalom came into Jerusalem.
Meaning in one sentence
Why David prayed for God to ruin Ahithophel’s counsel, and how this story shows divine sovereignty over human wisdom.
Context
David is fleeing Jerusalem. His own son Absalom has stolen the kingdom, and the people are joining him. As David climbs the Mount of Olives in tears, he receives worse news: Ahithophel, his most trusted counselor, whose advice was like asking God himself, has sided with the rebels. David stops to pray. Then, at the summit where people worship, he meets Hushai. In that moment David sees a way forward. He sends Hushai back into the city not as a soldier but as a spy, a friend who will pose as Absalom’s servant and undo Ahithophel’s schemes from the inside.
Key Words
Three Hebrew words shape this passage. The first is ‘eitzah, “counsel”, Ahithophel’s advice was so shrewd the Bible compares it to an oracle from God (2 Samuel 16:23). David knows that human brilliance, left unchecked, can destroy. The second word is the verb sakkal, which David uses in his plea: “make foolish” (Psalm 3:1). It means to turn something wise into nonsense, to pull out its logic. Only God can do that to a mind like Ahithophel’s. The third is re‘eh, “friend”, Hushai’s official title as the king’s confidant. David doesn’t send a stranger; he sends a man whose loyalty is woven into the word itself.
How Christians Read This Verse
Matthew Henry calls Ahithophel “the mainstay of the conspiracy” and notes that David feared him more than an army. John Wesley, however, says David’s suggestion that Hushai pretend to serve Absalom “must be reckoned amongst his sins,” yet God was pleased to direct this evil advice to a good end. The Cambridge Bible points out that Hushai’s deception “is certainly no model of Christian uprightness,” while Jamieson-Fausset-Brown see in David a remarkable blend of piety and shrewd policy. Across the traditions, readers wrestle with the same tension: God answers prayer through means that are not always morally tidy.
A common misunderstanding
Some readers think David’s prayer was a pious gesture that he then ignored, since he immediately made his own plan. In fact, David prayed specifically about Ahithophel’s counsel, and then he acted in a way that allowed God to use Hushai as the answer to that prayer. The prayer and the plan are not opposites, they are partners.
Living This Out
You may face a situation where someone’s expertise or influence seems impossible to counter, a boss who outmaneuvers you, a family member whose arguments always win. Before you do anything, do what David did: name the threat to God plainly. Ask him to turn that sharp wisdom into confusion. Then open your eyes to the resources he has already placed around you, a friend, an ally, an unexpected opportunity. Prayer doesn’t replace action; it directs it. David climbed that hill praying, and at the top he found exactly what he needed.
Main takeaway: God can turn the wisest human counsel into foolishness, and he often answers our prayers through the faithful actions we take next.
For Families
For ages 5, 8
David was running away and very sad. He prayed, “Please make my enemy’s plan not work.” Then he found a friend who could help. God heard David’s prayer and used that friend.
For ages 9, 12
David had a big problem: his smartest advisor joined the side of his son who was trying to take the kingdom. David could have panicked, but first he prayed specifically about that advisor. Then he saw Hushai and realized God was giving him a way to answer his own prayer. David didn’t just pray and wait, he prayed and acted, trusting God to work through his risky plan.
Questions People Ask
Who was Ahithophel and why was his counsel so dangerous?
Ahithophel was David’s most trusted advisor, known for giving advice as though it came from God himself (2 Samuel 16:23). His counsel was extraordinarily wise politically. If Absalom followed Ahithophel’s plan, David’s rebellion would succeed quickly. That’s why David specifically prayed against his counsel.
Was Hushai lying when he offered to serve Absalom?
Yes, Hushai pretended to switch loyalties while secretly working for David. Different Christian traditions evaluate this differently. Some see it as a necessary wartime deception that God used for good. Others point out that the Bible records the fact without commending the ethics. What is clear is that God ordained that Absalom would prefer Hushai’s advice over Ahithophel’s (2 Samuel 17:14).
Did David’s prayer actually get answered?
Absolutely. The next chapter (2 Samuel 17) shows that Hushai’s advice convinced Absalom to reject Ahithophel’s plan. Ahithophel then went home and hanged himself (2 Samuel 17:23). The text directly says, “Yahweh had ordained to defeat the good counsel of Ahithophel” (2 Samuel 17:14). David’s one-sentence prayer was answered in detail.
Why did David stop to worship while fleeing for his life?
The verse says he came “to the top, where God was worshiped” (verse 32). The summit of the Mount of Olives had a high place where people went to pray. David’s habit was to turn to God even in crisis. Gill suggests he may have composed Psalm 3 right there, which begins, “Yahweh, how my adversaries have increased!”
What does this passage teach about God’s control over human wisdom?
It shows that God can override the best human plans. Ahithophel’s counsel was as close to infallible as human wisdom gets, yet God frustrated it through a combination of David’s prayer, Hushai’s loyalty, and Absalom’s pride. No amount of intelligence or strategy can outmaneuver the Lord who ordains outcomes.
For pastors & researchers
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