II Samuel 16:20-23 · Bible study
2 Samuel 16:20-23 Commentary: Human Counsel and the Folly of Rebellion
Hebrew · 10 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
How Absalom’s public sin fulfilled prophecy and exposed the danger of seeking human wisdom over God’s word.
Research Summary
- Meaning: Absalom’s public act of taking David’s concubines, on Ahithophel’s advice, seals the rebellion irreversibly and fulfills Nathan’s prophecy of judgment on David.
- Key words: “Counsel” (etsah, H6098), appears three times, contrasting human planning with divine consultation; “Go in to” (bo el, H0935), an euphemism for sexual relations, carrying legal and political weight.
- Main debate: Whether Ahithophel’s primary motive was personal revenge (his granddaughter Bathsheba) or political strategy (making the rebellion irreversible). The text does not resolve it; both factors likely operated.
- Theological theme: The folly of trusting human wisdom over seeking God; the certainty of God’s word even when human actions seem to oppose it.
- Best use: A cautionary narrative about how we choose advisors, the weight of public actions, and the hidden ways God fulfills His purposes through sinful choices.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
20Then Absalom said to Ahithophel, “Give me counsel. What should we do?”
21Ahithophel replied, “Sleep with your father’s concubines, whom he has left to keep the palace. When all Israel hears that you have become a stench to your father, then the hands of all who are with you will be strengthened.”
22So they pitched a tent for Absalom on the roof, and he slept with his father’s concubines in the sight of all Israel.
23Now 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.
WEB World English Bible 2000
20Then Absalom said to Ahithophel, “Give your counsel what we shall do.”
21Ahithophel said to Absalom, “Go in to your father’s concubines that he has left to keep the house. Then all Israel will hear that you are abhorred by your father. Then the hands of all who are with you will be strong.”
22So they spread a tent for Absalom on the top of the house, and Absalom went in to his father’s concubines in the sight of all Israel.
23The counsel of Ahithophel, which he gave in those days, was as if a man inquired at the inner sanctuary of God. All the counsel of Ahithophel was like this both with David and with Absalom.
KJV King James Version 1769
20Then said Absalom to Ahithophel, Give counsel among you what we shall do.
21And Ahithophel said unto Absalom, Go in unto thy father’s concubines, which he hath left to keep the house; and all Israel shall hear that thou art abhorred of thy father: then shall the hands of all that are with thee be strong.
22So they spread Absalom a tent upon the top of the house; and Absalom went in unto his father’s concubines in the sight of all Israel.
23And 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 American Standard Version 1901
20Then said Absalom to Ahithophel, Give your counsel what we shall do.
21And Ahithophel said unto Absalom, Go in unto thy father’s concubines, that he hath left to keep the house; and all Israel will hear that thou art abhorred of thy father: then will the hands of all that are with thee be strong.
22So they spread Absalom a tent upon the top of the house; and Absalom went in unto his father’s concubines in the sight of all Israel.
23And 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.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
20And Absalom saith unto Ahithophel, `Give for you counsel what we do.'
21And Ahithophel saith unto Absalom, `Go in unto the concubines of thy father, whom he left to keep the house, and all Israel hath heard that thou hast been abhorred by thy father, and the hands of all who are with thee have been strong.'
22And they spread out for Absalom the tent on the roof, and Absalom goeth in unto the concubines of his father before the eyes of all Israel.
23And the counsel of Ahithophel which he counselled in those days is as when one inquireth at the word of God; so is all the counsel of Ahithophel both to David and to Absalom.
Darby Darby Bible 1890
20And Absalom said to Ahithophel, Give counsel among you what we shall do.
21And Ahithophel said to Absalom, Go in to thy father's concubines, whom he has left to keep the house; and all Israel shall hear that thou art become odious with thy father; and the hands of all that are with thee shall be strong.
22So they spread a tent for Absalom upon the roof; and Absalom went in to his father's concubines in the sight of all Israel.
23And the counsel of Ahithophel, which he counselled in those days, was as if a man had inquired of the word of God: so was all the counsel of Ahithophel both with David and with Absalom.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
20And Absalom said to Achitophel: Consult what we are to do.
21And Achitophel said to Absalom: Go in to the concubines of thy father, whom he hath left to keep the house: that when all Israel shall hear that thou hast disgraced thy father, their hands may be strengthened with thee.
22So they spread a tent for Absalom on the top of the house, and he went in to his father's concubines before all Israel.
23Now the counsel of Achitophel, which he gave in those days, was as if a man should consult God: so was all the counsel of Achitophel, both when he was with David, and when he was with Absalom.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · II Samuel 16:20
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators across traditions agree that Ahithophel’s advice was politically brutal but morally appalling. Cambridge Bible calls it “a decisive assumption of royal authority” that made “the breach between Absalom and his father irreparable.” Barnes notes that taking the harem was “the most decided act of sovereignty” and the supreme insult. Wesley adds that Ahithophel aimed to cut off all hope of reconciliation, forcing Absalom’s followers to fight desperately rather than face David’s mercy. Gill observes that Absalom did not ask God through the high priest but relied wholly on his privy council. The act itself, sleeping with his father’s concubines on the palace roof, in public view, is unanimously condemned as a deep violation of covenant law (Lev 20:11). But the narrator also records a sobering fact: Ahithophel’s counsel was regarded “as if a man inquired at the inner sanctuary of God.” Keil and Delitzsch note the phrase deliberately compares human advice to a divine oracle, showing how even wise counsel can serve evil ends when not grounded in submission to God.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Low
What is clear: Absalom sought human counsel rather than inquiring of the Lord, and his public sin directly fulfilled Nathan’s prophecy of judgment on David’s house.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Ahithophel’s motive | Christians agree his counsel was morally evil and politically shrewd. | Some see personal revenge for Bathsheba (Clarke, Wesley), while others emphasise the political necessity of making the rebellion irreversible (Cambridge, Keil & Delitzsch). The text does not settle the question. |
| The morality of Absalom’s act | All traditions condemn the act as a grave sin against family and covenant (Lev 20:11). | None, the act is universally regarded as abhorrent, though its political function as a claim to the throne is recognised across cultural contexts. |
| The narrator’s evaluation of Ahithophel’s counsel (v.23) | The verse explains why Absalom followed the advice, not that the advice was right in God’s eyes. | Some readers take the comparison to an oracle of God as a neutral honouring of human wisdom, while others see it as a tragic contrast: human counsel revered over God’s true word. |
| Fulfillment of Nathan’s prophecy (2 Sam 12:11-12) | This event directly fulfills the prediction that David’s wives would be taken in public. | None, all commentators see the rooftop scene as the exact fulfilment, with some noting the irony of the location (Cambridge, Gill). |
Historical & Cultural Context
When Absalom entered Jerusalem, David had left ten concubines to care for the palace (2 Sam 15:16). In the ancient Near East, conquering a king’s harem was a concrete claim to his throne. Herodotus records a Persian king seizing his predecessor’s wives to legitimise power, and the same logic appears in 1 Kings 2:22, whoever possesses the harem possesses the kingdom.
The location of the act carries heavy symbolism. The tent was spread on the palace roof, the same rooftop from which David had looked upon Bathsheba (2 Sam 11:2). Cambridge Bible and Gill both note the irony: the very place where David’s secret sin began became the public stage for God’s announced judgment. As Nathan had prophesied (2 Sam 12:11-12), David’s wives would be taken “before the sun.” What David did in secret, his son does in broad sight.
Ahithophel’s personal motive also belongs to the historical picture. Clarke points out that Ahithophel was likely the grandfather of Bathsheba (her father Eliam is named in 2 Sam 23:34; Ahithophel’s son is also Eliam). If so, his counsel was not only political but personal, revenge against David for the harm done to his family. Wesley echoes this, calling it an instance of the measure David had meted out being returned to him.
The narrator’s comment in verse 23 provides crucial cultural context: Ahithophel’s counsel was trusted “as if a man inquired at the inner sanctuary of God.” This is not the narrator endorsing his advice, but explaining why Absalom followed it so eagerly. The phrase compares human wisdom to the Urim and Thummim, the means by which the high priest sought God’s will (see 1 Sam 10:22; Cambridge). Here, Absalom bypasses the priest entirely, substituting a human oracle for the divine one.
Textual Notes
The supplied sources note a textual issue in verse 23. The Masoretes supplied the word ish (“anyone”) as the Keri (marginal reading) for the unpointed text yish’al (“he inquires”), making the phrase read “as if a man inquired of the word of God.” The consonantal text lacks an explicit subject, but the sense is clear. No other significant variants are mentioned in the consulted commentaries.
Reception History
The passage has been read across Christian traditions as a stark example of divine justice and the danger of trusting human counsel over God’s. Early church writers saw it as a fulfilment of prophecy and a warning against the pride that leads to public sin. Reformation-era commentators like Matthew Henry and John Wesley emphasised the poetic justice: the very rooftop where David sinned became the stage for his punishment. In Jewish tradition, the narrative underscores the principle of measure-for-measure retribution. Modern readers often highlight the psychological insight: how people in rebellion seek advisors who will endorse their course rather than challenge it. The passage has also been used in ethical discussions about the relationship between political shrewdness and moral integrity, though its primary place remains in the larger Davidic narrative as a hinge point in the story of God’s covenant faithfulness through human failure.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- Sin seeks counsel that confirms rebellion, Absalom asks Ahithophel for advice, but he has already decided to rebel. He wants strategy, not truth.
- Public sin deepens the breach, Taking the concubines on the rooftop makes reconciliation impossible, proving that rebellion is not a temporary protest but a decisive break.
- Human wisdom, however brilliant, can serve evil, Verse 23 honours Ahithophel’s intellect while exposing its use for wicked ends. Wisdom without submission to God is still folly.
Five-point outline
- The question not asked, Absalom turns to Ahithophel, not to God. The silent absence of the priest and the ark is deafening.
- The counsel that burns bridges, Ahithophel’s plan deliberately destroys any chance of father-son reconciliation, forcing all parties to choose sides permanently.
- The roof where sin began and punishment landed, The same rooftop that saw David’s lust now hosts his son’s public disgrace. God’s judgment is precise.
- The oracle mistaken, The narrator compares Ahithophel’s advice to an inquiry at the sanctuary. Good advice in the service of a bad cause does not become good.
- The outcome God intended, Unbeknownst to Absalom, this very act set in motion events that would lead to his downfall. God uses even wicked counsel to fulfil His word.
Illustration hooks
- A person in a conflict asks only friends who agree with them, avoiding any voice that might challenge their direction. The question is not “What is wise?” but “Who will back me up?”
- An organisation hires an executive who has a brilliant track record, then follows that person’s advice into a strategy that undermines the company’s values. Competence without character still destroys.
- A family argument escalates because one party takes a public step that cannot be undone, posting private matters online, or moving out in a way that signals finality. The act hardens every position.
Questions your congregation is asking
- How do I know if the advice I am receiving is from God or just from someone clever?
- Can God use my bad decisions for His purposes, as He used Absalom’s sin to fulfil Nathan’s prophecy?
- What makes a breach irreparable, and how do I recognise when I am being pushed toward a step I cannot take back?
Leading a Discussion
This passage records one of the darkest moments in David’s family history. Absalom has seized Jerusalem, and now he seeks advice on how to secure his throne. The counsel he receives is shrewd but evil, and it sets events in motion that fulfil God’s earlier prophecy. As you discuss these verses, consider what it means to seek guidance, and from whom.
Discussion questions
- Why does Absalom ask for advice from Ahithophel rather than from a priest or prophet? What does that choice suggest about his priorities?
- Ahithophel’s plan is politically brilliant. What makes it morally wrong? Can wise advice ever be sinful?
- Verse 22 says the act was done “in the sight of all Israel.” Why does the narrator stress the public nature of this sin?
- The rooftop is the same place where David first saw Bathsheba. How does the location of the sin connect to God’s judgment (2 Sam 12:11-12)?
- Verse 23 compares Ahithophel’s counsel to an oracle of God. What does that comparison reveal about how highly Absalom trusted him? How dangerous is it to trust human advice too much?
- In what situations are you most tempted to seek counsel that simply confirms what you already want to do? How can you guard against that?
- Where do you need wisdom today, and where will you look for it? What might change if you intentionally asked God before asking people?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Exodus 1:10 | Come, let’s deal wisely with them, lest they multiply, and it happen that when any war breaks out, they also join themselves to our enemies and fight against us, and escape out of the land.” |
| Psalms 2:2 | The kings of the earth take a stand, and the rulers take counsel together, against Yahweh, and against his Anointed, saying, |
| Psalms 37:12 | The wicked plots against the just, and gnashes at him with his teeth. |
| Psalms 37:13 | The Lord will laugh at him, for he sees that his day is coming. |
| Proverbs 21:30 | There is no wisdom nor understanding nor counsel against Yahweh. |
| Isaiah 8:10 | Take counsel together, and it will be brought to nothing; speak the word, and it will not stand, for God is with us.” |
| Isaiah 29:15 | Woe to those who deeply hide their counsel from Yahweh, and whose deeds are in the dark, and who say, “Who sees us?” and “Who knows us?” |
| Matthew 27:1 | Now when morning had come, all the chief priests and the elders of the people took counsel against Jesus to put him to death. |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
10 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke emphasizes that Ahithophel's advice was a calculated move to block any possible reconciliation between David and Absalom, fulfilling Nathan's prophecy. He notes the dark irony that this act likely happened on the same rooftop where David's sin with Bathsheba began, connecting the father's adultery to the son's incest.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes sees Ahithophel’s advice as serving two purposes. It was the most decisive act of royal sovereignty and an insult that made reconciliation impossible. More personally, Ahithophel intended David to taste the very bitterness he had forced on Uriah and Bathsheba, receiving the measure he himself had meted.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
Ahithophel's counsel for Absalom to take the royal harem was a calculated political move: it publicly claimed the throne, made the breach with David irreparable, and bound Absalom's followers to the rebellion by removing any hope of reconciliation. The commentator also notes the striking justice in the punishment taking place on the very rooftop where David's sin began.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
Ahithophel's advice to Absalom was seen as so wise that people valued it as if they had consulted God's own oracle. The notes emphasize that his counsel carried this extraordinary authority both when he served David and later when he joined Absalom's rebellion.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill emphasizes that Ahithophel's counsel was so trusted it was treated as if God had spoken, yet here he advised Absalom to sleep with his father's concubines. This wicked act fulfilled God's prophecy against David, and even Hushai did not object. The people's acceptance shows their corruption.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
JFB notes this is the first recorded cabinet council. Ahithophel saw no turning back, so he gave the atrocious advice to violate the royal women, knowing that in Eastern warfare women were held sacred and left unharmed. This cruel act was meant to destroy any hope of reconciliation between Absalom and David.
Keil & Delitzsch OT Commentary Protestant 1876
Keil-Delitzsch highlight the shrewdness behind Ahithophel's advice: by taking David's concubines publicly, Absalom would make any reconciliation impossible and force his followers to commit fully. Yet they note that without Absalom's intention, this very counsel unwittingly carried out God's earlier judgment against David.
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange reads the narrative as a theological demonstration of how God lets evil consume itself. Absalom's rejection of Ahithophel's sound military advice for Hushai's flattering but disastrous counsel shows that pride and vanity blind the wicked to their own ruin. The Lord silently overrules human scheming to bring about His purposes, using sin's own momentum to destroy the sinner.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry observes that Absalom's easy, unopposed entry into Jerusalem made him dangerously overconfident. He assumed the kingdom was already his and that the rest of the nation would follow automatically. Henry implies this pride set him up for a fall, as God's purpose was not yet complete.
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Wesley sees Ahithophel's counsel as driven by personal revenge for his granddaughter Bathsheba and a calculated strategy to cut off all hope of reconciliation, forcing Absalom's followers to fight with full desperation. He also notes the grim poetic justice: David's sin of gazing at Bathsheba from the palace rooftop led to his wives being defiled on that same rooftop.