2 Samuel 17:5-14 Meaning: God Overrules Human Wisdom
5Then Absalom said, “Now call Hushai the Archite also, and let’s hear likewise what he says.”
6When Hushai had come to Absalom, Absalom spoke to him, saying, “Ahithophel has spoken like this. Shall we do what he says? If not, speak up.”
7Hushai said to Absalom, “The counsel that Ahithophel has given this time is not good.”
8Hushai said moreover, “You know your father and his men, that they are mighty men, and they are fierce in their minds, like a bear robbed of her cubs in the field. Your father is a man of war, and will not lodge with the people.
9Behold, he is now hidden in some pit, or in some other place. It will happen, when some of them have fallen at the first, that whoever hears it will say, ‘There is a slaughter among the people who follow Absalom!’
10Even he who is valiant, whose heart is as the heart of a lion, will utterly melt; for all Israel knows that your father is a mighty man, and those who are with him are valiant men.
11But I counsel that all Israel be gathered together to you, from Dan even to Beersheba, as the sand that is by the sea for multitude; and that you go to battle in your own person.
12So we will come on him in some place where he will be found, and we will light on him as the dew falls on the ground, then we will not leave so much as one of him and of all the men who are with him.
13Moreover, if he has gone into a city, then all Israel will bring ropes to that city, and we will draw it into the river, until there isn’t one small stone found there.”
14Absalom and all the men of Israel said, “The counsel of Hushai the Archite is better than the counsel of Ahithophel.” For Yahweh had ordained to defeat the good counsel of Ahithophel, to the intent that Yahweh might bring evil on Absalom.
5Then said Absalom, Call now Hushai the Archite also, and let us hear likewise what he saith.
6And when Hushai was come to Absalom, Absalom spake unto him, saying, Ahithophel hath spoken after this manner: shall we do after his saying? if not; speak thou.
7And Hushai said unto Absalom, The counsel that Ahithophel hath given is not good at this time.
8For, said Hushai, thou knowest thy father and his men, that they be mighty men, and they be chafed in their minds, as a bear robbed of her whelps in the field: and thy father is a man of war, and will not lodge with the people.
9Behold, he is hid now in some pit, or in some other place: and it will come to pass, when some of them be overthrown at the first, that whosoever heareth it will say, There is a slaughter among the people that follow Absalom.
10And he also that is valiant, whose heart is as the heart of a lion, shall utterly melt: for all Israel knoweth that thy father is a mighty man, and they which be with him are valiant men.
11Therefore I counsel that all Israel be generally gathered unto thee, from Dan even to Beer–sheba, as the sand that is by the sea for multitude; and that thou go to battle in thine own person.
12So shall we come upon him in some place where he shall be found, and we will light upon him as the dew falleth on the ground: and of him and of all the men that are with him there shall not be left so much as one.
13Moreover, if he be gotten into a city, then shall all Israel bring ropes to that city, and we will draw it into the river, until there be not one small stone found there.
14And Absalom and all the men of Israel said, The counsel of Hushai the Archite is better than the counsel of Ahithophel. For the Lord had appointed to defeat the good counsel of Ahithophel, to the intent that the Lord might bring evil upon Absalom.
5Then said Absalom, Call now Hushai the Archite also, and let us hear likewise what he saith.
6And when Hushai was come to Absalom, Absalom spake unto him, saying, Ahithophel hath spoken after this manner: shall we do after his saying? if not, speak thou.
7And Hushai said unto Absalom, The counsel that Ahithophel hath given this time is not good.
8Hushai said moreover, Thou knowest thy father and his men, that they are mighty men, and they are chafed in their minds, as a bear robbed of her whelps in the field; and thy father is a man of war, and will not lodge with the people.
9Behold, he is hid now in some pit, or in some other place: and it will come to pass, when some of them are fallen at the first, that whosoever heareth it will say, There is a slaughter among the people that follow Absalom.
10And even he that is valiant, whose heart is as the heart of a lion, will utterly melt; for all Israel knoweth that thy father is a mighty man, and they that are with him are valiant men.
11But I counsel that all Israel be gathered together unto thee, from Dan even to Beer-sheba, as the sand that is by the sea for multitude; and that thou go to battle in thine own person.
12So shall we come upon him in some place where he shall be found, and we will light upon him as the dew falleth on the ground; and of him and of all the men that are with him we will not leave so much as one.
13Moreover, if he be gotten into a city, then shall all Israel bring ropes to that city, and we will draw it into the river, until there be not one small stone found there.
14And Absalom and all the men of Israel said, The counsel of Hushai the Archite is better than the counsel of Ahithophel. For Jehovah had ordained to defeat the good counsel of Ahithophel, to the intent that Jehovah might bring evil upon Absalom.
5And Absalom saith, `Call, I pray thee, also for Hushai the Archite, and we hear what is in his mouth--even he.'
6And Hushai cometh in unto Absalom, and Absalom speaketh unto him, saying, `According to this word hath Ahithophel spoken; do we do his word? if not, thou--speak thou.'
7And Hushai saith unto Absalom, `Not good is the counsel that Ahithophel hath counselled at this time.'
8And Hushai saith, `Thou hast known thy father and his men, that they are heroes, and they are bitter in soul as a bereaved bear in a field, and thy father is a man of war, and doth not lodge with the people;
9lo, now, he is hidden in one of the pits, or in one of the places, and it hath been, at the falling among them at the commencement, that the hearer hath heard, and said, There hath been a slaughter among the people who are after Absalom;
10and he also, the son of valour, whose heart is as the heart of the lion, doth utterly melt, for all Israel doth know that thy father is a hero, and sons of valour are those with him.
11`So that I have counselled: Let all Israel be diligently gathered unto thee, from Dan even unto Beer-Sheba, as the sand that is by the sea for multitude, and thou thyself art going in the midst;
12and we have come in unto him in one of the places where he is found, and we are upon him as the dew falleth on the ground, and there hath not been left of him and of all the men who are with him even one.
13And if unto a city he is gathered, then they have caused all Israel to bear unto that city ropes, and we have drawn it unto the brook till that there hath not been found there even a stone.'
14And Absalom saith--and all the men of Israel--`Better is the counsel of Hushai the Archite than the counsel of Ahithophel;' and Jehovah willed to make void the good counsel of Ahithophel for the sake of Jehovah's bringing unto Absalom the evil.
5And Absalom said, Call now Hushai the Archite also, and we will hear also what he says.
6And Hushai came to Absalom, and Absalom spoke to him saying, Ahithophel has spoken after this manner: shall we carry out his word? If not, speak thou.
7And Hushai said to Absalom, The counsel that Ahithophel has given this time is not good.
8And Hushai said, Thou knowest thy father and his men, that they are mighty men, and they are of exasperated spirit, as a bear robbed of her whelps in the field; and thy father is a man of war, and will not lodge with the people.
9Behold, he is hid now in some pit, or some such place; and it will come to pass, when some of them fall at the first, whoever heareth it will say, There has been slaughter among the people that follow Absalom,
10and even the valiant man whose heart is as the heart of a lion shall utterly melt; for all Israel knows that thy father is a mighty man, and they that are with him are valiant men.
11But I counsel that all Israel be speedily gathered to thee, from Dan even to Beer-sheba, as the sand that is by the sea for multitude; and that thou go to battle in thine own person.
12And we shall come upon him in some place where he shall be found, and we will light upon him as the dew falls on the ground; and of him and of all the men that are with him there shall not be left so much as one.
13And if he withdraw into a city, then shall all Israel bring ropes to that city, and we will draw it into the torrent, until there be not one small stone found there.
14And Absalom and all the men of Israel said, The counsel of Hushai the Archite is better than the counsel of Ahithophel. And Jehovah had appointed to defeat the good counsel of Ahithophel, in order that Jehovah might bring evil upon Absalom.
Meaning in one sentence
Why did Absalom reject Ahithophel's good advice? This passage reveals God's hidden hand protecting David through Hushai's counsel.
Context
David is running for his life. His son Absalom has taken Jerusalem, and Ahithophel, once David's trusted advisor, has switched sides. Ahithophel gives Absalom a brilliant plan: strike David tonight, before he can rally. The elders all agree. But then Absalom does something odd. He calls for Hushai, David's friend who has pretended to defect. Hushai offers a different plan, full of flattery and delay. And Absalom chooses it. The narrator pulls back the curtain: “For the Lord had ordained to defeat the good counsel of Ahithophel.” This is not a story about better strategy. It is a story about God working through human choices to keep his promise to David.
Key Words
Three words carry the weight of this passage. The first is etsah, the Hebrew word for “counsel.” It appears again and again in these verses. In Israel, a king's counselor had enormous power. His words could save or destroy. Ahithophel's counsel was tov, “good.” That word describes something beautiful, functional, and true. His advice really was sound militarily. But the third word changes everything: le-hafer, the verb behind “to defeat.” It comes from a root meaning to break or shatter. The Lord broke what was good to protect David. That is what matters for living today. You can do everything right, plan wisely, speak truthfully, and still see your efforts overturned. Not because you were wrong, but because a higher hand is at work. And that same hand can protect you when others scheme against you, even when their schemes look unstoppable.
How Christians Read This Verse
Christian readers across traditions have seen God's sovereignty at the center of this passage. Methodist commentator Wesley notes that Absalom's decision to call Hushai was “a wonderful effect of Divine Providence, influencing his heart.” The Reformed Geneva Bible points out that “the Lord had determined” to turn the counsel. Matthew Henry, a Presbyterian, writes that God “has an overruling hand in all counsels, and a negative voice in all resolves.” Catholic readers have long seen God using secondary causes, human words and choices, to accomplish his hidden will. All agree that human freedom and divine sovereignty work together here: Absalom made a real choice, but God was working in that choice to save David and bring judgment on rebellion.
A common misunderstanding
Living This Out
You might be facing a situation where the smartest, most experienced voices are lined up against what you hoped for. Maybe at work, in a family conflict, or in your own heart. This passage asks you to breathe. The Lord who turned Absalom's ear can turn the hearts of people you cannot convince. That does not mean you stop planning or speaking. It means you carry a deeper confidence: no counsel, however good, can outflank the purposes of God. And if you are the one giving advice, this passage is a quiet caution. You may be right. But only God sees the full story. Humble your certainty. Leave room for his surprises.
Main takeaway: God can overrule the wisest human counsel to protect his people and accomplish his purposes.
For Families
For ages 5, 8
Absalom listened to a man who tricked him. But really, God was taking care of King David. God is always bigger than any bad plan.
For ages 9, 12
Absalom had two advisors. One gave a smart plan to attack quickly. The other gave a slower plan that sounded even better. Absalom chose the slow one, and it saved David's life. But the story says God was really the one deciding. He made sure the right plan won. This shows that God is in control even when people make choices. You can trust him when things look scary.
Questions People Ask
Why did Absalom call Hushai after already approving Ahithophel’s counsel?
The text doesn’t say exactly, but it fits the pattern of God influencing Absalom’s heart. Wesley called it a 'wonderful effect of Divine Providence.' Absalom may have wanted a second opinion, or he may have been flattered by Hushai’s earlier loyalty (2 Samuel 16:16-19). Either way, God used that impulse to protect David.
Was Ahithophel’s counsel actually bad?
No. The text twice calls it 'good counsel' (verses 7, 14). It was wise military strategy: strike quickly while David was weak. The problem was not the advice itself, but that God had determined to frustrate it in order to bring judgment on Absalom. The story highlights God’s sovereignty, not human error.
What does it mean that God 'ordained to defeat' the counsel of Ahithophel?
The Hebrew verb here (parar) means to break, frustrate, or make void. The idea is that God actively intervened to overrule Ahithophel’s plan. He did this by influencing Absalom’s choice and by using Hushai’s words to appeal to Absalom’s pride. God did not force Absalom; he worked through his desires to accomplish his purposes.
Why did Hushai’s counsel appeal to Absalom?
Hushai flattered Absalom by suggesting a grand, national army with Absalom himself leading the charge. He also played on fear, painting David and his men as fierce warriors hiding in ambush. The plan was slower and more dramatic, just what a proud young leader wanted to hear. It delayed immediate action, which gave David time to escape.
For pastors & researchers
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