Synopsis of the Chapter
Ahithophel gives Absalom a crafty and useful counsel; but Hushai frustrates it, and, verse 15, arranges for it to be reported to David, that he may take counsel for his flight and cross the Jordan. Therefore, verse 22, David crosses it, Absalom follows. Then, verse 27, Shobi, Machir, and Barzillai bring provisions to David's camp.
Verse 1: Ahithophel's Counsel to Pursue David ¶
1. I WILL PURSUE DAVID. — This was useful counsel. For if Ahithophel had immediately pursued the fleeing David with select soldiers, he would certainly have overwhelmed him unarmed, deserted, and unprepared: but when, at the advice of Hushai, a delay was interposed, David summoned his subjects from all sides, armed them, arranged them in battle order, and thus engaging the undisciplined people of Absalom, he overthrew him. For speed in wars is of the greatest value. Whence that saying of Julius Caesar: "I came, I saw, I conquered."
Thus Hushai here, by throwing delays into Absalom's rebellion, destroyed it. Politically, let princes learn here that rebellion and sedition must be prevented by every reason and means, and it must be ensured that it does not arise; but if it has already arisen and been formed, delays and hindrances must be thrown in its way.
Verse 11: Hushai's Counter-Counsel ¶
11. LET ALL ISRAEL BE GATHERED TO YOU. — This was not what Hushai wanted, but he proposed this as a pretext for his advice, so that time would be given to David to flee and prepare for battle.
Verse 14: God Frustrates Ahithophel's Useful Counsel ¶
13. ALL ISRAEL WILL SURROUND THAT CITY WITH ROPES. — This is a hyperbole signifying the greatness of the forces and army, as if to say: We will gather such a great number of people, such great forces, that we can surround the city with ropes and drag it to destruction.
14. BUT BY THE LORD'S WILL THE USEFUL COUNSEL OF AHITHOPHEL WAS FRUSTRATED. — By what means God did this, I explained in chapter XIV, verse 31.
Verse 15: Hushai Reports to the Priests ¶
15. AND HUSHAI SAID TO ZADOK AND ABIATHAR THE PRIESTS — namely the chief priests, that is, the High Priests; there were therefore at that time two High Priests, namely Zadok descended from Eleazar the firstborn son of Aaron, and Abiathar descended from Eli and Ithamar the younger son of Aaron.
Verse 17: The Spies Jonathan and Ahimaaz ¶
17. FOR THEY COULD NOT BE SEEN OR ENTER THE CITY — that is to say, Ahimaaz and Jonathan, David's scouts, did not dare to openly enter the city and show themselves in Jerusalem, because its gates were closely guarded by sentinels.
Verse 19: The Woman Hides the Spies ¶
19. AS IF DRYING BARLEY. — Ptisana is a Greek word, meaning barley or wheat that has been husked. For ptisana is made from various grains, says Dioscorides, book II. In Columella, ptisana is a kind of porridge from barley meal, which has the greatest power of restoring strength and nourishing.
Verse 21: David Crosses the Jordan ¶
21. ARISE AND CROSS THE RIVER QUICKLY — the Jordan. Hushai gives this counsel to David because, although he had overturned the counsel of Ahithophel, he feared lest Absalom change his mind and immediately send soldiers after David.
AND ABSALOM CROSSED THE JORDAN — not immediately, but after some days, as Hushai had advised, during which David prepared forces to resist him; whence he organized three strong battle lines, with which he defeated Absalom, as we shall hear in chapter XVIII, verses 1 and following.
Tropologically, let commanders learn from David here to rely on the help of their guardian and protecting Angels in dangers and battles, and to invoke their aid; for they bring victory, as here they brought it to David.
Verse 23: Ahithophel's Suicide ¶
23. NOW AHITHOPHEL SEEING THAT HIS COUNSEL HAD NOT BEEN FOLLOWED, etc., DIED BY HANGING — lest he be captured by David and hanged as a traitor; he therefore anticipated and avoided an infamous and violent hanging by a spontaneous and voluntary hanging. For he, being prudent and shrewd as he was, foresaw that the warlike David, from the delay given him, would gather strong forces and defeat the rebel Absalom. So Procopius, Theodoret, and others. See here how true that saying: "Bad counsel is worst for the counselor."
Symbolically, Ahithophel the betrayer of David was a type of Judas the traitor, who likewise hanged himself with a noose, says Angelomus and Rupert.
Moreover, Elias in Tishbi translates the Hebrew as: he was suffocated; whence he thinks he was suffocated by a catarrh. But the Septuagint, Josephus, our version, and others consistently translate and assert that he hanged himself.
Verse 24: David Comes to Mahanaim ¶
24. AND DAVID CAME TO THE CAMP. — The Hebrew and Septuagint have: he came to Mahanaim, that is, to the city called Mahanaim, that is, Camps, because Jacob fleeing from his brother Esau had there seen two companies, and as it were two camps of Angels fighting for him against his brother, Genesis XXXII, 1. And therefore David fleeing from his son Absalom withdrew to the same city, hoping that God would be present to him there, as He had been present to his grandfather Jacob.
Verse 25: Amasa the Son of Ithra ¶
25. NOW AMASA WAS THE SON OF A MAN CALLED ITHRA (or Jether) FROM JEZREEL. — In 1 Chronicles II, 17, this man is called "Jether the Ishmaelite." I say therefore that Jether was an Ishmaelite by origin and race, but had migrated to Judea, namely to Jezreel, and there became a proselyte and was circumcised.
This is clear from the Vulgate translation, which in this passage calls him Ithra from Jezreel. Therefore his home was in Jezreel or Jezreeli.
WHO (Ithra or Jether) WENT IN TO (as a husband or consort) ABIGAIL THE DAUGHTER OF NAHASH (and from her begot Amasa), SISTER OF ZERUIAH, WHO WAS THE MOTHER OF JOAB. — Zeruiah and Abigail were sisters of David, Zeruiah was the mother of Joab, Abigail the mother of Amasa: therefore David was the uncle of both Joab and Amasa: and they among themselves were cousins, as is clear from 1 Chronicles II, 13. And for this reason their mothers are named here, not their fathers, to signify that they were nephews of David through their mothers.
Abigail is therefore called here the daughter of Nahash, that is, Jesse or Isai, who was the father of David: for he was called by another name Nahash, the symbolic reason for which the Hebrews give in St. Jerome's Hebrew Traditions: this Jesse, they say, was called Nahash, in Hebrew nachas, that is serpent, because he is said to have committed no mortal sin except that which he originally contracted from the ancient serpent. Such therefore did the father of King David, and through him of Christ, deserve to be.
This Jezreel is therefore different from Jezreel, the royal city and metropolis of the ten tribes, which was on the boundary of the tribes of Manasseh and Issachar, situated at the foot of Mount Gilboa to the west, in which Jezebel the wife of Ahab arranged for Naboth to be stoned, that she might seize his vineyard, and therefore she was killed there by Jehu and thrown to be devoured by dogs, 4 Kings IV, 8, 9 and following.
Verse 27: Provisions from Shobi, Machir, and Barzillai ¶
27. AND WHEN DAVID HAD COME TO THE CAMP (the Hebrew and Septuagint have: to Mahanaim), SHOBI THE SON OF NAHASH FROM RABBAH OF THE CHILDREN OF AMMON. — Hear St. Jerome in the Hebrew Traditions: "This Shobi was the son of King Nahash, against whom Saul fought. This same Nahash also showed mercy to David when he fled from the face of Saul; when he died, David said: I will show mercy to Hanun as his father Nahash showed mercy to me. But when Hanun, who had done him an injury by shaving his servants, was killed by David, this Shobi was appointed by the same David in his brother's place, who is read to have come to David with the others, and to have offered him bedding, tapestries, earthen vessels, and the other things that are mentioned."