{peak thou. "wy 7 And Huſhai ſaid unto Abſalom, The counſel that Ahicthophel hath + given, 7s not good at this time e. + Heb. e Thongh at other times he generally gives moſt wiſe and ad» counſellei1l mirable Countel ; yer, as he is a Man, he ſeems now to be under i a miſtake, and nor ſufficiently to conlider all the preſent Circum- it ftaaces of rhis Buſineſs. bl 8 For( ſaid Hufhai ) thou knoweft thy father and his men, that they be mighty men f, and they be chaſed in + Heb 5; their minds g, as *a bear robbed of her whelps in EY the field : and thy father js a man of war þ, and will ©* "I not lodge with the people. \ f Of approved Courage and Strength, therefore not ſo ſoon van-= quiſhed as Ahitophel ſuppoſeth. g Heb. bitter of ſoul, inflamed with Rage ; deſperate, and therefore reſolved to ſel] their Lives at a dear rate. þ A wile Prince and General ; who knowing of what Im. portanceit 15 to ſecure his own Perſon, and that your great De- gn 1s againſt his Life ; will doubtleſs uſe extraordinary care to keep out of your reach, which he may eaſily do. 9 Behold, he is hid now in ſome pit, or in ſome - ther place ;: and it will come to paſs, when ſome of | them & be + overthrown at the firſt /, that whoſoever + Heb. || heareth ir, will ſay m, There is a ſlaughter among the f#!. | people that followeth Abſalom. : Having been oft accuſtomed to that courſe,and well acquainted with all hiding-places from Saul's time. In one of them, unknown to us, he will lurk with ſome of his choſen Men, and lie in Am- buth for us ; and, when they ſee a fit opportunity, they will ſud denly come forth and ſurprize ſome of our Men, when they leaſt expett ic, and fall upon them with great fury, and probably willat firſt put chem ro flight. k To wit, of 4bſalom's Men ſent againſt Davia«. 1 Implying, that their good ſucceſs at firſt would mightily animate Pavid's Men to proceed vigorouſly in the fight,and inti- midate A4bſalom's Army, -and conſequently would be both a preſage and an occaſion of their total defeat» » They who firſt hear theſe
i
)
rmy. io And he aiſo that is valiant, whoſe heart 5s as the heart of a lion, ſhall utterly melt : for all Iſrael know-
eth that thy father is a mighty man, and they which be with him «re valiant men », |
» The known fame of the prodigious Valeur of David and his followers will eaſily gain credir to that report, and ſtrike the fNou-
with them,
11 Therefore I counſel, that all Iſrael be generally gathered unto thee o, from Dan evento Beertheba, as che ſand that zs by the ſea for multicude, and + that + Heb thou go to batrel in thine own perſon p. that thy
o Hispretence was, that they might have a far greater Army, face, or and make ſure, though flow work : his deſign” was to gain David preſence 20, moretime, that he might increaſe his Army, and make better pro- &c ? viſions for the Bartel ; and that the preſent heat of the People | might be cooled, and they mighr at !aſt berhink t:;emſelves of their | duty to David, and return to their former Allegiance. p For thy prelence will put more Life and Courage into all thy Soldiers, who wil be ambitious to ſhew their utmoſt Skill and Courage in defen-= ding thy Perſon and Cauſe, when tney know thar all their Aions are obſerved by him who hath the diftribution of Rewards and Pu- niſhments in his hands. So mayeſt thou alſo give Counſel as occa- ſion offers and encourage thy men to kill David, which otherwiſe they may poſſibly be afraid ro do. Beſides, the glory of the Vifte- ry hy be wholly thine, which now 4hitophel ſeeks to get to him- ſelf.
12 Solhall we come upon him in ſome place where he ſhall be found, and we will light upon him as the dew fallech on the ground 9: and of him, and ofall the men that are with him, there ſhall not be left ſo much as Ones |
q i.e. Plenteoully, ſuddenly, irrefiſtibly, and on all fides ; forſo the Dew fails.
13 Moreover, if he be gotten into a city, then ſhall all Iſrael bring ropes to thar eity r, and we will draw it into the river /, until there be not one ſmall ftone found there.
y Not that they ſhould do fo, or that it was the Cuſtom tb do ſo; bur it is an Hyperbolical and Thraſonical Expreſſion. ſuited to the vain-glorious temper of this infolent young Man ; and therefore moſt likely ro prevail with him : implying, that they would do ſo if they could not diſcover and deſtroy him another way : ory that they ſhou'd be enough to doo, if there were occaſion. # Adjoyn- ing to the City ; it being uſual ro build Ciries near ſome River,both for defence, and for other accommodations.
14And Abſalom and all the men of Iſrael ſaid r,Lhe counſel of Huſhai the Archite 5s better than the counſel of Ahithophel : for the LORD bad + appointed to de- feat the good counſel « of Ahithophel,to the intent that the LORD might bring evil upon Abſalom.
s Being infatuated by a Divine Power, and given up to believe Lyes and Miſtakes. » So it was, politically conſidered ; being the
wiſeſt and moſt effetual courte to accomplith 4i/alom's end. ;
15 4 Then faid Huſhai unto Zadok, and to Abia.
2 D 2 thir
+ Heb c:m- manned,
ap. XVII.- Il.
thar the prieſts, Thus and thus did Ahithophel counſel Abſalom and the ;elders of Iſrael : and thus and thus have I counſelled.. .
16 Now therefore ſend quickly, and tell David,ſay- ing, Lodge not this night in the plains of the wilder- nefs x, but ſpeedily paſs over, leſt the king be ſwallow-
ed up, and all the people that are with him.
x Leſt the King's and People's Minds change, and Ahithophel, by his deep wit and great intereſt, perſwade the King to follow his for- mer advice, and to purſue you ſpeedily. -
17 Now Jonathan and Ahimaaz ſtayed by Earo- gel 3: ( for they mighe not be ſeen to come into the city ) and a wench z went and told them : and they
went and told king David. y Or, the Fullers wel. A place near Jeruſalem, Joſ. 15. 7. and 18. 16. z Pretending to go thither to waſh ſome Clothes. 18 Nevertheleſs, a lad ſaw them a, and told Abſa-
lom, but they went both of them away quickly 6, and came to a mans houſe in Bahurim, which had a well in
his court, whither they went down c.