2 Samuel 15:31 kjv
And 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.
2 Samuel 15:31 nkjv
Then someone told David, saying, "Ahithophel is among the conspirators with Absalom." And David said, "O LORD, I pray, turn the counsel of Ahithophel into foolishness!"
2 Samuel 15:31 niv
Now David had been told, "Ahithophel is among the conspirators with Absalom." So David prayed, "LORD, turn Ahithophel's counsel into foolishness."
2 Samuel 15:31 esv
And it was told David, "Ahithophel is among the conspirators with Absalom." And David said, "O LORD, please turn the counsel of Ahithophel into foolishness."
2 Samuel 15:31 nlt
When someone told David that his adviser Ahithophel was now backing Absalom, David prayed, "O LORD, let Ahithophel give Absalom foolish advice!"
2 Samuel 15 31 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Ps 55:9 | Destroy, O Lord, and divide their tongues: for I have seen violence and strife… | David's prayer for confusion among enemies. |
| Ps 55:12-14 | For it is not an enemy that reproached me... but it was you, a man, my equal… | Betrayal by a close confidant, like Ahithophel. |
| Ps 33:10-11 | The LORD brings the counsel of the nations to nothing; he frustrates the plans… | God's sovereignty over human plans and counsel. |
| Prov 19:21 | Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the LORD that… | God's ultimate control over human intentions. |
| Prov 21:30 | No wisdom, no understanding, no counsel can avail against the LORD. | Human wisdom is futile against God's will. |
| Isa 44:25 | who frustrates the signs of liars and makes fools of diviners; who turns wise… | God turning wise men's counsel into foolishness. |
| Job 5:12-13 | He frustrates the devices of the crafty, so that their hands cannot perform… | God snaring the wise in their own craftiness. |
| Ps 14:4 | Have they no knowledge, all the evildoers who eat up my people as they eat… | Reflects on those who plot wickedness. |
| 1 Cor 1:19-20 | For it is written, “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and the discernment… | God's wisdom transcends and confounds worldly wisdom. |
| Neh 4:15 | When our enemies heard that we knew it and that God had frustrated their plan… | God frustrating enemy plans in response to prayer. |
| Exod 17:11-12 | Whenever Moses held up his hand, Israel prevailed, but when he lowered his… | Emphasizes the power of prayer in conflict. |
| Dan 2:20-21 | "Blessed be the name of God forever and ever... He changes times and seasons… | God is the source of wisdom and has ultimate control. |
| 2 Sam 16:23 | Now the counsel of Ahithophel in those days was as if one consulted the word… | Acknowledges Ahithophel's revered wisdom, underscoring David's fear. |
| Ps 41:9 | Even my close friend in whom I trusted, who ate my bread, has lifted his heel… | Ahithophel's betrayal foreshadows Judas's betrayal. |
| Jn 13:18 | "But it is to fulfill the Scripture: ‘He who ate my bread has lifted his heel… | NT fulfillment of the betrayer motif. |
| Prov 26:12 | Do you see a man who is wise in his own eyes? There is more hope for a fool… | Human wisdom can lead to spiritual blindness. |
| Ps 18:6 | In my distress I called upon the LORD; to my God I cried for help. | Example of David's cries for help to God. |
| Jer 19:7 | And I will make void the counsel of Judah and Jerusalem in this place… | God can indeed void counsel, acting on judgment. |
| Ps 52:1 | Why do you boast of evil, O mighty man? The steadfast love of God endures… | Contrasts boasting of evil with trust in God's love. |
| Ps 10:2 | In arrogance the wicked hotly pursue the poor; let them be caught in the schemes… | Wicked counsel backfiring on conspirators. |
2 Samuel 15 verses
2 Samuel 15 31 Meaning
2 Samuel 15:31 describes King David's desperate prayer upon learning that his highly trusted and famously astute advisor, Ahithophel, has joined Absalom's rebellion. Overwhelmed by the news, David immediately turns to God, imploring Him to supernaturally confound Ahithophel's shrewd counsel and render it useless or foolish, recognizing the immense danger posed by such a brilliant strategist now aligned with his adversary.
2 Samuel 15 31 Context
This verse is situated during Absalom's rebellion, a pivotal and traumatic period in David's reign. Just moments before this verse (2 Sam 15:30), David had fled Jerusalem in sorrow, weeping as he ascended the Mount of Olives. He was barefoot and had his head covered, signifying deep mourning and humility before God. At this critical juncture, a messenger brings the devastating news: Ahithophel, a revered and shrewd counselor, renowned for his unmatched strategic wisdom (whose counsel was regarded as divinely inspired, 2 Sam 16:23), has joined forces with Absalom. This intelligence instantly amplifies David's predicament, transforming a rebellion into a grave existential threat. David's immediate response is not to muster armies or strategize politically, but to offer a desperate, direct prayer to the LORD. This reveals David's profound trust in God's ultimate sovereignty and intervention even in the face of insurmountable human odds, and underscores his spiritual dependency. The historical and cultural context highlights the immense value placed on wise counsel in ancient monarchies, making Ahithophel's defection and wisdom a particularly dangerous asset for Absalom.
2 Samuel 15 31 Word analysis
- Then one told David: This signifies the swift relay of crucial intelligence in a time of crisis. The phrase emphasizes the immediate nature of the news reaching David.
- Ahithophel: (אֲחִיתֹ֙פֶל֙, ’Ăḥîtōpel). The name itself may mean "my brother is folly" or "brother of impiety/ruin." This is ironic, given his reputation for extraordinary wisdom. He was Bathsheba's grandfather (2 Sam 11:3, 23:34, though this specific lineage is inferred). His joining Absalom likely stemmed from personal grievances against David related to the Bathsheba and Uriah affair (2 Sam 12:11, "I will raise up evil against you out of your own house"). His defection signals the rebellion's grave danger due to his unparalleled strategic acumen.
- is among the conspirators: The Hebrew word used here can imply a joining of forces, a turning aside to. It highlights a conscious act of alignment against David.
- with Absalom: Identifies the clear antagonist and the leader of the rebellion. Ahithophel's choice to support Absalom legitimizes the rebellion in some eyes and significantly strengthens it.
- And David said: Emphasizes David's immediate and verbalized reaction, an outburst of faith in a dire moment.
- O LORD: (יְהוָה, YHWH). David addresses God by His covenant name, signifying an appeal to His personal, faithful character. This highlights the depth of David's relationship and trust in his God.
- please turn: (נָא סִכֵּל, na’ sikkel). The Hebrew verb sikkel (שִׂכֵּל) means "to make foolish," "to frustrate," "to act perversely." It's an intensive prayer for God to actively and supernaturally intervene to destroy Ahithophel's wisdom. The "please" (na’) indicates fervent entreaty.
- the counsel: (עֵצָה, ’ēṣāh). This refers to Ahithophel's advice, plan, strategy. In 2 Sam 16:23, Ahithophel’s counsel was said to be like "consulting the word of God," emphasizing its high regard and efficacy. David knows this wisdom poses the greatest strategic threat.
- of Ahithophel into foolishness: (סִכְלֻת, sikhluth). The Hebrew noun sikhluth means "folly," "stupidity," "unwise course of action." David prays that Ahithophel's brilliant, strategic plans would be rendered useless, nonsensical, and ultimately self-defeating by divine intervention, causing them to lead to failure.
2 Samuel 15 31 Bonus section
The fulfillment of David's prayer is elaborated in 2 Samuel 17. God used Hushai the Archite, whom David intentionally sent back to Jerusalem (2 Sam 15:32-37), to counter Ahithophel's immediate and decisive counsel. Ahithophel advised an immediate pursuit of David (2 Sam 17:1-3), which was indeed the best strategic move to crush the rebellion quickly. However, Hushai, guided by God, presented a more elaborate, seemingly more honorable but ultimately delaying and disadvantageous plan (2 Sam 17:7-13). Absalom chose Hushai's counsel over Ahithophel's (2 Sam 17:14), directly fulfilling David's prayer to turn Ahithophel's wise counsel into foolishness. This act highlights divine irony, where God uses human instruments and deceptive appearances to frustrate the wicked and uphold His chosen. Ahithophel, recognizing his wise counsel had been rejected (a deep personal insult and strategic failure for one of his renown), went home and hanged himself (2 Sam 17:23), further proving God's active hand in this narrative. The narrative implicitly carries a polemic against reliance solely on human intellect or cunning, contrasting it with the superior and ultimately decisive wisdom of God.
2 Samuel 15 31 Commentary
2 Samuel 15:31 showcases David's spiritual response to overwhelming adversity: prayer to God as his ultimate refuge. Learning of Ahithophel's betrayal, a strategist whose counsel was effectively considered divine revelation, presented a profound challenge beyond military or political means. David did not attempt to counter Ahithophel's wisdom with his own but humbly sought divine intervention, recognizing that only God could turn the tables on such a formidable opponent. This prayer demonstrates David's unwavering faith in Yahweh's sovereignty over human plans and wisdom. It foreshadows how God indeed rendered Ahithophel’s counsel foolish through Hushai’s counter-advice, orchestrated by David, leading to the rebellion’s failure and Ahithophel’s suicide. The verse stands as a testament to the power of prayer and God's faithfulness to His covenant people, turning the cunning of the wicked into their own snare. It reminds believers that no human strategy, no matter how brilliant, can thwart God’s ultimate purposes.