2 Samuel 16 20

2 Samuel 16:20 kjv

Then said Absalom to Ahithophel, Give counsel among you what we shall do.

2 Samuel 16:20 nkjv

Then Absalom said to Ahithophel, "Give advice as to what we should do."

2 Samuel 16:20 niv

Absalom said to Ahithophel, "Give us your advice. What should we do?"

2 Samuel 16:20 esv

Then Absalom said to Ahithophel, "Give your counsel. What shall we do?"

2 Samuel 16:20 nlt

Then Absalom turned to Ahithophel and asked him, "What should I do next?"

2 Samuel 16 verses

2 Samuel 16 20 Meaning

Ahithophel advises Absalom to publicly lie with David's ten concubines, whom David left behind to guard the palace. The purpose of this counsel is to demonstrate to all Israel that Absalom has definitively and irrevocably broken with his father, King David, making any future reconciliation impossible. This calculated act would strengthen the resolve of Absalom's supporters, cementing their commitment to his rebellion.

2 Samuel 16 20 Context

Following David's hasty retreat from Jerusalem due to Absalom's rebellion, Absalom entered the city and sought counsel from Ahithophel, one of David's most trusted advisors who had now defected. David had previously prayed that God would turn Ahithophel's counsel into foolishness (2 Sam 15:31). Absalom faced the challenge of solidifying his usurped authority and ensuring the loyalty of his new followers. The previous action involved David's loyal friend Hushai the Archite pretending to join Absalom's side as a spy for David, waiting for an opportunity to counter Ahithophel's advice. It is within this immediate vacuum of power and need for strategic consolidation that Ahithophel offers his chilling counsel. This act directly fulfills Nathan's prophecy to David in 2 Samuel 12:11-12, where God declared He would raise up evil against David from his own house, taking his wives and giving them to his neighbor to lie with them openly, as punishment for David's secret sin with Bathsheba. In the ancient Near East, a king's concubines were considered part of his royal patrimony, and taking them signified claiming his throne and demonstrating complete contempt for the former ruler.

2 Samuel 16 20 Word analysis

• Then (וַיֹּאמֶר - vayyomer): A common Hebrew conjunctive introducing immediate consecutive action or speech, indicating the swift progression of events and Ahithophel's prompt response to Absalom's need for counsel.
• Ahithophel (אֲחִיתֹפֶל - Achitophel): Meaning "my brother is folly" or "brother of a fool," which is ironic given his reputation as David's most astute advisor, whose counsel was "as if one consulted the oracle of God" (2 Sam 16:23). His name foreshadows the ultimate futility of his 'wise' counsel when it clashes with God's plans.
• said (וַיֹּאמֶר - vayyomer): Standard Hebrew verb, here initiating a direct, unambiguous command or suggestion.
• to Absalom (אֶל-אַבְשָׁלֹום - el-Avshalom): Designates Absalom as the direct recipient and executor of Ahithophel's counsel. Absalom, seeking to solidify his reign, is portrayed as receptive to drastic measures.
• "Go in" (בֹּוא - bo): An imperative verb meaning "to come, go in, enter." In this context, it is an euphemism for sexual intercourse, a direct and commanding instruction to Absalom.
• "to your father's concubines" (אֶל-פִּילַגְשֵׁי אָבִיךָ - el-pilagshei avikha):
  • Pilagesh (פִּילֶגֶשׁ): A concubine, distinct from a full wife but a legitimate secondary wife or companion. Concubines were integral to a royal household, producing heirs or providing service, and were considered personal property of the king, symbolizing his honor, power, and dynasty. David had left ten of them behind in 2 Sam 15:16.
  • This act, taking a deceased or deposed king's wives/concubines, was a highly symbolic claim to the throne and a public assertion of sovereignty and utter disdain for the previous ruler. It demonstrated total subjugation and desecration of the previous authority.
• "whom he has left to keep the house" (אֲשֶׁר הִשְׁאִיר לִשְׁמֹור אֶת-הַבָּיִת - asher hish'ir lishmor et-habbayit): This highlights David's vulnerability and his deliberate decision to leave these concubines. Ahithophel capitalizes on this specific detail, transforming David's attempt at maintaining order into a means of his profound humiliation.
• "And all Israel will hear" (וְשָׁמַע כָּל-יִשְׂרָאֵל - v'shama kol-yisra'el): Emphasizes the crucial public nature and intent of the act. Ahithophel knew that public perception was vital in ancient monarchies. This would disseminate the message far and wide.
• "that you have made yourself odious to your father" (כִּי הִבְאַשְׁתָּ אֶת-רֵיחֲךָ לְאָבִיךָ - ki hiv'ashta et-reiachaka l'avikha):
  • Hiv'ashta (הִבְאַשְׁתָּ): A causative form of the verb "to stink, to make foul." It signifies to make oneself abhorrent, utterly detestable, or repulsive. This act creates an unbridgeable chasm, eliminating any hope of reconciliation between Absalom and David.
  • The phrase "made yourself odious" suggests an irreversible severance. This public desecration meant Absalom was beyond return or forgiveness in the eyes of his father, David.
• "Then the hands of all who are with you will be strengthened" (וְחָזְקוּ יְדֵי כָל-אֲשֶׁר אִתָּךְ - v'hazeku yedei kol-asher ittach):
  • This is the ultimate political aim of Ahithophel's advice. By committing such an outrageous and unforgivable act, Absalom eliminated any fence-sitting. His followers, seeing no possibility of Absalom reconciling with David, would be forced to fully commit to the rebellion. Their resolve would be strengthened, knowing they had burned their bridges with David and must now succeed with Absalom or perish. This removed any potential for divided loyalties.

2 Samuel 16 20 Bonus section

Ahithophel's counsel, while strategic from a human viewpoint, exemplifies how the "wisdom of this world" (1 Cor 1:20) can be cunning and destructive, even though it may temporarily achieve its immediate aims. His advice reflects a cold calculation devoid of moral restraint. The swift public execution of this advice (2 Sam 16:22) highlights the speed with which rebellious plots can escalate. The ultimate outcome, where Ahithophel's "wise" counsel is later subverted by God through Hushai's 'foolish' advice (2 Sam 17:7, 14), and his subsequent suicide (2 Sam 17:23), starkly contrasts with his reputation for unparalleled wisdom. This serves as a powerful biblical illustration that human machinations, however clever, cannot thwart the sovereign will of God or escape His justice.

2 Samuel 16 20 Commentary

Ahithophel's counsel to Absalom in 2 Samuel 16:20 reveals his ruthless strategic brilliance, aimed at solidifying Absalom's position by irrevocably breaking any chance of reconciliation with David. The act of publically lying with David's concubines was more than just an illicit sexual transgression; it was a deeply symbolic and political act. In the ancient Near East, seizing the concubines of a dethroned or absent king was a universally understood declaration of a new reign and absolute defiance against the previous ruler, signifying ownership of his throne and property. This act was designed to confirm Absalom as the undisputed new king and, by making him utterly detestable to David, bind all his followers to his cause, knowing retreat was no longer an option. More profoundly, this abominable deed served as the direct, public fulfillment of Nathan's prophecy to David in 2 Samuel 12:11-12, demonstrating God's sovereign hand at work, using even the wicked plans of men to bring about His ordained consequences for David's sins. Thus, Ahithophel's shrewdness, though wicked, inadvertently became an instrument in God's redemptive justice.