2 Samuel 16:18

Contextual Overview

¹⁵ And Absalom, and all the people, the men of Israel, came to Jerusalem, and Ahithophel with him. ¹⁵ Meanwhile, Absalom and all the army of Israel arrived at Jerusalem, accompanied by Ahithophel. ¹⁵ And Absalom, and all the people the men of Israel, came to Jerusalem, and Ahithophel with him. ¹⁵ Meanwhile, Absalom, Ahithophel, and all the Israelites arrived at Jerusalem. ¹⁵ Now when Absalom and all the men of Israel arrived in Jerusalem, Ahithophel was with him. ¹⁵ And Absalom, and all the people the men of Israel, came to Jerusalem, and Ahithophel with him. ¹⁵ Absalom, and all the people, the men of Israel, came to Jerusalem, and Ahithophel with him. ¹⁵Then Absalom and all the people, the men of Israel, entered Jerusalem, and Ahithophel with him. ¹⁵ Now Absalom and all the people, the men of Israel, came to Jerusalem, and Ahithophel with him. ¹⁵ Forsothe Absolon, and al the puple of Israel entriden in to Jerusalem, but also Achitofel with hym.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

2 Samuel 5:1-3, 1 Samuel 16:13

Reciprocal: Joshua 2:4 - General 1 Samuel 29:8 - that I may not 1 Kings 2:15 - Thou knowest 2 Kings 6:19 - I will bring

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And Hushai said to Absalom,.... In answer to his questions:

nay, but whom the Lord, and his people, and all the men of Israel choose: here again he speaks very ambiguously; for this circumlocution, or descriptive character of the king of Israel, better agrees with David, whom he might bear in mind, than with Absalom; for the Lord had chosen David, and he was anointed by his order, and all the people of Israel had chosen and anointed him likewise; but as for Absalom, it was only a part of them that had declared for him, nor was there any evidence of the Lord's choosing him; though Hushai undoubtedly would be under stood of him, and as interpreting the voice of the people to be the voice of God:

his will I be, and with him will I abide; though he designed no such thing, which was a great piece of dissimulation and hypocrisy; and if he meant David, it was a piece of deceit and equivocation: there is a various reading in the first clause; we follow the marginal reading,

לו, "to him" or "his", but the textual reading is לא, "not": and both may be taken in by rendering the words by an interrogation, "shall I, or should I not be his" d? I will; that is, be his servant, faithfully obey his commands, be closely attached to him, and continue with him as a loyal subject.

d לא אהיה "non ero", Montanus; "non essem ejus?" Junius & Tremellius.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 2 Samuel 16:18. Whom the Lord and this people - choose — Here is an equivocation; Hushai meant in his heart that God and all the people of Israel had chosen David; but he spake so as to make Absalom believe that he spoke of him: for whatever of insincerity may appear in this, Hushai is alone answerable. What he says afterwards may be understood in the same way.