15 Absalom, and all the people, the men of Israel, came to Jerusalem, and Ahithophel with him.
*Minor differences ignored. Grouped by changes, with first version listed as example.
The men of Israel - These words are wanting in the Chaldee, Septuagint, Syriac, Vulgate, and Arabic, and in two of Kennicott's and De Rossi's MSS.
And Absalom, and all the people, the men of Israel, came to Jerusalem,.... At the same time that David and his people came to Bahurim; which, as Josephus (z) says, was a place near to Jerusalem; and, according to Bunting (a), was little more than a mile from it; though elsewhere (b) he makes it three miles; so that had not David made the hasty flight he did, he had fallen into the hands of Absalom:
and Ahithophel with him: a famous counsellor, and who had been of David's privy council, and chief in it, see 2-Samuel 15:12 and whom David refers to in Psalm 55:12.
(z) Antiqu. l. 7. c. 9. sect. 4. (a) Travels, &c. p. 144. (b) Ib. p. 150.
The wisest counsellors of that age were Ahithophel and Hushai: Absalom thinks himself sure of success, when he has both; on them he relies, and consults not the ark, though he had that with him. But miserable counsellors were they both. Hushai would never counsel him to do wisely. Ahithophel counselled him to do wickedly; and so did as effectually betray him, as he did, who was designedly false to him: for they that advise men to sin, certainly advise them to their hurt. After all, honesty is the best policy, and will be found so in the long run. Ahithophel gave wicked counsel to Absalom; to render himself so hateful to his father, that he would never be reconciled to him; this cursed policy was of the devil. How desperately wicked is the human heart!
Hushai said unto Absalom, God save the king--Hushai's devotion to David was so well-known, that his presence in the camp of the conspirators excited great surprise. Professing, however, with great address, to consider it his duty to support the cause which the course of Providence and the national will had seemingly decreed should triumph, and urging his friendship for the father as a ground of confidence in his fidelity to the son, he persuaded Absalom of his sincerity, and was admitted among the councillors of the new king.
When Absalom and "all the people, the men of Israel," i.e., the people who had joined him out of all the tribes of Israel (2-Samuel 15:10), came to Jerusalem, and Ahithophel with him, Hushai the Archite also came and greeted him warmly as king, by exclaiming again and again, "Long live the king!"
*More commentary available at chapter level.