Commentary - 2 Samuel 15:32-37

Bird's-eye view

In this brief but pivotal section, we see the first glimmers of a counter-offensive against Absalom's rebellion. David, having just fled Jerusalem and prayed for God to frustrate the counsel of the traitor Ahithophel, is immediately met by Hushai the Archite. This is a divine appointment, a direct answer to prayer. What follows is not a panic-driven reaction, but a display of shrewd faith. David, even in his moment of greatest weakness, thinks like a king. He assesses his resources, recognizes Hushai would be a burden in the wilderness, and instead commissions him as a spy and counter-agent in Absalom's court. This passage reveals the interplay of divine sovereignty and human responsibility. God will defeat Ahithophel's counsel, but He will use the loyalty, courage, and cunning of His servants to do it. David organizes an intelligence network on the fly, demonstrating that true faith is not passive but actively engages the means God provides.

Outline

A Glimpse of the Old David

For many chapters, David has been passive, reaping the consequences of his sin with Bathsheba. He was passive with Amnon, passive with Tamar, and passive with Absalom's initial plotting. But here, driven from his city, barefoot and weeping, we see the stirrings of the old David. This is the shrewd warrior who haunted the wilderness of Ziph and outwitted Saul for years. His faith is not in chariots or horses, but in the living God. And that faith manifests itself in sanctified wisdom and decisive action. Just one verse prior, he prayed, "O LORD, I pray, turn the counsel of Ahithophel into foolishness!" (v. 31). And before he can take another step, God provides the instrument of that foolishness in the person of Hushai. God's sovereignty does not negate our responsibility; it establishes it. David prays, and then David plans.

Verse by Verse

2 Samuel 15:32

Then it happened that as David was coming to the summit, where he used to worship God, that behold, Hushai the Archite met him with his coat torn and dust on his head.

The location is significant. David is fleeing for his life, yet he makes his way to the summit of the Mount of Olives, a place designated for worship. Even in exile, his instinct is to turn toward God. This is the posture of a man after God's own heart, however battered. And it is precisely here, in the place of worship, that God provides. This is not a coincidence; it is a divine appointment. God meets us when we seek Him, often in the most unexpected ways. Hushai's appearance is a "behold," a startling and providential event. His torn coat and dusty head are the outward signs of deep grief and solidarity. He is not just sad about the political turmoil; he is identifying with his rejected king. This is the picture of true loyalty, it mourns with those who mourn and associates itself with the cause of God's anointed, even when that cause appears lost.

2 Samuel 15:33

And David said to him, “If you pass over with me, then you will be a a burden to me.”

Here is sanctified pragmatism. David is not swept up in sentiment. He sees his loyal friend and immediately assesses the situation with the clear-eyed realism of a military commander. Hushai is likely an older man, a courtier, not a soldier accustomed to living rough in the wilderness. In a fast-moving fugitive scenario, he would be a liability, a "burden." True leadership requires making hard, unsentimental decisions for the good of the whole. Faith does not require us to turn off our brains. In fact, faith sharpens the mind to see reality as it is and to act accordingly.

2 Samuel 15:34

But if you return to the city, and say to Absalom, ‘I will be your servant, O king; as I have been your father’s servant in time past, so I will now be your servant,’ then you can thwart the counsel of Ahithophel for me.

This is the heart of the plan. David turns a liability into his greatest asset. He commissions Hushai for a mission of counter-intelligence. The mission requires deception. Hushai is to feign allegiance to the usurper Absalom. We must be clear here: this is not a violation of the ninth commandment. The command is against bearing "false witness against your neighbor." Absalom, in his act of high treason against God's anointed king, has ceased to function as a "neighbor" in this context. This is an act of war, and in war, deception is a legitimate weapon against the enemy. David's specific goal is to "thwart the counsel of Ahithophel." He has prayed for this, and now he is acting on it. God's answers to our prayers often arrive with a set of instructions.

2 Samuel 15:35

Are not Zadok and Abiathar the priests with you there? So it shall be that whatever you hear from the king’s house, you shall inform Zadok and Abiathar the priests.

A good commander knows where his loyal men are. David is thinking several steps ahead. It is not enough for Hushai to gather intelligence; there must be a secure channel to get that intelligence out of the city. David knows the priests Zadok and Abiathar are loyal. He had sent them back with the Ark earlier (15:24-29). They are his trusted assets inside Jerusalem, the anchor points of his communication network. This is spiritual warfare conducted with military precision. Every believer has a role to play in the cause of the Kingdom, and we must know who is with us and what their function is.

2 Samuel 15:36

Behold, their two sons are with them there, Ahimaaz, Zadok’s son and Jonathan, Abiathar’s son; and by their hand you shall send me everything that you hear.

The plan gets more detailed. The priests are the intelligence hubs, but their sons, Ahimaaz and Jonathan, are to be the couriers. They are young, swift, and loyal. Their job is to be the physical link between the spies in the city and the king in the wilderness. This is a high-risk assignment. The entire operation, and indeed the fate of David's kingdom, will rest on the courage and faithfulness of these young men. God's work is multi-generational. It requires the wisdom of the old and the strength of the young, all working together in covenant loyalty.

2 Samuel 15:37

So Hushai, David’s friend, came into the city, and Absalom came into Jerusalem.

The text concludes by emphasizing the key relationship: Hushai is "David's friend." This whole enterprise is built on a foundation of covenant friendship, of personal loyalty to the king. This is not just a political calculation for Hushai; it is an act of love for his friend and allegiance to his rightful lord. The timing is also noted as providential. Hushai enters the city at the same moment as Absalom. The stage is now set. The serpent, Absalom, has entered the garden city, and with him is the worldly-wise counsel of Ahithophel. But God has sent his own agent, a loyal friend, to speak words that will lead to the serpent's defeat. The battle for the kingdom will be a battle of words, a battle of counsel, before it is a battle of swords.