2 Samuel 17 · Verse 23

2 Samuel 17:23

And when Ahithophel saw that his counsel was not followed, he saddled his ass, and arose, and gat him home to his house, to his city, and put his household in order, and hanged himself, and died, and was buried in the sepulchre of his father.
2 Samuel 17:23, King James Version

2 Samuel 17:23 in other translations

BSBWhen Ahithophel saw that his advice had not been followed, he saddled his donkey and set out for his house in his hometown. He put his affairs in order and hanged himself. So he died and was buried in his father’s tomb.
WEBWhen Ahithophel saw that his counsel was not followed, he saddled his donkey, arose, and went home to his city, set his house in order, and hanged himself; and he died, and was buried in the tomb of his father.
ASVAnd when Ahithophel saw that his counsel was not followed, he saddled his ass, and arose, and gat him home, unto his city, and set his house in order, and hanged himself; and he died, and was buried in the sepulchre of his father.
YLTAnd Ahithophel hath seen that his counsel was not done, and he saddleth the ass, and riseth and goeth unto his house, unto his city, and giveth charge unto his household, and strangleth himself, and dieth, and he is buried in the burying-place of his father.
DARBYAnd when Ahithophel saw that his counsel was not followed, he saddled his ass, and arose and went to his house, to his city, and gave charge to his household, and hanged himself, and he died; and he was buried in the sepulchre of his father.
BBENow when Ahithophel saw that his suggestion was not acted on, he got his ass ready, and went back to his house, to the town where he came from, and having put his house in order, he put himself to death by hanging; so he came to his end and was put in the resting-place of his father.
WebsterAnd when Ahithophel saw that his counsel was not followed, he saddled his ass, and arose, and went home to his house, to his city, and put his household in order, and hanged himself, and died. and was buried in the sepulcher of his father.

What does 2 Samuel 17:23 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
23. when Ahithophel saw that his counsel was not followed--His vanity was wounded, his pride mortified on finding that his ascendency was gone; but that chagrin was aggravated by other feelings--a painful conviction that through the delay which had been resolved on, the cause of Absalom was lost. Hastening home, therefore, he arranged his private affairs, and knowing that the storm of retributive vengeance would fall chiefly upon him as the instigator and prop of the rebellion, he hanged himself. It may be remarked that the Israelites did not, at that time, refuse the rites of sepulture even to those who died by their own hands. He had an imitator in Judas, who resembled him in his treason, as well as in his infamous end.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 23 Put his household in order - This self-murder could not be called lunacy, as every step to it was deliberate. He foresaw Absalom's ruin; and he did not choose to witness it, and share in the disgrace: and he could expect no mercy at the hands of David. He was a very bad man, and died an unprepared and accursed death.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on 2 Samuel 17:22-29

Ahithophel hanged himself for vexation that his counsel was not followed. That will break a proud man's heart which will not break a humble man's sleep. He thought himself in danger, concluding, that, because his counsel was not followed, Absalom's cause would fail; and to prevent a possible public execution, he does justice upon himself. Thus the breath is stopped, and the head laid low, from which nothing could be…

Read the full comment on 2 Samuel 17:22-29 →

2 Samuel 17:23 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

וַאֲחִיתֹ֣פֶלva.'a.chi.To.feland AhithophelH302
רָאָ֗הra.'Ahhe sawH7200
כִּ֣יkithatH3588
לֹ֣אlo'notH3808
נֶעֶשְׂתָה֮ne.'es.Tahit was doneH6213
עֲצָתוֹ֒a.tza.Tocounsel hisH6098
וַיַּחֲבֹ֣שׁvai.ya.cha.Voshand he saddledH2280
אֶֽת\־'et-<obj.>H853
הַחֲמ֗וֹרha.cha.Morthe donkeyH2543
וַיָּ֜קָםvai.Ya.komand he aroseH6965
וַיֵּ֤לֶךְvai.Ye.lekhand he wentH1980
אֶל\־'el-toH413
בֵּיתוֹ֙bei.Tohouse hisH1004
אֶל\־'el-toH413
עִיר֔וֹi.Rocity hisH5892
וַיְצַ֥וvay.Tzavand he commandedH6680
אֶל\־'el-concerningH413
בֵּית֖וֹbei.Tohousehold hisH1004
וַיֵּחָנַ֑קvai.ye.cha.Nakand he hanged himselfH2614
וַיָּ֕מָתvai.Ya.motand he diedH4191
וַיִּקָּבֵ֖רvai.yi.ka.Verand he was buriedH6912
בְּקֶ֥בֶרbe.Ke.verin [the] tomb ofH6913
אָבִֽיו\׃\ \ס'a.Vivfather hisH1

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for 2 Samuel 17:23

  • Matthew 27:5

    And he cast down the pieces of silver in the temple, and departed, and went and hanged himself.

  • 2 Kings 20:1

    In those days was Hezekiah sick unto death. And the prophet Isaiah the son of Amoz came to him, and said unto him, Thus saith the Lord, Set thine house in order; for thou shalt die, and not live.

  • 2 Samuel 15:12

    And Absalom sent for Ahithophel the Gilonite, David’s counsellor, from his city, even from Giloh, while he offered sacrifices. And the conspiracy was strong; for the people increased continually with Absalom.

  • 1 Kings 16:18

    And it came to pass, when Zimri saw that the city was taken, that he went into the palace of the king’s house, and burnt the king’s house over him with fire, and died,

  • Psalms 5:10

    Destroy thou them, O God; let them fall by their own counsels; cast them out in the multitude of their transgressions; for they have rebelled against thee.

  • 2 Samuel 15:31

    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.

  • Proverbs 16:18

    Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall.

  • Proverbs 19:3

    The foolishness of man perverteth his way: and his heart fretteth against the Lord.

  • Psalms 55:23

    But thou, O God, shalt bring them down into the pit of destruction: bloody and deceitful men shall not live out half their days; but I will trust in thee.

  • 1 Samuel 31:4-5

    Then said Saul unto his armourbearer, Draw thy sword, and thrust me through therewith; lest these uncircumcised come and thrust me through, and abuse me. But his armourbearer would not; for he was sore afraid. Therefore Saul took a sword, and fell upon it. And when his armourbearer saw that Saul was dead, he fell likewise upon his sword, and died with him.

  • Job 31:3

    Is not destruction to the wicked? and a strange punishment to the workers of iniquity?

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
saw.
Pr 16:18; 19:3
followed. Heb. done. his city.
15:12
put his household in order. Heb. gave charge concerning hishouse.
2Ki 20:1
and hanged.
15:31; 1Sa 31:4,5; 1Ki 16:18; Job 31:3; Ps 5:10; 55:23; Mt 27:5

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • 2 Samuel 17:22

    Then David arose, and all the people that were with him, and they passed over Jordan: by the morning light there lacked not one of them that was not gone over Jordan.

  • 2 Samuel 17:23

    And when Ahithophel saw that his counsel was not followed, he saddled his ass, and arose, and gat him home to his house, to his city, and put his household in order, and hanged himself, and died, and was buried in the sepulchre of his father.

  • 2 Samuel 17:24

    Then David came to Mahanaim. And Absalom passed over Jordan, he and all the men of Israel with him.

Read all of 2 Samuel 17

2 Samuel 17:23 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909
Y Achitophel, viendo que no se había puesto por obra su consejo, enalbardó su asno, y levantóse, y fuése á su casa en su ciudad; y después de disponer acerca de su casa, ahorcóse y murió, y fué sepultado en el sepulcro de su padre.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885
Et quand Akhitophel vit que son conseil n’était pas exécuté, il sella son âne, et se leva et s’en alla en sa maison, dans sa ville; et il donna des ordres à sa maison, et s’étrangla, et mourut; et il fut enterré dans le sépulcre de son père.
German
Elberfelder 1871
Als aber Ahitophel sah, daß sein Rat nicht ausgeführt worden war, sattelte er den Esel und machte sich auf und zog nach seinem Hause, nach seiner Stadt; und er bestellte sein Haus und erdrosselte sich; und er starb und wurde begraben im Begräbnis seines Vaters.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate
Porro Achitophel videns quod non fuisset factum consilium suum, stravit asinum suum, surrexitque, et abiit in domum suam et in civitatem suam: et disposita domo sua, suspendio interiit, et sepultus est in sepulchro patris sui.