Illustration created for this project.
Hushai
David's loyal friend who feigned allegiance to Absalom and defeated the counsel of Ahithophel.
What we know — and how we know it
Scholarly — supported scholarly belief · 2
Tribe & people
ScholarlyHushai is repeatedly called 'the Archite', identifying him with the clan of the Archites whose territory lay on the border of Ephraim/Benjamin near Ataroth and Bethel; the gentilic ties him to a real Israelite locale rather than being a personal name.
Clan/border notice in Joshua 16:2 ('the borders of the Archites to Ataroth'); scholarly geographic reading of the gentilic ha-Arki.
Name & titles
ScholarlyThe name Hushai (Hebrew Chushay) is generally connected by lexicographers to the root chush, 'to hasten' or 'be quick', yielding a sense like 'hasty' or 'swift' — a fitting note for the counselor whose quick-thinking advice bought David time against Absalom.
Standard Hebrew onomastic/lexical analysis (BDB; Gesenius), root chush 'to make haste'.
Where in scripture
2 Samuel1 Kings1 Chronicles
2 Samuel 15:322 Samuel 15:372 Samuel 16:162 Samuel 16:172 Samuel 16:182 Samuel 17:52 Samuel 17:62 Samuel 17:72 Samuel 17:82 Samuel 17:142 Samuel 17:151 Kings 4:161 Chronicles 27:33
Family
In their own words — 4 recorded sayings
“Then Hushai the Archite, David's friend, came to Absalom and said, Long life to the king, long life to the king!” — 2 Samuel 16:16
“And Hushai said to Absalom, Not so; I am for that man whom the Lord and this people and all the men of Israel have taken as king, and I will take my place with him. And more than this! where is my place as a servant? is it not before his son? as I have been your father's servant, so will I be yours.” — 2 Samuel 16:18-19
“And Hushai said to Absalom, Ahithophel's idea is not a good one at this time. Hushai said further, You have knowledge of your father and his men, that they are men of war, and that their feelings are bitter, like those of a bear in the field whose young ones have been taken from her: and your father is a man of war, and will not take his night's rest with the people; But he will certainly have taken cover now in some hole or secret place; and if some of our people, at the first attack, are overcome, then any hearing of it will say, There is destruction among the people who are on Absalom's…” — 2 Samuel 17:7-13
“Then Hushai said to Zadok and Abiathar, the priests, This is the suggestion made by Ahithophel to Absalom and the responsible men of Israel, and this is what I said to them. So now send the news quickly to David, and say, Do not take your night's rest by the way across the river to the waste land, but be certain to go over; or the king and all the people with him will come to destruction.” — 2 Samuel 17:15-16
Speaker attribution: Clear Bible MACULA (CC BY 4.0). Wording: Bible in Basic English (public domain).