AHITHOPHEL (Heb. for "

See also:

• BROTHER

brother of foolishness, " i.e. foolish!)  , a man of Judah whose son was a member of David's bodyguard . He was possibly the grandfather. of Bathsheba (see 2 Sam. xi . 3, xxiii . 34), a view which has been thought to have some bearing on his policy . He was one of David's most trusted advisers, and his counsel was " as though one inquired of the word of God." He took a leading part in Absalom's revolt, and his defection was a severe blow to the king, who prayed that God would bring his counsel to "foolishness." The subsequent events are rather obscure . At Ahithophel's advice Absalom first took the precaution of asserting his claim to the throne by seizing his father's concubines (cf . ABNER)., The immediate pursuit of David was then suggested; the advice was accepted, and the sequence of events shows that the king, being warned of this, fled across the Jordan (2 Sam. xvi . 20-23, xvii . 1-4, 22) . Inconsistent with this is the account of the intervention of Hushai, whose counsel of delay (in order to gather all Israel " from Dan to Beersheba "), in spite of popular approbation, was not adopted; and with this episode is connected the tradition that the sagacious counsellor returned to his home and, having disposed of his estate, hanged himself . Instances of suicide are rare in the Old Testament (cf . SAUL), and it is noteworthy that in this case, at least, a burial was not refused .