King James Version

2 Samuel 17:14

And Absalom and all the men of Israel said, The counsel of Hushai the Archite is better than the counsel of Ahithophel. For the LORD had appointed to defeat the good counsel of Ahithophel, to the intent that the LORD might bring evil upon Absalom.

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Hebrew

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וַיֹּ֤אמֶרvayomerand sayאָמַרconjunction, verb, qal, sequential imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “and say”, the next action in the storyH559to say (used with great latitude)answer, appoint, avouch, bid, boast self, call, certify, challenge, charge, [phrase] (at the, give) command(-ment), commune, consider, declare, demand, [idiom] desire, determine, [idiom] expressly, [idiom] indeed, [idiom] intend, name, [id…אַבְשָׁלוֹם֙avshalomAbishalomאֲבִישָׁלוֹםnoun, proper name — “Abishalom”H53Abshalom, a son of David; also (the fuller form) a later IsraeliteAbishalom, Absalom.וְכָלvekhaland allכֹּלconjunction, noun, common, masculine, singular, construct — “and all”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH3605properly, the whole; hence, all, any or every (in the singular only, but often in a plural sense)(in) all (manner, (ye)), altogether, any (manner), enough, every (one, place, thing), howsoever, as many as, (no-) thing, ought, whatsoever, (the) whole, whoso(-ever).אִ֣ישׁisha certainאִישׁnoun, common, masculine, singular, construct — “a certain”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH376a man as an individual or a male person; often used as an adjunct to a more definite term (and in such cases frequently not expressed in translation)also, another, any (man), a certain, [phrase] champion, consent, each, every (one), fellow, (foot-, husband-) man, (good-, great, mighty) man, he, high (degree), him (that is), husband, man(-kind), [phrase] none, one, people, person, [phra…יִשְׂרָאֵ֔לyisraelIsraelיִשְׂרָאֵלnoun, proper name — “Israel”H3478Jisrael, a symbolical name of Jacob; also (typically) of his posterityIsrael.טוֹבָ֗הtovahgoodטוֹבadjective, adjective, feminine, singular, absolute — “good”, the ordinary formH2896good (as an adjective) in the widest sense; used likewise as a noun, both in the masculine and the feminine, the singular and the plural (good, a good or good thing, a good man or woman; the good, goods or good things, good men or women), also as an adverb (well)beautiful, best, better, bountiful, cheerful, at ease, [idiom] fair (word), (be in) favour, fine, glad, good (deed, -lier, -liest, -ly, -ness, -s), graciously, joyful, kindly, kindness, liketh (best), loving, merry, [idiom] most, pleasant,…עֲצַת֙atsatadviceעֵצָהnoun, common, feminine, singular, construct — “advice”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH6098advice; by implication, plan; also prudenceadvice, advisement, counsel(l-(or)), purpose.חוּשַׁ֣יchushayHushaiחוּשַׁיnoun, proper name — “Hushai”H2365Chushai, an IsraeliteHushai.הָאַרְכִּ֔יhaarkithe Archiאַרְכִּיdefinite article, noun, gentilic, masculine, singular, absolute — “the Archi”, the ordinary formH757an Arkite or native of ErekArchi, Archite.מֵעֲצַ֖תmeatsatfrom adviceעֵצָהpreposition, noun, common, feminine, singular, construct — “from advice”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH6098advice; by implication, plan; also prudenceadvice, advisement, counsel(l-(or)), purpose.אֲחִיתֹ֑פֶלachitofelAhithophelאֲחִיתֹפֶלnoun, proper name — “Ahithophel”H302Achithophel, an IsraeliteAhithophel.וַיהוָ֣הvayhvahand Jehovahיְהֹוָהconjunction, noun, proper name — “and Jehovah”H3068Jehovah, Jewish national name of GodJehovah, the Lord. Compare H3050 (יָהּ), H3069 (יְהֹוִה).צִוָּ֗הtsivahappointצָוָהverb, piel, perfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “appoint”, a completed actionH6680(intensively) to constitute, enjoinappoint, (for-) bid, (give a) charge, (give a, give in, send with) command(-er, -ment), send a messenger, put, (set) in order.לְהָפֵ֞רlehaferto breakפָּרַרpreposition, verb, hiphil, infinitive construct — “to break”, the to-form of the verbH6565to break up (usually figuratively), i.e. to violate, frustrate[idiom] any ways, break (asunder), cast off, cause to cease, [idiom] clean, defeat, disannul, disappoint, dissolve, divide, make of none effect, fail, frustrate, bring (come) to nought, [idiom] utterly, make void.אֶתetobject markerאֵתparticle, direct object marker — “object marker”H853properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely)(as such unrepresented in English).עֲצַ֤תatsatadviceעֵצָהnoun, common, feminine, singular, construct — “advice”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH6098advice; by implication, plan; also prudenceadvice, advisement, counsel(l-(or)), purpose.אֲחִיתֹ֨פֶל֙achitofelAhithophelאֲחִיתֹפֶלnoun, proper name — “Ahithophel”H302Achithophel, an IsraeliteAhithophel.הַטּוֹבָ֔הhatovahthe goodטוֹבdefinite article, adjective, adjective, feminine, singular, absolute — “the good”, the ordinary formH2896good (as an adjective) in the widest sense; used likewise as a noun, both in the masculine and the feminine, the singular and the plural (good, a good or good thing, a good man or woman; the good, goods or good things, good men or women), also as an adverb (well)beautiful, best, better, bountiful, cheerful, at ease, [idiom] fair (word), (be in) favour, fine, glad, good (deed, -lier, -liest, -ly, -ness, -s), graciously, joyful, kindly, kindness, liketh (best), loving, merry, [idiom] most, pleasant,…לְבַעֲב֗וּרlevaavurto in thatעָבוּרpreposition, preposition, conjunction — “to in that”H5668properly, crossed, i.e. (abstractly) transit; used only adverbially, on account of, in order thatbecause of, for (...'s sake), (intent) that, to.הָבִ֧יאhavito comeבּוֹאverb, hiphil, infinitive construct — “to come”, the to-form of the verbH935to go or come (in a wide variety of applications)abide, apply, attain, [idiom] be, befall, [phrase] besiege, bring (forth, in, into, to pass), call, carry, [idiom] certainly, (cause, let, thing for) to come (against, in, out, upon, to pass), depart, [idiom] doubtless again, [phrase] eat,…יְהוָ֛הyehvahJehovahיְהֹוָהnoun, proper name — “Jehovah”H3068Jehovah, Jewish national name of GodJehovah, the Lord. Compare H3050 (יָהּ), H3069 (יְהֹוִה).אֶלelamongאֵלpreposition — “among”H413near, with or among; often in general, toabout, according to, after, against, among, as for, at, because(-fore, -side), both...and, by, concerning, for, from, [idiom] hath, in(-to), near, (out) of, over, through, to(-ward), under, unto, upon, whether, with(-in).אַבְשָׁל֖וֹםavshalomAbishalomאֲבִישָׁלוֹםnoun, proper name — “Abishalom”H53Abshalom, a son of David; also (the fuller form) a later IsraeliteAbishalom, Absalom.אֶתetobject markerאֵתparticle, direct object marker — “object marker”H853properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely)(as such unrepresented in English).הָרָעָֽהharaahthe badרַעdefinite article, noun, common, feminine, singular, absolute — “the bad”, the ordinary formH7451bad or (as noun) evil (natural or moral)adversity, affliction, bad, calamity, [phrase] displease(-ure), distress, evil((-favouredness), man, thing), [phrase] exceedingly, [idiom] great, grief(-vous), harm, heavy, hurt(-ful), ill (favoured), [phrase] mark, mischief(-vous), misery…

Jewish translation (JPS 1917)

And Absalom and all the men of Israel said: 'The counsel of Hushai the Archite is better than the counsel of Ahithophel.' — For the LORD had ordained to defeat the good counsel of Ahithophel, to the intent that the LORD might bring evil upon Absalom.

Compare Public-Domain Translations

The King James Version remains the text of this page and the canonical URL.

American Standard Version (1901)

And Absalom and all the men of Israel said, The counsel of Hushai the Archite is better than the counsel of Ahithophel. For Jehovah had ordained to defeat the good counsel of Ahithophel, to the intent that Jehovah might bring evil upon Absalom.

Young’s Literal Translation

And Absalom saith — and all the men of Israel — 'Better [is] the counsel of Hushai the Archite than the counsel of Ahithophel;' and Jehovah willed to make void the good counsel of Ahithophel for the sake of Jehovah's bringing unto Absalom the evil.

World English Bible

Absalom and all the men of Israel said, “The counsel of Hushai the Archite is better than the counsel of Ahithophel.” For Yahweh had ordained to defeat the good counsel of Ahithophel, to the intent that Yahweh might bring evil on Absalom.

Darby Translation

And Absalom and all the men of Israel said, The counsel of Hushai the Archite is better than the counsel of Ahithophel. And Jehovah had appointed to defeat the good counsel of Ahithophel, in order that Jehovah might bring evil upon Absalom.

Douay-Rheims

And Absalom, and all the men of Israel said: The counsel of Chusai the Arachite is better than the counsel of Achitophel: and by the will of the Lord the profitable counsel of Achitophel was defeated, that the Lord might bring evil upon Absalom.

Jewish Publication Society (1917)

Brenton’s Septuagint (1851), English

And Abessalom, and all the men of Israel said, The counsel of Chusi the Arachite is better than the counsel of Achitophel. For the Lord ordained to disconcert the good counsel of Achitophel, that the Lord might bring all evil upon Abessalom.

Septuagint (Brenton’s Greek, 1851)

Καὶ εἶπεν Ἀβεσσαλὼμ, καὶ πᾶς ἀνὴρ Ἰσραὴλ, ἀγαθὴ ἡ βουλὴ Χουσὶ τοῦ Ἀραχὶ ὑπὲρ τὴν βουλὴν Ἀχιτόφελ· καὶ Κύριος ἐνετείλατο διασκεδάσαι τὴν βουλὴν τοῦ Ἀχιτόφελ τὴν ἀγαθὴν, ὅπως ἂν ἐπαγάγῃ Κύριος ἐπὶ Ἀβεσσαλὼμ τὰ κακὰ πάντα.