David's counsellor whose advice "was like that of one who enquires of God. That was how both David and Absalom regarded all of Ahithophel's advice" (2 Sam 16:15). Ahithophel was roped by Absalom into his conspiracy to wrestle the throne from David. When later his counsel to pursue after David was rejected by Absalom and his leaders in favour of Hushai's, he went home and hanged himself (2 Sam 15:12-17:23).
It seems strange to us that a person should take such drastic action just because his advice was rejected. This, however, was to understand the place of wisdom (Heb., hokmah) in the Hebrew mindset. Wisdom was a gift from God, and the comment noted above that Ahithophe's "advice was like that of one who enquires of God" says as much. When his advice was rejected, Ahithophe understood that his gift had been rescinded by God; the very reason for his life as a counsellor was over, and his humiliation was from God, not just men.
Why Ahithophel should, having served David so well, go over to Absalom remains a puzzle. Some light is shed on the subject by three seemingly innocuous comments; the first two that Batheshe was the ""daughter of Eliam" in 2 Sam 11:3 and "daughter of Ammiel" in 1 Chron 3:1. Eliam and Ammiel very likely refer to the same person (both names mean the same thing, "God's people"). The other comment is that "Eliam [was] son of Ahithophel the Gilonite" in 2 Sam 23:34. This would make Ahithophel Bathsheba's grandfather. His actions on behalf of Absalom could then be understood as his revenge on David for bringing shame on to the family by the king's adultery with her granddaughter.
Ahithophel was twice referred to as "Ahithophel the Gilonite," meaning he came originally from the town of Giloh. He is the only person in the OT to be so designated, and the town is only mentioned in these instances (so we have no way to ascertain where it was).
David never seemed to have held any of Ahithophel's family members responsible for his betrayal; Eliam, Ahithophel's son, seemed to have remained in David's service without incident (2 Sam 23:34).
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