The saying pleased Absalom well, and all the elders of Israel.
Parallel translations
- KJV And the saying pleased Absalom well, and all the elders of Israel.
- BSB This proposal seemed good to Absalom and all the elders of Israel.
- NKJV And the saying pleased Absalom and all the elders of Israel.
- NASB And the plan pleased Absalom and all the elders of Israel.
- NLT This plan seemed good to Absalom and to all the elders of Israel.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Absalom and the elders are pleased with Ahithophel's plan. The rebellion seems poised to succeed, raising the stakes for David.
Overview
The endorsement of both Absalom and Israel's elders shows the counsel's persuasive force and the gravity of David's peril. With such unanimity, only divine intervention can change the outcome. The verse heightens tension before Hushai is summoned, reminding readers that what seems settled in human courts remains subject to God's overruling will.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 6
- Esth 5:14Then Zeresh his wife and all his friends said to him, “Let a gallows be made fifty cubits high, and in the morning speak to the king about hanging Mordecai on it. Then go in merrily with the king to the banquet.” This pleased Haman, so he had the gallows made.
- Rom 1:32who, knowing the ordinance of God, that those who practice such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but also approve of those who practice them.
- 2 Chr 30:4The thing was right in the eyes of the king and of all the assembly.
- 1 Sam 18:20–21Michal, Saul’s daughter, loved David; and they told Saul, and the thing pleased him.
- Esth 1:21This advice pleased the king and the princes, and the king did according to the word of Memucan:
- 1 Sam 23:21Saul said, “You are blessed by Yahweh; for you have had compassion on me.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
God's covenant with David — a son whose throne and kingdom would last forever (7:12–16) — finds its yes in Jesus, the Son of David who reigns without end.
How 2 Samuel 17:4 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.