2 Samuel 16:18
ESV
And Hushai said to Absalom, "No, for whom the Lord and this people and all the men of Israel have chosen, his I will be, and with him I will remain.
NIV
Hushai said to Absalom, "No, the one chosen by the Lord, by these people, and by all the men of Israel—his I will be, and I will remain with him.
NASB
So Hushai said to Absalom, 'No! For whomever the Lord, this people, and all the men of Israel have chosen, his I shall be, and with him I shall remain.
CSB
"Not at all," Hushai answered Absalom. "I am on the side of the one that the Lord, this people, and all the men of Israel have chosen. I will stay with him.
NLT
I’m here because I belong to the man who is chosen by the Lord and by all the men of Israel,' Hushai replied.
KJV
And Hushai said unto Absalom, Nay; but whom the Lord, and this people, and all the men of Israel, choose, his will I be, and with him will I abide.
NKJV
And Hushai said to Absalom, “No, but whom the Lord and this people and all the men of Israel choose, his I will be, and with him I will remain.
What does 2 Samuel 16:18 mean?
Absalom entered Jerusalem with no resistance. Earlier that day, David took his servants, his hired Philistine soldiers, and his mighty men and fled the city (2 Samuel 15:13, 18; 16:6). Absalom's first order of business is to gather a council and ask what he should do first?Ahithophel, David's trusted advisor, is with Absalom (2 Samuel 16:15). Absalom's fortunate to have him. He's a wise man who speaks "as if one consulted the word of God" (2 Samuel 16:23). Somehow, in the four years Absalom took to win the hearts of the people of Israel, Ahithophel joined him. It's possible Ahithophel holds a grudge against David for mistreating his granddaughter, Bathsheba (2 Samuel 11:3; 23:34).
Absalom is more puzzled when the old man Hushai appears. He's not only a wise man, but also David's close ally and a good friend. But here he is, hailing Absalom as king. Naturally, Absalom asks why he's abandoned his friend (2 Samuel 16:16–17). Hushai's answer is simple: His loyalty to the Lord and the will of the people is greater than his loyalty to David. He is counselor to the king, whether that's David or his son (2 Samuel 16:19).
These are not Hushai's words. As David left Jerusalem and reached the top of the Mount of Olives, Hushai met him, fully intending to follow the king into the wilderness. David stopped him. Not only would the old man slow down the exiles, but he also had a much greater strategic value (2 Samuel 15:32–33). David sent Hushai to Absalom to tell him, "I will be your servant, O king; as I have been your father's servant in time past, so now I will be your servant" (2 Samuel 15:34).
Hushai is supposedly there to counsel Absalom. He's actually there to counter Ahithophel's advice and send intelligence to David through his loyal priests (2 Samuel 15:35–37). Hushai plays his role perfectly, managing to get David and his people enough time to cross the Jordan into safety (2 Samuel 17:1–22).
