Hushai
David's friend and counsellor, called the Archite. When David fled Jerusalem before Absalom, Hushai wanted to go with him, but the king sent him back to the city to pose as Absalom's man and defeat the counsel of Ahithophel. He did exactly that, arguing against an immediate pursuit and flattering the prince with a vision of all Israel gathered to him — buying the hours David needed to cross the Jordan — and sent word through the priests' sons.
What we know — and how we know it
Where in scripture
2 Samuel1 Kings1 ChroniclesWhen David had come to the top, where God was worshiped, behold, Hushai the Archite came to meet him with his coat torn, and earth on his head.
2 Samuel 15:32
So Hushai, David’s friend, came into the city; and Absalom came into Jerusalem.
2 Samuel 15:37
When Hushai the Archite, David’s friend, had come to Absalom, Hushai said to Absalom, “Long live the king! Long live the king!”
2 Samuel 16:16
Absalom said to Hushai, “Is this your kindness to your friend? Why didn’t you go with your friend?”
2 Samuel 16:17
Hushai said to Absalom, “No; but whomever Yahweh, and this people, and all the men of Israel have chosen, his will I be, and with him I will stay.
2 Samuel 16:18
Then Absalom said, “Now call Hushai the Archite also, and let us hear likewise what he says.”
2 Samuel 17:5
When Hushai had come to Absalom, Absalom spoke to him, saying, “Ahithophel has spoken like this. Shall we do what he says? If not, speak up.”
2 Samuel 17:6
Hushai said to Absalom, “The counsel that Ahithophel has given this time is not good.”
2 Samuel 17:7
Scripture quotations are from the World English Bible, a public-domain translation.
Family
In their own words — 4 recorded sayings
“Then Hushai the Archite, David's friend, came to Absalom and said, Long life to the king, long life to the king!” — 2 Samuel 16:16
“And Hushai said to Absalom, Not so; I am for that man whom the Lord and this people and all the men of Israel have taken as king, and I will take my place with him. And more than this! where is my place as a servant? is it not before his son? as I have been your father's servant, so will I be yours.” — 2 Samuel 16:18-19
“And Hushai said to Absalom, Ahithophel's idea is not a good one at this time. Hushai said further, You have knowledge of your father and his men, that they are men of war, and that their feelings are bitter, like those of a bear in the field whose young ones have been taken from her: and your father is a man of war, and will not take his night's rest with the people; But he will certainly have taken cover now in some hole or secret place; and if some of our people, at the first attack, are overcome, then any hearing of it will say, There is destruction among the people who are on Absalom's…” — 2 Samuel 17:7-13
“Then Hushai said to Zadok and Abiathar, the priests, This is the suggestion made by Ahithophel to Absalom and the responsible men of Israel, and this is what I said to them. So now send the news quickly to David, and say, Do not take your night's rest by the way across the river to the waste land, but be certain to go over; or the king and all the people with him will come to destruction.” — 2 Samuel 17:15-16
Speaker attribution: Clear Bible MACULA (CC BY 4.0). Wording: Bible in Basic English (public domain).
In art
