Thematic Bible


Thematic Bible



And there came a messenger to David, saying, The hearts of the men of Israel have gone after Absalom. David said to all his servants who were with him at Jerusalem, Arise and let us flee, or else none of us will escape from Absalom. Make haste to depart, lest he overtake us suddenly and bring evil upon us and smite the city with the sword. And the king's servants said to the king, Behold, your servants are ready to do whatever my lord the king says. read more.
So the king and all his household after him went forth. But he left ten women who were concubines to keep the house. The king went forth with all the people after him, and halted at the last house. All David's servants passed on beside him, along with [his bodyguards] all the Cherethites, Pelethites; also all the Gittites, 600 men who came after him from Gath, passed on before the king. The king said to Ittai the Gittite, Why do you go with us also? Return to your place and remain with the king [Absalom], for you are a foreigner and an exile. Since you came only yesterday, should I make you go up and down with us? Since I must go where I may, you return, and take back your brethren with you. May loving-kindness and faithfulness be with you. But Ittai answered the king, As the Lord lives, and as my lord the king lives, wherever my lord the king shall be, whether for death or life, even there also will your servant be. So David said to Ittai, Go on and pass over [the Kidron]. And Ittai the Gittite passed over and all his men and all the little ones who were with him. All the country wept with a loud voice as all the people passed over. The king crossed the brook Kidron, and all the people went on toward the wilderness. Abiathar [the priest] and behold, Zadok came also, and all the Levites with him, bearing the ark of the covenant of God. And they set down the ark of God until all the people had gone from the city. Then the king told Zadok, Take back the ark of God to the city. If I find favor in the Lord's eyes, He will bring me back and let me see both it and His house. But if He says, I have no delight in you, then here I am; let Him do to me what seems good to Him. The king also said to Zadok the priest, Are you not a seer? [You and Abiathar] return to the city in peace, and your two sons with you, Ahimaaz your son and Jonathan son of Abiathar. See, I will wait at the fords [at the Jordan] of the wilderness until word comes from you to inform me. Zadok, therefore, and Abiathar carried the ark of God back to Jerusalem and they stayed there. And David went up over the Mount of Olives and wept as he went, barefoot and his head covered. And all the people who were with him covered their heads, weeping as they went. David was told, Ahithophel [your counselor] is among the conspirators with Absalom. David said, O Lord, I pray You, turn Ahithophel's counsel into foolishness. When David came to the summit [of Olivet], where he worshiped God, behold, Hushai the Archite came to meet him with his coat rent and earth upon his head. David said to him, If you go with me, you will be a burden to me. But if you return to the city and say to Absalom, I will be your servant, O king; as I have been your father's servant in the past, so will I be your servant now, then you may defeat for me the counsel of Ahithophel. Will not Zadok and Abiathar the priests be with you? So whatever you hear from the king's house, just tell it to [them]. Behold, their two sons are there with them, Ahimaaz, Zadok's son and Jonathan, Abiathar's son; and by them send to me everything you hear. So Hushai, David's friend, returned, and Absalom also came into Jerusalem.

Moreover, Ahithophel said to Absalom, Let me choose 12,000 men and I will set out and pursue David this night. I will come upon him while he is exhausted and weak, and cause him to panic; all the people with him will flee. Then I will strike down the king alone. I will bring back all the people to you. [The removal of] the man whom you seek is the assurance that all will return; and all the people will be at peace. read more.
And what he said pleased Absalom well and all the elders of Israel. Absalom said, Now call Hushai the Archite also, and let us hear what he says. When Hushai came, Absalom said to him, Ahithophel has counseled thus. Shall we do what he says? If not, speak up. And Hushai said to Absalom, The counsel that Ahithophel has given is not good at this time. For, said Hushai, you know your father and his men, that they are mighty men, and they are embittered and enraged like a bear robbed of her whelps in the field. And your father is a man of war, and will not lodge with the people. Behold, he is hidden even now in some pit or other place; and when some of them are overthrown at the first, whoever hears it will say, There is a slaughter among the followers of Absalom. And even he who is brave, whose heart is as the heart of a lion, will utterly melt, for all Israel knows that your father is a mighty man and that those who are with him are brave men. Therefore I counsel that all [the men of] Israel be gathered to you, from Dan even to Beersheba, as the sand that is by the sea for multitude, and that you go to battle in your own person. So shall we come upon [David] some place where he shall be found, and we will light upon him as the dew settles [unseen and unheard] on the ground; and of him and of all the men with him there shall not be left so much as one. If he withdraws into a city, then shall all Israel bring ropes to that city, and we will drag it into the ravine until not one pebble is left there. Absalom and all the men of Israel said, The counsel of Hushai the Archite is better than that of Ahithophel. For the Lord had ordained to defeat the good counsel of Ahithophel, so that the Lord might bring evil upon Absalom.

And Absalom and all the people, the men of Israel, came to Jerusalem, and Ahithophel with him. And when Hushai the Archite, David's friend, came to Absalom, Hushai said to [him], Long live the king! Long live the king! Absalom said to Hushai, Is this your kindness and loyalty to your friend? Why did you not go with your friend? read more.
Hushai said to Absalom, No, for whom the Lord and this people and all the men of Israel choose, his will I be, and with him I will remain. And again, whom should I serve? Should it not be his son? As I have served your father, so will I serve you.

When David came to the summit [of Olivet], where he worshiped God, behold, Hushai the Archite came to meet him with his coat rent and earth upon his head. David said to him, If you go with me, you will be a burden to me. But if you return to the city and say to Absalom, I will be your servant, O king; as I have been your father's servant in the past, so will I be your servant now, then you may defeat for me the counsel of Ahithophel. read more.
Will not Zadok and Abiathar the priests be with you? So whatever you hear from the king's house, just tell it to [them]. Behold, their two sons are there with them, Ahimaaz, Zadok's son and Jonathan, Abiathar's son; and by them send to me everything you hear. So Hushai, David's friend, returned, and Absalom also came into Jerusalem.

But if you return to the city and say to Absalom, I will be your servant, O king; as I have been your father's servant in the past, so will I be your servant now, then you may defeat for me the counsel of Ahithophel. Will not Zadok and Abiathar the priests be with you? So whatever you hear from the king's house, just tell it to [them]. Behold, their two sons are there with them, Ahimaaz, Zadok's son and Jonathan, Abiathar's son; and by them send to me everything you hear. read more.
So Hushai, David's friend, returned, and Absalom also came into Jerusalem.

Hiram king of Tyre sent his servants to Solomon when he heard that they had anointed him king in place of his father, for Hiram had always been a friend of David. Verse ConceptsGood FriendsenvoyFriendship, Examples OfAnointing Kings


“I am distressed for you, my brother Jonathan;
You have been a good friend to me.
Your love toward me was more wonderful
Than the love of women.
Verse ConceptsGood FriendsTendernessUnhappinessValuesFriendship, Examples OfThose Who LovedWoman's PlaceFriendship And LoveLosing A FriendTrue FriendsheartbrokenThe Love Of Women

The Lord grant mercy to the family of Onesiphorus, because he often refreshed me and showed me kindness [comforting and reviving me like fresh air] and he was not ashamed of my chains [for Christ’s sake]; Verse ConceptsChainsIntimacyFriendship, Examples OfIron ChainsBe Merciful!People Refreshedempathy

However, I thought it necessary to send back to you Epaphroditus, [who has been] my brother and companion and fellow soldier, who was also sent as your messenger to take care of my needs. Verse ConceptsGood FriendsFellowship, In Christian ServiceAliancesFellow WorkersMessengerMissionaries, Support ForSoldiersVisitingFriendship, Examples Ofministering

When David had finished speaking to Saul, the soul of Jonathan was bonded to the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as himself. Verse ConceptsDavid, Rise OfFriendlessnessBad CounselIntimacyFriendship, Examples OfLast WordsThose Who LovedBest FriendsFriendship And TrustSoulmates

As soon as the boy was gone, David got up from the south side [beside the mound of stones] and fell on his face to the ground [in submission and respect], and bowed three times. Then they kissed one another and wept together, but David wept more. Verse ConceptsPeople KissingKissingSuffering, Emotional Aspects OfSympathyWeepingFriendship, Examples OfKissesTearsActing Three Timesgoodbyes

So Hushai, David’s friend, returned to the city, and [at about the same time] Absalom came into Jerusalem. Verse ConceptsFriendship, Examples OfEntering Cities

my spirit could not rest because I did not find my brother Titus there; so saying goodbye to them, I left for Macedonia. Verse ConceptsPainFriendship, Examples Ofrelaxationgoodbyes

When David came to the summit [of Olivet], where he worshiped God, behold, Hushai the Archite came to meet him with his coat rent and earth upon his head. David said to him, If you go with me, you will be a burden to me. But if you return to the city and say to Absalom, I will be your servant, O king; as I have been your father's servant in the past, so will I be your servant now, then you may defeat for me the counsel of Ahithophel. read more.
Will not Zadok and Abiathar the priests be with you? So whatever you hear from the king's house, just tell it to [them]. Behold, their two sons are there with them, Ahimaaz, Zadok's son and Jonathan, Abiathar's son; and by them send to me everything you hear. So Hushai, David's friend, returned, and Absalom also came into Jerusalem.

Moreover, Ahithophel said to Absalom, Let me choose 12,000 men and I will set out and pursue David this night. I will come upon him while he is exhausted and weak, and cause him to panic; all the people with him will flee. Then I will strike down the king alone. I will bring back all the people to you. [The removal of] the man whom you seek is the assurance that all will return; and all the people will be at peace. read more.
And what he said pleased Absalom well and all the elders of Israel. Absalom said, Now call Hushai the Archite also, and let us hear what he says. When Hushai came, Absalom said to him, Ahithophel has counseled thus. Shall we do what he says? If not, speak up. And Hushai said to Absalom, The counsel that Ahithophel has given is not good at this time. For, said Hushai, you know your father and his men, that they are mighty men, and they are embittered and enraged like a bear robbed of her whelps in the field. And your father is a man of war, and will not lodge with the people. Behold, he is hidden even now in some pit or other place; and when some of them are overthrown at the first, whoever hears it will say, There is a slaughter among the followers of Absalom. And even he who is brave, whose heart is as the heart of a lion, will utterly melt, for all Israel knows that your father is a mighty man and that those who are with him are brave men. Therefore I counsel that all [the men of] Israel be gathered to you, from Dan even to Beersheba, as the sand that is by the sea for multitude, and that you go to battle in your own person. So shall we come upon [David] some place where he shall be found, and we will light upon him as the dew settles [unseen and unheard] on the ground; and of him and of all the men with him there shall not be left so much as one. If he withdraws into a city, then shall all Israel bring ropes to that city, and we will drag it into the ravine until not one pebble is left there. Absalom and all the men of Israel said, The counsel of Hushai the Archite is better than that of Ahithophel. For the Lord had ordained to defeat the good counsel of Ahithophel, so that the Lord might bring evil upon Absalom. Then said Hushai to Zadok and Abiathar the priests, Thus and thus did Ahithophel counsel Absalom and the elders of Israel, and thus and thus have I counseled. Now send quickly and tell David, Lodge not this night at the fords [at the Jordan] of the wilderness, but by all means pass over, lest the king be swallowed up and all the people with him. Now [the youths] Jonathan and Ahimaaz stayed at En-rogel, for they must not be seen coming into the city. But a maidservant went and told them, and they went and told King David. But a lad saw them and told Absalom; but they left quickly and came to the house of a man in Bahurim, who had a well in his court, and they went down into it. And the woman spread a covering over the well's mouth and spread ground corn on it; and the thing was not discovered. For when Absalom's servants came to the woman at the house, they said, Where are Ahimaaz and Jonathan? And the woman said to them, They went over the brook of water. When they had sought and could not find them, they returned to Jerusalem. After they had departed, the boys came up out of the well and went and told King David, and said, Arise and pass quickly over the river Jordan; for thus and so has Ahithophel counseled against you. David arose and all the people with him and passed over the Jordan. By daybreak, not one was left who had not crossed.

Ahithophel was counselor to the king; and Hushai the Archite was the king’s companion and friend.

When David came to the summit [of Olivet], where he worshiped God, behold, Hushai the Archite came to meet him with his coat rent and earth upon his head. David said to him, If you go with me, you will be a burden to me. But if you return to the city and say to Absalom, I will be your servant, O king; as I have been your father's servant in the past, so will I be your servant now, then you may defeat for me the counsel of Ahithophel. read more.
Will not Zadok and Abiathar the priests be with you? So whatever you hear from the king's house, just tell it to [them]. Behold, their two sons are there with them, Ahimaaz, Zadok's son and Jonathan, Abiathar's son; and by them send to me everything you hear. So Hushai, David's friend, returned, and Absalom also came into Jerusalem.

And when Hushai the Archite, David's friend, came to Absalom, Hushai said to [him], Long live the king! Long live the king! Absalom said to Hushai, Is this your kindness and loyalty to your friend? Why did you not go with your friend? Hushai said to Absalom, No, for whom the Lord and this people and all the men of Israel choose, his will I be, and with him I will remain. read more.
And again, whom should I serve? Should it not be his son? As I have served your father, so will I serve you.

David said to him, If you go with me, you will be a burden to me. But if you return to the city and say to Absalom, I will be your servant, O king; as I have been your father's servant in the past, so will I be your servant now, then you may defeat for me the counsel of Ahithophel. Will not Zadok and Abiathar the priests be with you? So whatever you hear from the king's house, just tell it to [them]. read more.
Behold, their two sons are there with them, Ahimaaz, Zadok's son and Jonathan, Abiathar's son; and by them send to me everything you hear. So Hushai, David's friend, returned, and Absalom also came into Jerusalem.