The Righter Report

Ahitophel – Piecing the puzzle together

Why did Ahitophel betray King David?

Ahitophel was King David’s trusted advisor / counselor (1 Chronicles 27:33) and served him for many years. After some time passed, and because of David’s adultery and involvement with Bathsheba, and David’s complicity in the killing of Urriah – Bathsheba’s husband, note 2 Samuel chapter 11 – King David suffered a number of tragedies and judgments:

“This is what the LORD says: ‘Out of your own household I am going to bring calamity on you. Before your very eyes I will take your wives and give them to one who is close to you, and he will sleep with your wives in broad daylight. You did it in secret, but I will do this thing in broad daylight before all Israel.’” – 2 Samuel 12:11-12

Then David said to the prophet Nathan, “I have sinned against the LORD. Nathan replied, “The LORD has taken away your sin. You are not going to die. But because by doing this you have shown utter contempt for the LORD, the son born to you will die” (2 Samuel 12:13-14). Which soon thereafter occurred.

Yet King David’s ‘trusted’ counselor, Ahitophel, suddenly turned against him. When David’s son Absalom seized power and drove his father out of Jerusalem, Ahithophel stayed behind and became chief advisor to the rebellion (2 Samuel 15:31). It was he who advised Absalom to sleep with David’s concubines (2 Sam 16:20-23).

But the Bible does not tell us the real reason WHY Ahitophel betrayed King David. At least not directly. Like many things in the Bible, you have to search for the answer and piece the puzzle together.

The answer lies in different passages in scripture.

As it turns out, Ahitophel is mentioned in 2 Samuel 23:34, which tells us he is the father of Eliam. Since 2 Samuel 11:3 notes that Eliam is the father of Bathsheba, then the Ahitophel of 2 Samuel 15 is Bathsheba’s grandfather.

Now it becomes clear. Ahitophel, Bathsheba’s grandfather, was furious with King David for his behavior with his granddaughter and David’s complicit murder of her husband. So he turned against David.

And now you know the ‘rest of the story.’

These are the things that skeptics, and those who engage in a superficial reading of the Bible, miss, but which helps instead to solidify the interconnectedness, continuity, and credibility of the Bible.

– The Righter Report

December 30, 2013 - Posted by Pete Righter | Evangelical, God, History, Human Interest, Theology, Theology Articles