2 Samuel 15:32

And it came to pass, that when David was come to the top of the mount, where he worshipped God, behold, Hushai the Archite came to meet him with his coat rent, and earth upon his head:

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(32) Where he worshipped God.—Rather, where men worship. The original indicates a customary act. David had taken the road over the crest of the Mount of Olives, and there, in all probability, was one of those “high places” which abounded in Israel.

Hushai the Archite.—His place is mentioned in Joshua 16:2 as on the border between Ephraim and Benjamin, and he may have been at his own home when the rebellion broke out. His coming appears as the beginning of the answer to David’s prayer in 2Samuel 15:31.

Benson Commentary

2 Samuel 15:32. The top of the mount, where he worshipped — Looking, doubtless, toward Jerusalem, where the ark and tabernacle, which he had made for it, were. Hushai, the Archite came to meet him — Probably he was from Archi, a city in the tribe of Ephraim, (see Joshua 16:2,) and coming to Jerusalem, was made one of David’s privy council because of his wisdom; otherwise, it is not likely that Absalom would so readily have entertained him, and admitted him to his secrets. The coming of Hushai just at this time seems to have been ordered by God’s peculiar providence, in answer to David’s prayer mentioned in the preceding verse. With his coat rent, and earth upon his head — In token of his great sorrow on David’s account.

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

15:31-37 David prays not against Ahithophel's person, but against his counsel. He prayed this, in firm belief that God has all hearts in his hand, and tongues also. But we must second our prayers with endeavours, and David did so, else we tempt God. But we do not find wisdom and simplicity so united in any mere man, that we can perceive nothing which needs forgiveness. Yet, when the Son of David was treated with all possible treachery and cruelty, his wisdom, meekness, candour, and patience, were perfect. Him let us follow, cleave to, and serve, in life and in death.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Render ... "when David was come to the top of the mount where people worship God." The top here, and in 2 Samuel 16:1, is used almost as a proper name. No doubt there was a high-place upon the top of the Mount of Olives.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

32. when David was come to the top of the mount, where he worshipped—looking towards Jerusalem, where were the ark and tabernacle.

Hushai the Archite—A native of Archi, on the frontiers of Benjamin and Ephraim (Jos 16:2). Comparing the prayer against Ahithophel with the counsel to Hushai, we see how strongly a spirit of fervent piety was combined in his character with the devices of an active and far-seeing policy.

Matthew Poole's Commentary

He worshipped God; looking towards Jerusalem, where the ark and tabernacle was. Compare 1 Kings 8:44,48 Da 6:10.

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

And it came to pass, that when David was come to the top of the mount,.... Of the mount of Olives:

where he worshipped God; by prayer and praise; here very probably he composed and sung the third psalm Psa 3:1, which, as the title shows, was made when he fled from Absalom:

behold, Hushai the Archite came to meet him, with his coat rent, and earth upon his head; in token of mourning, and as a bringer of bad tidings, see 2 Samuel 1:2; perhaps he was an inhabitant of Archi, at least originally, which lay on the borders of the tribe of Ephraim, Joshua 16:2; from whence he had his name.

Geneva Study Bible

And it came to pass, that when David was come to the top of the mount, where he worshipped God, behold, Hushai the Archite came to meet him with his coat rent, and earth upon his head:

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

32. the top of the mount] The head or top is used here and in ch. 2 Samuel 16:1 almost as a proper name, and would naturally refer to the highest summit, where the high place would most probably be. David seems to have taken the road leading directly over the hill to Bahurim (see note on ch. 2 Samuel 3:16) instead of the southern road to Jericho.

where he worshipped God] Where he was wont to worship God: or, where God was wont to be worshipped. The tense indicates that an habitual practice is meant. It was no doubt one of the high places, which seem to have been recognised as legitimate sanctuaries until the Temple was built. Cp. 1 Samuel 7:17; 1 Samuel 9:13 note; 1 Kings 3:2-4.

Hushai the Archite] “The border of the Archite” (E. V. wrongly Archi) is mentioned as one of the boundary marks between Ephraim and Benjamin (Joshua 16:2). A trace of the name is perhaps preserved in Ain Arîk, about six miles W. S. W. of Bethel. As Hushai came to meet David he had probably been absent from the city—perhaps at his native place—when the rebellion broke out, and hastened back to join his master. His coming was in a manner the answer to David’s prayer in 2 Samuel 15:31.

with his coat rent, &c.] See note on ch. 2 Samuel 1:2. The term rendered coat denotes the loose shirt or tunic, over which a cloak was usually worn. See the illustrations in Smith’s Dict. of the Bible, I. 454, or Lane’s Modern Egyptians, I. 36.

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 32. - Where he worshipped God; more correctly, where God was worshipped, and so the Revised Version. The summit of the Mount of Olives was one of the many bamoth, or high places, situated on the top of hills, where, in the old Canaanitish time, men had worshipped their heathenish deities. They were still regarded as consecrated places, but the worship had now been transferred to Elohim, the true God. They continued to be hallowed spots, with Levitical priests to minister at them, until the stricter times of Josiah (2 Kings 23:8), when such worship was forbidden; but even then these priests seem to have retained considerable privileges, though their position was inferior to that held by the priests of the temple. It was at this hallowed spot that David's old friend and privy counselor (ver. 37), Hushai, met him, with his coat rent - not the upper garment, but the kuttoneth, the under tunic, the rending of which was a sign of deeper sorrow. We read of "the border of the Archites" (so the Revised Version, rightly) in Joshua 16:2, near Bethel, in the tribe of Manasseh; and Hushai's birthplace was probably there. 2 Samuel 15:32

Keil and Delitzsch Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament

On David's arrival at the height where people were accustomed to worship, i.e., upon the top of the Mount of Olives, the Archite Hushai came to meet him with his clothes rent and earth upon his head, that is to say, in the deepest mourning (see 1 Samuel 4:12). It is evident from the words וגו אשׁר־ישׁתּחוה that there was a place of worship upon the top of the Mount of Olives, probably a bamah, such as continued to exist in different places throughout the land, even after the building of the temple. According to 2 Samuel 15:37; 2 Samuel 16:16, and 1 Chronicles 27:33, Hushai was רעה, a friend of David, i.e., one of his privy councillors. הארכּי (the Archite), if we may judge from Jos 16:2, was the name of a family whose possessions were upon the southern boundary of the tribe of Ephraim, between Bethel and Ataroth. Hushai was probably a very old man, as David said to him (2 Samuel 15:33, 2 Samuel 15:34), "If thou goest with me, thou wilt be a burden to me. But if thou returnest to the city and offerest Absalom thy services, thou canst bring for me the counsel of Ahithophel to nought. If thou sayest to Absalom, I will be thy servant, O king; servant of thy father (i.e., as regards this) I was that of old, but now I am thy servant." The ו before אני introduces the apodosis both times (vid., Ewald, 348, a.).