2 Samuel 17:23

And when Ahithophel saw that his counsel was not followed,.... But that of Hushai: he saddled [his] ass; or ordered it to be saddled: and arose, and gat him home to his house, to his city; which was

And when Ahithophel saw that his counsel was not followed, he saddled his ass, and arose, and gat him home to his house, to his city, and put his household in order, and hanged himself, and died, and

Put his household in order; disposed of his estate by will. Compare . Hanged himself; partly because he could not endure to outlive his disgrace, and the rejection of his counsel; and partly because he foresaw by this means David would gain time and strength, and in all probability be victorious, and then the storm would fall most heavily upon his head, as the main author and pillar of the rebellion, and the contriver of those two pernicious counsels above mentioned.

2 Samuel 17:23 And when Ahithophel saw that his counsel was not followed, he saddled [his] ass, and arose, and gat him home to his house, to his city, and put his household in order, and hanged himself, and died, and was buried in the sepulchre of his father.Ver. 23. And when Ahithophel saw that his counsel was not followed.] Discontent then was the ground of his suicide; like as it was also of Judas’ , who could not brook it, that his counsel about the woman’ s costly ointment to be sold rather, was rejected; but thereupon began to practise against his Master’ s, and in fine against his own life. Principiis obsta; discontentedness paveth a way to desperation: it undid the devil. He saddled his ass.] Being conscious to himself, that for conspiring against his sovereign, and giving such perilous and pernicious counsel, there wanted but a hurdle, a horse, and a halter - as Judge Belknap afterwards, for like cause, said of himself - to do him right. Had Ahithophel bridled his anger, when he saddled his ass, he would not, saith a worthy divine, of an oraculous counsellor, have turned such a notorious fool or madman, as to put his house in order, and himself into such a desperate and irrecoverable confusion. But the world’ s wizards must show themselves in their colours. Cato first readeth Plato’ s book of the immortality of the soul, and then stabbeth himself at Utica. Pliny thinketh that God never gave a man any greater happiness than this, that he may die when he pleaseth. Sensit idem et reipsa comprobavit Seneca. So Brutus, and many others, who, through pusillanimity or desperation, brake the lanthern of their body, and quench the light of their life. This was to be like Hercules Furens, or Ajax Flagellifer, who, restored to his right mind, slew himself; dementior quam cum demens, being therein more mad, than when he was stark mad. What if Ahithophel feared that Absalom following Hushai’ s counsel would be ruined, David restored, and himself for his perfidy hanged, as he well deserved; “ Hic rogo, non furor est, ne moriare, mori? ” Gat him home to his house, to his city.] That is, saith Vatablus, To his house in the city of Giloh; for he had many houses elsewhere, having feathered his nest under David’ s government; like as Judas the thief licked his fingers in our Saviour’ s family. And put his household in order.] Heb., Gave charge concerning his house; viz, what he would have done after his death. Josephus saith that he told his household that Absalom would be undone, and himself should be hanged: wherefore it was better for him to prevent it, and manfully to die with his own hands. He should first have set himself in order, and bethought him what would become of his precious soul. Then might he have hanged his house with tapestry, and with broidered work of Egypt, but this was the furthest end of his thoughts, as they say.

(23) And hanged himself.—Ahithophei was moved, not merely by chagrin at the rejection of his counsel, but was shrewd enough to see that, with this delay, Absalom’s rebellion would inevitably fail, and he himself be likely to come to a traitor’s death.

Verse 23. Put his household in order] This self-murder could not be called lunacy, as every step to it was deliberate. He foresaw Absalom's ruin; and he did not choose to witness it, and share in the disgrace: and he could expect no mercy at the hands of David. He was a very bad man, and died an unprepared and accursed death.

23. The suicide of Ahithophel 23. to his city] Giloh. See ch. 2 Samuel 15:12. put his household in order] Lit. gave charge concerning his house: arranged his affairs and made his will. Cp. 2 Kings 20:1. hanged himself] Like Judas (Matthew 27:5). It is the first deliberate suicide on record, and was prompted by mortification at the rejection of his counsel; by the chagrin of baffled ambition; by the conviction that now the rebellion would inevitably fail, and that he would only live to suffer a traitor’s death.

To his city - To Giloh (marginal reference). Ahithophel was probably influenced by deep mortification at the slight put upon him by rejecting his counsel. He is a memorable example of the impotence of worldly wisdom.