The Meaning of 2 Samuel 17:23 Explained

2 Samuel 17:23

KJV: 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.

YLT: And Ahithophel hath seen that his counsel was not done, and he saddleth the ass, and riseth and goeth unto his house, unto his city, and giveth charge unto his household, and strangleth himself, and dieth, and he is buried in the burying-place of his father.

Darby: And when Ahithophel saw that his counsel was not followed, he saddled his ass, and arose and went to his house, to his city, and gave charge to his household, and hanged himself, and he died; and he was buried in the sepulchre of his father.

ASV: And when Ahithophel saw that his counsel was not followed, he saddled his ass, and arose, and gat him home, unto his city, and set his house in order, and hanged himself; and he died, and was buried in the sepulchre of his father.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

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. 

What does 2 Samuel 17:23 Mean?

Context Summary

2 Samuel 17:15-29 - The Helpers Of The King
The two young men were narrowly watched, and had it not been for the deception practiced on Absalom's servants by the mistress of the house at Bahurim, they would probably not have reached David in time to put him on his guard. That her device secured his safety does not extenuate nor justify her falsehood. God could have found some other method of delivering his servant. Let us remember the warning voices that speak to us, bidding us beware of temptation. There is a river that we also may put between us and our pursuers. It is the Jordan of Calvary-the Cross of our Savior. Reckon yourselves dead unto sin!
As Ahithophel foreshadowed Judas in his treachery, so did he in his end. See Psalms 41:9; Matthew 27:5. He was not only mortified by the refusal of his advice, but clearly saw therein the inevitable triumph of David's cause and the punishment that would follow. On the farther bank friends awaited the fugitives. For Shobi, see 2 Samuel 10:1-2; Machir, 2 Samuel 9:4. But Psalms 42:1-11; Psalms 43:1-5 reflect David's feelings at this sad hour. Even in the night God's song was with him. [source]

Chapter Summary: 2 Samuel 17

1  Ahithophel's counsel is overthrown by Hushai's
15  Secret intelligence is sent unto David
23  Ahithophel hangs himself
25  Amasa is made captain
27  David at Mahanaim is furnished with provisions

What do the individual words in 2 Samuel 17:23 mean?

And when Ahithophel saw that not was followed his advice and he saddled - a donkey and arose and went home to his house his city and he put in order unto his household and hanged himself and died and he was buried in tomb of his father -
וַאֲחִיתֹ֣פֶל רָאָ֗ה כִּ֣י לֹ֣א נֶעֶשְׂתָה֮ עֲצָתוֹ֒ וַיַּחֲבֹ֣שׁ אֶֽת־ הַחֲמ֗וֹר וַיָּ֜קָם וַיֵּ֤לֶךְ אֶל־ בֵּיתוֹ֙ עִיר֔וֹ וַיְצַ֥ו אֶל־ בֵּית֖וֹ וַיֵּחָנַ֑ק וַיָּ֕מָת וַיִּקָּבֵ֖ר בְּקֶ֥בֶר אָבִֽיו ס

וַאֲחִיתֹ֣פֶל  And  when  Ahithophel 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: אֲחִיתֹפֶל  
Sense: a counsellor of David, grandfather of Bathsheba (cf 2Sa :3,.
רָאָ֗ה  saw 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: רָאָה 
Sense: to see, look at, inspect, perceive, consider.
כִּ֣י  that 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: כִּי 
Sense: that, for, because, when, as though, as, because that, but, then, certainly, except, surely, since.
נֶעֶשְׂתָה֮  was  followed 
Parse: Verb, Nifal, Perfect, third person feminine singular
Root: עָשָׂה 
Sense: to do, fashion, accomplish, make.
עֲצָתוֹ֒  his  advice 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: עֵצָה 
Sense: counsel, advice, purpose.
וַיַּחֲבֹ֣שׁ  and  he  saddled 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: חָבַשׁ  
Sense: to tie, bind, bind on, bind up, saddle, restrain, bandage, govern.
אֶֽת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
הַחֲמ֗וֹר  a  donkey 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: חֲמֹור 
Sense: (he)ass.
וַיָּ֜קָם  and  arose 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: קוּם 
Sense: to rise, arise, stand, rise up, stand up.
וַיֵּ֤לֶךְ  and  went  home 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: הָלַךְ  
Sense: to go, walk, come.
בֵּיתוֹ֙  his  house 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: בַּיִת 
Sense: house.
עִיר֔וֹ  his  city 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: עִיר 
Sense: excitement, anguish.
וַיְצַ֥ו  and  he  put  in  order 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Piel, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: צָוָה  
Sense: to command, charge, give orders, lay charge, give charge to, order.
אֶל־  unto 
Parse: Preposition
Root: אֶל  
Sense: to, toward, unto (of motion).
בֵּית֖וֹ  his  household 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: בַּיִת 
Sense: house.
וַיֵּחָנַ֑ק  and  hanged  himself 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Nifal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: חָנַק  
Sense: to strangle, strangle oneself.
וַיָּ֕מָת  and  died 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: מוּת  
Sense: to die, kill, have one executed.
וַיִּקָּבֵ֖ר  and  he  was  buried 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Nifal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: קָבַר  
Sense: to bury.
בְּקֶ֥בֶר  in  tomb 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: קֶבֶר  
Sense: grave, sepulchre, tomb.
אָבִֽיו  of  his  father 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: אָב  
Sense: father of an individual.
ס  - 
Parse: Punctuation