The United Kingdom of Israel:
Saul, David & Solomon
Foreshadow Christ the King

Lesson 18 Good & Bad Counsel: Problems for Absalom
the Second Book of Samuel 16:15—18:18

Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (RSVCE)*
New American Bible Revised Edition (NABRE)*
Catechism of the Catholic Church
ex libris (in our library)
glossary for The United Kingdom of Israel
cross references in The United Kingdom of Israel
next lesson: David Mourns the Death of Absalom

This material coordinates with Lesson 18 on pages 109–113 in The United Kingdom of Israel: Saul, David & Solomon Foreshadow Christ the King.

“When your days are fulfilled and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring after you, who shall come forth from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom for ever.”
—the Second Book of Samuel 7:12–13

welcome to our in-depth study of Saul, David & Solomon
We invite interested groups and individuals to check out the sample first lesson from this 28-lesson Turning to God’s Word Catholic Bible study. These online study pages link to our free lesson videos, as well as to a glossary and cross references in the biblical text. Other study aids include maps, additional commentary, and prayers based on the primary Scripture in each lesson. The United Kingdom of Israel: Saul, David & Solomon Foreshadow Christ the King has been granted an imprimatur and may be purchased from our website shop. If you have a Bible-study question or comment, click on the “ask us your question” or “what do you think” button on any study page.

open with prayer
It’s always wise to begin any Bible study with prayer, whether reading the Scriptures alone or meeting with others in a discussion study group. You can pray using your own words or use one of the opening prayers on our website. We especially like the following:

Lord Jesus, you promised to send your Holy Spirit
to teach us all things.
As we read and study your word today,
allow it to touch our hearts and change our lives. Amen.

let’s review—the Second Book of Samuel 15:1—16:14
In Lesson 17 Absalom Usurps the Throne, David’s son schemes to overthrow his father as king. Absalom’s plan hinges on making himself well known to the men of Israel. He then arranges a ruse to be declared king at Hebron. When David learns of the threat he abandons Jerusalem, leaving 10 concubines behind. A large retinue follows David, including his elite guard and 600 Gittites. The people of Jerusalem weep as David heads into the wilderness. The priests bring out the ark of the covenant, and David instructs them to carry it back into Jerusalem. He arranges for two of the priests’ sons to keep him informed of Absalom’s movements. David also learns that his counselor Ahithophel has joined Absalom. David encourages his friend Hushai to infiltrate Absalom’s inner circle where Hushai will be in a position to contradict Ahithophel’s counsel. Ziba, the servant of Mephibosheth, shows up with provisions and tells David that Mephibosheth is hoping to return the kingdom to the house of Saul. David gives Mephibosheth’s property to Ziba. Shime-i, a Benjaminite, curses David and throws stones at him. Abishai, a son of Zeruiah, wants to kill Shime-i, but David won’t allow it. David expresses continued trust in the LORD, and he and the people accompanying him arrive at the Jordan River.

map notes—ancient monuments
The First Book of Samuel 15:12 recorded that Saul set up a monument to himself at Carmel. It wasn’t uncommon for rulers to leave behind such evidence of accomplishment. The Second Book of Samuel 18:18 records: “Now Absalom in his lifetime had taken and set up for himself the pillar which is in the King’s Valley, for he said, ‘I have no son to keep my name in remembrance’; he called the pillar after his own name, and it is called Absalom’s monument to this day.” The Second Book of Samuel 14:27, however, records that three sons were born to Absalom, raising the question of what might have happened to these boys. The first biblical reference to the King’s Valley occurs in the book of Genesis 14:17, where it’s also identified as the Valley of Shaveh, a location slightly north and west of Jerusalem. It’s remembered as the site where Abraham met the priest-king Melchizedek, but neither the monument to Saul nor the pillar erected by Absalom have survived to the present day. This points out for Christians that our lives are our monuments, and we build them as stones in the edifice of the Church, the Body of Christ. Click on the map (above right) to enlarge it. The original map is on page 112 in The United Kingdom of Israel: Saul, David & Solomon Foreshadow Christ the King. You can learn more about Abraham’s meeting with Melchizedek in lessons from two Turning to God’s Word Catholic Bible studies—Lesson 8 The Call of Abram in In the Beginning: The Book of Genesis, and Lesson 7 Power of an Indestructible Life in The Letter to the Hebrews: An Explanation of the Mechanism of Our Salvation.

a subtle suggestion of who’s boss (18:27)
There’s one big question facing Absalom and his supporters: What shall be done about David? On the video overview for Lesson 18, “Good & Bad Counsel: Problems for Absalom,” Turning to God’s Word author Matthew Phelps discuses the pros and cons of the conflicting counsel offered by Ahithophel and Hushai. Ahithophel advises Absalom to go after David immediately, while Hushai’s counter opinion reminds everyone that the several hundred men aligned with David are experienced fighting men, and Absalom’s current force of 12,000 might not be enough to prevail. The mention of bears and lions is a deliberate attempt to play to Absalom’s fear, since it recalls why it was that even as a young and inexperienced shepherd, David was able to defeat the Philistine giant Goliath. David remains a formidable foe.


The Scripture ranges for the videos that accompany this Catholic Bible study match the Scripture ranges for the sets of questions in The United Kingdom of Israel: Saul, David & Solomon Foreshadow Christ the King. You can follow along as Turning to God’s Word author Matthew Phelps discusses Lesson 18, “Good & Bad Counsel: Problems for Absalom,” on pages 109–113 in the study book.

prophecy fulfilled
In Lesson 18, it’s apparent that David’s united kingdom of Israel isn’t very unified. This is in keeping with the prophecy God spoke to David through the Nathan, which is recorded in the Second Book of Samuel 12:10–11: “‘Now therefore the sword shall never depart from your house, because you have despised me, and have taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your wife.’ Thus says the LORD, ‘Behold, I will raise up evil against you out of your own house; and I will take your wives before your eyes, and give them to your neighbor, and he shall lie with your wives in the sight of this sun.'”

WHAT DO YOU THINK about Hushai’s words to Absalom?
In the Second Book of Samuel 16:17–19, Absalom questions why Hushai the Archite hasn’t remained loyal to David, and Husahi replies: “For whom the LORD and this people and all the men of Israel have chosen, his I will 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 I will serve you.”

?  Why do you think it is that Absalom is suspicious about Hushai’s defection from David, but apparently has no qualms about accepting Ahithophel, who previously served as David’s counselor?
?  What evidence in Hushai’s words to Absalom indicates that Hushai is continuing to remain loyal to David?

Ahithophel isn’t a prophet
Although the Second Book of Samuel 16:23 records that Ahithophel the Gilonite is regarded by others as an oracle of God, it’s apparent to readers that he’s not a prophet or he wouldn’t be siding with Absalom instead of David. Obviously, Ahithophel’s ability to foresee the future is flawed if he fails to see that David ultimately will win this conflict. The Turning to God’s Word Catholic Bible study Thus Says the LORD: God Speaks Through His Servants the Prophets—Volume I: A Kingdom Divided identifies the characteristics that distinguish Old Testament prophets.

pray with the Psalms—maintaining faith in the face of severe difficulties
Among David’s admirable qualities is his ability to trust in the LORD even when the deck seems stacked against him. In Psalm 103:14, David compares the LORD’s compassion on those who fear him with the compassion that a father feels for his children, going on to sing about the fleeting nature of human existence: “For he [the LORD] knows our frame; he remembers that we are dust.” It’s easy to imagine David considering the futility of death at a time when his own son has just been killed. It’s somewhat more intriguing to think about David choosing to recognize God’s compassion for humanity in the compassion that he himself feels for his wayward son Absalom. Prayed at Sunday Vigils (Week I), Psalm 103 will be included as part of Lesson 1 He Who Sits in the Heavens Laughs in the Turning to God’s Word Catholic Bible study Sing a New Psalm: Communicating with God Through the Prayers of the Church—Volume II: Vigils, Day Prayer & Compline, which is scheduled for publication in late summer of 2025.

salvation—you could look it up in our archives
In Second Book of Samuel 18:3, David’s followers express concern about his safety. To learn the meaning of the word “salvation” and how it’s linked to safety, read Lost in Translation, an online column in which Turning to God’s Word author Matthew Phelps helps readers connect with ideas expressed in the original languages of the Scriptures. New Lost in Translation entries are posted on Mondays, and past entries are archived on our website. Contact us if you’d like to receive Lost in Translation by email every week.

military commanders in the armed conflict 
David chooses his nephews Joab and Abishai, the two remaining sons of Zeruiah, to command two-thirds of his fighting forces. The final third David places under the command of Ittai the Gittite, who only joined David’s retinue as David was being forced to flee Jerusalem. On the other side, leading Absalom’s forces, is Amasa, who as the son of David’s sister Abigail is another of David’s nephews. It’s notable that although Joab previously backed Absalom’s desire to be reunited with David, Joab’s ultimate loyalty so far always has ended up being to David.

a sharp contrast between David & his son
In the Second Book of Samuel 18:2–4 , David expresses his intention to join in the fighting against Absalom’s forces, but his men insist that he remain in Mahanaim, where he will be safer. It’s to David’s credit that he agrees to do whatever seems best to his forces. Before sending them out to march against Absalom, however, David orders his three commanders—Joab, Abishai, and Ittai—to deal gently with his son. David’s attitude is in stark contrast with Absalom’s goal, which is to see his father killed.

malice recoils on itself
The following is an excerpt from a homily by St. John Chrysostom, named archbishop of Constantinople in 397. After a tumultuous few years that included his banishment from the city, he died in 407. A great orator, he spoke about the connection between Psalm 7 and the eighteenth and nineteenth chapters in the Second Book of Samuel. The saint sees in Psalm 7:16—”His mischief returns upon his own head”—a reference to both Ahithophel and Absalom, because the heads of both suffered punishment. Prayed at Thursday Vigils (Week I), Psalm 7 will be included as part of Lesson 9 From the Grave, Who Can Give You Praise? in the Turning to God’s Word Catholic Bible study Sing a New Psalm: Communicating with God Through the Prayers of the Church—Volume II: Vigils, Day Prayer & Compline, which is scheduled for publication in late summer of 2025.

“Ahithophel hanged himself; Absalom was caught up by his hair as he rode under a tree, and he hung there for a long time. And Judas also hanged himself, knowing that his crime had brought evil on his own head. It was the same with Ahithophel; when he saw that David would certainly come off best he hanged himself. As for Absalom, his hanging was against his will and he was not killed immediately, but appeared to be suspended and fixed to the tree awaiting judgment. By the judgment of God he remained hanging there for a long time, while his conscience added to his torments. He had longed to plunge his sword into his father’s throat; but even so his father urged his soldiers to spare him, and was so devoid of vainglory as even to lament his son’s death. And to make you understand that what happened to Absalom was not the result of human zeal but entirely a divine judgment, it was his own hair and a tree that bound him, and a beast of burden that delivered him up; his own hair was his rope, the tree was the beam from which he hung, and it was not a soldier but a mule that brought him to this.”

the best Catholic commentary about Scripture
To find out more about how Church teaching is supported by Scripture passages in The United Kingdom of Israel: Saul, David & Solomon Foreshadow Christ the King, check out the Index of Citations in the Catechism of the Catholic Church. Links (Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition [RSVCE*]) to the primary Scripture passages in the lesson and relevant paragraphs in the Catechism are provided here. Not every passage in the biblical text for this Catholic study is referenced in a Catechism paragraph, however, including the passage in this lesson from the Second Book of Samuel 16:15—18:18.

ways our glossary might prove helpful
In addition to providing extra information about geographical locations, our glossary also points out persons and places mentioned in the biblical text under multiple names or spellings. If you can remember a name but aren’t sure in which lesson it shows up, you can find it in the glossary, which lists every proper noun that appears in the primary biblical text for The United Kingdom of Israel: Saul, David & Solomon Foreshadow Christ the King.

to learn more, read more Scripture
If you’re having difficulty with a particular passage of Scripture, it can be helpful to read the relevant cross references—but looking these up can take time. To make that easier, we’ve compiled the cross references from the Revised Standard Version Second Catholic Edition (RSV2CE)—the translation that we reprint in our study books. That list can be found at the top of every online study page, and it includes links to cross references in the primary biblical text for The United Kingdom of Israel: Saul, David & Solomon Foreshadow Christ the King.

don’t forget about our indexes & extra online material
If you’re trying to locate information about a specific Scripture passage, you can look it up in the index at the back of the study book or sample lesson. If you want to find a particular commentary, you can look up its title in the topics index. To learn more about another book of the Bible for which there’s a Turning to God’s Word study, visit the online study directories to read the commentaries and watch any accompanying videos. Finally, if you have a question or would like to make a comment about any of our studies, you can use one of the “ask us your question” or “what do you think” buttons to email our authors.

ex libris—Church documents & books about religious topics
Link to magisterial documents referred to in our Bible studies at ex libris—magisterial documents. This listing includes significant recent encyclicals as well as a number of historical Church documents. Recommended books related to Scripture study can be found at ex libris—main bookshelf.

wondering how to pronounce some of these words?
The following link is to a reading from the New International Version (NIV) Bible. To listen, click on the audio icon above the printed text. Although not taken from the translations used in our study materials, the NIV reading provides an audio guide to pronunciation of words in this lesson’s primary biblical text. A close online version of the translation of the Bible used in Catholic liturgy in the United States as well as an audio guide for daily Mass readings for the current month can be found on the website of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB).

the Second Book of Samuel 16:15—18:18 (NIV)

round black doveclose with Bible-based prayer related to this lesson
Many of our Catholic study groups like to conclude their discussions with a prayer based on the scriptural focus of their lesson, and some participants include Scripture-specific prayer in their individual study. If you’re uncomfortable composing your own Bible-based prayers you can follow our four easy steps. If you prefer, you can use the following prayer based on the biblical text in this lesson in the study book The United Kingdom of Israel: Saul, David & Solomon Foreshadow Christ the King.

O God, you warned David that as a consequence of his sin,
the sword never would depart from his household.
Foster in us a spirit of humility,
and teach us to remain steadfast in our love for you
amid the difficulties that we bring upon ourselves.
We ask this in the name of Jesus Christ,
who as your Son was willing to be obedient unto death
in order to bring about the possibility of eternal life for all men and women. Amen.

Lesson 19 David Mourns the Death of Absalom—the Second Book of Samuel 18:19—19:40
Lesson 17 Absalom Usurps the Throne—the Second Book of Samuel 15:1—16:14

you also may like our study of Scripture & the Rosary (digital only)
Scripture & the Rosary: New Testament Mysteries, Old Testament Parallels, a 26-lesson Catholic Bible study with an imprimatur, looks at the biblical foundations of the Rosary. The study includes lessons on Pope St. John Paul II’s Rosarium Virginis Mariae (Rosary of the Virgin Mary), the Apostles’ Creed, and the Luminous Mysteries as well as the original 15 Mysteries of the Rosary. Color photographs of stained glass windows depict key scenes in the lives of Jesus and Mary. Free digital lessons rotate throughout the year on our website.

start a Turning to God’s Word Bible study
Thank you for your interest in The United Kingdom of Israel: Saul, David & Solomon Foreshadow Christ the King. Information about beginning a Turning to God’s Word Bible study can be found at start a Bible study. Tami, Matthew, and I are available to answer questions. Contact us if you’d like to start one of our studies or have your schedule listed with other TtGW study groups on our website. —Jennifer

*There are seven deuterocanonical books in the Old Testament—the Books of Tobit, Judith, Wisdom, Sirach, Baruch, and First and Second Maccabees, as well as some passages in the Books of Esther and Daniel. Protestants usually refer to these works as “apocryphal,” a word that means “outside the (Protestant) canon” because they’re excluded from most Protestant Bibles. The word “deuterocanonical” means “second canon”; Catholics use that word to refer to any section of the Catholic Old Testament for which there are no extant, or existing, Hebrew manuscripts. All of the deuterocanonical books appear in the Septuagint, the earliest remaining versions of which date to the 1st century B.C. This Greek translation of the Old Testament was in common use by Jews at the time of Jesus—but the same books aren’t found in existing Hebrew manuscripts, which aren’t as old as the oldest version of the Septuagint. Learn more by reading How Do Catholic & Protestant Bibles Differ?

Turning to God’s Word printed Bible studies use the 2006 Revised Standard Version Second Catholic Edition (RSV2CE) translation for all Scripture references except those to the Psalms, which are taken from The Abbey Psalms and Canticles, prepared by the Benedictine monks of Conception Abbey and published in 2020 by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB). All Scripture links for the online study pages for The United Kingdom of Israel: Saul, David & Solomon Foreshadow Christ the King are to the 1966 Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (RSVCE) translation. The New International Version (NIV) audio recordings follow the same chapter and verse numbering as the RSV Catholic translations, but the NIV translation doesn’t include the deuterocanonical books and passages.

The 1966 RSVCE uses archaic pronouns and verb forms such as “thee,” “thou,” “didst” in the Psalms and in direct quotations attributed to God. The 2006 RSV2CE replaces those with more accessible English. The few significant translation changes in the RSV2CE include rendering almah as “virgin” in the Book of Isaiah 7:14 and restoring the term “begotten” in the Gospel According to John 3:16.

Numbering varies for some passages in this Bible study. Turning to God’s Word studies (print and digital) follow the numbering in the Revised Standard Version Catholic translations (RSV2CE and RSVCE). Discrepancies in the New American Bible Revised Edition (NABRE) are noted in the Index of Scripture Citations in the study book and the online sample.

You can learn more about the Psalms by viewing a sample lesson from the Turning to God’s Word Catholic Bible study Sing a New Psalm: Communicating with God Through the Prayers of the Church—Volume I: Lauds & Vespers. The second part of that study, Sing a New Psalm: Communicating with God Through the Prayers of the Church—Volume II: Vigils, Day Prayer & Compline, is scheduled for publication in 2025. Some verse numbers may vary in different translations of the Psalms.