2 Samuel 15:31Someone told David, saying, "Ahithophel is among the conspirators with Absalom." David said, "Yahweh, please turn the counsel of Ahithophel into foolishness."
The setting
Somewhere on the Mount of Olives path, ~970 BC. A messenger brings David the worst possible news: his wisest counselor, the man whose advice was 'like the oracle of God,' has joined his son's coup.
The emotion here: desperate but still choosing prayer over revenge
The original word
qesher (קֶשֶׁר) — conspiracy, a binding together against someone, from the root 'to tie knots'
Why it matters
Ahithophel's counsel was so respected that people said consulting him was like inquiring of God directly
Read with care
What most readers miss in 2 Samuel 15:31
David doesn't pray for Ahithophel to die — he prays for his wisdom to become foolishness.
Common misconceptionThis looks like David panicking, but it's actually brilliant spiritual warfare — he's fighting strategy with prayer, not just emotion.
The thread continues
Verses that echo 2 Samuel 15:31
Bible Genome reading
2 Samuel 15:31 — Bible Genome reading
Emotional genome
2 Samuel 15:31 comes from the book of 2 Samuel, written during the United Kingdom period. The setting is wilderness. These words are attributed to David. The dominant emotion in this verse is seeking, with a comfort power of 50% and a tone that is urgent. It belongs to the dialogue genre of biblical literature. Key themes include betrayal, prayer for protection, divine intervention. Notable phrases: Ahithophel is among the conspirators; Yahweh, please turn the counsel of Ahithophel into foolishness. This verse is a prayer.
Emotionally similar
Verses that meet the same seeking
“Pray without ceasing.”
— 1 Thessalonians 5:17
“But let justice roll on like rivers, and righteousness like a mighty stream.”
— Amos 5:24
“Be it far from you to do things like that, to kill the righteous with the wicked, so that the righteous should be like the wicked. May that …”
— Genesis 18:25
“Call to me, and I will answer you, and will show you great things, and difficult, which you don't know.”
— Jeremiah 33:3
“Forgive us our sins, for we ourselves also forgive everyone who is indebted to us. Bring us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evi…”
— Luke 11:4
Your reflection
What does 2 Samuel 15:31 mean to you, today?
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