AHITHOPHEL. - A shrewd counselor, and later a traitor, of David, a native of Giloh (Gilo) in the mountains of Judah, father of the hero Eliam (II Kings 23:24). In Absalom's conspiracy he took the side of the rebellious son, causing great grief and despair in David who, seeing himself now lost, turned to the Lord that He might render his counsels vain (II Kings 15:31). To prevent any agreement between father and son, A. advised Absalom to unite incestuously and publicly with the concubines left in Jerusalem by his father and to give no respite to the discouraged fleeing king. But Absalom carried out his advice only as to the first part, and allowed himself to be persuaded by Hushai to temporize. Out of personal spite and conscious of the rebel's cause now being desperate, A. returned to Giloh and, having set his house in order, hanged himself. II Kings 16-17.

In the Psalms (40:10; especially 54:13-15) David expresses his indignation and grief over the betrayal of his intimate confidant, to which Jesus seems to allude in reference to Judas (John 13:18).

Faustino Salvoni

@incollection{ec1_achitofel, author = {Salvoni, Faustino}, title = {Achitofel}, booktitle = {Enciclopedia Cattolica}, volume = {I}, pages = {225}, note = {Cited by column}, publisher = {Ente per l’Enciclopedia Cattolica e per il Libro Cattolico}, address = {Città del Vaticano}, year = {1948}, url = {https://azioneromana.com/article/achitofel} }

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Ahithophel

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