HUSHAI THE ARCHITE

HUSHAI THE ARCHITE
HUSHAI THE ARCHITE (Heb. חוּשַׁי הָאַרְכִּי), biblical figure listed in I Chronicles 27:33 as holding the office of "the king's friend" under David. In II Samuel 15:37; 16:17 he is referred to as "David's friend." Hushai figures prominently in the story of the rebellion of absalom . At the time of David's flight from Jerusalem, Hushai, deeply grieved and wearing the traditional rent garments and ashes, sought to join David's company on the Mount of Olives, to which they had fled when Jerusalem's capitulation to Absalom appeared inevitable. David, however, persuaded Hushai to return and offer his allegiance to Absalom, so that he might defeat the counsels of ahithophel , David's adviser, and that he might supply information to David (II Sam. 15:32–37). Hushai, accepted as a loyal adviser by Absalom, successfully opposed Ahithophel's plan to pursue and attack David immediately, proposing instead that Absalom mass his forces and attack David in person. Having thus afforded David time to escape, Hushai sent word to David through his couriers, the sons of the priests abiathar and zadok , to cross the Jordan immediately (II Sam. 17:5–16). Although no more is heard of Hushai himself, Baana son of Hushai, one of the prefects of Solomon listed in I Kings 4:16, is probably his son. The term "the Archite" indicates that Hushai belongs to the clan named in Joshua 16:2–3 as dwelling in the vicinity of Ataroth, on the border between Ephraim and Benjamin. The name Hushai itself is most probably a short form of the name Ahishai, Ahushai. (Tikva S. Frymer) -In the Aggadah Various interpretations are given to the epithet "The Archite." According to one opinion it was because he was one of David's highest officials (from the Greek archē, "chief of government"); according to another it is the name of his birthplace; and others that he was so called "because through him the house of David was to be put on a firm footing, and through him the house of David was to be kept in good repair," the word ארך in Aramaic meaning to keep in good order (Mid. Ps. 3:3). After Absalom's rebellion, David wished to serve an idol, in order that people should attribute his public disgrace to Divine punishment for this sin, and not think that God had punished him without cause. Hushai, however, pointed out to David that his punishment had, in fact, already been foretold, in the Scriptures. Although David had been permitted to marry Absalom's mother (Maacah), who was a captive slave, he had failed to take note of the fact that the passage immediately following the biblical permission to do so speaks of the dishonest and rebellious son (Deut. 21:18) to teach the lesson that this was the natural issue of such a marriage (Sanh. 107a). -BIBLIOGRAPHY: de Vaux, Anc Isr, 122–3; idem, in: RB, 48 (1939), 403–5; van Selms, in: JNES, 16 (1957), 118–23; Albright, in: JBL, 58 (1939), 179–80; Dupont-Sommer, in: Syria, 24 (1944–45), 42 (Fr.); Donner, in: ZAW, 73 (1961), 269–77. ADD. BIBLIOGRAPHY: N. Fox, In the Service of the King (2000), 121–28.

Encyclopedia Judaica. 1971.

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  • Hushai —    Quick, the Archite, the king s friend (1 Chr. 27:33). When David fled from Jerusalem, on account of the rebellion of Absalom, and had reached the summit of Olivet, he there met Hushai, whom he sent back to Jerusalem for the purpose of… …   Easton's Bible Dictionary

  • Hushai — or Chusai was a friend of David and a spy according to the Hebrew Bible. During Absalom s rebellion described in the Second Book of Samuel, he agrees to act as an advisor to Absalom to sabotage his plans while secretly sending information to… …   Wikipedia

  • AHITHOPHEL (Heb. אֲחִיתֹפֶל) THE GILONITE — (i.e., of the Judean town of Giloh), adviser of King david (II Sam. 15:12; I Chron. 27:33–34): Now, in those days, advice from Ahithophel was like an oracle from God (II Sam. 16:23). Ahithophel was the only one of David s inner council who joined …   Encyclopedia of Judaism

  • Archite —    The usual designation of Hushai (2 Sam. 15:32; 17:5, 14; 1 Chr. 27:33), who was a native of Archi. He was the king s friend , i.e., he held office under David similar to that of our modern privy councillor …   Easton's Bible Dictionary

  • 2 Samuel 17 — 1 Moreover Ahithophel said unto Absalom, Let me now choose out twelve thousand men, and I will arise and pursue after David this night: 2 And I will come upon him while he is weary and weak handed, and will make him afraid: and all the people… …   The King James version of the Bible

  • 2 Samuel 16 — 1 And when David was a little past the top of the hill, behold, Ziba the servant of Mephibosheth met him, with a couple of asses saddled, and upon them two hundred loaves of bread, and an hundred bunches of raisins, and an hundred of summer… …   The King James version of the Bible

  • 2 Samuel 15 — 1 And it came to pass after this, that Absalom prepared him chariots and horses, and fifty men to run before him. 2 And Absalom rose up early, and stood beside the way of the gate: and it was so, that when any man that had a controversy came to… …   The King James version of the Bible

  • ABSALOM — (Heb. אַבְשָׁלוֹם, אַבְשָׁלֹם, אֲבִישָׁלוֹם), third son of david , born during his reign in Hebron, probably about 1007/06 B.C.E. In the Bible Absalom was the son of Maacah, the daughter of King Talmai of Geshur. When his half brother Amnon… …   Encyclopedia of Judaism

  • 1 Chronicles 27 — 1 Now the children of Israel after their number, to wit, the chief fathers and captains of thousands and hundreds, and their officers that served the king in any matter of the courses, which came in and went out month by month throughout all the… …   The King James version of the Bible

  • KEFAR YASIF — (Heb. כְּפַר יָסִיף), a large village at the foot of the mountains of Upper Galilee, about 7 mi. (10 km.) N.E. of Acre. The antiquity of the name Kefar Yasif is alluded to in the Septuagint, which instead of Hosah, the portion of Asher (Josh.… …   Encyclopedia of Judaism

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