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Hushai

Pronounced HOO-shy

boy

✓ In the King James Bible — Yes — Hushai appears in the King James Bible, including 2 Samuel 15:37.

Meaning: "Hasty; Quick"
Origin: Hebrew

Hushai means "hasty" or "quick" in Hebrew. He was David's trusted friend and advisor — the man whose quick thinking and clever deception saved David's life during Absalom's rebellion. When Absalom seized Jerusalem, David fled — but he sent Hushai back into the city as a spy. Hushai presented himself to Absalom: "God save the king!" When Absalom asked why he hadn't followed David, Hushai replied with carefully ambiguous words: "Whom the LORD, and this people, and all the men of Israel, choose, his will I be." Hushai's critical moment came when Absalom sought counsel about pursuing David. Ahithophel — the brilliant but treacherous advisor — recommended immediate pursuit to catch David while he was weary. This counsel was militarily sound and would likely have succeeded. But Hushai proposed delay, painting a vivid picture of David's fierce warriors that frightened Absalom into waiting. This delay gave David time to cross the Jordan and reorganize his forces. The text says "the LORD had appointed to defeat the good counsel of Ahithophel" through Hushai's intervention. His friend's clever words literally saved the king's life and the kingdom.

Spiritual meaning

Hushai — David's 'friend' — risked everything to serve from behind enemy lines. His story teaches that friendship tested by danger reveals its true depth, and that a wise word at the right moment can change history.

Related verses (KJV)

"So Hushai David's friend came into the city, and Absalom came into Jerusalem."
2 Samuel 15:37 (KJV) →
"And Absalom and all the men of Israel said, The counsel of Hushai the Archite is better than the counsel of Ahithophel. For the LORD had appointed to defeat the good counsel of Ahithophel."
2 Samuel 17:14 (KJV) →

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