Ahithophel betrayed David by joining Absalom’s rebellion. His family connection to Bathsheba suggests that bitterness over David’s sin may have contributed, but Scripture does not state his motive. This once-trusted counselor’s betrayal foreshadows Judas’s betrayal of Jesus. Explore the parallels between Ahithophel and Judas and be encouraged that God is sovereign over the betrayals we experience.
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The Sound of Music tells the story of the von Trapp family escaping the Nazi takeover of Austria before World War II. A young Austrian named Rolf, who had been pursuing the oldest von Trapp daughter, joined the Nazis. When the von Trapps were hiding from the Nazis, Rolf found them. While holding the family at gunpoint, he demanded that they surrender.
Captain von Trapp, the father of the family, confronted Rolf, and gave him a choice: join the von Trapps while they flee to Switzerland or remain with the Nazis. Even though Rolf was conflicted, he chose to betray the von Trapps to the Nazis.
At the Last Supper, Jesus declared that He would be betrayed by one of the disciples. We know Jesus was speaking of Judas. We might wonder if Judas was conflicted because he tried to return the money and then committed suicide. But he was an evil man, and we shouldn’t make any excuses for his actions.
David Is a Type of Christ
Jesus’s betrayal is so significant that God prefigured it or foreshadowed it in the Old Testament through another man’s betrayal, and that’s David’s. As far as types and shadows of Christ go, David is one of the most dramatic:
- David and Jesus were both born in Bethlehem
- David was a shepherd, and Jesus is the Good Shepherd
- David was anointed, and Jesus is the Messiah or Anointed One
- David was a king, and Jesus is the King of Kings
- David defeated Goliath, the greatest enemy in his day, and Jesus defeated the devil, the greatest enemy in our day: 1 Corinthians 15:57 Thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
The list could go on, but you get the idea. Another way David is a picture or type of Christ is that they both experienced horrible betrayals.
If I were David, I would have felt betrayed by my family when they left me out in the field to watch the sheep, rather than inviting me to the anointing of the next king of Israel.
Think of how Saul betrayed David. David killed Goliath, something Saul should’ve done. David comforted Saul with music when the demonic spirit tormented him. Then, David faithfully served Saul as a military commander. After all that, Saul repeatedly tried to murder David, forcing him to flee from his friends and family and live in caves in the wilderness.
David’s son, Absalom, betrayed him, taking his wives, the throne, and the hearts of the people of Israel.
At the end of David’s life, his son, Adonijah, betrayed him like Absalom did. Making the betrayal worse, Joab, David’s nephew and great general, and Abiathar the priest, David’s longtime friend, betrayed David and joined Adonijah in his rebellion.
David’s psalms reveal the pain of betrayal. Psalm 3 explicitly connects his distress with Absalom’s rebellion, while Psalms 41 and 55 describe betrayal by a close friend without naming that person. Ahithophel’s betrayal provides a striking picture of Judas betraying Jesus.
Ahithophel Is a Type of Judas
David had a close friend and trusted advisor named Ahithophel. I’ll spell out three ways he is a type of Judas.
First, Ahithophel betrayed David, just as Judas betrayed Jesus.
Consider this verse about Ahithophel’s wisdom:
2 Samuel 16:23 Now in those days the counsel that Ahithophel gave was as if one consulted the word of God; so was all the counsel of Ahithophel esteemed, both by David and by Absalom.
Ahithophel was so wise that when people sought counsel from him, they felt they were hearing from God.
Ahithophel’s family connection to Bathsheba may help explain his betrayal. Second Samuel 11:3 identifies Bathsheba as Eliam’s daughter, and 2 Samuel 23:34 names Eliam as Ahithophel’s son. This connection points to Ahithophel as Bathsheba’s grandfather. David’s adultery with Bathsheba and murder of her husband, Uriah, may have stirred bitterness and a desire for revenge. But Scripture does not tell us why Ahithophel joined Absalom, so this remains a possible explanation.
Second, Ahithophel plotted against David, just as Judas plotted against Jesus.
This is when David learned that Ahithophel joined Absalom:
2 Samuel 15:31 And it was told David, “Ahithophel is among the conspirators with Absalom.” And David said, “O Lord, please turn the counsel of Ahithophel into foolishness.”
David knew how wise Ahithophel was and how dangerous his advice would be in Absalom’s hands, so he prayed for God to frustrate that counsel. Ahithophel then proposed pursuing David immediately and killing the king (2 Samuel 17:1–4). But Absalom followed Hushai’s advice instead. Verse 14 explains that the Lord had determined to defeat Ahithophel’s counsel. God answered David’s prayer.
Third, Ahithophel hanged himself, just as Judas hanged himself
Here’s Ahithophel’s response when he learned Absalom ignored his counsel:
2 Samuel 17:23 When Ahithophel saw that his counsel was not followed, he saddled his donkey and went off home to his own city. He set his house in order and hanged himself, and he died and was buried in the tomb of his father.
Ahithophel may have recognized that rejecting his counsel would lead to Absalom’s defeat, but the passage does not state his thoughts. It tells us that he took his own life after his counsel was rejected. His death is a tragic parallel with Judas, who also took his own life after betraying Jesus.
David’s Psalms Describe the Pain of Betrayal
David’s psalms describe the deep pain of betrayal by a trusted friend. Psalm 55 does not name the betrayer, but its words fit the kind of wound David experienced when Ahithophel turned against him:
Psalm 55:12 For it is not an enemy who taunts me—then I could bear it; it is not an adversary who deals insolently with me—then I could hide from him. 13 But it is you, a man, my equal, my companion, my familiar friend. 14 We used to take sweet counsel together; within God’s house we walked in the throng.
The level of intimacy or friendship determines the level of betrayal. If someone you’ve never met, such as a cashier at the store, mistreats you, it may bother you a little, but you wouldn’t describe it as betrayal. Why? That mistreatment came from someone with whom you had no relationship. But when the person is, as David said, a “companion [and] familiar friend,” the betrayal is all the more heartbreaking.
The pain David describes is real, and it also helps us understand the betrayal Jesus experienced. I see Ahithophel’s betrayal as a foreshadowing of Judas’s betrayal of Jesus. David spoke of a companion with whom he shared counsel and worship in God’s house. Jesus likewise shared fellowship with Judas. And while Psalm 55 does not name Ahithophel or Judas, Jesus explicitly applies the next psalm’s words to His betrayal.
David also described betrayal by a trusted friend:
Psalm 41:9 Even my close friend in whom I trusted, who ate my bread, has lifted his heel against me.
This brings us back to the Last Supper, when Jesus instituted communion with the disciples, and Judas ate the bread Jesus gave him.
Is This Old Testament Verse a Prophecy?
One clear guide to an Old Testament passage’s fulfillment is the New Testament’s explicit use of it. Jesus quoted Psalm 41:9 and said it would be fulfilled in His betrayal:
John 13:18 [Jesus said], “I am not speaking of all of you; I know whom I have chosen. But the Scripture will be fulfilled, ‘He who ate my bread has lifted his heel against me.’”
So, here’s the point: When Ahithophel betrayed David, it foreshadowed the betrayal of the true and greater Son of David, Jesus.
Jesus’s Two Shocking Statements
The Last Supper should have been a time of celebration, but it was marred by two shocking moments that dampened the mood. First, Jesus told the disciples He was going to die:
Luke 22:19 And he took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” 20 And likewise the cup after they had eaten, saying, “This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood.”
Jesus predicted His death multiple times—at least three recorded times in Luke’s gospel. Here He emphasized that His body would be given and His blood poured out for them.
Jesus had already foretold His suffering and death, but the disciples struggled to understand (Luke 18:31–34). At this meal, He made another shocking announcement: one of the disciples would betray Him.
Luke 22:21 But behold, the hand of him who betrays me is with me on the table.
We know that Judas betrayed Jesus, so we don’t think much about it, but what do you think it was like for the disciples when they first learned that Jesus would be betrayed by one of them? Jesus said many surprising things throughout His ministry, but I doubt anything ever surprised the disciples as much as this.
Also, consider the contrast:
John 15:13 Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.
Jesus told the disciples He would die for them. This is the most loving thing He could say. Right after that, He says one of them will betray Him. One of the worst things someone could do. So it was like, “I’ll die for you, and you’ll betray Me.”
Jesus even drew attention to the betrayal with the word behold. Everything Jesus said was important, but there were certain statements He wanted to ensure nobody missed, and this was one of them.
The Greek word for betray is paradidōmi, which can mean handing someone over. It is the same word used in Matthew 4:12 when John the Baptist was cast into prison. That’s what Judas did: he handed Jesus over to the religious leaders.
God Is Sovereign Over Betrayal
Luke 22:22 For the Son of Man goes as it has been determined, but woe to that man by whom he is betrayed!”
Jesus said His death would take place “as it has been determined” (Luke 22:22). Ahithophel’s betrayal of David helps us picture the betrayal Jesus would experience. But who determined the course Jesus would take? God the Father did.
Judas’s betrayal was especially grievous because he had spent years hearing Jesus’s teaching and witnessing His works. He handed over the One who had welcomed him as a disciple. God’s sovereignty over this betrayal does not excuse Judas’s wicked choice.
Because Judas’s betrayal was so evil, we tend to think God wasn’t sovereign over it, like it just happened outside His will. But the opposite is true. Jesus’s betrayal, like every other detail leading up to the crucifixion, was part of God’s eternal plan of redemption.
At Pentecost, consider how Peter describes Jesus’s crucifixion:
Acts 2:23 Jesus [was] delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God.
Consider the way the apostles described Jesus’s crucifixion when they prayed to the Father:
Acts 4:27 Truly in this city there were gathered together against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel,
That’s a lot of people against Jesus. You’ve got Herod, Pilate, the Gentiles, and the Jews. There’s nobody who couldn’t fit into these groups. Yet they went on to say that these people were gathered against Jesus:
Acts 4:28 to do whatever your hand and your plan had predestined to take place.
All these people fulfilled God’s plan. They did what God predestined would occur. And that’s why when Jesus made the shocking announcement that He would be betrayed by one of the disciples, He said God determined it.
Is Judas Still Responsible?
If God determined that Jesus would be betrayed, does that mean Judas is still responsible? Yes. The Bible teaches that God is sovereign and man is a free moral agent. I don’t know how to reconcile these truths. They seem mutually exclusive: if God is sovereign or in control of everything, man would lack free will; conversely, if man has free will, God wouldn’t be sovereign or in control of everything. Yet, the Bible affirms both, so we must accept both.
In God’s sovereignty, He determined that a close friend would betray His Son. However, divine foreknowledge does not eliminate man’s free moral agency or accountability. When God uses a wicked act for His holy purposes, it does not make the act any less wicked. Henry Morris wrote, “The fact that God overrules the evil that bad people do as He brings His purposes to pass does not make them any less evil.” Judas made his choices freely and will be judged accordingly, even though he carried out God’s decree.
Jesus emphasized this in verse 22 when He said, “Woe to that man (referring to Judas) by whom [I am] betrayed.” Jesus judged Judas for his betrayal, even though it would be used to bring about man’s redemption.
God’s Sovereignty Over Our Betrayal
If God is this sovereign over the betrayal His Son experienced, don’t you think He’s equally sovereign over the betrayal we experience? Absolutely. Nobody wants to experience betrayal, but how comforting is it to know that God controls it when it happens?
Three Points About the Disciples Questioning Themselves
Luke 22:23 And they began to question one another, which of them it could be who was going to do this.
Three points about this verse stand out to me. First, the disciples’ questions show the need for self-examination. Matthew 26:22 records them asking Jesus whether they were the betrayer. Luke also records a dispute over which of them was greatest immediately after this exchange (Luke 22:24). They still needed the humility Jesus taught them.
Second, eleven of the disciples were not the betrayer Jesus had in mind, but they still failed Him. Peter went on to deny Jesus, and Matthew 26:56 says that all the disciples fled when He was arrested. John later stood near the cross (John 19:26). In other words, we should all be mindful of our capacity to deny or abandon Christ so that we remain vigilant.
The third point that surprises me is that they didn’t know it was Judas! As soon as Jesus said one of them would betray Him, wouldn’t we all expect them to say, “Of course it’s Judas!”
Two Reasons the Disciples Didn’t Initially Know It Was Judas
First, and most obviously, Judas had concealed his betrayal so well that the others did not immediately identify him. He was included among the Twelve whom Jesus commissioned to preach and gave authority to heal and cast out demons (Matthew 10:1–8). The Gospels do not give an individual account of Judas performing miracles. His privileged position still shows how much a person can look saved without being saved:
Matthew 7:22 On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ 23 And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’
Judas’s place among the Twelve illustrates this sobering warning: outward involvement in ministry does not guarantee a genuine relationship with Christ.
This should remind us that there are always unsaved people among us. They might say and do everything right, but that doesn’t mean they’re born again.
The second reason the disciples didn’t know it was Judas is because of Jesus. Consider this verse:
John 6:64 Jesus knew from the beginning…who it was who would betray him.
Jesus knew all along that Judas would betray Him. Yet Judas continued to receive His teaching and share His table. Jesus’s kindness toward someone who would betray Him is incredibly convicting to me!
Can we be kind to people who mistreat us? Jesus’s announcement initially left the disciples uncertain about whom He meant (John 13:22). Later, He identified the betrayer through the morsel of bread He gave Judas (John 13:26), and Matthew 26:25 records His direct answer to Judas. I see mercy in Jesus’s warnings: Judas was confronted with his sin before carrying out the betrayal.
God Uses Betrayal for Good
Romans 8:28 We know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.
Judas’ betrayal of Jesus is one of the greatest examples of Romans 8:28 in history because God used this act to bring about incredible good: the redemption of humanity.
And here’s something I hope can encourage you as much as it encourages me: If God can bring forth good from the betrayal His Son experienced, don’t you think He’s equally able to bring forth good from the betrayal we experience? Absolutely! I don’t know what that good will look like, but I know that if Romans 8:28 says God works all things together for good for those who love Him and are the called according to His purpose, this includes betrayal.
God Uses Joseph’s Betrayal for Good
Consider another man in Scripture who was betrayed, and God used that betrayal for good. Jacob’s favoritism toward Joseph stirred his brothers’ jealousy and resentment. They plotted to kill Joseph, but Reuben persuaded them to put him in a pit instead. Genesis 37:21–22 explains that Reuben intended to rescue Joseph and return him to their father. Let’s say Joseph knew what it felt like to be betrayed!
Then, the brothers came across a caravan of slave traders. Knowing they could earn some money for Joseph, they pulled him out of the pit and sold him to the traders for 20 pieces of silver. The traders brought Joseph to Egypt, and because God was with him, he eventually rose to the highest position in Egypt, second only to Pharaoh himself. Then:
Genesis 41:56 “So when the famine had spread over all the land…”
This severe famine threatened people in Egypt and the surrounding lands, including Canaan (Genesis 41:57; 42:5). God used Joseph to preserve many lives by providing food. Years later, Joseph’s brothers asked for forgiveness. Consider what he said in return:
Genesis 50:20 (ESV): “As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today.”
This is the Old Testament equivalent of Romans 8:28! When Joseph was betrayed, I’m sure he didn’t understand it any more than we understand the betrayals we experience. Later, he could look back and see the good that God brought from it. We can do the same, if not in this life, then in the next.
Jesus Could Say Joseph’s Words Even Better
Joseph’s words also point us toward an even greater example of God bringing good from evil: the crucifixion of Jesus. Read Joseph’s statement again with that comparison in mind:
Genesis 50:20 (ESV): “As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today.”
The worst act of evil meant against another Person didn’t take place with Joseph; it took place when the perfectly innocent and righteous Son of God was crucified. The greatest act God meant for good didn’t take place with Joseph. It took place with Jesus.
God used Joseph to save many people, but the greatest way God intends to save people is with Jesus. Joseph provided people with more years of earthly life. Jesus provides us with heavenly life. Joseph saved people physically and temporarily. Jesus saves spiritually and eternally.
Jesus is the true and greater Joseph. Joseph’s words help us see the pattern: people intended evil, but God brought good from it. At the cross, that good reaches its greatest expression—salvation through Jesus Christ.
