And again, whom should I serve? should I not serve in the presence of his son? as I have served in thy father’s presence, so will I be in thy presence.
And besides, who should I serve? Shouldn't I serve in the presence of his son? Just as I served in your father's presence, so I will serve in your presence.
Hushai is cleverly telling Absalom that he should serve the king's son (meaning Absalom himself), while secretly remaining loyal to David.
📚 Historical Context
This verse comes from Hushai the Archite's response to Absalom during Absalom's rebellion against his father King David. Hushai was actually David's loyal friend who had been sent back to Jerusalem as a spy to counter the advice of Ahithophel, David's former counselor who had joined Absalom's rebellion. Hushai's words appear to pledge loyalty to Absalom while actually maintaining his true allegiance to David.
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