For, said Hushai, thou knowest thy father and his men, that they be mighty men, and they be chafed in their minds, as a bear robbed of her whelps in the field: and thy father is a man of war, and will not lodge with the people.
Hushai said, 'You know your father and his men are mighty warriors, and right now they're furious and dangerous—like a mother bear whose cubs have been stolen from her in the wild. Your father is an experienced soldier, and he won't stay with the regular troops.'
Hushai is warning that David and his warriors are extremely dangerous right now because they're angry and desperate, like a fierce mother bear protecting her young.
📚 Historical Context
This occurs during Absalom's rebellion against his father King David. Hushai, who was secretly loyal to David, was giving advice to Absalom while pretending to support the rebellion. He was deliberately trying to give bad counsel to protect David and buy him time to escape and regroup his forces.
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