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
In the biblical narrative of 2 Samuel, Absalom has led a rebellion against his father, King David, in an attempt to usurp the throne and gain control of Israel. Hushai, a trusted advisor secretly loyal to David, is giving counsel to Absalom in this verse to delay an attack, portraying David and his men as fierce and enraged warriors, using the metaphor of a bear robbed of her cubs to highlight their dangerous resolve. This imagery reflects ancient Near Eastern cultural understandings of animal instincts, emphasizing the intensity of protective fury in times of conflict.
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