Hushai

Hushai the Archite was David's close friend and counselor, described in 1 Chronicles 27:33 as the king's friend—a formal court title. His most celebrated service to David was during the rebellion of Absalom. When David fled Jerusalem, Hushai came to meet him with his robe torn and earth on his head in mourning. David sent him back to Jerusalem as a counter-spy, instructing him to feign loyalty to Absalom and undermine the advice of Ahithophel, who had joined the rebellion.

Hushai's finest moment came when Absalom convened his council: Ahithophel gave tactically excellent advice to pursue David immediately with a swift force before David could reorganize. Hushai successfully countered this counsel with advice to gather all Israel and overwhelm David in open battle—a delay that gave David time to prepare and ultimately survive. The narrative comments that God had ordained to defeat the good counsel of Ahithophel in order to bring disaster on Absalom. Ahithophel, seeing that his counsel was not followed, went home and hanged himself. Hushai's intelligence service through Jonathan and Ahimaaz at En-rogel was integral to David's survival of his most serious political crisis.