Psalm 7:17Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

This account concerns both Ahithophel and Absalom, as each suffered the demise of their heads. Ahithophel concluded his existence by taking his own life, while Absalom became ensnared in a tree by his hair, hanging there for an extended period. Similarly, Judas ended his life by hanging himself upon realizing that he had contributed to his own ruin. Understanding that David would ultimately prevail, Ahithophel also took his life. Absalom was suspended from the tree against his wishes and did not perish immediately; rather, he remained there as if awaiting judgment, affixed to the wood, tortured by his conscience for an extended time. Desiring to shed his father's blood, he nonetheless found his father mourning for him posthumously, asking the soldiers to show mercy.

Bondage to Sin

For he was not inclined to evade sin, having been sold into the bondage of sin (Rom 7:14). The Lord proclaimed, “Everyone who commits sin is a slave to sin” (Jn 8:34). Consequently, unrighteousness will dominate him, binding him under its sway, as he is unable to declare to the Lord what the innocent and just proclaim: “My glory is mine, and You lift up my head” (Ps 3:4). Therefore, he will find himself in servitude, with unrighteousness commanding and oppressing him, burdening him and hindering his access to the peace of the righteous. This is the plight of a lawless individual, where reason is shackled and lust holds sway.

The downfall of the devil resembles a scenario where an individual carelessly throws a stone into the air, only for it to land back on their own head, causing injury. In a similar way, the devil was brought low by his own arrogance; he sought to elevate himself but ultimately fell. The reason he was unable to raise his head is that his own fury became his undoing, leading to his destruction.

He will become ensnared in the very nets he has woven, he shall reap the fruit of his endeavors, and he will be trapped by the snares he has devised for others.

His illness shall be returned upon his own head. He states that both will happen to him. Absalom was figuratively engulfed in peril, and his deceit became his own undoing. While rallying his troops in combat and riding beneath the branches of a tree, his hair became ensnared, causing him to hang there, where he ultimately met his end in excruciating pain. The wickedness he committed will descend upon him. The very injustice he aimed at others will ultimately befall him, striking him fatally at his very pinnacle. This is the reality that unfolded. In initiating a conflict against his father with the purpose of destroying him, Absalom found himself instead as a casualty of the strife he instigated.

The Conclusion of Ahithophel These words were genuinely realized in the life of Ahithophel. After being dismissed from the royal court, he took his own life on a hook. By nurturing malevolent thoughts and scheming against David, he ultimately reaped the consequences of his own wickedness. This serves as a broader principle: when anyone, in their heart, devises evil against another, wishing harm and setting traps for their demise, they bring ruin upon themselves, and their downfall will return to them. On the Day of Judgment, all will be judged according to their actions and receive the appropriate recompense for their endeavors.

He indicates that not only hidden sinful actions, represented by the act of digging a pit, but also overt sinful acts born of malice, such as murder, theft, and similar offenses, will fall back upon those who commit them, as ordained by God. This is akin to an arrow or a stone cast into the air that ultimately returns to the one who launched it. This principle was demonstrated in the lives of Saul, Absalom, Ahithophel, and numerous others.

The treacherous Judas, in a betrayal against Christ, ended his life by hanging himself; his unrighteousness rests heavy upon him, casting him down into the depths of perdition. The prophet refers to wickedness as a sickness and illustrates that those who set traps for others inevitably ensnare themselves. Christ embodies truth and is the true God. There is one faith, one baptism, and one God, Jesus Christ, who brings glory to God the Father, along with one celestial city, Jerusalem, meant for the blessed faithful.