2 Samuel 16:23

And the counsel of Ahithophel, which he had counselled in those days ,.... Both in the days of David, and in the days of Absalom, before and since the rebellion:

was as if a man had inquired of the oracle of God ; such an opinion was entertained of it, so well satisfied were they with it, and as confident of success in taking it, as if the Lord himself had been consulted by Urim and Thummim; this is a very great exaggeration of Ahithophel's counsel, and is observed as a reason why it was so readily taken, though so bad in the preceding instance:

so was all the counsel of Ahithophel, both with David and with Absalom ; Ahithophel was a crafty man, a time server, that temporized with princes, and knew how to suit his counsels with their tempers and interests: to David he gave good counsel, what was acceptable with him, and to Absalom bad counsel, which was pleasing to him.