John Gill Commentary 2 Samuel 16:18

"And Hushai said unto Absalom, Nay; but whom Jehovah, and this people, and all the men of Israel have chosen, his will I be, and with him will I abide." — 2 Samuel 16:18 (ASV)

And Hushai said to Absalom
In answer to his questions:

nay, but whom the Lord, and his people, and all the men of Israel
choose :
here again he speaks very ambiguously; for this circumlocution, or descriptive character of the king of Israel, better agrees with David, whom he might bear in mind, than with Absalom; for the Lord had chosen David, and he was anointed by his order, and all the people of Israel had chosen and anointed him likewise; but as for Absalom, it was only a part of them that had declared for him, nor was there any evidence of the Lord's choosing him; though Hushai undoubtedly would be understood of him, and as interpreting the voice of the people to be the voice of God:

his will I be, and with him will I abide ;
though he designed no such thing, which was a great piece of dissimulation and hypocrisy; and if he meant David, it was a piece of deceit and equivocation: there is a various reading in the first clause; we follow the marginal reading, (wl) , "to him" or "his", but the textual reading is (al) , "not": and both may be taken in by rendering the words by an interrogation, "shall I, or should I not be his" ^F4 ? I will; that is, be his servant, faithfully obey his commands, be closely attached to him, and continue with him as a loyal subject.

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FOOTNOTES:

• F4: (hyha al) "non ero", Montanus; "non essem ejus?" Junius & Tremellius.