2 Samuel 16:15-19 reads, “Now Absalom and all the people, the men of Israel, came to Jerusalem, and Ahithophel with him. And when Hushai the Archite, David’s friend, came to Absalom, Hushai said to Absalom, “Long live the king! Long live the king!” And Absalom said to Hushai, “Is this your loyalty to your friend? Why did you not go with your friend?” And Hushai said to Absalom, “No, for whom the Lord and this people and all the men of Israel have chosen, his I will be, and with him I will remain. And again, whom should I serve? Should it not be his son? As I have served your father, so I will serve you.”
When Absalom rejected Ahithophel’s advice, he had Hushai brought in for his advice. Hushai was a spy for David and used flattery to appeal to Absalom. It must have worked because Absalom took Hushai’s advice. Hushai deception of Absalom is another example of the deception of an enemy in wartime.
The last example of deception during war is found in 2 Samuel 17:17-20 which reads, “Now Jonathan and Ahimaaz were waiting at En-rogel. A female servant was to go and tell them, and they were to go and tell King David, for they were not to be seen entering the city. But a young man saw them and told Absalom. So both of them went away quickly and came to the house of a man at Bahurim, who had a well in his courtyard. And they went down into it. And the woman took and spread a covering over the well’s mouth and scattered grain on it, and nothing was known of it. When Absalom’s servants came to the woman at the house, they said, “Where are Ahimaaz and Jonathan?” And the woman said to them, “They have gone over the brook of water.” And when they had sought and could not find them, they returned to Jerusalem.” David’s supporters deceive Absalom’s men at En Rogel. These examples illustrate that one can live a lie just as easy as telling a lie. Both are designed to deceive and both are sinful. However, in war time, it appears to be common and expected in making strategies to defeat the enemy.