2 Samuel 16:19
And again, whom should I serve? should I not serve in the presence of his son? as I have served in thy father’s presence, so will I be in thy presence. And again, whom should I serve? should I not serve in the presence of his son? as I have served in thy father’s presence, so will I be in thy presence.
Hushai is assuring Absalom that he will serve him as faithfully as he served David his father, presenting service to the son as consistent with his former service to the father. The saying belongs to the troubles in David's family told in chapters 13 to 20, growing out of his multiplying wives to himself and producing a large family of children by different wives in which idleness, luxury and jealousy developed unenviable characters. Those troubles revolve around the beautiful Absalom whose ambitions were roused by flattery poured out upon a shrewd and handsome prince, and include Absalom's base conduct, Ahithophel's treachery, Shimei's cursing, and the king's fearful flight on a pathetic journey that touched the hearts of his old friends. The story runs through Absalom's defeat to David's sorrow over the wicked son's fate, while David's kindness to the house of Saul remains in evidence.
It falls within the account of Absalom's rebellion and David's troubles after his wrong conduct against Uriah, included among the sorrows and family troubles that came upon David as retribution, and presented as an example of wrongs returning on the wrongdoer with retribution coming chiefly through his family. It falls within the later history of David which shows the judgments pronounced by Nathan after David's transgression being carried out. As part of the events of chapters 16 and 17 leading to Absalom's defeat and death, Hushai, who was David's friend, caused delay by his counsel, with about three months passing between Absalom's occupation of Jerusalem and his tragic death. His work answered David's prayer in 2 Samuel 15:31 and brought Ahithophel's counsel to nothing, giving David time to number his adherents and thoroughly organize his army under experienced generals while Absalom rallied superior numbers to his standard.
In its setting the saying teaches that walking contrary to God's laws brings suffering, because every transgression of divine law carries its inherent curse even when God does not openly reprove and seems to wink at blindness. Absalom's superiority of numbers counted for nothing against David's trained heroes because God was not with Absalom, showing that however loud the profession, however large the following, and however flattering the prospects, ultimate failure is certain if God is not in the movement and majorities are not necessarily divine agencies.