Who were the Archites in the Bible?

The Archites were a Canaanite people group whose territory was located near Bethel and formed part of the western boundary for the tribe of Ephraim. They are most notably known as the family or clan of Hushai, who was a loyal friend and advisor to King David (Joshua 16:2).

Why is Hushai the Archite important?

Hushai the Archite played a crucial role by remaining loyal to King David during Absalom's rebellion. His clever advice, which he gave under the pretense of serving Absalom, helped thwart the counsel of Ahithophel and ultimately aided David's safe return to power (2 Samuel 15:32-37).

Where was the land of the Archites?

The territory of the Archites is mentioned in the description of the tribal boundaries of Ephraim. It was located near Ataroth, west of the Jordan River and in the vicinity of Bethel (Joshua 16:1-2).

Archites

Old TestamentFemale

The Archites were a people group mentioned in relation to the boundaries of Ephraim's territory and as the origin of Hushai, King David's friend and advisor.

Archites

Biography

The Archites were a clan or people group whose territory is mentioned in Joshua 16:2 as a boundary marker for the allotment of Ephraim. They dwelt in the region between Bethel and Ataroth, in the central hill country of Canaan. The group is best known through their most famous representative, Hushai the Archite, who served as a trusted friend and counselor of King David. When David fled Jerusalem during Absalom's rebellion (2 Samuel 15–17), Hushai remained behind at David's request and posed as a defector to Absalom's court, where he successfully countered the shrewd counsel of Ahithophel, buying David crucial time to escape and reorganize. Hushai's title "the Archite" consistently identifies him with this group throughout those narratives.

Significance

Though the Archites appear only peripherally in the Old Testament, their enduring significance is inseparable from Hushai's heroic loyalty to David. Hushai's counter-counsel to Ahithophel in 2 Samuel 17 is presented as the direct answer to David's prayer that God would turn Ahithophel's counsel to foolishness (2 Samuel 15:31). The narrative explicitly states that "the LORD had ordained to defeat the good counsel of Ahithophel" (2 Samuel 17:14), making Hushai, the Archite, an instrument of divine providence in preserving the Davidic line. This preservation was not merely political but messianic in scope: the dynasty through which Christ would come depended, in that moment, on the faithfulness of a man from an otherwise obscure Canaanite clan.

Verse Appearances (6)

References

Orr, J. (ed.) (1915) The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia. Chicago: Howard-Severance Company. [Public Domain]
Tyndale House, Cambridge (n.d.) Translators Individualised Proper Names with all References (TIPNR). STEPBible. Available at: https://www.stepbible.org. [CC BY 4.0]
Church of England (1769) The Holy Bible, Authorized (King James) Version. [Public Domain]

View all sources & licensing →

See our editorial standards →

Content compiled from public domain scholarship, academic sources, and verified references. Editorial standards · View all sources

Archites

Biography

Significance

Verse Appearances (6)

Joshua

2 Samuel

1 Chronicles

References