2 Samuel 17:20

20 And Absalom's servants came to the woman to the house, and said, Where are Ahimaaz and Jonathan? And the woman said to them, They have gone over the brook of water. And they sought and could not find [them], and returned to Jerusalem.

2 Samuel 17:20 Meaning and Commentary

2 Samuel 17:20

And when Absalom's servants came to the woman to the house,
&c.] Who were sent after then, had intelligence which way they took, and into what house they turned:

they said, where [are] Ahimaaz and Jonathan?
calling them by their names, being persons well known, and as to them, so to the woman of the house, as they supposed:

and the woman said unto them, they be gone over the brook of water;
the river Jordan; so the Targum,

``they have already passed over Jordan;''

this was a lie she told them, which is not to be justified; the Vulgate Latin version,

``they passed over hastily, having drank a little water;''

and so Josephus ^F18 in some copies:

and when they had sought and could not find [them];
not only searched that house, but very probably others in Bahurim:

they returned to Jerusalem;
to give an account what success they had.

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FOOTNOTES:

F18 Antiqu. l. 7. c. 9. sect. 7. Hudson. not. in ib.

2 Samuel 17:20 In-Context

18 But a lad saw them, and told Absalom. Then they went both of them away quickly, and came to the house of a man at Bahurim, who had a well in his court; and they went down there.

19 And the woman took and spread the covering over the well's mouth, and spread ground corn on it; and the thing was not known.

20 And Absalom's servants came to the woman to the house, and said, Where are Ahimaaz and Jonathan? And the woman said to them, They have gone over the brook of water. And they sought and could not find [them], and returned to Jerusalem.

21 And it came to pass after they had departed, that they came up out of the well, and went and told king David; and they said to David, Arise and pass quickly over the water; for thus has Ahithophel counselled against you.

22 Then David arose, and all the people that were with him, and they passed over the Jordan; by the morning light there was not one of them missing that had not gone over the Jordan.