2 Samuel 17:17

17 Jonathan and Ahimaaz were waiting at En Rogel. They could not risk being seen coming into the city, so a servant girl was to go and tell them, and they were to go and tell King David.

2 Samuel 17:17 Meaning and Commentary

2 Samuel 17:17

Now Jonathan and Ahimaaz stayed by Enrogel
Who were the sons of the priests; these did not go into the city of Jerusalem with their parents, when they were sent back by David, ( 2 Samuel 15:27 ) ; but stayed by their direction at this place, which was near Jerusalem, and is called in the Targum the fuller's fountain, where they washed their clothes; and, as Kimchi and Jarchi say, by treading them with their feet, whence it had the name of Rogel, of which (See Gill on Joshua 15:7);

(for they might not be seen to come into the city);
having been charged by their parents to continue there for the sake of carrying intelligence to David, or because suspected by Absalom's party of carrying on such an intrigue:

and a wench went and told them:
what Hushai had communicated to the priests, and what was his advice to David; this girl is supposed by Kimchi and Abarbinel to be of the family of Zadok, by whom she was sufficiently instructed to tell her message, and of whom there would be no suspicion:

and they went and told King David;
the sons of the priests went and related to him all that had been transmitted to them.

2 Samuel 17:17 In-Context

15 Then Hushai told the priests Zadok and Abiathar, "Ahithophel advised Absalom and the leaders of Israel to do one thing, but I advised them to do something else.

16 Now send messengers quickly to tell David, 'Don't rest tonight in the river crossings in the desert, but make sure you cross [the river], or Your Majesty and all the troops with him will be wiped out.'"

17 Jonathan and Ahimaaz were waiting at En Rogel. They could not risk being seen coming into the city, so a servant girl was to go and tell them, and they were to go and tell King David.

18 But a young man saw Jonathan and Ahimaaz and told Absalom. So both of them left quickly and came to the home of a man in Bahurim who had a cistern in his courtyard, and they went down into it.

19 The man's wife took a cover, spread it over the top of the cistern, and scattered some grain over it so that no one could tell it was there.