2 Samuel 17:19

2 Samuel 17:19 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And the woman took and spread a covering over the well’s mouth, and spread ground corn thereon; and the thing was not known.
• New International Version (NIV)His wife took a covering and spread it out over the opening of the well and scattered grain over it. No one knew anything about it.
• English Standard Version (ESV)And the woman took and spread a covering over the well's mouth and scattered grain on it, and nothing was known of it.
• New King James Version (NKJV)Then the woman took and spread a covering over the well’s mouth, and spread ground grain on it; and the thing was not known.

Context of 2 Samuel 17:19

17Now Jonathan and Ahimaaz [the priests’ sons] were staying at En-rogel, and a maidservant [appearing to go for water] would go and tell them [what was happening], and they would go [secretly] and inform King David; for they could not [allow themselves to] be seen coming into the city [of Jerusalem]. 18But a boy saw them and told Absalom; so the two of them left quickly and came to the house of a man in Bahurim, who had a well in his courtyard, and [with his permission] they went down into it. And the woman [of the house] took a covering and spread it over the mouth of the well and scattered grain on it; so nothing was discovered. 20Then Absalom’s servants came to the woman at the house and asked, “Where are Ahimaaz and Jonathan?” And the woman said to them, “They have crossed over the brook.” When they searched and could not find them, they returned to Jerusalem. 21After they left, Jonathan and Ahimaaz came up out of the well and went and informed King David, and said to David, “Arise and cross over the Jordan River quickly, for Ahithophel has advised [an attack] against you.”

2 Samuel 17:19 word by word

וַתִּקַּ֣ח הָאִשָּׁ֗ה וַתִּפְרֹ֤שׂ אֶת־הַמָּסָךְ֙ עַל־פְּנֵ֣י הַבְּאֵ֔ר וַתִּשְׁטַ֥ח עָלָ֖יו הָֽרִפ֑וֹת וְלֹ֥א נוֹדַ֖ע דָּבָֽר׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And the womanאִשָּׁה'ishshâh nâshîym · womanH802
• tookלָקַחlâqach · to take: takeH3947
• and spreadפָּרַשׂpâraώ · to spreadH6566
• a coveringמָסָךְmâsâk · coveringH4539
• over the well’sבְּאֵרbe'êr · wellH875
• mouthפָּנֶהpânîym · face: surfaceH6440
• and spreadשָׁטַחshâţach · to spreadH7849
• ground cornרִיפָהrîyphâh riphâh · grainH7383
• thereon; and the thingדָּבָרdâbâr · word: thingH1697
• was not knownיָדַעyâda‛ · to knowH3045

Cross-references for 2 Samuel 17:19

• Joshua 2:4But the woman had taken the two men and hidden them; so she said, “Yes, two men came to me, but I did not know where they were from.
• Exodus 1:19The midwives answered Pharaoh, “Because the Hebrew women are not like the Egyptian women; they are vigorous and give birth quickly and their babies are born before the midwife can get to them.”

Commentaries on 2 Samuel 17:19

• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 19A covering - Hebrew “the covering,” perhaps “the hanging” or “awning” at the door of the house, as the word seems to mean when spoken of the tabernacle. Ground corn - Or “peeled barley,” which she spread out as if for the purpose of drying it in the sun.Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 18-20Bahurim was where Shimei, a supporter of Saul from the tribe of Benjamin, lived (2 Samuel 16:5; 19:16). Shimei’s cursing of David at Bahurim showed David’s decline. In contrast, the escape of Ahimaaz and Jonathan showed hope for David’s return to power.Read the comment

Topics related to 2 Samuel 17:19

• Abiathar
• Ahimaaz
• Ahithophel
• Corn
• Falsehood
• Friendship
• Jonathan
• Zadok

In the dictionaries

• Ahimaaz
• Ahithophel
• Instead
• Prayer
• Adonijah
• Bible, the
• David
• Ground; Grounded
• Israel, History of
• Joab

Commentaries on 2 Samuel 17

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings