2 Samuel 17:20

2 Samuel 17:20 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And when Absalom’s servants came to the woman to the house, they said, Where is Ahimaaz and Jonathan? And the woman said unto them, They be gone over the brook of water. And when they had sought and could not find them, they returned to Jerusalem.
• New International Version (NIV)When Absalom’s men came to the woman at the house, they asked, “Where are Ahimaaz and Jonathan?” The woman answered them, “They crossed over the brook.” The men searched but found no one, so they returned to Jerusalem.
• English Standard Version (ESV)When Absalom's servants came to the woman at the house, they said, "Where are Ahimaaz and Jonathan?" And the woman said to them, "They have gone over the brook of water." And when they had sought and could not find them, they returned to Jerusalem.
• New King James Version (NKJV)And when Absalom’s servants came to the woman at the house, they said, “Where are Ahimaaz and Jonathan?” So the woman said to them, “They have gone over the water brook.” And when they had searched and could not find them, they returned to Jerusalem.

Context of 2 Samuel 17:20

18But a young man did see them and told Absalom. So the two left quickly and came to the house of a man in Bahurim. He had a well in his courtyard, and they climbed down into it. 19Then the man’s wife took a covering, spread it over the mouth of the well, and scattered grain over it so nobody would know a thing. When Absalom’s servants came to the woman at the house, they asked, “Where are Ahimaaz and Jonathan?” “They have crossed over the brook,” she replied. The men searched but did not find them, so they returned to Jerusalem. 21After the men had gone, Ahimaaz and Jonathan climbed up out of the well and went to inform King David, saying, “Get up and cross over the river at once, for Ahithophel has given this advice against you.” 22So David and all the people with him got up and crossed the Jordan. By daybreak, there was no one left who had not crossed the Jordan.

2 Samuel 17:20 word by word

וַיָּבֹ֣אוּ עַבְדֵי֩ אַבְשָׁל֨וֹם אֶֽל־הָאִשָּׁ֜ה הַבַּ֗יְתָה וַיֹּֽאמְרוּ֙ אַיֵּ֗ה אֲחִימַ֙עַץ֙ וִיה֣וֹנָתָ֔ן וַתֹּ֤אמֶר לָהֶם֙ הָֽאִשָּׁ֔ה עָבְר֖וּ מִיכַ֣ל הַמָּ֑יִם וַיְבַקְשׁוּ֙ וְלֹ֣א מָצָ֔אוּ וַיָּשֻׁ֖בוּ יְרוּשָׁלִָֽם׃ סRead the interlinear

• When Absalom’sאֲבִישָׁלוֹם'ăbîyshâlôm 'abshâlôm · AbsalomH53
• servantsעֶ֫בֶד‛ebed · servant/slaveH5650
• cameבּוֹאbô' · to come (in): comeH935
• toאֶל'êl 'el · to(wards)H413
• the womanאִשָּׁה'ishshâh nâshîym · womanH802
• at the houseבַּ֫יִתbayith · house: homeH1004
• they askedאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• Whereאַיֵּה'ayêh · where?H346
• are Ahimaazאֲחִימַ֫עַץ'ăchîyma‛ats · AhimaazH290
• and Jonathanיְהוֹנָתָןyehônâthân · JonathanH3083
• They have crossed overעָבַר‛âbar · to passH5674
• the brookמִיכָלmîykâl · brookH4323
• the brookמַיmayim · waterH4325
• The men searchedבָּקַשׁbâqash · to seekH1245
• but did notלֹאlô' lô' lôh · notH3808
• findמָצָאmâtsâ' · to findH4672
• so they returnedשׁוּבshûb · to return: returnH7725
• to Jerusalemיְרוּשָׁלִַ֫ם, יְרוּשְׁלֵםyerûshâlaim yerûshâlayim · JerusalemH3389

Cross-references for 2 Samuel 17:20

• 2 Samuel 15:34But you can thwart the counsel of Ahithophel for me if you return to the city and say to Absalom: ‘I will be your servant, my king; in the past I was your father’s servant, but now I will be your servant.’
• Exodus 1:19The midwives answered Pharaoh, “The Hebrew women are not like the Egyptian women, for they are vigorous and give birth before a midwife arrives.”
• Joshua 2:4But the woman had taken the two men and hidden them. So she said, “Yes, the men did come to me, but I did not know where they had come from.
• 1 Samuel 19:14When Saul sent the messengers to seize David, Michal said, “He is ill.”
• 1 Samuel 21:2“The king has given me a mission,” David replied. “He told me no one is to know about the mission on which I am sending you. And I have directed my young men to meet me at a certain place.
• 1 Samuel 27:11David did not leave a man or woman alive to be brought to Gath, for he said, “Otherwise they will report us, saying, ‘This is what David did.’” And this was David’s custom the whole time he lived in Philistine territory.
• Joshua 2:22So the spies went out into the hill country and stayed there three days, until their pursuers had returned without finding them, having searched all along the road.

Commentaries on 2 Samuel 17:20

• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 20As soon as ever she had hid the men she went into the house, as if busy about her usual occupations. Had Absalom‘s servants, who had had information from some of the people of Bahurim that the men had come to this house, found her in the court it might have directed their attention to the peeled barley. Over the brook of water - Compare 2 Samuel 16:9 note. The word for “brook” (“Michal”) occurs only here. One has been found in this very district, still so…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 17:20

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

In the dictionaries

• Jerusalem
• Jonathan
• Ahimaaz
• Ahithophel
• Instead
• Prayer
• Bahurim
• Bible, the
• David
• Israel, History of

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