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

18However, a young man did see them and informed 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 his wife took the cover, placed it over the mouth of the well, and scattered grain on it so nobody would know anything. Absalom’s servants came to the woman at the house and asked, “Where are Ahimaaz and Jonathan?” “They passed by toward the water,” the woman replied to them. The men searched but did not find them, so they returned to Jerusalem. 21After they had gone, Ahimaaz and Jonathan climbed out of the well and went and informed King David. They told him, “Get up and immediately ford the river, 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 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

Words taken from the KJV.

• And when Absalom’sאֲבִישָׁלוֹם'ăbîyshâlôm 'abshâlôm · AbsalomH53
• servantsעֶ֫בֶד‛ebed · servant/slaveH5650
• cameבּוֹאbô' · to come (in): comeH935
• to the womanאִשָּׁה'ishshâh nâshîym · womanH802
• to the houseבַּ֫יִתbayith · house: homeH1004
• they saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• Ahimaazאֲחִימַ֫עַץ'ăchîyma‛ats · AhimaazH290
• and Jonathanיְהוֹנָתָןyehônâthân · JonathanH3083
• unto them, They be gone overעָבַר‛âbar · to passH5674
• the brookמִיכָלmîykâl · brookH4323
• of waterמַיmayim · waterH4325
• And when they had soughtבָּקַשׁbâqash · to seekH1245
• and could not findמָצָאmâtsâ' · to findH4672
• they returnedשׁוּבshûb · to return: returnH7725
• to Jerusalemיְרוּשָׁלִַ֫ם, יְרוּשְׁלֵםyerûshâlaim yerûshâlayim · JerusalemH3389

Cross-references for 2 Samuel 17:20

• 2 Samuel 15:34but if you return to the city and tell Absalom, ‘I will be your servant, Your Majesty! Previously, I was your father’s servant, but now I will be your servant,’ then you can counteract Ahithophel’s counsel for me.
• Exodus 1:19The midwives said to Pharaoh, “The Hebrew women are not like the Egyptian women, for they are vigorous and give birth before the midwife can get to them.”
• 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 didn’t know where they were from.
• 1 Samuel 19:14When Saul sent agents to seize David, Michal said, “He’s sick.”
• 1 Samuel 21:2David answered the priest Ahimelech, “The king gave me a mission, but he told me, ‘Don’t let anyone know anything about the mission I’m sending you on or what I have ordered you to do.’ I have stationed my young men at a certain place.
• 1 Samuel 27:11David did not let a man or woman live to be brought to Gath, for he said, “Or they will inform on us and say, ‘This is what David did.’” This was David’s custom during the whole time he stayed in the Philistine territory.
• Joshua 2:22So the two men went into the hill country and stayed there three days until the pursuers had returned. They searched all along the way, but did not find them.

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