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

18Nevertheless a lad saw them, and told Absalom: but they went both of them away quickly, and came to a man’s house in Bahurim, which had a well in his court; whither they went down. 19And the woman took and spread a covering over the well’s mouth, and spread ground wheat thereon; and the thing was not known. 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. 21And it came to pass, after they were departed, that they came up out of the well, and went and told king David, and said unto David, Arise, and pass quickly over the water: for thus hath Ahithophel counselled against you. 22Then David arose, and all the people that were with him, and they passed over Jordan: by the morning light there lacked not one of them that was not gone over 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

• 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 thou return to the city, and say unto Absalom, I will be thy servant, O king; as I have been thy father’s servant hitherto, so will I now also be thy servant: then mayest thou for me defeat the counsel of Ahithophel.
• Exodus 1:19And the midwives said unto Pharaoh, Because the Hebrew women are not as the Egyptian women; for they are lively, and are delivered ere the midwives come in unto them.
• Joshua 2:4And the woman took the two men, and hid them, and said thus, There came men unto me, but I wist not whence they were:
• 1 Samuel 19:14And when Saul sent messengers to take David, she said, He is sick.
• 1 Samuel 21:2And David said unto Ahimelech the priest, The king hath commanded me a business, and hath said unto me, Let no man know any thing of the business whereabout I send thee, and what I have commanded thee: and I have appointed my servants to such and such a place.
• 1 Samuel 27:11And David saved neither man nor woman alive, to bring tidings to Gath, saying, Lest they should tell on us, saying, So did David, and so will be his manner all the while he dwelleth in the country of the Philistines.
• Joshua 2:22And they went, and came unto the mountain, and abode there three days, until the pursuers were returned: and the pursuers sought them throughout all the way, but found them not.

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