2 Samuel 17 20

2 Samuel 17:20 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.

2 Samuel 17:20 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.

2 Samuel 17:20 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.

2 Samuel 17:20 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.

2 Samuel 17:20 nlt

When Absalom's men arrived, they asked her, "Have you seen Ahimaaz and Jonathan?" The woman replied, "They were here, but they crossed over the brook." Absalom's men looked for them without success and returned to Jerusalem.

2 Samuel 17 verses

2 Samuel 17 20 Meaning

2 Samuel 17:20 describes a pivotal moment during Absalom's rebellion against King David. When Absalom's servants pursue David's loyal messengers, Ahimaaz and Jonathan, they question an unnamed woman at her house in Bahurim. She deliberately misleads them by claiming the messengers "have gone over the brook of water," diverting their search. Unsuccessful in finding them, Absalom's servants return to Jerusalem, thus allowing David's messengers to escape and deliver critical information to David. The verse illustrates strategic deception for protection and divine providence working through human agents.

2 Samuel 17 20 Context

The events of 2 Samuel 17:20 unfold during Absalom's swift and formidable rebellion against his father, King David. Having taken control of Jerusalem, Absalom seeks to consolidate his power and eliminate David. Ahithophel, Absalom's chief counselor (and formerly David's counselor), advises an immediate and decisive pursuit of David, who had fled the city. David, meanwhile, sends Hushai the Archite back to Absalom's court to act as a double agent and frustrate Ahithophel's counsel.

In the verses immediately preceding 2 Samuel 17:20, Hushai successfully persuades Absalom to reject Ahithophel's sound tactical advice in favor of a slower, more ostentatious, and ultimately disastrous plan (2 Sam 17:7-14). After his counsel is accepted, Hushai sends word to David via the priests Zadok and Abiathar, whose sons, Ahimaaz and Jonathan, are to deliver the message (2 Sam 17:15-16). The messengers initially hide at En-rogel (a well outside Jerusalem) but are spotted by a servant of Absalom and pursued. They flee to a loyal man's house in Bahurim (the hometown of Shimei, who cursed David), where they hide in a dry well (2 Sam 17:17-18). Crucially, the man's unnamed wife covers the well's mouth with a cloth and spreads grain on top of it, disguising the hiding place (2 Sam 17:19). Verse 20 describes the direct confrontation between Absalom's pursuers and this resourceful woman, setting the stage for her deceptive answer that saves David's messengers and, indirectly, David himself.

2 Samuel 17 20 Word analysis

• And when Absalom's servants: These represent the authority and coercive power of Absalom's newly established, illegitimate rule. They are agents of pursuit and repression.
• came to the woman at the house: This unnamed woman is crucial to the narrative. Her lack of a name underscores that divine providence often operates through seemingly ordinary or unknown individuals. Her "house" serves as a sanctuary and point of crucial confrontation.
  • Woman (Hebrew: אִשָּׁה, 'ishshah): Signifies a female individual. Her gender, typically a sign of vulnerability in ancient society, here highlights her courageous and proactive role in defending God's chosen king.
• and said, "Where are Ahimaaz and Jonathan?": This direct inquiry indicates the urgency and precision of Absalom's search for David's key intelligence couriers. Their location is vital to Absalom's strategy.
• the woman said to them, "They have gone over the brook of water.": This is the core of her strategic deception.
  • Gone over (Hebrew: עָבְרוּ, 'avaru): "To cross over," implies they continued their journey past a specific landmark.
  • Brook of water (Hebrew: מִיכַל מָּיִם, miykhal mayim, or sometimes interpreted as a specific type of water-channel/conduit, though here likely a fabricated landmark): This detail provides a plausible, but false, direction for the pursuers, leading them away from the actual hiding spot (the well in the house's courtyard, 2 Sam 17:18). It’s a deliberate lie to protect human life and uphold God's plan.
• And when they had searched and could not find them: This phrase signifies the futility of the pursuit despite its intensity, due to the woman's successful misdirection. It implies a diligent search in the wrong place.
• they returned to Jerusalem.: Their return empty-handed marks the failure of Absalom's immediate plan to intercept the crucial message and signifies a small but significant victory for David's side, facilitated by this woman's brave act.

2 Samuel 17 20 Bonus section

This verse, by focusing on an unnamed woman's critical role, emphasizes that God's plan for salvation and governance is not limited to prominent leaders or warriors but extends to and often relies on the faithfulness and courageous actions of common people. Her story is a testament to the quiet heroism often overlooked in grand narratives, highlighting the importance of every individual's contribution within the larger unfolding of God's sovereign will. It also serves as an example of loyalty demonstrated under duress, as she risked her own safety by protecting those loyal to King David.

2 Samuel 17 20 Commentary

2 Samuel 17:20 presents a moment of tension and high stakes where an ordinary woman, prompted by circumstances and possibly loyalty, executes a quick-witted act of deception. This verse is not just a descriptive detail but a pivotal hinge in David's escape and the ultimate failure of Absalom's coup. The woman's lie, claiming the messengers had crossed a "brook of water," cleverly redirects Absalom's men, preventing them from discovering Ahimaaz and Jonathan hidden in the well within her very own property.

From a biblical perspective, this event highlights divine providence working through human agency, even through actions that might, in other contexts, be ethically questionable. The Bible does not condemn the woman's deception but rather portrays it as essential for the preservation of David and, by extension, God's promise to him. Similar acts of deception to protect God's people or deliver them from oppressive forces are seen elsewhere in scripture, such as the Hebrew midwives lying to Pharaoh (Exod 1) and Rahab hiding the Israelite spies (Josh 2). These narratives often imply a "greater good" principle, where disobeying an unjust or tyrannical authority, even through untruths, is aligned with God's ultimate righteous purposes, particularly when innocent lives or God's redemptive plan are at stake.

The success of the woman's deception is ultimately part of God's larger design to frustrate Ahithophel's counsel and preserve David. She embodies a courageous and quick-thinking faith, illustrating that seemingly minor characters can play significant, God-ordained roles in crucial historical moments. Her anonymous yet impactful action reminds believers that God can use anyone, regardless of status or power, to further His purposes, providing aid and protection in unexpected ways.