2 Samuel 17 · Verse 20

2 Samuel 17:20

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, King James Version

2 Samuel 17:20 in other translations

BSBWhen 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.
WEBAbsalom’s servants came to the woman to the house; and they said, “Where are Ahimaaz and Jonathan?” The woman said to them, “They have gone over the brook of water.” When they had sought and could not find them, they returned to Jerusalem.
ASVAnd Absalom’s servants came to the woman to the house; and they said, Where are Ahimaaz and Jonathan? And the woman said unto them, They are gone over the brook of water. And when they had sought and could not find them, they returned to Jerusalem.
YLTAnd the servants of Absalom come in unto the woman to the house, and say, ‘Where are Ahimaaz and Jonathan?' and the woman saith to them, ‘They passed over the brook of water;' and they seek, and have not found, and turn back to Jerusalem.
DARBYAnd Absalom's servants came to the woman to the house, and said, Where are Ahimaaz and Jonathan? And the woman said to them, They have gone over the brook of water. And they sought and could not find them, and returned to Jerusalem.
BBEAnd Absalom's servants came to the woman at the house and said, Where are Ahimaaz and Jonathan? And the woman said to them, They have gone from here to the stream. And after searching for them, and seeing nothing of them, they went back to Jerusalem.
WebsterAnd when Absalom's servants came to the woman to the house, they said, Where is 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.

What does 2 Samuel 17:20 mean?

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on 2 Samuel 17:1-21

Here was a wonderful effect of Divine Providence blinding Absalom's mind and influencing his heart, that he could not rest in Ahithophel's counsel, and that he should desire Hushai's advice. But there is no contending with that God who can arm a man against himself, and destroy him by his own mistakes and passions. Ahithophel's former counsel was followed, for God intended to correct David; but his latter counsel…

Read the full comment on 2 Samuel 17:1-21 →

2 Samuel 17:20 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

וַיָּבֹ֣אוּvai.ya.Vo.'uand they cameH935
עַבְדֵי֩'av.Dei[the] servants ofH5650
אַבְשָׁל֨וֹם'av.sha.LomAbsalomH53
אֶֽל\־'el-toH413
הָאִשָּׁ֜הha.'i.Shahthe womanH802
הַבַּ֗יְתָהha.Bay.tahthe house towardsH1004
וַיֹּֽאמְרוּ֙vai.yo.me.Ruand they saidH559
אַיֵּ֗ה'ai.Yehwhere?H346
אֲחִימַ֙עַץ֙'a.chi.Ma.'atz[are] AhimaazH290
וִיה֣וֹנָתָ֔ןvi.Ho.na.Tanand JonathanH3083
וַתֹּ֤אמֶרva.To.merand she saidH559
לָהֶם֙la.Hemto <the> them
הָֽאִשָּׁ֔הha.'i.Shahthe womanH802
עָבְר֖וּ'a.ve.Ruthey have passed overH5674
מִיכַ֣לmi.Khal[the] brook ofH4323
הַמָּ֑יִםha.Ma.yim<the> waterH4325
וַיְבַקְשׁוּ֙vay.vak.Shuand they sought [them]H1245
וְלֹ֣אve.Lo'and notH3808
מָצָ֔אוּma.Tza.'uthey found [them]H4672
וַיָּשֻׁ֖בוּvai.ya.Shu.vuand they returnedH7725
יְרוּשָׁלִָֽם\׃\ \סye.ru.sha.LimJerusalemH3389

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for 2 Samuel 17:20

  • Exodus 1:19

    And 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 2:22-23

    And 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. So the two men returned, and descended from the mountain, and passed over, and came to Joshua the son of Nun, and told him all things that befell them:

  • Joshua 2:3-5

    And the king of Jericho sent unto Rahab, saying, Bring forth the men that are come to thee, which are entered into thine house: for they be come to search out all the country. And the woman took the two men, and hid them, and said thus, There came men unto me, but I wist not whence they were: And it came to pass about the time of shutting of the gate, when it was dark, that the men went out: whither the men went I wot not: pursue after them quickly; for ye shall overtake them.

  • 1 Samuel 27:11-12

    And 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. And Achish believed David, saying, He hath made his people Israel utterly to abhor him; therefore he shall be my servant for ever.

  • 1 Samuel 21:2

    And 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.

  • 2 Samuel 15:34

    But 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.

  • 1 Samuel 19:12-17

    So Michal let David down through a window: and he went, and fled, and escaped. And Michal took an image, and laid it in the bed, and put a pillow of goats’ hair for his bolster, and covered it with a cloth. And when Saul sent messengers to take David, she said, He is sick. And Saul sent the messengers again to see David, saying, Bring him up to me in the bed, that I may slay him. …

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
They be gone.
15:34; Ex 1:19; Jos 2:4,5; 1Sa 19:14-17; 21:2; 27:11,12
when they had sought.
Jos 2:22,23

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • 2 Samuel 17:19

    And the woman took and spread a covering over the well’s mouth, and spread ground corn thereon; and the thing was not known.

  • 2 Samuel 17:20

    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 17:21

    And 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.

Read all of 2 Samuel 17

2 Samuel 17:20 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909
Llegando luego los criados de Absalom á la casa á la mujer, dijéronle: ¿Dónde están Ahimaas y Jonathán? Y la mujer les respondió: Ya han pasado el vado de las aguas. Y como ellos los buscaron y no los hallaron, volviéronse á Jerusalem.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885
Et les serviteurs d’Absalom allèrent vers la femme dans la maison, et dirent: Où sont Akhimaats et Jonathan? Et la femme leur dit: Ils ont passé le ruisseau. Et ils les cherchèrent et ne les trouvèrent pas, et retournèrent à Jérusalem.
German
Elberfelder 1871
Und die Knechte Absaloms kamen zu dem Weibe ins Haus und sprachen: Wo sind Achimaaz und Jonathan? Und das Weib sprach zu ihnen: Sie sind über das Wasserbächlein gegangen. Und sie suchten, aber sie fanden sie nicht, und kehrten nach Jerusalem zurück.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate
Cumque venissent servi Absalom in domum, ad mulierem dixerunt: Ubi est Achimaas et Jonathas? Et respondit eis mulier: Transierunt festinanter, gustata paululum aqua. At hi qui quærebant, cum non reperissent, reversi sunt in Jerusalem.