2 Samuel 17:19
17 Now Jonathan and Ahimaaz stayed by En-rogel; for they might not be seen to come into the city: and a wench went and told them; and they went and told king David.
18 Nevertheless 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.
And the woman took and spread a covering over the well’s mouth, and spread ground corn thereon; and the thing was not known.
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.
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.
Here the Bible tells a story about someone else. Ask yourself what it can say to us today. Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.
Compare
- BSB
- Then the man’s wife took a covering and spread it over the mouth of the well, scattering grain over it so nobody would know a thing.
- KJV
- And the woman took and spread a covering over the well’s mouth, and spread ground corn thereon; and the thing was not known.
- WEB
- The woman took and spread the covering over the well’s mouth, and spread out crushed grain on it; and nothing was known.
- ASV
- And the woman took and spread the covering over the well`s mouth, and strewed bruised grain thereon; and nothing was known.
- DARBY
- And the woman took and spread the covering over the well's mouth, and spread ground corn on it; and the thing was not known.
- BLB
- And the woman took and spread a screen over the face of the well, and she spread over it grain, and the thing was known not.
- ÅB
- Og hans hustru tok og bredte et dekke over brønnen og strødde gryn ovenpå, så ingen kunne merke noe.
- OTB
- Kvinnen tok et dekke og bredte det over brønnens åpning og strødde korn på det, så ingenting ble kjent.
- B1930
- Og hans hustru tok og bredte et dekke over brønnen og strødde gryn ovenpå, så ingen kunde merke noget.
Study notes (Tyndale)
Original text and word study
Cross references
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.
Read in contextJoshua 2:4–24
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:
Read in context