II Samuel 17:17-21 · Bible study
2 Samuel 17:17-21 Commentary: God's Providence in a Well
Hebrew · 10 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Explore the covert network of messengers at En Rogel, the woman's quick thinking at Bahurim, and the providential hand of God in saving David from
Research Summary
- Meaning: A covert message network saves David's life during Absalom's rebellion, showing divine sovereignty through human resourcefulness.
- Key words: En Rogel (spring outside Jerusalem), shiphchah (maidservant), dry well (cistern used for hiding), rifot (crushed grain), mikhal (brook, hapax legomenon).
- Main debate: Whether the woman's deception is morally justified, with positions ranging from necessary wartime action to a troubling violation of truth.
- Theological theme: God's providential care for David as his anointed king, working through ordinary people and everyday objects.
- Best use: A narrative for teaching providence, the role of common believers in God's plan, and the ethical tensions of deception in extreme circumstances.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
17Now Jonathan and Ahimaaz were staying at En-rogel, where a servant girl would come and pass along information to them. They in turn would go and inform King David, for they dared not be seen entering the city.
18But a young man did see them and told 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 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.
20When 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.
21After the men had gone, Ahimaaz and Jonathan climbed up out of the well and went to inform King David, saying, “Get up and cross over the river at once, for Ahithophel has given this advice against you.”
WEB World English Bible 2000
17Now Jonathan and Ahimaaz were staying by En Rogel; and a female servant used to go and report to them, and they went and told King David; for they couldn’t risk being seen coming into the city.
18But a boy saw them, and told Absalom. Then they both went away quickly and came to the house of a man in Bahurim, who had a well in his court; and they went down there.
19The woman took and spread the covering over the well’s mouth, and spread out crushed grain on it; and nothing was known.
20Absalom’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.
21After they had departed, they came up out of the well and went and told King David; and they said to David, “Arise and pass quickly over the water; for thus has Ahithophel counseled against you.”
KJV King James Version 1769
17Now 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.
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 corn thereon; and the thing was not known.
20And 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.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
17Now Jonathan and Ahimaaz were staying by En-rogel; and a maid-servant used to go and tell them; and they went and told king David: for they might not be seen to come into the city.
18But a lad saw them, and told Absalom: and they went both of them away quickly, and came to the house of a man in Bahurim, who had a well in his court; and they went down thither.
19And the woman took and spread the covering over the well’s mouth, and strewed bruised grain thereon; and nothing was known.
20And 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.
21And it came to pass, after they were departed, that they came up out of the well, and went and told king David; and they said unto David, Arise ye, and pass quickly over the water; for thus hath Ahithophel counselled against you.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
17And Jonathan and Ahimaaz are standing at En-Rogel, and the maid-servant hath gone and declared to them--and they go and have declared it to king David--for they are not able to be seen to go in to the city.
18And a youth seeth them, and declareth to Absalom; and they go on both of them hastily, and come in unto the house of a man in Bahurim, and he hath a well in his court, and they go down there,
19and the woman taketh and spreadeth the covering over the face of the well, and spreadeth on it the ground corn, and the thing hath not been known.
20And 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.
21And it cometh to pass, after their going on, that they come up out of the well, and go and declare to king David, and say unto David, `Rise ye, and pass over hastily the waters, for thus hath Ahithophel counselled against you.'
Darby Darby Bible 1890
17And Jonathan and Ahimaaz stayed by En-rogel; and the maid went and told them; and they went and told king David, for they might not be seen to come into the city.
18But a lad saw them, and told Absalom. Then they went both of them away quickly, and came to the house of a man at Bahurim, who had a well in his court; and they went down there.
19And the woman took and spread the covering over the well's mouth, and spread ground corn on it; and the thing was not known.
20And 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.
21And it came to pass after they had departed, that they came up out of the well, and went and told king David; and they said to David, Arise and pass quickly over the water; for thus has Ahithophel counselled against you.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
17And Jonathan and Achimaas stayed by the fountain Rogel: and there went a maid and told them: and they went forward, to carry the message to king David, for they might not be seen, nor enter into the city.
18But a certain boy saw them, and told Absalom: but they making haste went into the house of a certain man in Bahurim, who had a well in his court, and they went down into it.
19And a woman took, and spread a covering over the mouth of the well, as it were to dry sodden barley and so the thing was not known.
20And when Absalom's servants were come into the house, they said to the woman: Where is Achimaas and Jonathan? and the woman answered them: They passed on in haste, after they had tasted a little water. But they that sought them, when they found them not, returned into Jerusalem.
21And when they were gone, they came up out of the well, and going on told king David, and said: Arise, and pass quickly over the river: for this manner of counsel has Achitophel given against you.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · II Samuel 17:17
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators agree that this passage describes a decisive chain of communication during Absalom's rebellion. Jonathan and Ahimaaz, sons of the priests (2 Samuel 15:27, 36), waited at En Rogel, identified by Clarke, Barnes, and the Cambridge Bible as the Fuller's Fountain, likely near the Kidron valley. A maidservant (Hebrew shiphchah, not the archaic 'wench' of the KJV) acted as courier, carrying Hushai's secret message from the city to the waiting messengers. When a youth spotted them, they fled to Bahurim, where a woman hid them in a well (a dry cistern), covered its mouth with a cloth or curtain, and spread crushed grain on top as if drying it. She then misdirected Absalom's servants. After the search party left, the messengers escaped and urged David to cross the Jordan immediately. The Cambridge Bible, Gill, and Matthew Henry all note the parallel to Rahab (Joshua 2) and the moral complexity of the woman's deception. The thread running through every commentary is the divine sovereignty signaled in verse 14: Yahweh had ordained to defeat Ahithophel's counsel, and this network of ordinary people, a maidservant, a woman, a dry well, some grain, was the instrument.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Medium
Main views:
- Justifiable deception in war: The woman acts to protect innocent lives (David and his followers) and prevents Ahithophel's murderous counsel. Some readers see this as a permissible exception to the general command against lying.
- Ethical tension unresolved: Scripture records her words without approval or condemnation. The passage does not endorse her lie; it simply reports it, leaving the moral assessment to the reader alongside other texts (Leviticus 19:11).
What is clear: All readers agree that God's providence moved through this chain of human actions—messengers, a maidservant, a woman's quick thinking, and a dry well—to preserve David and fulfill his purpose to bring evil on Absalom (2 Samuel 17:14).
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Location of En Rogel | It was a spring or well outside Jerusalem on the border of Judah and Benjamin, used by fullers. | Some identify it with the Fountain of the Virgin in the Kidron valley; others with Job's Well at the junction of the Kidron and Hinnom valleys. |
| Moral status of the woman's deception | The woman misdirected Absalom's servants to protect the messengers, saving David's life. | Many traditions (Reformed, Wesleyan) emphasize her faith and courage, highlighting God's use of imperfect people. Others (Anglican, Catholic moral theology) stress that Scripture records her lie without approval, and that truth-telling remains a universal duty. |
| Meaning of 'wench' in the KJV | The Hebrew word is <em>shiphchah</em>, meaning 'maid-servant' or 'female servant'. | The KJV's 'wench' is archaic and considered inappropriate by most modern commentators. Clarke calls it 'a word that occurs nowhere else in the Holy Scriptures' and says it 'has no business here.' |
| Type of grain spread on the well | It was crushed or bruised grain (<em>rifot</em>), likely barley or wheat, used for making groats or parched grain. | Some (Keil, Cambridge) describe it as 'peeled barley' or 'groats.' The Vulgate suggests it was spread as if to dry, indicating summer harvest. No substantive disagreement. |
| The well's covering | The woman spread a covering (<em>masak</em>) over the well's mouth to hide the opening. | The word may mean the usual lid of the cistern (Barnes) or a hanging/curtain from the house door (Cambridge Bible). Both agree it was an improvised means of concealment. |
Historical & Cultural Context
En Rogel, meaning 'Fuller's Fountain,' was a well-known landmark on the boundary between Judah and Benjamin (Joshua 15:7, 18:16). Cambridge Bible and Jamieson-Fausset-Brown locate it either at the modern 'Fountain of the Virgin' in the Kidron valley or at 'Job's Well' near the junction of the Kidron and Hinnom valleys. It was a place of washing and treading cloth, hence the name. Because it lay outside the city walls, Jonathan and Ahimaaz could wait there without being seen entering Jerusalem, which would have revealed their loyalty to David.
Bahurim, a village on the eastern slope of the Mount of Olives, was the same place where Shimei later cursed David (2 Samuel 16:5). The well in the court is typical of Palestinian houses, a rock-cut cistern, dry in the summer heat. Barnes notes that the covering (ha-masak) may refer either to the cistern's own lid or to the doorway curtain of the house (Exodus 26:36). The woman's spread of crushed grain (rifot, probably peeled barley or wheat) was a common practice: spreading it on a cloth to dry in the sun, as Keil and Delitzsch explain.
The urgency of the message cannot be overstated. Ahithophel had counseled an immediate night attack on David (2 Samuel 17:1, 3). If David delayed even a few hours, he and his company could be 'swallowed up' (v.16). The woman's quick lie, directing pursuers toward the brook, bought precious time. The word mikhal (brook) appears only here in the Old Testament, possibly a local name for a stream near Bahurim. After the danger passed, the messengers gave David the stark warning: 'Arise and pass quickly over the water,' and by morning not one of his company had failed to cross the Jordan (v.22).
Textual Notes
The supplied sources note no significant textual variants for this passage. The Hebrew text is stable across the manuscript traditions. The KJV's use of 'wench' does not reflect a variant reading but a translation choice; all manuscripts read shiphchah, the standard word for a female servant.
Reception History
Christian interpreters have long read this passage alongside the stories of Rahab (Joshua 2) and Michal (1 Samuel 19) as examples of saintly deception in the service of God's people. The early church, especially in the writings of Origen and Ambrose, saw the woman at Bahurim as a type of the church hiding and protecting those who carry God's word. The Reformers, notably Calvin, emphasized the providential thread: God's decree to defeat Ahithophel's counsel worked through a woman spreading grain. In modern contexts, the passage raises ethical questions about truth-telling in conflict zones; some pacifist traditions point to it as a problematic narrative, while others see it as a scriptural warrant for protecting innocent life through deception. The figure of the maidservant, an unnamed, low-status woman, has been celebrated by liberation and feminist readings as a sign that God's deliverance often comes through the powerless.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- Hidden messengers, visible providence. Jonathan and Ahimaaz work through a maidservant, a youth betrays them, a woman hides them in a well. God's plan advances through the unseen labor of unnamed servants.
- Ordinary means, extraordinary outcome. A dry cistern, a cloth, and a spread of crushed grain become instruments of salvation. God often uses small, everyday objects to accomplish his purposes.
- The decisive call. The messengers emerge with a single message: cross the water now. David acts on the warning. Faith hears urgency and moves.
Five-point outline
- Cover communication (vv.17, 18): the chain from Hushai to the priests to the maidservant to the messengers.
- Exposure and escape (v.18): a youth sees them; they run to Bahurim.
- Hidden in the well (v.19): the woman covers the cistern with grain, an act of courageous deception.
- Misdirection (v.20): her calm response sends Absalom’s servants on a false trail.
- Deliverance and warning (v.21): the messengers arise, cross the water with the warning.
Illustration hooks
- Hiding in plain sight: The woman spreads grain over the well as if drying it. Sometimes the best cover is doing ordinary things so naturally that no one suspects.
- The dry well: A cistern that had failed its purpose of holding water now held the lives of two men. A thing that seems empty can be exactly what God needs.
- Someone's quick thinking: The woman had seconds to decide. Her instinct to misdirect saved the messengers. It recalls the composure needed in crisis.
Questions your congregation is asking
- Did the woman sin by lying to Absalom's servants? How do we reconcile her deception with the command not to bear false witness?
- Why does the Bible record this story without praising or condemning her? What does that silence teach us about reading narrative?
- In a world of surveillance and betrayal, how can ordinary believers still be part of God's covert work of rescue?
Leading a Discussion
This passage is a study in how God weaves together human action, both wise and questionable, to accomplish rescue. The context is a life-or-death moment for David and his followers, and the network of informants, messengers, and a quick-thinking woman becomes the thread that saves them. As you discuss, hold the tension: the woman's lie is recorded without commentary, leaving room for conversation about ethics under duress.
Discussion questions
- Read verses 17, 21 aloud. What stands out to you about the chain of communication? Who are the key people, and what risks does each take?
- The passage says Jonathan and Ahimaaz 'couldn't risk being seen coming into the city' (v.17). Why was secrecy necessary? What does this tell us about the political situation in Jerusalem?
- The woman spreads grain over the well's mouth (v.19). What does this small, domestic detail add to the story? Why might the author include it?
- Compare this woman's actions with those of Rahab (Joshua 2:4) and Michal (1 Samuel 19:12, 17). In what ways are the situations similar? How are they different?
- The woman tells a lie (v.20). Some Christians argue she acted rightly to save innocent lives; others say truthfulness is always required. What factors would you consider in evaluating her choice?
- How does verse 14 (not in today's passage but its immediate context) shape how you read the woman's quick thinking? Who is ultimately responsible for the escape?
- In your own life, when have you seen God use ordinary resources, a dry well, some grain, a neighbor's quick decision, to provide protection or direction in a difficult situation?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Joshua 2:4 | The woman took the two men and hid them. Then she said, “Yes, the men came to me, but I didn’t know where they came from. |
| Joshua 2:24 | They said to Joshua, “Truly Yahweh has delivered all the land into our hands. Moreover, all the inhabitants of the land melt away before us.” |
| Joshua 15:7 | The border went up to Debir from the valley of Achor, and so northward, looking toward Gilgal, that faces the ascent of Adummim, which is on the south side of the river. The border passed along to the waters of En Shemesh, and ended at En Rogel. |
| Joshua 18:16 | The border went down to the farthest part of the mountain that lies before the valley of the son of Hinnom, which is in the valley of Rephaim northward. It went down to the valley of Hinnom, to the side of the Jebusite southward, and went down to En Rogel. |
| II Samuel 15:27 | The king said also to Zadok the priest, “Aren’t you a seer? Return into the city in peace, and your two sons with you, Ahimaaz your son and Jonathan the son of Abiathar. |
| II Samuel 15:36 | Behold, they have there with them their two sons, Ahimaaz, Zadok’s son, and Jonathan, Abiathar’s son. Send to me everything that you shall hear by them.” |
| I Kings 1:9 | Adonijah killed sheep, cattle, and fatlings by the stone of Zoheleth, which is beside En Rogel; and he called all his brothers, the king’s sons, and all the men of Judah, the king’s servants; |
| II Samuel 3:16 | Her husband went with her, weeping as he went, and followed her to Bahurim. Then Abner said to him, “Go! Return!” and he returned. |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
9 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke objects to the King James Version's use of "wench" for the Hebrew word shiphchah, a term that appears nowhere else in Scripture. He argues that "maid," "maidservant," or "handmaid" would have been accurate, and points out the translators' inconsistency in rendering the same Hebrew word so many different ways.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes highlights the woman's quick thinking: she did not deny the messengers had come but covered the well's opening with peeled barley, as if drying it in the sun. Her ordinary activity, combined with the specific word for the brook, shows she handled the situation with remarkable presence of mind.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The Cambridge Bible notes that Scripture records the woman’s deception without approving it, comparing her actions to Rahab and Michal. The commentator insists the Bible affirms the universal duty of truth with no exceptions, leaving the question of whether any necessity justifies a falsehood to moral philosophers.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill focuses on the hiding in the well at Bahurim, noting the woman spread a covering with ground corn over the mouth. He specifically mentions that her lie to Absalom’s servants about the men crossing the Jordan is not to be justified, though it saved them.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
JFB notes that the well in the courtyard was actually a dry cistern, a common household feature in better-class homes. When empty of water, it served as an ideal hiding place, and spreading a covering over its mouth for drying grain was a normal practice that concealed the fugitives below.
Keil & Delitzsch OT Commentary Protestant 1876
Keil-Delitzsch notes that Jonathan and Ahimaaz hid in a dry cistern at Bahurim, and the woman cleverly covered its opening with a mat and scattered peeled barley on top, making it appear she was drying grain. The commentary also explains that the Hebrew historian often states the outcome first, then fills in the details of how it happened.
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange reads the narrative as a theological demonstration of how God lets evil consume itself. Absalom's rejection of Ahithophel's sound military advice for Hushai's flattering but disastrous counsel shows that pride and vanity blind the wicked to their own ruin. The Lord silently overrules human scheming to bring about His purposes, using sin's own momentum to destroy the sinner.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry draws a contrast between two groups: David's enemies, basking in false confidence over Hushai's counsel, and David's friends, actively working to get him vital warning. The enemies think victory is sure, but God's providence is already moving to save David through the loyalty of the messengers.
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Wesley names the specific location, Enrogel or the fuller's well near Jerusalem, as the place the woman pretended to visit. He notes her actions—washing clothes, drawing water, spreading grain under the sun—were a summer-time pretense, and her reference to crossing the Jordan was a clear lie.