Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of 2 Samuel 17:18
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.
18. a well ] A cistern, dry at the time. The existence of numerous rock-cut cisterns with narrow mouths at Almt, the probable site of Bahurim, illustrates the incident. See Pal. Expl. Fund Quarterly Statement, Jan. 1881, p. 45.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Bahurim – See the marginal reference. They were not all Shimeis in Bahurim.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
A lad saw them, who knew them to be favourers of David, and observed them to wait there upon design, and to gain intelligence, and possibly saw the wench speaking privately to them.
They went both of them away quickly; suspecting by this lads observation and carriage that they were discovered.
Wither they went down; either to some hole in the side of the pit; or to the bottom of the pit, it being then dry, as pits often were in those hot countries. And this being in so open a place, they concluded none would imagine them to be hid there. And besides, they relied upon Gods good providence, which they knew watched over David, and them for his sake.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
18. and came to a man’s house inBahurim, which had a well in his courtThe court was that ofthe house, and the well an empty cistern. All the houses of thebetter class are furnished with such reservoirs. Nothing could moreeasily happen than that one of these wells, in consequence of adeficiency of water, should become dry and it would then answer as aplace of retreat, such as David’s friends found in the man’s house atBahurim. The spreading of a covering over the well’s mouth for thedrying of corn is a common practice.
2Sa17:23-29. AHITHOPHELHANGS HIMSELF.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
Nevertheless, a lad saw them, and told Absalom,…. Saw them conversing with the girl, and departing for David’s army; according to Josephus o, they were some horsemen that saw them about two furlongs or a quarter mile from Jerusalem, and acquainted Absalom with it:
but they went both of them away quickly; made all the haste they could with their message to David:
and came to a man’s house in Bahurim; where very probably they had been informed David had been, whither he came weary, and had refreshment, 2Sa 16:14; or rather, perceiving they were discovered and pursued, they turned in hither, the first place they came to, for safety:
which had a well in his court; which they observed, and was the reason of their turning in:
whither they went down; to hide themselves from their pursuers, it being dry, as sometimes wells were in the summertime: Josephus says p, a woman let them down by a rope.
o Antiqu. l. 7. c. 9. sect. 7. p Ibid.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
“And a lad (servant) saw them, and told Absalom.” Absalom had most likely set spies to watch the priests and their sons. But the two sons who had noticed the spy hurried into the house of a man at Bahurim, who had a well (or cistern that was dry at the time) in his court, and went down into the well.
Fuente: Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament
2Sa 17:18 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.
Ver. 18. Nevertheless a lad saw them. ] As the devil never wanteth instruments in such cases to work mischief. Who this lad was, it mattereth not: but sure he was none of Absalom’s horsemen, as Josephus writeth.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
went down. Wells mostly dry in summer.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Bahurim: 2Sa 3:16, 2Sa 16:5, 2Sa 19:16
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
2Sa 17:18-19. Nevertheless a lad saw them Who knew them to be favourers of David, and observed that they waited there with design to gain intelligence, and possibly saw the girl speaking privately to them. But they went away quickly Suspecting by the observation which the lad made, and his after conduct, that they were discovered. And came to a mans house in Bahurim Turning out of the public road, as Josephus explains it, they made haste to this village. Which had a well in his court, whither they went down For at that time of the year their wells were in many places dry, or had little water in them. And spread ground corn thereon Under pretence of drying it by the sun, which shows that it was summer- time. Thus the woman effectually concealed them.