Verse-by-Verse Bible Commentary

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible

Bahurim - See the marginal reference. They were not all Shimeis in Bahurim.

John Gill's Exposition of 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^F15Antiqu. l. 7. c. 9. sect. 7. , 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, 2 Samuel 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^F16Ibid. , a woman let them down by a rope.

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

and came to a man‘s house in Bahurim, which had a well in his court — The court was that of the house, and the well an empty cistern. All the houses of the better class are furnished with such reservoirs. Nothing could more easily happen than that one of these wells, in consequence of a deficiency of water, should become dry and it would then answer as a place of retreat, such as David‘s friends found in the man‘s house at Bahurim. The spreading of a covering over the well‘s mouth for the drying of corn is a common practice.

Keil & Delitzsch Old Testament Commentary

“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.

John Trapp Complete Commentary

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.

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.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy 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 lad’s 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 God’s good providence, which they knew watched over David, and them for his sake.

George Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary

It, as it was level with the ground; so that a cloth being spread over it, prevented all suspicion. It had no water.

E.W. Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes

went down. Wells mostly dry in summer.

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible - Unabridged

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.

They went ... away quickly, and came to a man's house ... which had a well in his court. The court was that of the house, and the well an empty cistern. All the houses of the better class are furnished with such reservoirs. Nothing could more easily happen than that one of these wells, in consequence of a deficiency of water, should become dry; and it would then answer as a place of retreat, such as David's friends found in the man's house at Bahurim.

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

Bahurim

3:16; 16:5; 19:16