When 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. When Absalom’s servants came to the woman at the houseThis phrase sets the scene in the midst of Absalom's rebellion against his father, King David. The "servants" of Absalom are likely soldiers or messengers tasked with finding Ahimaaz and Jonathan, who were loyal to David. The "woman at the house" is a key figure in this narrative, demonstrating the role of women in biblical accounts as protectors and facilitators of God's plan. Her house becomes a place of refuge, reminiscent of Rahab's house in Jericho (Joshua 2), where spies were hidden. This highlights the recurring theme of God using unexpected individuals to fulfill His purposes. they asked, 'Where are Ahimaaz and Jonathan?'
Ahimaaz and Jonathan were the sons of priests, tasked with delivering messages to David. Their role as messengers is crucial, as they are part of the divine strategy to protect David from Absalom's rebellion. The question posed by Absalom's servants underscores the tension and urgency of the situation. In Hebrew, the names Ahimaaz and Jonathan carry meanings that reflect their roles: Ahimaaz means "my brother is wrath," and Jonathan means "Yahweh has given." These names remind us of the divine orchestration behind the events, as God provides and protects His chosen ones. 'They have crossed over the brook,' she replied
The woman's response is a strategic deception to protect Ahimaaz and Jonathan. The "brook" mentioned here is likely a small stream or wadi, which in the biblical context often symbolizes a boundary or a place of transition. Crossing over a brook can signify moving from danger to safety, a theme seen throughout Scripture, such as the Israelites crossing the Red Sea. Her quick thinking and courage are instrumental in the unfolding of God's plan, illustrating how God equips His people with wisdom and courage in times of need. The men searched but did not find them, so they returned to Jerusalem
The failure of Absalom's servants to find Ahimaaz and Jonathan is a testament to God's providence and protection. Despite their diligent search, they are unable to thwart God's plan. This outcome reflects the biblical principle that human efforts cannot override divine will. The return to Jerusalem signifies a temporary retreat, but it also foreshadows the eventual downfall of Absalom's rebellion. This passage reassures believers of God's sovereignty and His ability to protect and guide His people, even in the face of overwhelming odds. Persons / Places / Events 1. AbsalomThe son of King David who rebelled against his father, seeking to usurp the throne of Israel. 2. Ahimaaz and JonathanLoyal messengers to King David, tasked with delivering crucial information about Absalom's plans. 3. The Woman at the HouseAn unnamed woman who provided refuge and protection for Ahimaaz and Jonathan, misleading Absalom’s servants to ensure their safety. 4. The BrookA geographical feature mentioned as part of the woman's deceptive answer, indicating a place the messengers supposedly crossed. 5. JerusalemThe capital city of Israel, where Absalom's servants returned after failing to find Ahimaaz and Jonathan. Teaching Points Divine Providence and ProtectionGod often uses unexpected means and people to accomplish His purposes and protect His servants. Moral Complexity in CrisisThe woman's deception raises questions about the ethics of lying for a greater good, prompting believers to consider the complexities of moral decisions in crisis situations. Loyalty and CourageAhimaaz and Jonathan’s mission required bravery and loyalty to King David, exemplifying the virtues of faithfulness and courage in the face of danger. The Role of Women in God’s PlanThe unnamed woman’s role in this account highlights how God uses individuals, regardless of status or gender, to fulfill His purposes. Trust in God’s SovereigntyDespite the chaos and danger, the account encourages believers to trust in God’s overarching plan and His ability to protect and guide His people. Bible Study Questions 1. How does the account of the woman protecting Ahimaaz and Jonathan challenge or affirm your understanding of moral decisions in difficult situations? 2. In what ways can you see God’s providence at work in your own life, similar to how He protected Ahimaaz and Jonathan? 3. How does the loyalty of Ahimaaz and Jonathan to King David inspire you in your own commitments and relationships? 4. What lessons can we learn from the unnamed woman’s courage and quick thinking, and how can we apply these lessons in our daily lives? 5. How do other biblical accounts of protection and deliverance, such as Rahab’s account, enhance your understanding of God’s faithfulness and sovereignty? Connections to Other Scriptures Joshua 2The account of Rahab hiding the Israelite spies in Jericho parallels the woman’s actions in protecting Ahimaaz and Jonathan, highlighting themes of loyalty and divine providence. Proverbs 12:22This verse speaks to the value of truthfulness, contrasting with the woman's deception, which raises questions about moral complexity in dire situations. Psalm 91:4This psalm speaks of God’s protection, which can be seen in how Ahimaaz and Jonathan were safeguarded from their pursuers. People Abiathar, Abigail, Absalom, Ahimaaz, Ahithophel, Amasa, Ammiel, Ammonites, Arkite, Barzillai, Dan, David, Hushai, Ithra, Jesse, Jether, Joab, Jonathan, Machir, Nahash, Shobi, Zadok, ZeruiahPlaces Bahurim, Beersheba, Dan, En-rogel, Gilead, Jerusalem, Jordan River, Lo-debar, Mahanaim, Rabbah, RogelimTopics Absalom, Absalom's, Ab'salom's, Ahimaaz, Ahim'a-az, Brook, Crossed, Jerusalem, Jonathan, Nothing, Passed, Returned, Searched, Searching, Seeing, Seek, Servants, Sought, Stream, TurnDictionary of Bible Themes 2 Samuel 17:20 6650 finding Library "The King Kissed Barzillai. " 2 Sam. xix. 39
And no wonder, for David could appreciate a real man when he saw him, and so does David's Lord. I.--LOYALTY IS PRECIOUS TO THE KING OF KINGS. In the days when the son of Jesse had but few friends, it was a precious thing to be treated in the style Barzillai and his neighbours entertained him (see 2 Sam. xvii. 27-29). They were rich farmers, and had land which brought forth with abundance, so were able to act with princely hospitality to the fugitive monarch. But plenty may live with avarice, and …
Thomas Champness—Broken BreadThe Nations of the South-East
Israel was cut in two by the Jordan. The districts east of the Jordan were those that had first been conquered; it was from thence that the followers of Joshua had gone forth to possess themselves of Canaan. But this division of the territory was a source of weakness. The interests of the tribes on the two sides of the river were never quite the same; at times indeed they were violently antagonistic. When the disruption of the monarchy came after the death of Solomon, Judah was the stronger for the …
Archibald Sayce—Early Israel and the Surrounding Nations Barzillai
BY REV. GEORGE MILLIGAN, M.A., D.D. "There is nothing," says Socrates to Cephalus in the Republic, "I like better than conversing with aged men. For I regard them as travellers who have gone a journey which I too may have to go, and of whom it is right to learn the character of the way, whether it is rugged or difficult, or smooth and easy" (p. 328 E.). It is to such an aged traveller that we are introduced in the person of Barzillai the Gileadite. And though he is one of the lesser-known characters …
George Milligan—Men of the Bible; Some Lesser-Known Continued.
In addition to the psalms already considered, which are devoted to the devout contemplation of nature, and stand in close connection with David's early days, there still remains one universally admitted to be his. The twenty-ninth psalm, like both the preceding, has to do with the glory of God as revealed in the heavens, and with earth only as the recipient of skyey influences; but while these breathed the profoundest tranquillity, as they watched the silent splendour of the sun, and the peace of …
Alexander Maclaren—The Life of David David and Jonathan's Son
'And David said, is there yet any that is left of the house of Saul, that I may shew him kindness for Jonathan's sake? 2. And there was of the house of Saul a servant whose name was Ziba. And when they had called him unto David, the king said unto him, Art thou Ziba? And he said, Thy servant is he. 3. And the king said, Is there not yet any of the house of Saul, that I may shew the kindness of God unto him? And Ziba said unto the king, Jonathan hath yet a son, which is lame on his feet. 4. And the …
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture Mr. John Bunyan's Dying Sayings.
OF SIN. Sin is the great block and bar to our happiness, the procurer of all miseries to man, both here and hereafter: take away sin and nothing can hurt us: for death, temporal, spiritual, and eternal, is the wages of it. Sin, and man for sin, is the object of the wrath of God. How dreadful, therefore, must his case be who continues in sin! For who can bear or grapple with the wrath of God? No sin against God can be little, because it is against the great God of heaven and earth; but if the sinner …
John Bunyan—The Works of John Bunyan Volumes 1-3 Letter xxxvi (Circa A. D. 1131) to the Same Hildebert, who had not yet Acknowledged the Lord Innocent as Pope.
To the Same Hildebert, Who Had Not Yet Acknowledged the Lord Innocent as Pope. He exhorts him to recognise Innocent, now an exile in France, owing to the schism of Peter Leonis, as the rightful Pontiff. To the great prelate, most exalted in renown, Hildebert, by the grace of God Archbishop of Tours, Bernard, called Abbot of Clairvaux, sends greeting, and prays that he may walk in the Spirit, and spiritually discern all things. 1. To address you in the words of the prophet, Consolation is hid from …
Saint Bernard of Clairvaux—Some Letters of Saint Bernard, Abbot of Clairvaux King of Kings and Lord of Lords
And He hath on His vesture and on His thigh a name written, K ING OF K INGS AND L ORD OF L ORDS T he description of the administration and glory of the Redeemer's Kingdom, in defiance of all opposition, concludes the second part of Messiah Oratorio. Three different passages from the book of Revelation are selected to form a grand chorus, of which Handel's title in this verse is the close --a title which has been sometimes vainly usurped by proud worms of this earth. Eastern monarchs, in particular, …
John Newton—Messiah Vol. 2 Tiglath-Pileser iii. And the Organisation of the Assyrian Empire from 745 to 722 B. C.
TIGLATH-PILESER III. AND THE ORGANISATION OF THE ASSYRIAN EMPIRE FROM 745 to 722 B.C. FAILURE OF URARTU AND RE-CONQUEST Of SYRIA--EGYPT AGAIN UNITED UNDER ETHIOPIAN AUSPICES--PIONKHI--THE DOWNFALL OF DAMASCUS, OF BABYLON, AND OF ISRAEL. Assyria and its neighbours at the accession of Tiglath-pileser III.: progress of the Aramaeans in the basin of the Middle Tigris--Urartu and its expansion into the north of Syria--Damascus and Israel--Vengeance of Israel on Damascus--Jeroboam II.--Civilisation …
G. Maspero—History Of Egypt, Chaldaea, Syria, Babylonia, and Assyria, V 7 Samuel
Alike from the literary and the historical point of view, the book[1] of Samuel stands midway between the book of Judges and the book of Kings. As we have already seen, the Deuteronomic book of Judges in all probability ran into Samuel and ended in ch. xii.; while the story of David, begun in Samuel, embraces the first two chapters of the first book of Kings. The book of Samuel is not very happily named, as much of it is devoted to Saul and the greater part to David; yet it is not altogether inappropriate, …
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament Links 2 Samuel 17:20 NIV2 Samuel 17:20 NLT2 Samuel 17:20 ESV2 Samuel 17:20 NASB2 Samuel 17:20 KJV
2 Samuel 17:20 Commentaries
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