John Gill Commentary 2 Samuel 17:19

"And the woman took and spread the covering over the well`s mouth, and strewed bruised grain thereon; and nothing was known." — 2 Samuel 17:19 (ASV)

And the woman took and spread a covering over the well's
mouth
This woman, very probably, was the man's wife of the house, as Abarbinel notes; who took a cloth, and spread it over the well's mouth, that it could not be seen or known that there was a well there:

and spread ground corn thereon :
just taken out of the mill, before it was sifted, while in the bran; or corn unhusked, or just threshed out, in order to be dried in the sun, and then parched; or wheat bruised for that purpose: Josephus says ^F17 they were locks of wool she spread:

and the thing was not known ;
that the young men were in the well.

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FOOTNOTES:

• F17: Antiqu. l. 7. c. 9. sect. 7.