John Gill Commentary 2 Samuel 17:20

"And 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." — 2 Samuel 17:20 (ASV)

And when Absalom's servants came to the woman to the house ,
&c.] Who were sent after them, had intelligence which way they took, and into what house they turned:

they said, where [are] Ahimaaz and Jonathan ?
calling them by their names, being persons well known, and as to them, so to the woman of the house, as they supposed:

and the woman said to them, they have gone over the brook of water ;
the river Jordan; so the Targum,``they have already passed over Jordan;'' this was a lie she told them, which is not to be justified; the Vulgate Latin version, ``they passed over hastily, having drank a little water;'' and so Josephus ^F18 in some copies:

and when they had sought and could not find [them] ;
not only searched that house, but very probably others in Bahurim:

they returned to Jerusalem ;
to give an account what success they had.

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FOOTNOTES:

• F18: Antiqu. l. 7. c. 9. sect. 7. Hudson. not. in ib.