The Meaning of 2 Samuel 17:17 Explained

2 Samuel 17:17

KJV: Now Jonathan and Ahimaaz stayed by Enrogel; for they might not be seen to come into the city: and a wench went and told them; and they went and told king David.

YLT: And Jonathan and Ahimaaz are standing at En-Rogel, and the maid-servant hath gone and declared to them -- and they go and have declared it to king David -- for they are not able to be seen to go in to the city.

Darby: And Jonathan and Ahimaaz stayed by En-rogel; and the maid went and told them; and they went and told king David, for they might not be seen to come into the city.

ASV: Now Jonathan and Ahimaaz were staying by En-rogel; and a maid-servant used to go and tell them; and they went and told king David: for they might not be seen to come into the city.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Now Jonathan  and Ahimaaz  stayed  by Enrogel;  for they might  not be seen  to come  into the city:  and a wench  went  and told  them; and they went  and told  king  David. 

What does 2 Samuel 17:17 Mean?

Context Summary

2 Samuel 17:15-29 - The Helpers Of The King
The two young men were narrowly watched, and had it not been for the deception practiced on Absalom's servants by the mistress of the house at Bahurim, they would probably not have reached David in time to put him on his guard. That her device secured his safety does not extenuate nor justify her falsehood. God could have found some other method of delivering his servant. Let us remember the warning voices that speak to us, bidding us beware of temptation. There is a river that we also may put between us and our pursuers. It is the Jordan of Calvary-the Cross of our Savior. Reckon yourselves dead unto sin!
As Ahithophel foreshadowed Judas in his treachery, so did he in his end. See Psalms 41:9; Matthew 27:5. He was not only mortified by the refusal of his advice, but clearly saw therein the inevitable triumph of David's cause and the punishment that would follow. On the farther bank friends awaited the fugitives. For Shobi, see 2 Samuel 10:1-2; Machir, 2 Samuel 9:4. But Psalms 42:1-11; Psalms 43:1-5 reflect David's feelings at this sad hour. Even in the night God's song was with him. [source]

Chapter Summary: 2 Samuel 17

1  Ahithophel's counsel is overthrown by Hushai's
15  Secret intelligence is sent unto David
23  Ahithophel hangs himself
25  Amasa is made captain
27  David at Mahanaim is furnished with provisions

What do the individual words in 2 Samuel 17:17 mean?

Now Jonathan and Ahimaaz stayed at En Rogel so would come a maidservant and tell them and they would go and tell King David For not they dared be seen coming into the city
וִיהוֹנָתָ֨ן וַאֲחִימַ֜עַץ עֹמְדִ֣ים בְּעֵין־ רֹגֵ֗ל וְהָלְכָ֤ה הַשִּׁפְחָה֙ וְהִגִּ֣ידָה לָהֶ֔ם וְהֵם֙ יֵֽלְכ֔וּ וְהִגִּ֖ידוּ לַמֶּ֣לֶךְ דָּוִ֑ד כִּ֣י לֹ֥א יוּכְל֛וּ לְהֵרָא֖וֹת לָב֥וֹא הָעִֽירָה

וִיהוֹנָתָ֨ן  Now  Jonathan 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יְהֹונָתָן  
Sense: a son of king Saul and a friend of David.
וַאֲחִימַ֜עַץ  and  Ahimaaz 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: אֲחִימַעַץ  
Sense: father-in-law of Saul.
עֹמְדִ֣ים  stayed 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine plural
Root: עָמַד  
Sense: to stand, remain, endure, take one’s stand.
בְּעֵין־  at 
Parse: Preposition
רֹגֵ֗ל  En  Rogel 
Parse: Preposition, Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: עֵין רֹגֵל 
Sense: a place near Jerusalem on the border between Judah and Benjamin and from which the permanent source of the pool of Siloam comes.
וְהָלְכָ֤ה  so  would  come 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, third person feminine singular
Root: הָלַךְ  
Sense: to go, walk, come.
הַשִּׁפְחָה֙  a  maidservant 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: שִׁפְחָה  
Sense: maid, maid-servant, slavegirl.
וְהִגִּ֣ידָה  and  tell 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Conjunctive perfect, third person feminine singular
Root: נָגַד  
Sense: to be conspicuous, tell, make known.
וְהֵם֙  and  they 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Pronoun, third person masculine plural
Root: הֵם 
Sense: they, these, the same, who.
יֵֽלְכ֔וּ  would  go 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: הָלַךְ  
Sense: to go, walk, come.
וְהִגִּ֖ידוּ  and  tell 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Conjunctive perfect, third person common plural
Root: נָגַד  
Sense: to be conspicuous, tell, make known.
לַמֶּ֣לֶךְ  King 
Parse: Preposition-l, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: מֶלֶךְ 
Sense: king.
דָּוִ֑ד  David 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: דָּוִד  
Sense: youngest son of Jesse and second king of Israel.
יוּכְל֛וּ  they  dared 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: יָכֹל  
Sense: to prevail, overcome, endure, have power, be able.
לְהֵרָא֖וֹת  be  seen 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Nifal, Infinitive construct
Root: רָאָה 
Sense: to see, look at, inspect, perceive, consider.
לָב֥וֹא  coming  into 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: בֹּוא 
Sense: to go in, enter, come, go, come in.
הָעִֽירָה  the  city 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular, third person feminine singular
Root: עִיר 
Sense: excitement, anguish.