And when Absalom's servants came to the woman to the house,.... Who were sent after then, 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 unto them, they be 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 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.
Antiqu. l. 7. c. 9. sect. 7. Hudson. not.