2 Samuel 17:17
ESV
Now Jonathan and Ahimaaz were waiting at En-rogel. A female servant was to go and tell them, and they were to go and tell King David, for they were not to be seen entering the city.
NIV
Jonathan and Ahimaaz were staying at En Rogel. A female servant was to go and inform them, and they were to go and tell King David, for they could not risk being seen entering the city.
NASB
Now Jonathan and Ahimaaz were staying at En-rogel, and a female servant would go and inform them, and they would go and inform King David, for they could not allow themselves to be seen entering the city.
CSB
Jonathan and Ahimaaz were staying at En-rogel, where a servant girl would come and pass along information to them. They in turn would go and inform King David, because they dared not be seen entering the city.
NLT
Jonathan and Ahimaaz had been staying at En-rogel so as not to be seen entering and leaving the city. Arrangements had been made for a servant girl to bring them the message they were to take to King David.
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.
NKJV
Now Jonathan and Ahimaaz stayed at En Rogel, for they dared not be seen coming into the city; so a female servant would come and tell them, and they would go and tell King David.
What does 2 Samuel 17:17 mean?
As Absalom and his followers marched toward Jerusalem, David gathered his household and got them out of the city. As they left, he mourned his state and continually made strategic decisions (2 Samuel 15:13–14, 30). One of the best decisions was to send back the faithful priests Zadok and Abiathar. They wanted to join David and bring the ark of the covenant (Exodus 25:10–16). David told them to go back to Jerusalem. The ark belonged in the city, and the priests could spy on Absalom and send messages through their sons Jonathan and Ahimaaz (2 Samuel 15:24–29).When David heard that his counselor Ahithophel had joined forces with Absalom, he prayed that God would interfere with Ahithophel's advice (2 Samuel 15:31). Almost immediately after, David's old friend Hushai met him. David sent the wise man back to Jerusalem to convince Absalom that he had changed sides, as well: that he would serve the king, whoever that may be (2 Samuel 15:32–37).
Hushai was there when Absalom was advised to immediately send an attack force to destroy David and his people. The old man thwarted this by suggesting Absalom take the time to amass a larger force. This buys David valuable time (2 Samuel 17:1–14). Now, Hushai has gone to Zadok and Abiathar with a warning for David to cross the Jordan River quickly (2 Samuel 17:15–16).
Zadok and Abiathar have given a servant woman the message and the location of their sons outside Jerusalem. She meets them, but a young man sees the men, returns to Jerusalem, and tells Absalom. The priests' sons race to another town and, with the help of a local woman, hide in her well. Absalom's guards arrive and question the woman; she tells them they're gone. When the guards leave, Jonathan and Ahimaaz go to David and tell him they need to move. By the next morning, all of David's people will have crossed the Jordan (2 Samuel 17:18–22).
En-rogel later became known as "Job's Well." It is on the border between the territories of Judah and Benjamin, near where the Kidron Valley meets the Hinnom Valley. It may have been a common place to draw water for use in the city, making it seem very natural to send a servant girl to that place to accomplish that task. Later, after David dies, his son Adonijah will set himself up as king in En-rogel, against David's command that Solomon will be king (1 Kings 1:5–10).
