2 Samuel 17:19
ESV
And the woman took and spread a covering over the well 's mouth and scattered grain on it, and nothing was known of it.
NIV
His wife took a covering and spread it out over the opening of the well and scattered grain over it. No one knew anything about it.
NASB
And the woman took a cover and spread it over the well’s mouth and scattered barley meal on it, so that nothing was known.
CSB
Then his wife took the cover, placed it over the mouth of the well, and scattered grain on it so nobody would know anything.
NLT
The man’s wife put a cloth over the top of the well and scattered grain on it to dry in the sun; so no one suspected they were there.
KJV
And the woman took and spread a covering over the well's mouth, and spread ground corn thereon; and the thing was not known.
NKJV
Then the woman took and spread a covering over the well’s mouth, and spread ground grain on it; and the thing was not known.
What does 2 Samuel 17:19 mean?
When David heard that Absalom had rebelled against him and was marching toward Jerusalem, he had to act quickly. He gathered his servants, rushed them out of town, and made for the Jordan River. Along the way, he enlisted the priests Zadok and Abiathar and his friend Hushai. They were to spy on Absalom and send David intelligence through the priests' sons Jonathan and Ahimaaz (2 Samuel 15:13–14, 24–37).When David and his people reached the Benjamite town of Bahurim, Shimei, one of Saul's relatives, celebrated David's fall. He cursed David and threw rocks at him and his guard. He claimed David stole the kingdom from Saul and was responsible for Saul's family's death. He called David a "man of blood" (2 Samuel 16:5–8).
Abishai, David's nephew and the leader of his elite fighting force, was so angry he offered to chop Shimei's head off. David stopped him. Everything that had happened with Absalom, from the murder of his brother Amnon to his rebellion to him having sex with David's concubines (2 Samuel 13:28–29; 15:1–12; 16:20–23)—was God's punishment for David's sin against Bathsheba and Uriah (2 Samuel 12:9–11). Just in case God had arranged for Shimei's ridicule, David accepted it as God's judgment (2 Samuel 16:9–14).
David's foresight is reaping rewards. Thanks to Hushai's work, Jonathan and Ahimaaz are on their way to David to tell him to cross the Jordan River as quickly as possible. Unfortunately, the men were seen, and Absalom's guards are searching for them. They've come to Bahurim, Shimei's town, where a woman is hiding them in her well (2 Samuel 17:15–18). When the guards come, she tells them they've gone. The guards leave, and Jonathan and Ahimaaz reach David in time (2 Samuel 17:20–22).
Scripture does not mention it, but David's mercy towards Shimei might have saved his own life. The woman of Bahurim might not have risked so much to save David's spies, if an insulted king had executed her neighbor.
