2 Samuel 17:19
New International Version
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.

New Living Translation
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.

English Standard Version
And the woman took and spread a covering over the well’s mouth and scattered grain on it, and nothing was known of it.

Berean Standard Bible
Then the man’s wife took a covering and spread it over the mouth of the well, scattering grain over it so nobody would know a thing.

King James Bible
And the woman took and spread a covering over the well's mouth, and spread ground corn thereon; and the thing was not known.

New King James Version
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.

New American Standard Bible
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.

NASB 1995
And the woman took a covering and spread it over the well’s mouth and scattered grain on it, so that nothing was known.

NASB 1977
And the woman took a covering and spread it over the well’s mouth and scattered grain on it, so that nothing was known.

Legacy Standard Bible
And the woman took a covering and spread it over the well’s mouth and scattered crushed grain on it, so that nothing was known.

Amplified Bible
And the woman [of the house] took a covering and spread it over the mouth of the well and scattered grain on it; so nothing was discovered.

Christian Standard Bible
Then his wife took the cover, placed it over the mouth of the well, and scattered grain on it so nobody would know anything.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Then his wife took the cover, placed it over the mouth of the well, and scattered grain on it so nobody would know anything.

American Standard Version
And the woman took and spread the covering over the well's mouth, and strewed bruised grain thereon; and nothing was known.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
And a woman took a covering for it and she covered over the well and she spread barley grain over it and no person knew it

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And a woman took a covering, and spread it over the mouth of the well, and spread out ground corn upon it to dry, and the thing was not known.

Contemporary English Version
The man's wife put the cover on the well and poured grain on top of it, so the well could not be seen.

Douay-Rheims Bible
And a woman took, and spread a covering over the mouth of the well, as it were to dry sodden barley: and so the thing was not known.

English Revised Version
And the woman took and spread the covering over the well's mouth, and strewed bruised corn thereon; and nothing was known.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
The man's wife took a cover, spread it over the top of the cistern, and scattered some grain over it so that no one could tell it was there.

Good News Translation
The man's wife took a covering, spread it over the opening of the well and scattered grain over it, so that no one would notice anything.

International Standard Version
The man's wife grabbed a sheet, covered the mouth of the well with it, and spread some dried grain over it. As a result, nobody could tell it was a hiding place.

JPS Tanakh 1917
And the woman took and spread the covering over the well's mouth, and strewed groats thereon; and nothing was known.

Literal Standard Version
and the woman takes and spreads the covering over the face of the well, and spreads the ground grain on it, and the thing has not been known.

Majority Standard Bible
Then the man’s wife took a covering and spread it over the mouth of the well, scattering grain over it so nobody would know a thing.

New American Bible
and the woman took the cover and spread it over the mouth of the cistern, strewing crushed grain on the cover so that nothing could be noticed.

NET Bible
His wife then took the covering and spread it over the top of the well and scattered some grain over it. No one was aware of what she had done.

New Revised Standard Version
The man’s wife took a covering, stretched it over the well’s mouth, and spread out grain on it; and nothing was known of it.

New Heart English Bible
The woman took and spread the covering over the well's mouth, and spread out bruised grain on it; and nothing was known.

Webster's Bible Translation
And the woman took and spread a covering over the well's mouth, and spread ground corn upon it; and the thing was not known.

World English Bible
The woman took and spread the covering over the well’s mouth, and spread out crushed grain on it; and nothing was known.

Young's Literal Translation
and the woman taketh and spreadeth the covering over the face of the well, and spreadeth on it the ground corn, and the thing hath not been known.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Hushai's Warning Saves David
18But a young man did see them and told Absalom. So the two left quickly and came to the house of a man in Bahurim. He had a well in his courtyard, and they climbed down into it. 19Then the man’s wife took a covering and spread it over the mouth of the well, scattering grain over it so nobody would know a thing. 20When Absalom’s servants came to the woman at the house, they asked, “Where are Ahimaaz and Jonathan?” “They have crossed over the brook,” she replied. The men searched but did not find them, so they returned to Jerusalem.…

Cross References
Exodus 9:33
Then Moses departed from Pharaoh, went out of the city, and spread out his hands to the LORD. The thunder and hail ceased, and the rain no longer poured down on the land.

Joshua 2:4
But the woman had taken the two men and hidden them. So she said, "Yes, the men did come to me, but I did not know where they had come from.


Treasury of Scripture

And the woman took and spread a covering over the well's mouth, and spread ground corn thereon; and the thing was not known.

spread a covering

Joshua 2:4-6
And the woman took the two men, and hid them, and said thus, There came men unto me, but I wist not whence they were: …

the thing

Exodus 1:19
And the midwives said unto Pharaoh, Because the Hebrew women are not as the Egyptian women; for they are lively, and are delivered ere the midwives come in unto them.

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Bruised Corn Cover Covering Crushed Face Grain Groats Ground Hole Mouth Opening Scattered Spread Spreadeth Strewed Thereon Top Well's Wife
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Bruised Corn Cover Covering Crushed Face Grain Groats Ground Hole Mouth Opening Scattered Spread Spreadeth Strewed Thereon Top Well's Wife
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














(19) Ground Corn.--This word occurs elsewhere only in Proverbs 27:22, and means wheat or barley beaten or ground so as to remove the hull; in this condition it was spread out to dry.

Verse 19. - A covering; Hebrew, the cover; that is, the usual cover of the cistern, which had been taken off to let the young men descend into it. Over it she spread, not ground corn, but brayed or peeled corn (see Proverbs 27:22), probably barley groats. She was probably busy in removing the husks of the barley with a pestle in a mortar when Jonathan and Ahimaaz sought refuge with her; and thus her whole proceeding was so natural as to excite no suspicions.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
Then [the man's] wife
הָאִשָּׁ֗ה (hā·’iš·šāh)
Article | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 802: Woman, wife, female

took
וַתִּקַּ֣ח (wat·tiq·qaḥ)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person feminine singular
Strong's 3947: To take

a covering
הַמָּסָךְ֙ (ham·mā·sāḵ)
Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 4539: A covering, screen

and spread
וַתִּפְרֹ֤שׂ (wat·tip̄·rōś)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person feminine singular
Strong's 6566: To break apart, disperse

it over
עַל־ (‘al-)
Preposition
Strong's 5921: Above, over, upon, against

the mouth
פְּנֵ֣י (pə·nê)
Noun - common plural construct
Strong's 6440: The face

of the well
הַבְּאֵ֔ר (hab·bə·’êr)
Article | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 875: A pit, a well

and scattered
וַתִּשְׁטַ֥ח (wat·tiš·ṭaḥ)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person feminine singular
Strong's 7849: To spread, spread abroad

grain
הָֽרִפ֑וֹת (hā·ri·p̄ō·wṯ)
Article | Noun - feminine plural
Strong's 7383: Perhaps grain

over it,
עָלָ֖יו (‘ā·lāw)
Preposition | third person masculine singular
Strong's 5921: Above, over, upon, against

so nobody
וְלֹ֥א (wə·lō)
Conjunctive waw | Adverb - Negative particle
Strong's 3808: Not, no

would know
נוֹדַ֖ע (nō·w·ḏa‘)
Verb - Nifal - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 3045: To know

a thing.
דָּבָֽר׃ (dā·ḇār)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 1697: A word, a matter, thing, a cause


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OT History: 2 Samuel 17:19 The woman took and spread the covering (2Sa iiSam 2 Sam ii sam)
2 Samuel 17:18
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