King James Version

2 Samuel 17:20

And when Absalom’s servants came to the woman to the house, they said, Where is Ahimaaz and Jonathan? And the woman said unto them, They be gone over the brook of water. And when they had sought and could not find them, they returned to Jerusalem.

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Hebrew

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וַיָּבֹ֣אוּvayavovand to comeבּוֹאconjunction, verb, qal, sequential imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, plural — “and to come”, the next action in the storyH935to go or come (in a wide variety of applications)abide, apply, attain, [idiom] be, befall, [phrase] besiege, bring (forth, in, into, to pass), call, carry, [idiom] certainly, (cause, let, thing for) to come (against, in, out, upon, to pass), depart, [idiom] doubtless again, [phrase] eat,…עַבְדֵי֩avdeservantעֶבֶדnoun, common, masculine, plural, construct — “servant”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH5650a servant[idiom] bondage, bondman, (bond-) servant, (man-) servant.אַבְשָׁל֨וֹםavshalomAbishalomאֲבִישָׁלוֹםnoun, proper name — “Abishalom”H53Abshalom, a son of David; also (the fuller form) a later IsraeliteAbishalom, Absalom.אֶֽלelamongאֵלpreposition — “among”H413near, with or among; often in general, toabout, according to, after, against, among, as for, at, because(-fore, -side), both...and, by, concerning, for, from, [idiom] hath, in(-to), near, (out) of, over, through, to(-ward), under, unto, upon, whether, with(-in).הָאִשָּׁ֜הhaishahthe eachאִשָּׁהdefinite article, noun, common, feminine, singular, absolute — “the each”, the ordinary formH802a woman(adulter) ess, each, every, female, [idiom] many, [phrase] none, one, [phrase] together, wife, woman. Often unexpressed in English.הַבַּ֗יְתָהhabaytahthe familyבַּיִתdefinite article, noun, common, masculine, singular, absolute, directional ending — “the family”, the ordinary formH1004a house (in the greatest variation of applications, especially family, etc.)court, daughter, door, [phrase] dungeon, family, [phrase] forth of, [idiom] great as would contain, hangings, home(born), (winter) house(-hold), inside(-ward), palace, place, [phrase] prison, [phrase] steward, [phrase] tablet, temple, web,…וַיֹּֽאמְרוּ֙vayomrvand sayאָמַרconjunction, verb, qal, sequential imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, plural — “and say”, the next action in the storyH559to say (used with great latitude)answer, appoint, avouch, bid, boast self, call, certify, challenge, charge, [phrase] (at the, give) command(-ment), commune, consider, declare, demand, [idiom] desire, determine, [idiom] expressly, [idiom] indeed, [idiom] intend, name, [id…אַיֵּ֗הayehwhereאַיֵּהparticle, interrogative — “where”H346where?where.אֲחִימַ֨עַץ֙achimaatsAhimaazאֲחִימַעַץnoun, proper name — “Ahimaaz”H290Achimaats, the name of three IsraelitesAhimaaz.וִיה֣וֹנָתָ֔ןvihonatanand Jonathan. Compare H3129יְהוֹנָתָןconjunction, noun, proper name — “and Jonathan. Compare H3129”H3083Jehonathan, the name of four IsraelitesJonathan. Compare H3129 (יוֹנָתָן).וַתֹּ֤אמֶרvatomerand sayאָמַרconjunction, verb, qal, sequential imperfect, 3rd person, feminine, singular — “and say”, the next action in the storyH559to say (used with great latitude)answer, appoint, avouch, bid, boast self, call, certify, challenge, charge, [phrase] (at the, give) command(-ment), commune, consider, declare, demand, [idiom] desire, determine, [idiom] expressly, [idiom] indeed, [idiom] intend, name, [id…לָהֶם֙lahemtoלָהֶם֙preposition, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, masculine, plural — “to”toהָֽאִשָּׁ֔הhaishahthe eachאִשָּׁהdefinite article, noun, common, feminine, singular, absolute — “the each”, the ordinary formH802a woman(adulter) ess, each, every, female, [idiom] many, [phrase] none, one, [phrase] together, wife, woman. Often unexpressed in English.עָבְר֖וּavervalienateעָבַרverb, qal, perfect, 3rd person, common, plural — “alienate”, a completed actionH5674to cross over; used very widely of any transition (literal or figurative; transitive, intransitive, intensive, causative); specifically, to cover (in copulation)alienate, alter, [idiom] at all, beyond, bring (over, through), carry over, (over-) come (on, over), conduct (over), convey over, current, deliver, do away, enter, escape, fail, gender, get over, (make) go (away, beyond, by, forth, his way…מִיכַ֣לmikhalbrookמִיכָלnoun, common, masculine, singular, construct — “brook”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH4323properly, a container, i.e. a streamletbrook.הַמָּ֑יִםhamayimthe waterמַיִםdefinite article, noun, common, masculine, plural, absolute — “the water”, the ordinary formH4325water; figuratively, juice; by euphemism, urine, semen[phrase] piss, wasting, water(-ing, (-course, -flood, -spring)).וַיְבַקְשׁוּ֙vayvaqshvand beseechבָּקַשׁconjunction, verb, piel, sequential imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, plural — “and beseech”, the next action in the storyH1245to search out (by any method, specifically in worship or prayer); by implication, to strive afterask, beg, beseech, desire, enquire, get, make inquisition, procure, (make) request, require, seek (for).וְלֹ֣אveloand no , -r,לֹאconjunction, particle, negative — “and no , -r,”H3808not (the simple or abs. negation); by implication, no; often used with other particles[idiom] before, [phrase] or else, ere, [phrase] except, ig(-norant), much, less, nay, neither, never, no((-ne), -r, (-thing)), ([idiom] as though...,(can-), for) not (out of), of nought, otherwise, out of, [phrase] surely, [phrase] as trul…מָצָ֔אוּmatsavcomeמָצָאverb, qal, perfect, 3rd person, common, plural — “come”, a completed actionH4672properly, to come forth to, i.e. appear or exist; transitively, to attain, i.e. find or acquire; figuratively, to occur, meet or be present[phrase] be able, befall, being, catch, [idiom] certainly, (cause to) come (on, to, to hand), deliver, be enough (cause to) find(-ing, occasion, out), get (hold upon), [idiom] have (here), be here, hit, be left, light (up-) on, meet (with)…וַיָּשֻׁ֖בוּvayashuvvand againשׁוּבconjunction, verb, qal, sequential imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, plural — “and again”, the next action in the storyH7725to turn back (hence, away) transitively or intransitively, literally or figuratively (not necessarily with the idea of return to the starting point); generally to retreat; often adverbial, again((break, build, circumcise, dig, do anything, do evil, feed, lay down, lie down, lodge, make, rejoice, send, take, weep)) [idiom] again, (cause to) answer ([phrase] again), [idiom] in any case (wise), [idiom] at all, averse, bring (again,…יְרוּשָׁלִָֽםyerushalimJerusalemיְרוּשָׁלַ͏ִםnoun, proper name — “Jerusalem”H3389Jerushalaim or Jerushalem, the capital city of PalestineJerusalem.

Jewish translation (JPS 1917)

And Absalom's servants came to the woman to the house; and they said: 'Where are Ahimaaz and Jonathan?' And the woman said unto them: 'They are gone over the brook of water.' And when they had sought and could not find them, they returned to Jerusalem.

Compare Public-Domain Translations

The King James Version remains the text of this page and the canonical URL.

American Standard Version (1901)

And Absalom’s servants came to the woman to the house; and they said, Where are Ahimaaz and Jonathan? And the woman said unto them, They are gone over the brook of water. And when they had sought and could not find them, they returned to Jerusalem.

Young’s Literal Translation

And the servants of Absalom come in unto the woman to the house, and say, 'Where [are] Ahimaaz and Jonathan?' and the woman saith to them, 'They passed over the brook of water;' and they seek, and have not found, and turn back to Jerusalem.

World English Bible

Absalom’s servants came to the woman to the house; and they said, “Where are Ahimaaz and Jonathan?” The woman said to them, “They have gone over the brook of water.” When they had sought and could not find them, they returned to Jerusalem.

Darby Translation

And Absalom's servants came to the woman to the house, and said, Where are Ahimaaz and Jonathan? And the woman said to them, They have gone over the brook of water. And they sought and could not find [them], and returned to Jerusalem.

Douay-Rheims

And when Absalom’s servants were come into the house, they said to the woman: Where is Achimaas and Jonathan? and the woman answered them: They passed on in haste, after they had tasted a little water. But they that sought them, when they found them not, returned into Jerusalem.

Jewish Publication Society (1917)

Brenton’s Septuagint (1851), English

And the servants of Abessalom came to the woman into the house, and said, Where are Achimaas and Jonathan? and the woman said to them, They are gone a little way beyond the water. And they sought and found them not, and returned to Jerusalem.

Septuagint (Brenton’s Greek, 1851)

Καὶ ἦλθον οἱ παῖδες Ἀβεσσαλὼμ πρὸς τὴν γυναῖκα εἰς τὴν οἰκίαν, καὶ εἶπαν, ποῦ Ἀχιμάας καὶ Ἰωνάθαν; καὶ εἶπεν αὐτοῖς ἡ γυνὴ, παρῆλθαν μικρὸν το ὕδατος· καὶ ἐζήτησαν, καὶ οὐχ εὗραν, καὶ ἀνέστρεψαν εἰς Ἰερουσαλήμ.