And when Absalom's servants came to the woman to the house,
&c.] 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 F18 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.