2 Samuel 17:19

WEB

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

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.

Commentary

And the woman took and spread a covering over the well's mouth,.... This woman, very probably, was the man's wife of the house, a s Abarbinel notes; who took a cloth, and spread it over the well's mouth, that it could not be seen or known that there was a well there: and spread ground corn thereon: just taken out of the mill, before it was sifted, while in the bran; or corn unhusked, or just threshed out, in order to be dried in the sun, and then parched; or wheat bruised for that purpose: Josephus says (q) they were locks of wool she spread: and the thing was not known; that the young men were in the well. (q) Antiqu. l. 7. c. 9. sect. 7.