him than for his army and the success of it; and even suggests as if it was nothing if Absalom was not safe, so great were his affections towards him: and Ahimaaz answered, when Joab sent the king's servant; which was Cushi, the first messenger, whose office perhaps it was to be one of the king's messengers, and therefore called his servant: and me thy servant: Ahimaaz himself who was sent after the other: I saw a great tumult, but I knew not what it was; he perceived that the tidings of the death of Absalom would be disagreeable to the king, and therefore concealed it from him; and though a good man, he cannot be excused from lying, for certainly he knew that Absalom was dead, as appears from Sa2 18:19 ; though indeed what he said might be true, that after Joab had sent him and Cushi, as the Targum paraphrases it, he saw a company of people gathered together in a tumultuous manner, the meaning of which he knew not; but then this was no other than an evasion. (f) "estne pax puero?" V. L. "pax puero", Pagninus, Montanus.