שמואל ב, פרק י״ז, פסוק כ׳

The pursuit of the loyal messengers reaches a critical moment of tension when Absalom's men arrive at the very house where Ahimaaz and Jonathan are hiding. Armed with prior intelligence that the two men had definitely entered the residence, Absalom's servants confront the woman of the house and demand to know their whereabouts [מצודת דוד].

To protect the men, the woman misleads the pursuers and sends them on a false trail. She claims that the messengers have already moved on and crossed a nearby stream of water. In doing so, her intention is to convince them that the men have already crossed the Jordan River, making any immediate capture seem unlikely [רד״ק].

Prompted by her words, the men set out to search for the fugitives. There are different perspectives on how they conduct this hunt. They may have first searched the inside of the woman's house just to be absolutely certain the men were not still hiding there [מצודת דוד, אברבנאל]. Alternatively, they may have taken her at her word, crossed the stream, and focused their search further along the path [מצודת דוד].

Ultimately, their efforts yield nothing. Finding no trace of the men, the pursuers give up and return to Jerusalem. With the immediate danger gone, Ahimaaz and Jonathan are able to climb safely out of their hiding spot in the well and continue their vital mission to David [אברבנאל].