שמואל ב, פרק י״ח, פסוק כ״ו

As the tense wait for the battle's outcome continues, another figure appears on the horizon. The sight of a second lone runner helps clarify the situation for the king. Spotting this new arrival, the watchman calls out to the guard stationed near the city gate [מצודת דוד, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. This interaction marks a return to standard protocol. Normally, the watchman is supposed to alert the gatekeeper, who then requests the king's permission for a visitor to enter. Earlier, driven by intense anticipation and urgency, the watchman bypassed this rule and shouted directly to the king. Now, however, the immediate pressure has faded. Since the first runner is already about to deliver the primary report, the watchman resumes normal procedure and addresses the gatekeeper [מלבי״ם].

The watchman announces the approach of another man running entirely by himself [מצודת דוד]. Hearing this, David instantly deduces that this second man is also a messenger. The king realizes that if two individuals are running toward the city separately, they must have been deliberately dispatched to report on the battle [ביאור שטיינזלץ]. His logic is straightforward: if the army had been defeated and soldiers were fleeing the battlefield, they would be running in massive crowds. The arrival of just two solitary runners is clear proof that they are official messengers carrying news [אברבנאל].