שמואל ב, פרק י״ח, פסוק כ״ח

When Ahimaaz arrives to deliver news of the battlefield victory to David, he navigates his message with extreme care, fully aware of the king's sensitivity regarding Absalom's fate. He begins with a greeting of peace, bows respectfully, and offers praise and thanks to God for the defeat of the rebels. Ahimaaz deliberately avoids any hint of Absalom's death. He even alters his original plan to declare that God had judged the king's enemies—a statement that might have implied Absalom's demise—and chooses instead to focus on a broad expression of gratitude for the victory [מלבי״ם]. Wishing to spare the king from immediate grief, he completely conceals the tragic news of the son's death [אברבנאל].

In his thanksgiving, Ahimaaz praises God for handing over the rebellious men. The primary approach among commentators is that this expresses how God delivered the enemies directly into the power of Joab and his army [מצודת ציון, רד״ק, ביאור שטיינזלץ, מצודת דוד]. These enemies are characterized as individuals who lifted their hands, a clear reference to their active rebellion against the king's authority [מצודת דוד, ביאור שטיינזלץ].

However, Ahimaaz's choice to use the vague term "the men" immediately catches David's attention. Hearing that the rebels were handed over, the king instantly wonders about Absalom, hoping that his son might be among those captured alive after being drawn into the uprising. Realizing the king's focus, Ahimaaz maintains his strategy of concealment. He excuses his alleged ignorance about Absalom by citing the chaos and the massive crowd that surrounded Joab when he and the Cushite runner were dispatched. By doing so, Ahimaaz steps back, leaving the heavy burden of revealing the bitter truth to the Cushite who is following close behind [אברבנאל].