27 The watchman said, "I think the running of the first one is like the running of Ahimaaz the son of Zadok." The king said, "He is a good man, and comes with good news."
*Minor differences ignored. Grouped by changes, with first version listed as example.
And the watchman said, Me thinketh the running of the foremost is like the running of Ahimaaz the son of Zadok. And the king said, He [is] a (i) good man, and cometh with good tidings.
(i) He had experienced his fidelity, (2-Samuel 17:21).
And the watchman said, me thinketh,.... Or, "I see" (b); I perceive, so it appears to me:
that the running of the foremost is like the running of Ahimaaz the son of Zadok; who it seems was well known, and famous for his manner of running and swiftness in it, having been employed in carrying expresses before from Jerusalem to David, and his army, wheresoever they were; and some of these persons thus employed were very swift; we read (c) of one that was a king's messenger, that went from Jerusalem to Tyre, on the first of Elul, or August, in a night and a day; which, according to Bunting (d) was an hundred miles: this watchman must be one of David's sentinels, who was well acquainted with the people about him:
and the king said, he is a good man, and cometh with good tidings; he knew he was a man of courage, and therefore was not one that fled, but must be a messenger; and that he was well affected to him, and would never be the messenger of evil tidings to him.
(b) , Sept. "ego videns", Montanus; "video", Tigurine version. (c) T. Hieros. Taanioth, fol. 68. 3. (d) Travels, p. 200.
When the watchman saw by the running of the first that it was Ahimaaz, recognising him probably by the swiftness of his running, and announced it to the king, he replied, "He is a good man, and cometh with good tidings," because Joab would not have selected him to bring any other than good news.
*More commentary available at chapter level.