וַיִּשְׁלַ֤ח אַבְשָׁלוֹם֙ מְרַגְּלִ֔ים בְּכָל־שִׁבְטֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל לֵאמֹ֑ר כְּשָׁמְעֲכֶם֙ אֶת־ק֣וֹל הַשֹּׁפָ֔ר וַאֲמַרְתֶּ֕ם מָלַ֥ךְ אַבְשָׁל֖וֹם בְּחֶבְרֽוֹן׃
Awschalom schickte Kundschafter umher in allen Stämmen Israels und ließ sagen: Wie ihr den Posaunenschall höret, so rufet: Awschalom ist König geworden in Hebron.
Rashi
המקשרות THE STRONGER—Explain it as the Targum renders it: הבכירות the early-bearing sheep; but I have no evidence in the Scripture (i.e. I have no other example of the use of this word) to prove that this is its meaning. Menachem classifies it under the same root as (2 Samuel 15:31) “Ahitophel is among the conspirators (בקשרים)”, and as (2 Samuel 15:12) “And the conspiracy (הקשר) was strong” — so that the meaning would be those sheep that banded themselves together (mated) in order to accelerate their pregnancy (i.e. in order that they might become בכירות, early-bearing sheep).