What did the king send?
Rashi: He sent word to Rechum and Shimshi and their entourages in cities of Shomron, and to all the Goyim in Ever ha'Nahar, on the side of Eretz Yisrael.
Malbim: He did not send to check if the Jews are building the city. He thought that his officers and many nations would not lie about something that can be checked! Rather, he sought only to check if Yerushalayim's way is to rebel against kings.
What are "Shlam u'Che'es"?
Rashi: They are places. Ke'es is K'enes (10); sometimes it is written with a Nun, and sometimes without.
Ibn Ezra: [He sent] Shalom [to the rest of Ever ha'Nahar,] and to [Ke'es, which is] K'enes.
Malbim: Shlam is like etc. It is a shorthand in place of listing all the lands mentioned above (9-10); he says only the first (Rechum v'Shimshi), 'Shlam' and the last (u'Che'es).
