(8) For Israel had fled.--Translate, but Israel fled; "Israel" being used here, as throughout this narrative (see 2Samuel 16:15; 2Samuel 16:18; 2Samuel 17:5; 2Samuel 17:14-15; 2Samuel 17:24; 2Samuel 17:26; 2Samuel 18:6-7; 2Samuel 18:16-17), for those who had espoused the cause of Absalom.

Verse 8. - All the people came before the king. Probably they passed in review before him, and received his thanks. By thus acting in accordance with Joab's wise counsel, David probably saved the nation from years of anarchy, and a fresh civil war. For Israel had fled every man to his tent; Hebrew, and Israel, that is, Absalom's partisans, fled each man to his tent - to his home. The Authorized Version confounds Israel with David's soldiers, but consistently throughout the narrative "the hearts of the men of Israel are after Absalom" (2 Samuel 15:13; and see 2 Samuel 16:15, 18; 17:14, 15, 24, 26; 18:6, 7, 16, 17).

19:1-8 To continue to lament for so bad a son as Absalom, was very unwise, and very unworthy. Joab censures David, but not with proper respect and deference to his sovereign. A plain case may be fairly pleaded with those above us, and they may be reproved for what they do amiss, but it must not be with rudeness and insolence. Yet David took the reproof and the counsel, prudently and mildly. Timely giving way, usually prevents the ill effects of mistaken measures.Than the king arose, and sat in the gate,.... Of the city, a public place, where the inhabitants met on divers accounts at times, and where there were always people passing and repassing:

and they told unto all the people; or it was reported to the soldiers particularly:

saying, behold the king doth sit in the gate; has laid aside his mourning, appears in public, and receives his friends, and attends to business:

and all the people came before the king; to congratulate him on the victory obtained, to receive his thanks and his favours:

for Israel had fled every man to his tent: or to his city, as the Targum; that is, those that followed Absalom; which is observed not on account of what goes before, but of what follows after; see 2 Samuel 18:17.