and in funeral costume, and to accompany the deceased to his resting-place, whilst David as king followed the bier.
Verse 32
Thus they buried Abner at Hebron; and David wept aloud at his grave, and all the people with him.
Verses 33-34
Although the appointment of such a funeral by David, and his tears at Abner's grave, could not fail to divest the minds of his opponents of all suspicion that Joab had committed the murder with his cognizance (see at 2Sa 3:37), he gave a still stronger proof of his innocence, and of the sincerity of his grief, by the ode which he composed for Abner's death: 33 Like an ungodly man must Abner die! 34 Thy hands were not bound, and thy feet were not placed in fetters.
As one falls before sinners, so hast thou fallen!
Verse 34
The first strophe (2Sa 3:33) is an expression of painful lamentation at the fact that Abner had died a death which he did not deserve. “The fool” (nabal) is “the ungodly,” according to Israelitish ideas (vid., Psa 14:1). The meaning of 2Sa 3:34 is: Thou hadst not made thyself guilty of any crime, so as to have to die like a malefactor, in chains and bonds; but thou hast been treacherously murdered. This dirge made such an impression upon all the people (present), that they wept still more for the dead.
Verse 35
But David mourned so bitterly, that when all the people called upon him to take some food during the day, he declared with an oath that he would not taste bread or anything else before the setting of the sun. לחם הברות does not mean, as in 2Sa 13:5, to give to eat, on account of the expression “all the people,” as it can hardly be imagined that all the people, i.e., all who were present, could have come to bring David food, but it signifies to make him eat, i.e., call upon him to eat; whilst it is left uncertain whether David was to eat with the people (cf. 2Sa 12:17), i.e., to take part in the funeral meal that was held after the burial, or whether the people simply urged him to take some food, for the purpose of soothing his own sorrow. אם כּי are to be taken separately: כּי, ὅτι, introducing the oath, and אם being the particle used in an oath: “if,” i.e., assuredly not.
Verse 36
2Sa 3:36“And all the people perceived it (i.e., his trouble), and it pleased them, as everything that the king did pleased all the people.”
Verse 37
All the people (sc., who were with the king) and all
