SEV Biblia, Chapter 3:31
Entonces dijo David a Joab, y a todo el pueblo que con él estaba : Romped vuestros vestidos, y ceñíos de cilicio, y haced duelo delante de Abner. Y el rey iba detrás del féretro.
Clarke's Bible Commentary - 2 Samuel 3:31
Verse 31. David said to Joab] He commanded him to take on him the part of a principal mourner.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 31. And David said to Joab, and to all the people that [were] with him , etc.] To his whole court, Joab being present: for he did not flee, nor was he laid hold on in order to be brought to justice; which shows how great his power was, and that he was too hard for David, as in ( Samuel 3:39); however this he did, he enjoined his whole court, and Joab also, to express public mourning on this account: rend your clothes and gird you with sackcloth ; which were expressions of mourning used on various occasions, and on account of the dead, and which with the Heathens were carried to a greater excess, even to the tearing of their flesh, and mourn before Abner ; before his corpse, as carried to the grave, when it was usual to make great lamentations: (see Acts 8:2); and King David [himself] followed the bier ; or “bed” on which his body was laid, and carried to the grave. On these the rich and noble among the Greeks and Romans were carried, and those of the meaner sort on biers f64 ; and so with the Jews; (see Gill on “ Luke 7:14”); some of which were gilded with gold, and were made of ivory, and had ivory feet f65 ; that of Herod’s was all of gold, inlaid with precious stones, and the body covered with purple, and followed by his sons and kindred, the soldiers going before armed, and their leaders following f66 ; the bier or bed with the Romans was sometimes carried by six persons, sometimes by eight or more f67 . It was not usual for kings, as the Jews say f68 , to attend a funeral, to go out of the doors of their palace after their own dead, and much less others; but David did this to satisfy the people, and to root out of their mind all suspicion of his having any hand in Abner’s death; and to show that he was not slain by his will, and with his consent.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 22-39 - Judgments are prepared for such scorners as Abner; but Joab, in what he did, acted wickedly. David laid Abner's murder deeply to heart, and in many ways expressed his detestation of it. The guilt of blood brings curse upon families: if men do not avenge it, God will. It is a sad thing to die like a fool, as they do that any way shorten their ow days, and those who make no provision for another world. Who would be fond of power, when a man may have the name of it, and must be accountable for it, yet is hampered in the use of it? David ought to have done his duty, and then trusted God with the issue. Carnal polic spared Joab. The Son of David may long delay, but never fails to punis impenitent sinners. He who now reigns upon the throne of David, has kingdom of a nobler kind. Whatever He doeth, is noticed by all his willing people, and is pleasing to them __________________________________________________________________
Original Hebrew
ויאמר 559 דוד 1732 אל 413 יואב 3097 ואל 413 כל 3605 העם 5971 אשׁר 834 אתו 854 קרעו 7167 בגדיכם 899 וחגרו 2296 שׂקים 8242 וספדו 5594 לפני 6440 אבנר 74 והמלך 4428 דוד 1732 הלך 1980 אחרי 310 המטה׃ 4296
