2Sa 18:33 | KD | STEP | The king understood the meaning of the words. He was agitated, and went up to the balcony of the gate (the room above the entrance) and wept, and said, walking about, “My son Absalom, my son, my son Absalom! Oh that I had died for thee, Absalom, my son, my son!” To understand this passionate utterance of anguish, we must bear in mind not only the excessive tenderness, or rather weakness, of David’s paternal affection towards his son, but also his anger that Joab and his generals should have paid so little regard to his command to deal gently with Absalom. With the king’s excitable temperament, this entirely prevented him from taking a just and correct view of the crime of his rebel son, which merited death, and of the penal justice of God which had been manifested in his destruction. David Reinstated in His Kingdom - 2 Samuel 19:1-39 In his passionate and sinful sorrow on account of Absalom’s death David not only forgot altogether what it was his duty to do, in order to recover the affections of the people, so that Joab was obliged to remind him of this duty which was binding upon him as king ( ); but he even allowed himself to be carried away into the most inconsiderate measures ( ), and into acts of imprudence and injustice ( , ), which could not contribute to the strengthening of his throne, however much the affection with which he wished to reward the old man Barzillai for his faithful services ( ) might show that the king was anxious to promote the welfare of his subjects.

‏ 2 Samuel 18:33

The king understood the meaning of the words. He was agitated, and went up to the balcony of the gate (the room above the entrance) and wept, and said, walking about, “My son Absalom, my son, my son Absalom! Oh that I had died for thee, Absalom, my son, my son!” To understand this passionate utterance of anguish, we must bear in mind not only the excessive tenderness, or rather weakness, of David’s paternal affection towards his son, but also his anger that Joab and his generals should have paid so little regard to his command to deal gently with Absalom. With the king’s excitable temperament, this entirely prevented him from taking a just and correct view of the crime of his rebel son, which merited death, and of the penal justice of God which had been manifested in his destruction. David Reinstated in His Kingdom - 2 Samuel 19:1-39

In his passionate and sinful sorrow on account of Absalom’s death David not only forgot altogether what it was his duty to do, in order to recover the affections of the people, so that Joab was obliged to remind him of this duty which was binding upon him as king (2Sa 19:1-8); but he even allowed himself to be carried away into the most inconsiderate measures (2Sa 19:9-14), and into acts of imprudence and injustice (2Sa 19:16-23, 2Sa 19:24-30), which could not contribute to the strengthening of his throne, however much the affection with which he wished to reward the old man Barzillai for his faithful services (2Sa 19:31-40) might show that the king was anxious to promote the welfare of his subjects.