8 Then the king arose, and sat in the gate. They told to all the people, saying, "Behold, the king is sitting in the gate." All the people came before the king. Now Israel had fled every man to his tent.
*Minor differences ignored. Grouped by changes, with first version listed as example.
David saw the justice of what Joab said, and the new danger which threatened him if he did not rouse himself from his grief.
For Israel - Not David's followers, but as before 2-Samuel 17:26; 2-Samuel 18:6, 2-Samuel 18:17, Absalom's army.
The king - sat in the gate - The place where justice was administered to the people.
Then the king arose, and sat in the (c) gate. And they told unto all the people, saying, Behold, the king doth sit in the gate. And all the people came before the king: for Israel had fled every man to his tent.
(c) Where the most resort of the people haunted.
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.
the king arose, and sat in the gate--He appeared daily in the usual place for the hearing of causes.
all the people came before the king--that is, the loyal natives who had been faithful to his government, and fought in his cause.
Israel had fled--that is, the adherents of Absalom, who, on his defeat, had dispersed and saved themselves by flight.
Nevertheless David was obliged to yield to his representations. "The king rose up, and sat in the gate, and all the people came before the king," i.e., the troops marched before the king, who (as we may supply from the context) manifested his good-will in both looks and words. But Israel, i.e., that portion of the people which had followed Absalom, had returned to its tents (i.e., gone home: cf. 2-Samuel 18:17). This sentence forms the transition to the account which follows.
*More commentary available at chapter level.