2 Samuel 15:30

30 And David is going up in the ascent of the olives, going up and weeping, and he hath the head covered, and he is going barefooted, and all the people who [are] with him have covered each his head, and have gone up, going up and weeping;

2 Samuel 15:30 Meaning and Commentary

2 Samuel 15:30

And David went up by the ascent of [Mount] Olivet
So called from the olive trees that grew upon it, which is often mentioned in the New Testament, and where our Lord Jesus Christ, the antitype of David, often was, in his state of humiliation, ( Matthew 26:30 ) ( Mark 14:26 ) ( Luke 22:39 ) , and from whence he ascended to heaven after his resurrection, ( Acts 1:12 ) ; it was about a mile from Jerusalem, to the east of it:

and wept as he went up;
thinking perhaps of the wickedness and rebellion of his son, of his own hard case, to be obliged to quit his metropolis and palace, and make his flight afoot; and perhaps also of his own sins, which were the cause of his calamities:

and had his head covered;
with his mantle, with which he enwraped himself as a mourner, ( 2 Samuel 19:4 ) ; so the Egyptians used to cover their heads in mourning, and the Romans in later times ^F17; so Megara in sorrowful circumstances is represented as having her head covered with a garment ^F18:

and he went barefoot;
in token of mourning also, and like one forlorn, and going into captivity, see ( Isaiah 20:2 ) ( Micah 1:8 ) ;

and all the people that [was] with him covered every man his head;
as David did, and in imitation of him, and sympathizing with him; and which was sometimes done when men were ashamed and confounded, ( Jeremiah 14:3 Jeremiah 14:4 ) ;

and they went up, weeping as they went up;
the mount of Olivet, grieved for their king, and the distresses and calamities that were coming upon them.

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FOOTNOTES:

F17 Vid. Solerium de Pileo, sect. 2. p. 14, 19.
F18 Senec. Hercul. furens, act. 2.

2 Samuel 15:30 In-Context

28 see ye, I am tarrying in the plains of the wilderness till the coming in of a word from you to declare to me.'

29 And Zadok taketh back -- and Abiathar -- the ark of God to Jerusalem, and they abide there.

30 And David is going up in the ascent of the olives, going up and weeping, and he hath the head covered, and he is going barefooted, and all the people who [are] with him have covered each his head, and have gone up, going up and weeping;

31 and David declared, saying, `Ahithophel [is] among the conspirators with Absalom;' and David saith, `Make foolish, I pray Thee, the counsel of Ahithophel, O Jehovah.'

32 And it cometh to pass, David hath come unto the top, where he boweth himself to God, and lo, to meet him [is] Hushai the Archite, his coat rent, and earth on his head;