Joab warned David that if he continued to mourn Absalom and not thank his army, they would all desert him. So David went out to encourage the soldiers. David was both a good father and a good leader.
This chapter record the recognition that David was the true king of Israel. It is important to remember that even though Absalom had power for a while, David never stopped being the king.
The ten tribes of Israel argued with the tribe of Judah about who would bring David across the river. The men of Judah answered the ten tribes very harshly. This may foreshadow, or give a glimpse of, the future civil war that would come to divide these two groups.
The people wanted David back as their king and expressed it in a rhetorical question: "So why are we not talking about bringing the king back?" David also used a question to persuade the people of Judah to bring him back: "You are my brothers, my flesh and bone. Why then are you the last to bring back the king?" (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-rquestion]])
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