שמואל ב, פרק י״ט, פסוק ג׳

A military triumph suddenly transforms into a moment of deep public sorrow. The joy of victory among the people quickly gives way to sadness, driven entirely by the personal reaction of their king.

Most of the people were not directly involved in the death of Absalom. Therefore, they naturally expected the king to celebrate the success of the battle rather than mourn the loss of his son. They anticipated that on a day of such great salvation, the king would greet them with happiness and a warm, welcoming presence.

However, as rumors spread, the people learned the exact opposite. They discovered that the king found no joy in the victory and was instead consumed by grief over his son. Consequently, the profound sense of salvation and joy was completely overturned, turning into an experience of mourning [מצודת דוד]. Specifically on this day of expected celebration, the national feeling of triumph was replaced by a heavy, public grief [מלבי״ם, ביאור שטיינזלץ].