שמואל ב, פרק כ׳, פסוק י״ב

A swift military pursuit is abruptly cut short by a gruesome sight that brings the advancing army to a complete standstill. The murdered commander, Amasa, lies directly in the middle of the main, beaten path, wallowing in his own blood. This horrific scene strikes panic into the passing soldiers, causing them to freeze in their tracks and refuse to march forward.

Joab's attendant, standing over the fallen commander, attempts to urge the troops to keep moving. He quickly realizes his warnings are useless; the crowd remains paralyzed by shock. To resolve the massive delay, the attendant is forced to take physical action. First, he drags the body away from the central road and moves it into an adjacent field.

Yet, as [מלבי״ם] points out, this initial step does not solve the problem. As new waves of soldiers arrive at the scene—men who had not witnessed the initial shock—they too stop in the field, pausing to ask questions and figure out the meaning of the unsettling sight. Realizing that merely moving the body is not enough to prevent further delays, the attendant takes a final measure. He throws a garment over Amasa, completely covering and hiding him from the eyes of the passersby. Only with the tragic sight entirely concealed is the army finally able to resume its march.