[And] as soon as the lad was gone,.... Which David could observe from his lurking place:David arose out of [a place] toward the south; to the south of the field in which he was hid, or to the south of the stone Ezel, near which he was; and so the Targum,"and David arose from the side of the stone Atha, which was towards the south;''Jonathan shooting his arrows to the north of it, lest the lad should have discovered David when he ran for them: and fell on his face to the ground; in reverence of Jonathan, as the son of a king, and in respect to him as his friend, who had so faithfully served him, and was so concerned to save his life:and bowed himself three times: this was before he fell prostrate on the ground.
Abarbinel observes, that bowing three; times was fit and proper to be done to a king; once at the place from whence they first see him, the second time in the middle of the way to him, and the third time when come to him; but though this may have been a custom in more modern times, it is a question whether it obtained so early; however it is certain bowing was as ancient, and therefore Xenophon is mistaken in ascribing it to Cyrus as the first introducer of this custom; and be it that he was the first that began it among the Persians, it was in use with others before, as this behaviour of David shows:and they kissed one another; as friends about to part:and wept one with another: as not knowing whether they should ever see each other's face any more:until David exceeded; in weeping more than Jonathan; he having more to part with, not only him his dear friend, but his wife and family, and other dear friends and people of God, and especially the sanctuary and service of God, which of all things lay nearest his heart, and most distressed him; see 1Sa 26:19; and many of his psalms on this occasion.
Ben Gersom suggests that he wept more than was meet, through too much fear of Saul; but that seems not to be the case. Cyropaedia, l. 8. c.