2 Kingdoms (2 Samuel) 16:22Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

The son committed a more disgraceful act against the blessed one than Saul had done; he shamed his father’s concubines openly, not in secret but on the rooftop for all to witness. In his fury towards his father, he transgressed both natural law and the proper treatment of women. In a fit of madness, while the conflict was still underway, he dared to act as if he had already achieved victory and subdued the enemy, engaging in actions typically reserved for the aftermath of triumph.

For an extended period, the father tolerates the schemes of his son, who has been exiled from the realm and now escapes to evade death. No son could be more wicked and thirsting for blood. Unable to take his father's life, he resorts to shameful acts, further compounding his original wrongs by committing the heinous act of incest. He brought disgrace upon his father in the sight of the people, engaging in a sin that, even in privacy, is a detestable offense. The father, though absent, is forced to witness with revulsion his son’s egregious act, and the eyes of everyone are sullied by such blatant wickedness.