Charles Ellicott Commentary 2 Samuel 13:34

"But Absalom fled. And the young man that kept the watch lifted up his eyes, and looked, and, behold, there came much people by the way of the hill-side behind him." — 2 Samuel 13:34 (ASV)

Absalom fled. —This is connected on one side with 2 Samuel 13:29, and on the other with 2 Samuel 13:37. Several things were happening at once. When the king’s sons fled to the palace, Absalom, taking advantage of the confusion, escaped another way. The reason for mentioning the fact here is that otherwise he would seem to be included among “the king’s sons” of the two following verses.

Behind him — i.e., from the west, as a person from the East is always presumed to face east when speaking of the points of the compass.