וַיִּשְׁלַ֤ח יוֹאָב֙ תְּק֔וֹעָה וַיִּקַּ֥ח מִשָּׁ֖ם אִשָּׁ֣ה חֲכָמָ֑ה וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אֵ֠לֶיהָ הִֽתְאַבְּלִי־נָ֞א וְלִבְשִׁי־נָ֣א בִגְדֵי־אֵ֗בֶל וְאַל־תָּס֙וּכִי֙ שֶׁ֔מֶן וְהָיִ֕ית כְּאִשָּׁ֗ה זֶ֚ה יָמִ֣ים רַבִּ֔ים מִתְאַבֶּ֖לֶת עַל־מֵֽת׃
envoya chercher à Tekoa une femme avisée à laquelle il dit: "Prends, je te prie, les apparences du deuil: revêts un costume de deuil, ne te parfume pas d’huile, enfin aie l’air d’une femme qui pleure un mort depuis de longs jours.
Ibn Ezra
To appoint unto them that mourn for Zion that which the text is going to enumerate2aThe words לתת להם to give unto them, are accordingly a mere repetition of the phrase לשום לאבלי ציון to appoint unto them that mourn for Zion.. Beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning. The mourner does not anoint with oil, as may be gathered from the story of the woman of Tekoa. (2 Sam. 14:2).
English Explanation of Mishnah Menachot
Tekoa is “alpha” first its oil. Tekoa, which is in the Negev and is mentioned in II Samuel 14:2 has the best oil.
Rashbam
עקר, with two vowels kametz. Other examples of such constructions are חכם as opposed to אשה חכמה, (Samuel II 14,2) or שפל as opposed to ושפלה איננה in Leviticus 13,21. I have found that all the texts published in Spain follow this vowel pattern. [remember that our author was Ashkenazi. Ed.]