2 Samuel 18:9

2 Samuel 18:9 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And Absalom met the servants of David. And Absalom rode upon a mule, and the mule went under the thick boughs of a great oak, and his head caught hold of the oak, and he was taken up between the heaven and the earth; and the mule that was under him went away.
• New International Version (NIV)Now Absalom happened to meet David’s men. He was riding his mule, and as the mule went under the thick branches of a large oak, Absalom’s hair got caught in the tree. He was left hanging in midair, while the mule he was riding kept on going.
• English Standard Version (ESV)And Absalom happened to meet the servants of David. Absalom was riding on his mule, and the mule went under the thick branches of a great oak, and his head caught fast in the oak, and he was suspended between heaven and earth, while the mule that was under him went on.
• New King James Version (NKJV)Then Absalom met the servants of David. Absalom rode on a mule. The mule went under the thick boughs of a great terebinth tree, and his head caught in the terebinth; so he was left hanging between heaven and earth. And the mule which was under him went on.

Context of 2 Samuel 18:9

7There the people of Israel were defeated by David’s servants, and the slaughter was great that day—twenty thousand men. 8The battle spread over the whole countryside, and that day the forest devoured more people than the sword. Now Absalom was riding on his mule when he met the servants of David, and as the mule went under the thick branches of a large oak, Absalom’s head was caught fast in the tree. The mule under him kept going, so that he was suspended in midair. 10When one of the men saw this, he told Joab, “I just saw Absalom hanging in an oak tree!” 11“You just saw him!” Joab exclaimed. “Why did you not strike him to the ground right there? I would have given you ten shekels of silver and a warrior’s belt!”

2 Samuel 18:9 word by word

וַיִּקָּרֵא֙ אַבְשָׁל֔וֹם לִפְנֵ֖י עַבְדֵ֣י דָוִ֑ד וְאַבְשָׁל֞וֹם רֹכֵ֣ב עַל־הַפֶּ֗רֶד וַיָּבֹ֣א הַפֶּ֡רֶד תַּ֣חַת שׂוֹבֶךְ֩ הָאֵלָ֨ה הַגְּדוֹלָ֜ה וַיֶּחֱזַ֧ק רֹאשׁ֣וֹ בָאֵלָ֗ה וַיֻּתַּן֙ בֵּ֤ין הַשָּׁמַ֙יִם֙ וּבֵ֣ין הָאָ֔רֶץ וְהַפֶּ֥רֶד אֲשֶׁר־תַּחְתָּ֖יו עָבָֽר׃Read the interlinear

• Now Absalomאֲבִישָׁלוֹם'ăbîyshâlôm 'abshâlôm · AbsalomH53
• Now Absalomפָּנֶהpânîym · face: beforeH6440
• was ridingרָכַבrâkab · to rideH7392
• onעַל‛al · uponH5921
• his muleפֶּ֫רֶדpered · muleH6505
• metקָרָאqârâ' · to encounter: meetH7122
• the servantsעֶ֫בֶד‛ebed · servant/slaveH5650
• of Davidדָּוִדdâvid dâvîyd · DavidH1732
• wentבּוֹאbô' · to come (in): comeH935
• underתַּחַתtachath · underneath: underH8478
• the thick branchesשׂוֹבֶךְώôbek · thicketH7730
• of a largeגָּדוֹלgâdôl gâdôl · great: largeH1419
• oakאֵלָה'êlâh · oakH424
• Absalom’s headרֹאשׁrô'sh · headH7218
• was caught fastחָזַקchâzaq · to strengthen: holdH2388
• ·אֲשֶׁר'ăsher · whichH834
• kept goingעָבַר‛âbar · to passH5674
• so that he was suspendedנָתַןnâthan · to give: putH5414
• in midairבַּ֫יִןbêyn · betweenH996
• in midairשָׁמַיִםshâmayim shâmeh · heavenH8064
• in midairאֶ֫רֶץ'erets · land: country/planetH776

Cross-references for 2 Samuel 18:9

• 2 Samuel 18:14But Joab declared, “I am not going to wait like this with you!” And he took three spears in his hand and thrust them through the heart of Absalom while he was still alive in the oak tree.
• 2 Samuel 14:26And when he cut the hair of his head—he shaved it every year because his hair got so heavy—he would weigh it out to be two hundred shekels, according to the royal standard.
• 2 Samuel 17:23When Ahithophel saw that his advice had not been followed, he saddled his donkey and set out for his house in his hometown. He put his affairs in order and hanged himself. So he died and was buried in his father’s tomb.
• Matthew 27:5So Judas threw the silver into the temple and left. Then he went away and hanged himself.
• Deuteronomy 21:23you must not leave the body on the tree overnight, but you must be sure to bury him that day, because anyone who is hung on a tree is under God’s curse. You must not defile the land that the LORD your God is giving you as an inheritance.
• Deuteronomy 27:16‘Cursed is he who dishonors his father or mother.’ And let all the people say, ‘Amen!’
• Job 18:8For his own feet lead him into a net, and he wanders into its mesh.
• Job 31:3Does not disaster come to the unjust and calamity to the workers of iniquity?
• Psalms 63:9But those who seek my life to destroy it will go into the depths of the earth.
• Proverbs 20:20Whoever curses his father or mother, his lamp will be extinguished in deepest darkness.
• Proverbs 30:17As for the eye that mocks a father and scorns obedience to a mother, may the ravens of the valley pluck it out and young vultures devour it.
• Jeremiah 48:44“Whoever flees the panic will fall into the pit, and whoever climbs from the pit will be caught in the snare. For I will bring upon Moab the year of their punishment,” declares the LORD.
• Mark 7:10For Moses said, ‘Honor your father and your mother’ and ‘Anyone who curses his father or mother must be put to death.’
• Galatians 3:13Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us. For it is written: “Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree.”

Commentaries on 2 Samuel 18:9

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 9And his head caught hold of the oak - It has been supposed that Absalom was caught by the hair, but no such thing is intimated in the text. Probably his neck was caught in the fork of a strong bough, and he was nearly dead when Joab found him; for it is said, 2 Samuel 18:14, he was yet alive, an expression which intimates he was nearly dead.Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 9would seem that the two things which his vain-glory boasted in, the royal mule, and the magnificent head of hair by which he was caught in the “oak” (rather, terebinth or turpentine tree), both contributed to his untimely death.Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 9-18Verses 9-18 Let young people look upon Absalom, hanging on a tree, accursed, forsaken of heaven and earth; there let them read the Lord's abhorrence of rebellion against parents. Nothing can preserve men from misery and contempt, but heavenly wisdom and the grace of God.Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 9Absalom, who was very proud of his hair, died because of it. He had set up for himself a pillar (2 Samuel 18:18), but after his death, he was thrown into a pit (2 Samuel 18:17) and did not receive a proper burial. These contrasts highlight the difference between Absalom’s goals and his final outcome.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 99. Absalom met the servants of David--or was overtaken. "It is necessary to be continually on one's guard against the branches of trees; and when the hair is worn in large locks floating down the back, as was the case with a young man of the party to which I belonged, any thick boughs interposing in the path might easily dislodge a rider from his seat, and catch hold of his flowing hair" [Hartley]. Some, however, think that the sacred historian points not…Read the comment

Topics related to 2 Samuel 18:9

• Absalom
• Ephraim
• Gilead
• Mule
• Oak

In the dictionaries

• Absalom
• David
• Charge
• Lift
• Mule
• Oak
• Pillar
• Rise
• Thrust
• Absalom (1)

Commentaries on 2 Samuel 18

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings