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

7David's soldiers won the fight against Israel's soldiers. Many soldiers died in the battle that day. There were 20,000 dead men. 8They fought the battle everywhere in the forest and around it. The forest itself caused the death of more men than the battle did. During the battle, Absalom was riding on his mule and he met some of David's soldiers. His mule carried him under a big oak tree. The tree's branches caught Absalom's hair so that he hung there above the ground. His mule ran off and left him there. 10One of David's men saw what had happened. He told Joab, ‘I have seen Absalom. He is hanging from an oak tree.’ 11Joab said to the man who told him the news, ‘You saw him there, did you? So why did you not kill him? I would have given you ten silver coins and a brave soldier'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

Words taken from the KJV.

• And Absalomאֲבִישָׁלוֹם'ăbîyshâlôm 'abshâlôm · AbsalomH53
• metקָרָאqârâ' · to encounter: meetH7122
• the servantsעֶ֫בֶד‛ebed · servant/slaveH5650
• the servantsפָּנֶהpânîym · face: beforeH6440
• of Davidדָּוִדdâvid dâvîyd · DavidH1732
• rodeרָכַבrâkab · to rideH7392
• upon a muleפֶּ֫רֶדpered · muleH6505
• wentבּוֹאbô' · to come (in): comeH935
• under the thick boughsשׂוֹבֶךְώôbek · thicketH7730
• of a greatגָּדוֹלgâdôl gâdôl · great: largeH1419
• oakאֵלָה'êlâh · oakH424
• and his headרֹאשׁrô'sh · headH7218
• caught holdחָזַקchâzaq · to strengthen: holdH2388
• and he was taken upנָתַןnâthan · to give: putH5414
• between the heavenשָׁמַיִםshâmayim shâmeh · heavenH8064
• and the earthאֶ֫רֶץ'erets · land: country/planetH776
• under him went awayעָבַר‛âbar · to passH5674

Cross-references for 2 Samuel 18:9

• 2 Samuel 18:14Joab said, ‘I cannot stay here while you talk like this.’ So he took three spears and he went to the tree where Absalom was hanging. While Absalom was still alive, Joab pushed the spears into Absalom's heart.
• 2 Samuel 14:26Once every year he cut his hair because it became too heavy. Each time, the hair that he cut off weighed about 2 kilograms.
• 2 Samuel 17:23Ahithophel realized that Absalom had not agreed to his advice. So he got on his donkey and he went home to his own town. He told his family what he needed to tell them. Then he hanged himself. He died and his family buried him in his father's grave.
• Matthew 27:5So Judas took the money and he threw it down on the floor in the temple. Then he went away. He hung himself from a rope so that he died.
• Deuteronomy 21:23you must not leave it there during the night. Be careful to bury it on the same day that he died. If someone's body is hanging on a tree, it shows that God has cursed him. So do not leave it there. The Lord your God is giving the land to you so that it belongs to you. So do not let evil things spoil your land.
• Deuteronomy 27:16‘God will curse anyone who does not respect his parents.’ Then all the people will say, ‘Yes, we agree!’
• Job 18:8He does not know where he is going and he walks into a dangerous trap.
• Job 31:3He sends trouble to people who do wicked things. He punishes those people who do evil things.
• Psalms 63:9My enemies are trying to kill me, but I know that they themselves will die. They will go down into the deep hole of death.
• Proverbs 20:20If you insult your parents, your life will quickly finish, like a lamp that suddenly goes out and leaves you in complete darkness.
• Proverbs 30:17Punishment will come to anyone who insults his father, or who refuses to listen to his mother. Wild birds will pick out his eyes and vultures will eat his body.
• Jeremiah 48:44Anyone who runs away from danger, will fall into a deep hole. And a trap will catch anyone who climbs out of the deep hole. Yes, the time will soon come when I will punish Moab's people.
• Mark 7:10For example, Moses wrote, “You must love your father and your mother. You must obey them.” He also said, “You must kill anyone who curses his father or his mother.”
• Galatians 3:13So God's Law shows that it is right for God to punish us. But Christ took that punishment away from us, because God punished him instead of us. It says in the Bible: ‘When people hang someone on a tree to kill him, it shows that God has cursed that person.’

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