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Monday, November 24th, 2025
the Week of Christ the King / Proper 29 / Ordinary 34
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Read the Bible

Easy-to-Read Version

2 Samuel 18:10

Someone saw this happen and told Joab, "I saw Absalom hanging in an oak tree."

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Absalom;   Ephraim;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Death of the Wicked, the;   Oak-Tree, the;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Ahimaaz;   Joab;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Absalom;   Joab;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Fox;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Samuel, Books of;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Abishai;   Joab;   Samuel, Books of;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Oak;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Absalom;   David;  

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - Hebrew Monarchy, the;   International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Oak;   Terebinth;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
One of the men saw him and informed Joab. He said, “I just saw Absalom hanging in an oak tree!”
Hebrew Names Version
A certain man saw it, and told Yo'av, and said, Behold, I saw Avshalom hanging in an oak.
King James Version
And a certain man saw it, and told Joab, and said, Behold, I saw Absalom hanged in an oak.
Lexham English Bible
When a certain man saw it, he told Joab, and he said, "Look, I saw Absalom hanging in the oak tree!"
English Standard Version
And a certain man saw it and told Joab, "Behold, I saw Absalom hanging in an oak."
New Century Version
When one of the men saw it happen, he told Joab, "I saw Absalom hanging in an oak tree!"
New English Translation
When one of the men saw this, he reported it to Joab saying, "I saw Absalom hanging in an oak tree.
Amplified Bible
A certain man saw it and informed Joab, saying, "I saw Absalom hanging in a tree."
New American Standard Bible
When a certain man saw him, he informed Joab and said, "Behold, I saw Absalom hanging in an oak."
Geneva Bible (1587)
And one that sawe it, tolde Ioab, saying, Beholde, I sawe Absalom hanged in an oke.
Legacy Standard Bible
Then a certain man saw it, he told Joab and said, "Behold, I saw Absalom hanging in an oak."
Contemporary English Version
and one of them went and told Joab, "I saw Absalom hanging in a tree!"
Complete Jewish Bible
Someone saw it and told Yo'av, "I saw Avshalom hanging in a terebinth."
Darby Translation
And a man saw it, and told Joab, and said, Behold, I saw Absalom hanging in a terebinth.
George Lamsa Translation
And a certain man saw it and told Joab and said, Behold, I saw Absalom hanging in an oak.
Good News Translation
One of David's men saw him and reported to Joab, "Sir, I saw Absalom hanging in an oak tree!"
Literal Translation
And a man saw and told Joab, and said, Behold! I saw Absalom hanging in the oak;
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Whan a certayne man sawe that, he tolde Ioab, and saide: Beholde, I sawe Absalom hange vpo an Oke tre.
American Standard Version
And a certain man saw it, and told Joab, and said, Behold, I saw Absalom hanging in an oak.
Bible in Basic English
And a certain man saw it and said to Joab, I saw Absalom hanging in a tree.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
And one that sawe it, tolde Ioab, saying: Beholde, I sawe Absalom hange in an oke.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
And a certain man saw it, and told Joab, and said: 'Behold, I saw Absalom hanging in a terebinth.'
King James Version (1611)
And a certaine man saw it, and told Ioab, and said, Behold, I saw Absalom hanged in an Oke.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And a man saw it, and reported to Joab, and said, Behold, I saw Abessalom hanging in an oak.
English Revised Version
And a certain man saw it, and told Joab, and said, Behold, I saw Absalom hanging in an oak.
Berean Standard Bible
When one of the men saw this, he told Joab, "I just saw Absalom hanging in an oak tree!"
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Sotheli `sum man siy this, and telde to Joab, and seide, Y siy Absolon hange on an ook.
Young's Literal Translation
And one man seeth, and declareth to Joab, and saith, `Lo, I saw Absalom hanged in an oak.'
Update Bible Version
And a certain man saw it, and told Joab, and said, Look, I saw Absalom hanging in an oak.
Webster's Bible Translation
And a certain man saw [it], and told Joab, and said, Behold, I saw Absalom hanging in an oak.
World English Bible
A certain man saw it, and told Joab, and said, Behold, I saw Absalom hanging in an oak.
New King James Version
Now a certain man saw it and told Joab, and said, "I just saw Absalom hanging in a terebinth tree!"
New Living Translation
One of David's men saw what had happened and told Joab, "I saw Absalom dangling from a great tree."
New Life Bible
When a certain man saw it, he told Joab, "I saw Absalom hanging in an oak."
New Revised Standard
A man saw it, and told Joab, "I saw Absalom hanging in an oak."
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And a certain man saw it, and told Joab, - and said - Lo! I saw Absolom suspended in an oak.
Douay-Rheims Bible
And one saw this and told Joab, saying: I saw Absalom hanging upon an oak.
Revised Standard Version
And a certain man saw it, and told Jo'ab, "Behold, I saw Ab'salom hanging in an oak."
New American Standard Bible (1995)
When a certain man saw it, he told Joab and said, "Behold, I saw Absalom hanging in an oak."

Contextual Overview

9 It so happened that David's officers found Absalom. Absalom jumped on his mule and tried to escape, but the mule went under the branches of a large oak tree. The branches were thick, and Absalom's head got caught in the tree. His mule ran out from under him, so Absalom was left hanging above the ground. 10 Someone saw this happen and told Joab, "I saw Absalom hanging in an oak tree." 11 Joab said to the man, "Why didn't you kill him and let him fall to the ground? I would have given you a belt and ten pieces of silver!" 12 The man said to Joab, "I would not try to hurt the king's son even if you gave me 1000 pieces of silver. We heard the king's command to you, Abishai, and Ittai. The king said, ‘Be careful not to hurt young Absalom.' 13 If I had killed Absalom, the king himself would find out, and you would punish me." 14 Joab said, "I will not waste my time here with you!" Absalom was still alive and hanging in the oak tree. Joab took three sticks in his hand and hit him in the heart. 15 Ten of Joab's young helpers gathered around Absalom and killed him. 16 Joab blew the trumpet and called the people to stop chasing Israelites. 17 Then Joab's men took Absalom's body and threw it into a large hole in the forest and covered it with stones. All the Israelites ran away and went home. 18 While Absalom was alive he put up a memorial stone in King's Valley. He said, "I have no son to keep my name alive." So he named that monument after himself. It is called "Absalom's Monument" even today.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Reciprocal: 2 Samuel 21:6 - hang Proverbs 30:17 - eye Galatians 3:13 - for

Cross-References

Genesis 16:10
The angel of the Lord also said, "From you will come many people—too many people to count."
Genesis 17:16
I will bless her. I will give her a son, and you will be the father. She will be the mother of many new nations. Kings of nations will come from her."
Genesis 17:19
God said, "No, I said that your wife Sarah will have a son. You will name him Isaac. I will make my agreement with him that will continue forever with all his descendants.
Genesis 17:21
But I will make my agreement with Isaac, the son who Sarah will have. He will be born at this same time next year."
Genesis 18:3
Abraham said, "Sirs, please stay a while with me, your servant.
Genesis 18:5
I will get some food for you, and you can eat as much as you want. Then you can continue your journey." The three men said, "Do as you wish."
Genesis 18:8
Abraham brought the meat and some milk and cheese and set them down in front of the three men. Then he stood near the men, ready to serve them while they sat under the tree and ate.
Genesis 18:9
Then the men said to Abraham, "Where is your wife Sarah?" Abraham said, "She is there, in the tent."
Genesis 18:13
Then the Lord said to Abraham, "Sarah laughed and said she was too old to have a baby.
Genesis 18:14
But is anything too hard for the Lord ? I will come again in the spring, just as I said I would, and your wife Sarah will have a son."

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And a certain man saw [it],.... Saw him in the above posture, one of David's soldiers:

and told Joab, and said, behold, I saw Absalom hanged in an oak; caught by the neck in one, out of which he could not disengage himself, but there he hung, though alive.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 2 Samuel 18:10. I saw Absalom hanged in an oak. — He must have hung there a considerable time. this man saw him hanging; how long he had been hanging before he saw him, we cannot tell. He came and informed Joab; this must have taken up a considerable time. Joab went and pierced him through with three darts; this must have taken up still more time. It is therefore natural to conclude that his life must have been nearly gone after having been so long suspended, and probably was past recovery, even if Joab had taken him down.


 
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