2 Samuel 18:9

Contextual Overview

⁹ And Absalom chanced to meet the slaves of David. And Absalom was riding on his mule, and the mule went under the thick boughs of a great oak, and his head caught hold of the oak, and he was left hanging between heaven and earth; and the mule that was under him went on. ⁹ During the battle, Absalom happened to come upon some of David's men. He tried to escape on his mule, but as he rode beneath the thick branches of a great tree, his hair got caught in the tree. His mule kept going and left him dangling in the air. ⁹ And Absalom chanced to meet the servants of David. And Absalom rode upon his 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 on. ⁹ Then Absalom happened to meet David's troops. As Absalom was riding his mule, it went under the thick branches of a large oak tree. Absalom's head got caught in the tree, and his mule ran out from under him. So Absalom was left hanging above the ground. ⁹ Then Absalom happened to come across David's men. Now as Absalom was riding on his mule, it went under the branches of a large oak tree. His head got caught in the oak and he was suspended in midair, while the mule he had been riding kept going. ⁹ 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 suspended between the heaven and the earth; and the mule that [was] under him went away. ⁹ Absalom happened to meet the servants of David. Absalom was riding on his 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 sky and earth; and the mule that was under him went on. ⁹Now Absalom met the servants of David. Absalom was riding on his mule, and the mule went under the thick branches of a massive tree, and his head was caught in [the thick branches of] the tree; and he was left hanging [in midair] between heaven and earth, while the mule that had been under him kept going.⁹ 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. ⁹ Sotheli it bifeld, that Absalon sittinge on a mule, cam ayens the seruauntis of Dauid; and whanne the mule hadde entrid vndur a thicke ook, and greet, the heed of Absolon cleuyde to the ook; and whanne he was hangid bitwixe heuene and erthe, the mule, on which he sat, passide.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

his head: Riding furiously under the thick boughs of a great oak, which hung low and had never been cropped, either the twisted branches, or some low forked bough of the tree, caught him by the neck, or, as some think, by the loops into which his long hair had been pinned, which had been so much his pride, and was now justly made a halter for him. He may have hung so low from the bough, in consequence of the length of his hair, that he could not use his hands to help himself, or so entangled that his hands were bound, so that the more he struggled the more he was embarrassed. This set him up as a fair mark to the servants of David; and although David would have spared his rebellious son, if his orders had been executed, yet he could not turn the sword of Divine justice, in executing the just, righteous sentence of death on this traitorous son. 2 Samuel 18:14, 2 Samuel 14:26, 2 Samuel 17:23, Matthew 27:5

taken up: Deuteronomy 21:23, Deuteronomy 27:16, Deuteronomy 27:20, Job 18:8-10, Job 31:3, Psalms 63:9, Psalms 63:10, Proverbs 20:20, Proverbs 30:17, Jeremiah 48:44, Mark 7:10, Galatians 3:13

Reciprocal: Genesis 36:24 - found Leviticus 19:19 - thy cattle gender 2 Samuel 3:3 - Absalom 2 Samuel 13:29 - mule Psalms 55:15 - Let death Ezekiel 17:20 - I will spread John 12:32 - if

Cross-References

Genesis 4:9
Then the Lord said to Cain, "Where is Abel your brother?" He said, "I do not know; am I my brother's keeper?"

Genesis 4:9
And Yahweh said to Cain, Where is Abel your brother? And he said, I don't know: am I my brother's keeper?

Genesis 4:9
Later, the Lord said to Cain, "Where is your brother Abel?" Cain answered, "I don't know. Is it my job to take care of my brother?"

Genesis 4:9
Then the Lord said to Cain, "Where is your brother Abel?" And he replied, "I don't know! Am I my brother's guardian?"

Genesis 4:9
And the LORD said to Cain, Where [is] Abel thy brother? And he said, I know not: [Am] I my brother's keeper?

Genesis 4:9
Yahweh said to Cain, "Where is Abel, your brother?" He said, "I don't know. Am I my brother's keeper?"

Genesis 4:9
Then the LORD said to Cain, "Where is Abel your brother?" And he [lied and] said, "I do not know. Am I my brother's keeper?"

Genesis 4:9
And the Lord seide to Cayn, Where is Abel thi brother? Which answerde, Y woot not; whether Y am the kepere of my brothir?

Genesis 4:9
And Jehovah saith unto Cain, `Where [is] Abel thy brother?' and he saith, `I have not known; my brother's keeper -- I?'

Genesis 4:9
And the LORD said to Cain, "Where is your brother Abel?" "I do not know!" he answered. "Am I my brother's keeper?"

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And Absalom met the servants of David,.... When his army was routed, he was in such a fright that he knew not which way to flee, and instead of flying from David's men, he fled in the way of them; but none of them attempted to slay him, nor even to stop him, but let him pass by them, knowing David's charge concerning him:

and Absalom rode upon a mule; as was common for great personages to do in those days, 2 Samuel 13:29;

and the mule went under the thick boughs of a great oak; and running full speed, Absalom could not guide him, nor stop, nor divert him from going under it:

and his head caught hold of the oak; either the hair of his head was twisted and entangled in the thick boughs of the oak; or rather his head was jammed into a forked branch of the oak:

and he was taken up between the heaven and the earth; hung in the air between both, as unworthy to live in either:

and the mule that [was] under him went away; and left him hanging in the oak.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

would 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.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 2 Samuel 18:9. And 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.