2 Samuel 18:9
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.
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.
NASB
Now Absalom encountered the servants of David. Absalom was riding on his mule, and the mule went under the branches of a massive oak. Then his head caught firmly in the oak, and he was left hanging between the sky and earth, while the mule that was under him kept going.
CSB
Absalom was riding on his mule when he happened to meet David’s soldiers. When the mule went under the tangled branches of a large oak tree, Absalom’s head was caught fast in the tree. The mule under him kept going, so he was suspended in midair.
NLT
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.
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.
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.
What does 2 Samuel 18:9 mean?
Absalom is a violent man but always uses others to do the dirty work. Even when he murdered his brother, he made his servants carry out the act (2 Samuel 13:28–29). Absalom looks the part of a king (2 Samuel 14:25; 15:1), but he isn't a warrior. Nor is he a general. His coup attempt has failed (2 Samuel 18:6–8) because he gave his father time to establish his own defense (2 Samuel 17:1–4, 11). David's smaller, more experienced force routs the larger army, and Absalom's rebellion is thwarted. Now he needs to escape (2 Samuel 18:8). The phrase "happened to meet" is ironic, hinting that God ordains this (2 Samuel 17:14).Mules are sure-footed and have a reputation for being stubborn. In truth, they're both smart and steady. They serve their masters well, but they're not suicidal. When Absalom gets his head caught in tree limbs, the mule feels no reason to stay. What translators describe as an oak may be a terebinth, although that specific tree is unknown. Because the earlier text made such a point about Absalom's thick, fast-growing hair (2 Samuel 14:25–26), scholars believe Absalom's hair is caught in the branches.
The image of Absalom hanging from a tree is deeply symbolic. God told the Israelites that even a man who commits a capital offense should not hang on a tree overnight. It's too great a curse (Deuteronomy 21:22–23). Joab will soon kill Absalom where he is trapped, and soldiers immediately bury him under a heap of stones (2 Samuel 18:14–17). But in this moment and until Absalom dies, God shows His judgment. And Absalom hanging from the tree shows that God has placed him under a curse for his sin against his father.
Careful readers also raise the question of why David's sons have mules if the Mosaic law forbids the Israelites from breeding them (2 Samuel 13:29; Leviticus 19:19). The law didn't prohibit the Israelites from owning them, just from breeding them. So, they either bought them from foreign traders or they disobeyed the Mosaic law.
