Shmuel Bais 18:9

9 And Avshalom met the avadim of Dovid. And Avshalom rode upon a pered (mule), and the pered went under the thick boughs of a great oak, and his rosh (head) caught hold of elah (tree, oak), and he was suspended between HaShomayim and ha’aretz; the pered under him went on.

Shmuel Bais 18:9 Meaning and Commentary

2 Samuel 18:9

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.

Shmuel Bais 18:9 In-Context

7 Where Am Yisroel were slain before the avadim of Dovid, and there was there a magefah gedolah that day of esrim elef.

8 For the milchamah was there scattered over the face of kol ha’aretz; and the ya’ar devoured more people that day than the cherev devoured.

9 And Avshalom met the avadim of Dovid. And Avshalom rode upon a pered (mule), and the pered went under the thick boughs of a great oak, and his rosh (head) caught hold of elah (tree, oak), and he was suspended between HaShomayim and ha’aretz; the pered under him went on.

10 And a certain ish saw it, told Yoav, and said, Hinei, I saw Avshalom [ben Dovid] talui (hanged) b’elah (on a tree, oak) [ZECHARYAH 12:10].

11 And Yoav said unto the ish that told him, And, hinei, thou sawest him, and why didst thou not strike him down to the ground there? And I would have given thee ten shekels of kesef, and a khagorah.