2 Samuel 18:9

Listen to 2 Samuel 18:9
9 Et Absalom se rencontra devant les serviteurs de David. Or Absalom Ă©tait montĂ© sur un mulet; et le mulet Ă©tant entrĂ© sous les branches entrelacĂ©es d'un grand chĂȘne, la tĂȘte d'Absalom fut prise dans les branches du chĂȘne, et il demeura entre le ciel et la terre, le mulet qui Ă©tait sous lui ayant passĂ© outre.

2 Samuel 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.

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2 Samuel 18:9 In-Context

7 LĂ  le peuple d'IsraĂ«l fut battu par les gens de David, et il y eut, en ce jour-lĂ , dans ce mĂȘme lieu, une grande dĂ©faite, de vingt mille hommes.
8 Et le combat s'Ă©tendit par tout le pays, et en ce jour la forĂȘt consuma beaucoup plus de peuple que ne fit l'Ă©pĂ©e.
9 Et Absalom se rencontra devant les serviteurs de David. Or Absalom Ă©tait montĂ© sur un mulet; et le mulet Ă©tant entrĂ© sous les branches entrelacĂ©es d'un grand chĂȘne, la tĂȘte d'Absalom fut prise dans les branches du chĂȘne, et il demeura entre le ciel et la terre, le mulet qui Ă©tait sous lui ayant passĂ© outre.
10 Et un homme, ayant vu cela, le rapporta Ă  Joab, et dit: Voici, j'ai vu Absalom suspendu Ă  un chĂȘne.
11 Et Joab répondit à l'homme qui lui rapportait cela: Quoi! tu l'as vu? Et pourquoi ne l'as-tu pas abattu là, par terre? C'eût été à moi de te donner dix piÚces d'argent et un baudrier.
The Ostervald translation is in the public domain.