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Monday, August 18th, 2025
the Week of Proper 15 / Ordinary 20
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Read the Bible

Christian Standard Bible ®

2 Samuel 18:10

One of the men saw him and informed Joab. He said, “I just 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

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.
Easy-to-Read Version
Someone saw this happen and told Joab, "I saw Absalom hanging in an oak tree."
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

9Absalom 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. 10One of the men saw him and informed Joab. He said, “I just saw Absalom hanging in an oak tree!”11“You just saw him!” Joab exclaimed. “Why didn’t you strike him to the ground right there? I would have given you ten silver pieces and a belt!” 12The man replied to Joab, “Even if I had the weight of a thousand pieces of silver in my hand, I would not raise my hand against the king’s son. For we heard the king command you, Abishai, and Ittai, ‘Protect the young man Absalom for me.’ 13If I had jeopardized my own life—and nothing is hidden from the king—you would have abandoned me.” 14Joab said, “I’m not going to waste time with you!” He then took three spears in his hand and thrust them into Absalom’s chest. While Absalom was still alive in the oak tree, 15ten young men who were Joab’s armor-bearers surrounded Absalom, struck him, and killed him. 16Joab blew the ram’s horn, and the troops broke off their pursuit of Israel because Joab restrained them. 17They took Absalom, threw him into a large pit in the forest, and raised up a huge mound of stones over him. And all Israel fled, each to his tent. 18When he was alive, Absalom had taken a pillar and raised it up for himself in the King’s Valley, since he thought, “I have no son to preserve the memory of my name.” So he named the pillar after himself. It is still called Absalom’s Monument 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 said to her, “I will greatly multiply your offspring, and they will be too many to count.”
Genesis 17:16
I will bless her; indeed, I will give you a son by her. I will bless her, and she will produce nations; kings of peoples will come from her.”
Genesis 17:19
But God said, “No. Your wife Sarah will bear you a son, and you will name him Isaac. I will confirm my covenant with him as a permanent covenant for his future offspring.
Genesis 17:21
But I will confirm my covenant with Isaac, whom Sarah will bear to you at this time next year.”
Genesis 18:3
and said, “My lord, if I have found favor with you, please do not go on past your servant.
Genesis 18:5
I will bring a bit of bread so that you may strengthen yourselves. This is why you have passed your servant’s way. Later, you can continue on.”
Genesis 18:8
Then Abraham took curds and milk, as well as the calf that he had prepared, and set them before the men. He served them as they ate under the tree.
Genesis 18:9
“Where is your wife Sarah?” they asked him.
Genesis 18:13
But the Lord asked Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh, saying, ‘Can I really have a baby when I’m old?’
Genesis 18:14
Is anything impossible for the Lord? At the appointed time I will come back to you, and in about a year she 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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