Lectionary Calendar
Thursday, August 14th, 2025
the Week of Proper 14 / Ordinary 19
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Read the Bible

New King James Version

2 Samuel 18:10

Now a certain man saw it and told Joab, and said, "I just saw Absalom hanging in a terebinth 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

Christian Standard Bible®
One of the men saw him and informed Joab. He said, “I just saw Absalom hanging in an oak tree!”
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 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

9 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. 10 Now a certain man saw it and told Joab, and said, "I just saw Absalom hanging in a terebinth tree!" 11 So Joab said to the man who told him, "You just saw him! And why did you not strike him there to the ground? I would have given you ten shekels of silver and a belt." 12 But the man said to Joab, "Though I were to receive a thousand shekels of silver in my hand, I would not raise my hand against the king's son. For in our hearing the king commanded you and Abishai and Ittai, saying, 'Beware lest anyone touch the young man Absalom!' [fn] 13 Otherwise I would have dealt falsely against my own life. For there is nothing hidden from the king, and you yourself would have set yourself against me." 14 Then Joab said, "I cannot linger with you." And he took three spears in his hand and thrust them through Absalom's heart, while he was still alive in the midst of the terebinth tree. 15 And ten young men who bore Joab's armor surrounded Absalom, and struck and killed him. 16 So Joab blew the trumpet, and the people returned from pursuing Israel. For Joab held back the people. 17 And they took Absalom and cast him into a large pit in the woods, and laid a very large heap of stones over him. Then all Israel fled, everyone to his tent. 18 Now Absalom in his lifetime had taken and set up a pillar for himself, which is in the King's Valley. For he said, "I have no son to keep my name in remembrance." He called the pillar after his own name. And to this day it is called Absalom's Monument.

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
Then the Angel of the LORD said to her, "I will multiply your descendants exceedingly, so that they shall not be counted for multitude."
Genesis 17:16
And I will bless her and also give you a son by her; then I will bless her, and she shall be a mother of nations; kings of peoples shall be from her."
Genesis 17:19
Then God said: "No, Sarah your wife shall bear you a son, and you shall call his name Isaac; I will establish My covenant with him for an everlasting covenant, and with his descendants after him.
Genesis 17:21
But My covenant I will establish with Isaac, whom Sarah shall bear to you at this set time next year."
Genesis 18:3
and said, "My Lord, if I have now found favor in Your sight, do not pass on by Your servant.
Genesis 18:5
And I will bring a morsel of bread, that you may refresh your hearts. After that you may pass by, inasmuch as you have come to your servant." They said, "Do as you have said."
Genesis 18:8
So he took butter and milk and the calf which he had prepared, and set it before them; and he stood by them under the tree as they ate.
Genesis 18:9
Then they said to him, "Where is Sarah your wife?" So he said, "Here, in the tent."
Genesis 18:13
And the LORD said to Abraham, "Why did Sarah laugh, saying, "Shall I surely bear a child, since I am old?'
Genesis 18:14
Is anything too hard for the LORD? At the appointed time I will return to you, according to the time of life, and Sarah shall 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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