likely full of ravines, precipices, and marches, into which the flying foe was pursued, and where so many perished.
Verse 9
2Sa 18:9 “And Absalom was lighted upon (יקּרא = יקּרה) by the servants of David, riding upon the mule; and the mule had come under the thick branches of the great terebinth, and his head fastened itself (remained hanging) on the terebinth, so that he was held (hung) between heaven and earth, as the mule under him went away.” The imperfects, ויּבא, ויּחזק, and ויּתּן, are only a combination of the circumstantial clause רכב ואבשׁ. With regard to the fact itself, it is not clearly stated in the words that Absalom hung only by his hair, but simply that his hair entangled him in the thick branches, and his head was fastened in the terebinth, namely, by being jammed between the strong boughs.
Verses 10-11
A man (one of David's men) saw him in this situation, and told Joab, Joab replied (2Sa 18:11), “Behold, thou hast seen it, and wherefore has thou not smitten him there to the ground? and it was for me to give thee ten silverlings and a girdle;” i.e., if thou hadst slain him, it would have been my duty to reward thee.
Verses 12-13
But the man replied, “And I ... not weighing a thousand shekels in my hand ... might not stretch out my hand to the king's son,” i.e., I could not do it for a reward of a thousand shekels. This is the meaning of the Chethib ולא; the Masoretes, on the other hand, have substituted ולוּ, which is the reading adopted in most of the ancient versions, and the one preferred by the majority of expositors: “if I weighed ... I would not,” etc. But there is no necessity for this alteration, as the Chethib is quite in accordance with the character of the words.“For before our ears the king commanded” (cf. 2Sa 18:5): מי שׁמרוּ, “take care whoever (it be)of the boy Absalom.” On this use of מי, see Ewald, §104, d., a. The Keri לי is merely a conjecture, notwithstanding the fact that all the versions follow it, and that one of the Codices in Kennicott has לי. “or,” continued the man (2Sa 18:13), “should I have acted deceitfully towards his life (i.e., have slain him secretly, which he calls שׁקר, cheating, because it was opposed to the king's open command):and nothing remains hidden from the king; ... thou wouldst have set thyself in opposition to me,” i.e., have risen up against me before the king. The middle clause is a circumstantial one, as the fact that וכל־דּבר is placed first clearly shows; so that it cannot be regarded as introducing the
