שמואל ב, פרק י״ח, פסוק ט׳

Absalom's rebellion reaches its dramatic and fatal climax in a moment of sudden isolation. At the height of the battle, he finds himself completely separated from his scattered army, leading to a fateful encounter with David's men. While many commentators view this meeting as a sudden coincidence, others stress that it is a direct punishment guided by God, who orchestrates events so that Absalom is left alone and vulnerable [רלב״ג, אברבנאל]. As the battle rages, the rebel camp loses its formation, causing Absalom to accidentally stumble right into a group of David's loyal soldiers [ביאור שטיינזלץ].

In a desperate attempt to escape, Absalom flees on a mule. This is not just any animal, but King David's personal mule, which no one else is permitted to ride. Absalom deliberately chooses this specific beast to publicly display his claim to the throne. Consequently, his punishment comes through the very animal he uses to boast his royal power [חומת אנך].

As he escapes, his path takes him beneath a large tree with dense, low-hanging, and tangled branches [מצודת ציון, רד״ק, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. Passing underneath, his head becomes firmly trapped in the thicket. The commentators explain that it is his long, flowing hair that gets caught in the branches. This serves as a precise, measure-for-measure punishment. Because Absalom takes great pride in his magnificent hair, he is ultimately trapped and suspended by it [רד״ק, ביאור שטיינזלץ].

The sheer speed of the fleeing mule, combined with the sudden entanglement in the branches, leaves Absalom suspended in midair. The animal simply continues running, leaving him hanging helplessly between heaven and earth [מצודת דוד, רלב״ג, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. Adding a deeper spiritual layer to this vulnerable state, a tradition from the Sages reveals that Absalom actually draws his sword to cut his hair and free himself. However, as he looks down, he sees Hell opening up beneath him, terrifying him and preventing him from dropping to the ground [רש״י].