וַיַּ֨עַשׂ אַבְשָׁל֜וֹם כַּדָּבָ֤ר הַזֶּה֙ לְכָל־יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל אֲשֶׁר־יָבֹ֥אוּ לַמִּשְׁפָּ֖ט אֶל־הַמֶּ֑לֶךְ וַיְגַנֵּב֙ אַבְשָׁל֔וֹם אֶת־לֵ֖ב אַנְשֵׁ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃ (פ)
און אַבֿשָלום האָט געטאָן אַזױ װי די דאָזיקע זאַך צו גאַנץ ישׂראל װאָס פֿלעגן קומען פֿאַר אַ משפּט צום מלך. און אַבֿשָלום האָט געגנבֿעט דאָס האַרץ פֿון די מענער פֿון ישׂראל.
Bartenura
לב אביו – Absalom said to his father (i.e., King David): “Write for me that two people that I will choose from all of Israel will go with me.” He wrote for him. He would show his father’s signature to two [people] and they follow him. [He then shows it to] two others and they follow him until he gathered two hundred men. All of them are heads of the Sanhedrins. For he stole the heart of his father, the heart of the Jewish court and the heart of all Israel, as it is written (II Samuel 15:6): “Thus Absalom won away the hearts of the men of Israel.”
English Explanation of Mishnah Sotah
And because he stole three hearts, the heart of his father, the heart of the court, and the heart of Israel, as it is said, “So Absalom stole the hearts of the people of Israel” (II Samuel 15:6), therefore three darts were driven into him, as it is said, “And he took three darts in his hand, and drove them through the heart of Absalom” (II Samuel 18:1. Absalom managed to get his father, the court and indeed all of Israel to love him, or at least to follow him. This is called “stealing hearts”, for Absalom did not truly deserve the adoration which he received. Therefore, as a parallel to his stealing other people’s hearts, he was punished by Joab thrusting three darts into his heart and killing him.
Ibn Ezra
You shall not steal (tignov): The understanding of (genevah) is taking money in secret. And there is a thief who is [to be put to] death, like someone who steals a soul of Israel, whether he is a small youth or [even one of an] 'undiscerning tongue.' And the stealing of money [mentioned] is whether it is in front of [the victim] or not in front of him. Or that he tricked him in a calculation or measurement or weight. And this word also includes one who 'steals the heart' of another, like Avshalom did.