1 Chronicles 19 4

1 Chronicles 19:4 kjv

Wherefore Hanun took David's servants, and shaved them, and cut off their garments in the midst hard by their buttocks, and sent them away.

1 Chronicles 19:4 nkjv

Therefore Hanun took David's servants, shaved them, and cut off their garments in the middle, at their buttocks, and sent them away.

1 Chronicles 19:4 niv

So Hanun seized David's envoys, shaved them, cut off their garments at the buttocks, and sent them away.

1 Chronicles 19:4 esv

So Hanun took David's servants and shaved them and cut off their garments in the middle, at their hips, and sent them away;

1 Chronicles 19:4 nlt

So Hanun seized David's ambassadors and shaved them, cut off their robes at the buttocks, and sent them back to David in shame.

1 Chronicles 19 verses

1 Chronicles 19 4 Meaning

1 Chronicles 19:4 describes a grave and intentional act of public humiliation and aggression committed by Hanun, the new king of the Ammonites, against King David's diplomatic envoys. Misled by his counselors, Hanun perceived David's gesture of comfort as a hostile espionage mission. In response, he ordered the complete shaving of one half of each envoy's beard, an extreme indignity in ancient culture that symbolized disgrace and effeminacy. Further, their garments were cut off at the middle, exposing their lower bodies and causing profound public shame. This action was not merely an insult; it was a deliberate breach of diplomatic norms and a direct declaration of war, signifying utter contempt for David and the kingdom of Israel.

1 Chronicles 19 4 Context

1 Chronicles 19 introduces a critical turn in David's foreign relations, following a period of consolidated power and military victories. The narrative prior establishes David as a powerful king favored by God, having brought the Ark to Jerusalem and secured his kingdom. This chapter begins with David extending a goodwill gesture to Hanun, the new king of Ammon, upon the death of Hanun's father, Nahash, who had shown kindness to David. This act of "steadfast love" (1 Ch 19:2) was in keeping with diplomatic customs of expressing sympathy to a new ruler. However, the Ammonite princes, acting as advisors, maliciously sowed suspicion in Hanun's mind, convincing him that David's envoys were spies. Blinded by this mistrust and his own arrogance, Hanun commits the deplorable act detailed in verse 4. This event serves as the direct catalyst for a series of major wars against the Ammonites and their Syrian allies (1 Ch 19:6-19), profoundly impacting David's reign and underscoring the severe consequences of contempt for legitimate authority and diplomatic protocol.

1 Chronicles 19 4 Word analysis

• So Hanun took David's servants:
  • Hanun (חָנוּן - Ḥanun): Ironically translates to "favored" or "gracious," sharply contrasting with his aggressive and disrespectful actions. His position as the newly enthroned king suggests immaturity or poor judgment influenced by his insecure counselors.
  • took (לָקַח - laqaḥ): Implies a seizure or forceful appropriation, not a welcoming reception, setting a hostile tone immediately.
  • David's servants (עַבְדֵי דָוִיד - ‘avde Daviyd): Refers to his diplomatic envoys or ambassadors. Such emissaries were considered sacrosanct in ancient Near Eastern international law. An insult to them was an insult to their sovereign king.
• shaved them (וַיְגַלְּחֵם - vaygaḷleḥem):
  • גלח (galakh): To shave. Specifically, the parallel account in 2 Sam 10:4 specifies "half their beards." In the ancient Semitic world, a beard was a symbol of honor, virility, maturity, and dignity. Forcibly shaving a man's beard, especially half of it, was a profound act of humiliation, rendering him effeminate, disfigured, and unfit for society, stripping him of his personal and social honor.
• and cut off their garments in the middle, up to their buttocks (וַיִּכְרֹת אֶת-מַדֵּיהֶם בַּחֵצִי עַד שְׁתוֹתֵיהֶם - vayikhrot ’et-maddêhem bachëtzi ‘ad sh^ethotêhem):
  • cut off (כָּרַת - karath): To cut or cut down. This denotes deliberate destruction of their clothing.
  • their garments (מַדֵּיהֶם - maddêhem): Their outer robes or tunics. Clothes were markers of status, dignity, and personal honor. To tamper with or remove them was deeply shameful.
  • in the middle (בַּחֵצִי - bachëtzi): Literally "in half." This particular cut meant that the lower portion of their bodies, usually covered, was exposed.
  • up to their buttocks (עַד שְׁתוֹתֵיהֶם - ‘ad sh^ethotêhem): This phrase vividly specifies the extent of exposure, making them partially naked and publicly indecent. Such exposure was designed to inflict maximum psychological and social humiliation, turning them into objects of ridicule and contempt, disgracing them utterly in their own eyes and in the eyes of others.
• and sent them away: This final act completed the insult. They were not allowed to continue their mission or return with dignity. They were forcibly expelled, unequivocally breaking all diplomatic ties and declaring hostile intent. The immediate consequence was war, demonstrating that dishonoring David's representatives was taken as an act of war against David himself.

1 Chronicles 19 4 Bonus section

The Chronicler's brief, matter-of-fact description of Hanun's outrage (compared to the slightly longer parallel in 2 Sam 10:4) is typical of the book's focus on theological consequences rather than narrative detail for its own sake. The stark depiction here is crucial as it lays the unquestionable moral justification for David's subsequent, decisive military action, framing it not as aggression but as a necessary response to profound dishonor. The Chronicler aims to show David as a righteous king whose honor, and by extension the honor of God, must be defended. The humiliation of the envoys also implies a form of spiritual blindness on Hanun's part, as he misjudges David's goodwill, failing to grasp the blessing a positive relationship with the chosen king could bring. This incident vividly portrays how pride and mistrust can blind rulers to opportunities for peace and lead them down a path of conflict and ruin.

1 Chronicles 19 4 Commentary

1 Chronicles 19:4 narrates an extraordinary act of diplomatic violation and personal degradation by King Hanun against David's envoys. Hanun's decision, spurred by suspicious counsel, highlights a tragic misjudgment of David's benevolent intentions. By physically defiling David's ambassadors—shaving their beards and exposing their private parts—Hanun inflicted the deepest possible insult in the ancient Near East, not only stripping them of their personal honor but also casting profound shame upon King David and the entire nation of Israel they represented. This was a direct, contemptuous challenge to David's authority and prestige, fundamentally a declaration of war. The severe nature of this affront guaranteed a decisive military response from David, emphasizing how such grave disrespect towards God's anointed can provoke swift and righteous retribution. This event underscores the biblical principle that how one treats God's people or messengers can reflect on one's attitude towards God Himself.