2 Samuel 10:4 kjv
Wherefore Hanun took David's servants, and shaved off the one half of their beards, and cut off their garments in the middle, even to their buttocks, and sent them away.
2 Samuel 10:4 nkjv
Therefore Hanun took David's servants, shaved off half of their beards, cut off their garments in the middle, at their buttocks, and sent them away.
2 Samuel 10:4 niv
So Hanun seized David's envoys, shaved off half of each man's beard, cut off their garments at the buttocks, and sent them away.
2 Samuel 10:4 esv
So Hanun took David's servants and shaved off half the beard of each and cut off their garments in the middle, at their hips, and sent them away.
2 Samuel 10:4 nlt
So Hanun seized David's ambassadors and shaved off half of each man's beard, cut off their robes at the buttocks, and sent them back to David in shame.
2 Samuel 10 4 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Isa 20:4 | so the king of Assyria will lead away the Egyptian captives... naked and barefoot... buttocks uncovered, to the shame of Egypt. | Public shame through nakedness. |
| Jer 13:26 | I Myself will lift up your skirts over your face, so that your shame may be seen. | God's judgment through exposure of shame. |
| Nah 3:5 | "I am against you," declares the Lord of hosts, "...and I will expose your nakedness." | Divine judgment includes public disgrace. |
| Ezr 9:7 | ...our kings, our priests... handed over to the shame... as it is this day. | Shame and disgrace due to unfaithfulness. |
| Ps 69:19-20 | You know my reproach, my shame and my dishonor... My foes have insulted me. | Personal experience of reproach and shame. |
| Ps 35:26 | Let those be ashamed and dishonored who rejoice at my distress... | Seeking justice against those who dishonor. |
| 1 Chr 19:4-5 | Hanun took David's servants and shaved them... cut their garments... Then David sent to meet them. | Parallel account of the same event. |
| Gen 42:9 | And Joseph remembered the dreams which he had about them, and said to them, "You are spies..." | Suspicion of ambassadors, similar accusation. |
| Job 30:10 | They abhor me... and do not refrain from spitting at my face. | Extreme contempt and dishonor. |
| Prov 11:2 | When arrogance comes, then comes dishonor... | Humiliation is a consequence of pride. |
| Prov 16:18 | Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before stumbling. | Pride (Hanun's act) leads to ruin. |
| Zech 8:16 | ...deal truthfully with one another; execute judgment in your gates... | Expectation of truth and justice among nations. |
| Deut 23:3-6 | An Ammonite or Moabite shall not enter the assembly of the Lord... because they did not meet you... with bread and water on the way. | Hostility from Ammonites, historical context. |
| Luke 10:16 | "The one who listens to you listens to Me; and the one who rejects you rejects Me..." | Representing the sender; dishonoring messengers. |
| 2 Cor 5:20 | Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were entreating through us. | Believers as ambassadors of Christ; rejection impacts the sender. |
| Isa 53:3 | He was despised and forsaken of men... | Foreshadows Christ's humiliation and disgrace. |
| Heb 12:2 | ...fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame. | Jesus endured ultimate public shame. |
| Gal 6:7 | Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap. | Divine principle of consequence for actions. |
| 2 Sam 12:10 | "...Now therefore, the sword shall never depart from your house, because you have despised Me..." | Despising leads to severe consequences. |
| 2 Sam 19:43 | "...And how can it be that you despise us?..." | Accusation of being despised, similar theme. |
| Lam 4:20 | The breath of our nostrils, the Lord’s anointed... | The Lord's anointed is deeply revered; harm to them is significant. |
| Num 24:9 | "He couches, he lies down as a lion... Blessed is everyone who blesses you, and cursed is everyone who curses you." | Principles of blessing and cursing upon nations. |
2 Samuel 10 verses
2 Samuel 10 4 Meaning
This verse details Hanun, the king of Ammon's, severe diplomatic affront against King David. By publicly humiliating David's envoys – shaving half their beards and cutting off their garments up to their buttocks – Hanun violated ancient Near Eastern diplomatic customs, demonstrating extreme contempt and aggression. This act was not merely a personal insult but a direct challenge and declaration of hostilities against David and the kingdom of Israel, designed to bring about profound shame and provoke war.
2 Samuel 10 4 Context
Chapter 10 of 2 Samuel describes the consequences of a diplomatic mission by King David to the Ammonites. Following the death of Nahash, the Ammonite king who had shown kindness to David in the past, David sent envoys to console Hanun, Nahash's son and successor. This act was in accordance with the established custom of international courtesy and perhaps reflected David's remembrance of Nahash's past benevolence. However, the Ammonite princes suspected David's motives, wrongly believing the messengers were spies sent to explore and overthrow their city. Influenced by their paranoia, Hanun, against all diplomatic protocols and hospitality, subjected David's envoys to a brutal act of public humiliation, detailed in this verse, thus transforming a gesture of goodwill into a catalyst for war.
2 Samuel 10 4 Word analysis
Hanun: The son and successor of Nahash, King of Ammon. His decision to treat David's envoys with such contempt marked a sharp departure from his father's previous kindness toward David. This act defined his reign through hostility with Israel.
took David's servants: The Hebrew word laqach (לָקַח), "to take" or "to seize," implies an active, perhaps forceful, apprehension. These "servants" ('evadim) were more than mere servants; they were ambassadors or envoys, official representatives of King David himself. An attack on them was an attack on the sovereign they represented, violating ancient Near Eastern diplomatic immunity and international law.
shaved off half their beards: In ancient Semitic cultures, especially for men, the beard (zaqan זָקָן) was a potent symbol of honor, dignity, masculinity, wisdom, and maturity. For a man, the beard represented his respectability and authority. To shave or cut a man's beard, especially partially, was a profound act of disgrace and a public spectacle of humiliation, rendering them an object of ridicule and contempt. It was considered an act of mutilation and defilement (e.g., Lev 19:27 forbids Israelites from marring the corners of their beards, linking it to pagan practices or forms of dishonor).
cut off their garments in the middle: The Hebrew karath (כָּרַת) means "to cut off," indicating a deliberate and aggressive act. Garments (beged בֶּגֶד) in ancient societies were much more than clothing; they symbolized identity, status, and honor. The manner in which they were cut (in the middle) prevented them from concealing the wearer's nakedness fully, making them virtually unwearable and stripping the individuals of their public persona.
up to their buttocks: The Hebrew ad shtotêhem (עַד שְׁתוֹתֵיהֶם), meaning "as far as their seat" or "buttocks," indicates extreme exposure. This was the ultimate public humiliation, reducing the dignified ambassadors to objects of ridicule and shame, exposing their private parts to public view. This form of degradation was typically reserved for captured enemies, prostitutes, or the lowest societal strata.
Words-group Analysis:
- "took David's servants and shaved off half their beards": This combination highlights the violation of their diplomatic status and the symbolic assault on their dignity and honor as men representing a king. It was a complete disrespect for their persons and their sovereign.
- "cut off their garments in the middle, up to their buttocks": This phrase describes the physical exposure and the complete stripping of their public dignity. It was an act of extreme shaming that effectively made them unfit to return to the presence of their king in their defiled state, hence David's instruction for them to remain in Jericho.
2 Samuel 10 4 Bonus section
This incident highlights the crucial role of honor and shame in ancient Near Eastern societies, where such public degradation was a catastrophic blow not only to the individual but to the sender. David's response—allowing his men to stay in Jericho until their beards grew—was a merciful act to protect them from further shame, but his subsequent military campaign demonstrated his resolute determination to avenge the grave insult. This event foreshadows future conflicts where Israel's divine honor and that of her King (especially Messiah) would be challenged, reinforcing the principle that affronts against God's anointed are taken seriously. The severity of the punishment meted out by David (recorded in 2 Sam 10:18-19) reflects the profound violation committed by Hanun. The narrative implicitly teaches the consequences of hubris and the divine principle of reaping what one sows.
2 Samuel 10 4 Commentary
Hanun's action against David's messengers was an act of unmitigated contempt and hostile provocation, driven by misguided suspicion rather than reasoned judgment. It transgressed every norm of ancient Near Eastern diplomatic conduct, transforming a gesture of peace into an egregious insult against David himself. By mutilating the beards of the ambassadors and exposing their nakedness, Hanun inflicted a profound and public dishonor designed to elicit shame, outrage, and ultimately, war. This act was perceived as a direct challenge to David's sovereignty and Israel's honor, setting the stage for a conflict that would result in severe consequences for the Ammonites and their allies. It stands as a vivid example of how pride, paranoia, and disrespect for protocol can lead to devastating conflict.