2 Samuel 10:4 - Printer Friendly

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.

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.

NASB: So Hanun took David’s servants and shaved off half of their beards, and cut off their robes in the middle as far as their buttocks, and sent them away.

CSB: So Hanun took David’s emissaries, shaved off half their beards, cut their clothes in half at the hips, and sent them away.

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.

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.

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.

Second Samuel 10:1–5 records the new king of Ammon taking bad advice. King Nahash has died, and his son Hanun takes his place. Ammon is one of the few nations David isn't at war with, so he sends men to offer his sympathy. Hanun's advisors foolishly think that the men are spies, preparing for an invasion. They humiliate the men by shaving half their beards and cutting off their robes. David doesn't want to start a war, but he'll finish one that someone else starts. In 1 Chronicles 19:1–5, David mentions Nahash's kindness.

In 2 Samuel 10, David sends a delegation. Their mission is to offer condolences to the new king of Ammon following the death of his father. Suspecting a trick, the king humiliates David's messengers. The Ammonites hire four Syrian armies and wait for Israel's attack. Joab leads Israel in a defeat of the Syrians and a retreat of the Ammonites. The Syrians, however, regroup under the leadership of Hadadezer, who calls all Syrian kings to join a massive army to fight Israel. David defeats that army, making the Syrians subject to him. First Chronicles 19 also records the battle.

Second Samuel chapter 10 gives context to 2 Samuel 8:7. The Ammonite king dies, and David sends messengers with condolences. The new king fears they are spies and disgraces them. The Ammonites call on Syrians for support and start a battle which Joab wins. The Ammonites hide in their city, and David beats the Syrians into submission. David proves that the Israelites are a fearsome power. The next spring, David will send Joab to destroy the Ammonites. While the army is away, David sins against Bathsheba and Uriah (2 Samuel 11). The battles are also found in 1 Chronicles 19.

Second Samuel continues the story of David, who will become king over Judah. The other tribes of Israel are resistant, eventually sparking a civil war. David wins and makes Jerusalem his capital. Early success is followed by moral failure and controversy in David's house. The book of 1 Kings will begin by detailing David's decline and death.

Accessed 2/7/2026 11:27:48 PM