David’s Messengers Disgraced

(2 Samuel 10:1–8)

19 Some time later Nahash king of the Ammonites died and was succeeded by his son.

2 And David said, “I will show kindness to Hanun son of Nahash, because his father showed kindness to me.” So David sent messengers to console [Hanun] concerning his father. But when David’s servants arrived in the land of the Ammonites to console him, 3 the princes of the Ammonites said to Hanun, “Just because David has sent you comforters, do you really believe he is showing respect for your father? Have not his servants come to you to explore the land, spy it out, and overthrow it?”

4 So Hanun took David’s servants, shaved [their beards], cut off their garments at the hips, and sent them away.

5 When [someone] came and told David about his men, he sent messengers to meet them, since the men had been thoroughly humiliated. The king told them, “Stay in Jericho until your beards have grown back, and [then] return.”

6 When the Ammonites realized that they had become a stench to David, Hanun and the Ammonites sent a thousand talents of silver[fn] to hire for themselves chariots and horsemen from Aram-naharaim,[fn] Aram-maacah, and Zobah. 7 So they hired for themselves thirty-two thousand chariots, as well as the king of Maacah with his troops, who came and camped near Medeba while the Ammonites were mustered from their cities and marched out for battle.

8 On hearing this, David sent Joab and the entire army of mighty men. 9 The Ammonites marched out and arrayed themselves for battle at the entrance to the city, while the kings who had come stayed by themselves in the open country.