2 Samuel 10

"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. When they told David, he sent to meet them, because the men were greatly ashamed. And the king said, 'Wait at Jericho until your beards have grown, and then return.'” vv.4-5


Read chapter 10


In trying to comfort in the time of loss and hurt the response is vulgar. The king of Ammon just died and so his son Hanun takes his place so David desires to show kindness to him in this time of mourning as I'm sure he could probably relate after king Saul and Jonathan just died. This wasn't just some scheme of David trying to spy out the land or now that one leader is dead that he could try to deceive or take advantage of a new leader, but says that he wanted to show kindness to Hanun because Hanun's father Nahash showed kindness to him. There is no record of Nahash's kindness to David, but the enmity of the house of Nahash against Saul from 1 Samuel 11 may have disposed him favorably toward Saul's enemy David. When have you had a harsh response when trying to comfort or show favor to someone?


The humiliation brought on David's servants of cut beards and exposed rear ends is surely a heartless and humiliating thing to anyone and David meets them before they come back to the city to spare them their dignity. When have you helped protect someone's dignity?