2 Samuel 10:1-5
New English Translation
David and the Ammonites
10 Later the king of the Ammonites died and his son Hanun succeeded him.[a] 2 David said, “I will express my loyalty[b] to Hanun son of Nahash just as his father was loyal[c] to me.” So David sent his servants with a message expressing sympathy over his father’s death.[d] When David’s servants entered the land of the Ammonites, 3 the Ammonite officials said to their lord Hanun, “Do you really think David is trying to honor your father by sending these messengers to express his sympathy?[e] No, David has sent his servants to you to get information about the city and spy on it so they can overthrow it!”[f]
4 So Hanun seized David’s servants and shaved off half of each one’s beard. He cut the lower part of their robes off so that their buttocks were exposed,[g] and then sent them away. 5 Messengers[h] told David what had happened,[i] so he sent them to the men who were thoroughly humiliated. The king said, “Stay in Jericho until your beards have grown again; then you may come back.”
Read full chapterFootnotes
- 2 Samuel 10:1 tn Heb “reigned in his place.”
- 2 Samuel 10:2 tn Heb “do loyalty.”
- 2 Samuel 10:2 tn Heb “did loyalty.”
- 2 Samuel 10:2 tn Heb “and David sent to console him by the hand of his servants concerning his father.”
- 2 Samuel 10:3 tn Heb “Is David honoring your father in your eyes when he sends to you ones consoling?”
- 2 Samuel 10:3 tn Heb “Is it not to explore the city and to spy on it and to overthrow it [that] David has sent his servants to you?”
- 2 Samuel 10:4 tn Heb “and he cut their robes in the middle unto their buttocks.”
- 2 Samuel 10:5 tn Heb “they”; the referent (the messengers) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
- 2 Samuel 10:5 tn The words “what had happened” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
2 Samuel 10:1-5
Christian Standard Bible
War with the Ammonites
10 Some time later, the king of the Ammonites died, and his son Hanun became king in his place.(A) 2 Then David said, “I’ll show kindness to Hanun son of Nahash, just as his father showed kindness to me.”
So David sent his emissaries to console Hanun concerning his father. However, when they arrived in the land of the Ammonites, 3 the Ammonite leaders said to Hanun their lord, “Just because David has sent men with condolences for you, do you really believe he’s showing respect for your father? Instead, hasn’t David sent his emissaries in order to scout out the city, spy on it, and demolish it?” (B) 4 So Hanun took David’s emissaries, shaved off half their beards,(C) cut their clothes in half at the hips, and sent them away.(D)
5 When this was reported to David, he sent someone to meet them, since they were deeply humiliated. The king said, “Stay in Jericho until your beards grow back; then return.”
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