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
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
The Ammonites and Arameans Are Defeated
10 Some time afterward, the king of the Ammonites died, and his son Hanun succeeded him.(A) 2 David said, “I will deal loyally with Hanun son of Nahash, just as his father dealt loyally with me.” So David sent envoys to console him concerning his father. When David’s envoys came into the land of the Ammonites, 3 the princes of the Ammonites said to their lord Hanun, “Do you really think that David is honoring your father just because he has sent messengers with condolences to you? Has not David sent his envoys to you to search the city, to spy it out, and to overthrow it?” 4 So Hanun seized David’s envoys, shaved off half the beard of each, cut off their garments in the middle at their waists, and sent them away.(B) 5 When David was told, he sent to meet them, for the men were greatly ashamed. The king said, “Remain at Jericho until your beards have grown and then return.”
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