2 Samuel 10:4

2 Samuel 10:4 in other versions

• King James Version (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.
• New International Version (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.
• English Standard Version (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.
• New King James Version (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.

Context of 2 Samuel 10:4

2David thought, “I will show kindness to Hanun as his father Nahash showed me kindness.” So David sent his servants to comfort Hanun after his father’s ⌞death⌟. But when David’s servants entered Ammonite territory, 3the Ammonite princes asked their master Hanun, “Do you think David is honoring your father because he sent men to comfort you? Hasn’t David sent his men to explore the city, spy on it, and destroy it?” So Hanun took David’s men, shaved off half of each man’s beard, cut off their clothes from the waist down, and sent them away. 5After David was told ⌞what had happened⌟, he sent ⌞someone⌟ to meet them because they were deeply humiliated. The king said to them, “Stay in Jericho until your beards have grown back, and then return ⌞to Jerusalem⌟.” 6The Ammonites realized that they had made themselves offensive to David. So they hired the Arameans from Beth Rehob and Zobah (20,000 foot soldiers), ⌞the army of⌟ the king of Maacah (1,000 men), and the men of Tob (12,000 men).

2 Samuel 10:4 word by word

וַיִּקַּ֨ח חָנ֜וּן אֶת־עַבְדֵ֣י דָוִ֗ד וַיְגַלַּח֙ אֶת־חֲצִ֣י זְקָנָ֔ם וַיִּכְרֹ֧ת אֶת־מַדְוֵיהֶ֛ם בַּחֵ֖צִי עַ֣ד שְׁתֽוֹתֵיהֶ֑ם וַֽיְשַׁלְּחֵֽם׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Wherefore Hanunחָנוּןchânûn · HanunH2586
• tookלָקַחlâqach · to take: takeH3947
• David’sדָּוִדdâvid dâvîyd · DavidH1732
• servantsעֶ֫בֶד‛ebed · servant/slaveH5650
• and shaved offגָּלַחgâlach · to shaveH1548
• the one halfחֲצִיchêtsîy · halfH2677
• of their beardsזָקָןzâqân · beardH2206
• and cut offכָּרַתkârath · to cut: cutH3772
• their garmentsמָ֫דוּmedev · garmentH4063
• to their buttocksשֵׁתshêthâh · buttockH8357
• and sent them awayשָׁלַחshâlach · to send: departH7971

Cross-references for 2 Samuel 10:4

• Leviticus 19:27“Never shave the hair on your foreheads, and never cut the edges of your beard.
• 1 Chronicles 19:3the Ammonite princes asked Hanun, “Do you think David is honoring your father because he sent men to comfort you? Haven’t his servants come to explore, destroy, and spy on the country?”
• Psalms 109:4In return for my love, they accuse me, but I pray for them.
• Isaiah 15:2The people of Dibon go to the temple, to the worship sites, to cry. Moab wails over Nebo and Medeba. Every head is shaved bald, and every beard is cut off.
• Isaiah 20:4The king of Assyria will lead away both the young and the old—captives from Egypt and exiles from Sudan. They will be barefoot and naked. Their buttocks will be exposed in order to disgrace Egypt.
• Isaiah 47:2Take millstones and grind flour. Remove your veil. Take off your skirt. Uncover your legs, and cross the river.
• Jeremiah 41:580 men arrived from Shechem, Shiloh, and Samaria. Their beards were shaved off, their clothes were torn, and cuts were on their bodies. They brought grain offerings and incense to the Lord’s temple.

Commentaries on 2 Samuel 10:4

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 4Shaved off the one half of their beards - The beard is held in high respect in the East: the possessor considers it his greatest ornament; often swears by it; and, in matters of great importance, pledges it. Nothing can be more secure than a pledge of this kind; its owner will redeem it at the hazard of his life. The beard was never cut off but in mourning, or as a sign of slavery. Cutting off half of the beard and the clothes rendered the men ridiculous…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 4In 1 Chronicles 19:4, more concisely “shaved.” Cutting off a person‘s beard is regarded by the Arabs as an indignity equal to flogging and branding among ourselves. The loss of their long garments, so essential to Oriental dignity, was no less insulting than that of their beards.Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 4This act was meant to cause extreme shame and public ridicule. In that culture, a man’s beard was a sign of honor and dignity. Cutting off only half made the humiliation visible and impossible to hide. cut off their garments: This action exposed the men’s bodies and brought further shame. Public exposure of the body was linked with military defeat and exile in the ancient world (Isaiah 20). The prophet Isaiah describes similar acts of humiliation…Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 44. Hanun took David's servants, and shaved off the one half of their beards--From the long flowing dress of the Hebrews and other Orientals, the curtailment of their garments must have given them an aspect of gross indelicacy and ludicrousness. Besides, a knowledge of the extraordinary respect and value which has always been attached, and the gross insult that is implied in any indignity offered, to the beard in the East, will account for the shame which…Read the comment

Topics related to 2 Samuel 10:4

• Beard
• Mortification
• Rulers

In the dictionaries

• Beard
• Chronicles, Books of
• Hadarezer
• Hanun
• Ammon; Ammonites
• Bible, the
• Hadadezer
• Israel, History of
• Joab
• Samuel, Books of

Commentaries on 2 Samuel 10

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings