Wherefore Hanun took David’s servants, and shaved them, and cut off their garments in the midst hard by their buttocks, and sent them away.
So Hanun took David's servants, shaved off their beards, cut their robes short right at their buttocks, and sent them away like that.
This verse shows how Hanun deeply humiliated David's ambassadors by shaving their beards and cutting their clothes to expose them shamefully.
📚 Historical Context
In the time of King David, he sent messengers to Hanun, the new king of Ammon, as a gesture of goodwill after the death of Hanun's father, Nahash. However, Hanun's advisors suspected David's motives and subjected the messengers to public humiliation by shaving their beards and cutting their garments to expose them, which was a profound insult in ancient Near Eastern cultures that valued honor and dignity. This incident escalated into a war between Israel and the Ammonites, highlighting the dangers of mistrust in international relations.
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