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.
So Hanun took David's servants and shaved off half of each man's beard. He also cut their robes in half, right up to their buttocks, and then sent them away.
This verse shows how Hanun deliberately humiliated David's messengers by shaving their beards and cutting their clothes to expose them shamefully.
📚 Historical Context
In the historical context of ancient Israel, King David sent servants to Hanun, the new king of Ammon, as a gesture of goodwill after his father's death, aiming to foster peaceful relations. However, Hanun, influenced by his advisors, suspected them of being spies and humiliated them by shaving half their beards and cutting their garments, which was a severe insult in Middle Eastern cultures where beards symbolized manhood and honor, and full clothing represented dignity. This act of disrespect escalated into a full-scale war between Israel and the Ammonites, as detailed in the following chapters of 2 Samuel.
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