Hanun

1Later on, the king of the people of Ammon died. His son Hanun became the new king.

And it came to pass after this, that the king of the children of Ammon died, and Hanun his son reigned in his stead.

NoteAmmon was a small country right next to Israel. When a king died, his son usually became the next king.

2David said, "Hanun's father Nahash was kind to me. So I will be kind to Hanun." David sent some of his men to tell Hanun he was sorry his father had died. The men came to the land of Ammon.

Then said David, I will shew kindness unto Hanun the son of Nahash, as his father shewed kindness unto me. And David sent to comfort him by the hand of his servants for his father. And David’s servants came into the land of the children of Ammon.

NoteNahash was the old king of Ammon. He had been good to David years before, so David wanted to be good to his son.

3But the leaders of Ammon said to Hanun their king, "Do you really think David sent these men to honor your father? David sent them to look at our city. They are spies. They want to take it from us."

And the princes of the children of Ammon said unto Hanun their lord, Thinkest thou that David doth honour thy father, that he hath sent comforters unto thee? hath not David rather sent his servants unto thee, to search the city, and to spy it out, and to overthrow it?

NoteA spy is someone who sneaks into a place to learn its secrets. The leaders thought David's men were counting soldiers and looking at walls.

4So Hanun grabbed David's men. He shaved off half of each man's beard. He cut their clothes off at the hips. Then he sent them away.

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.

NoteMen in that land grew long beards and were proud of them. Shaving off half a man's beard made him look silly. Cutting his clothes short left him uncovered. It was a way of saying, we do not respect your king.

5Someone told David what had happened. The men felt very ashamed. So David sent word to them. He said, "Stay in the town of Jericho until your beards grow back. Then come home."

When they told it unto David, he sent to meet them, because the men were greatly ashamed: and the king said, Tarry at Jericho until your beards be grown, and then return.

NoteJericho was a town near the edge of Israel. David let his men wait there so no one would see them until they looked like themselves again.

1Some time later, Nahash the king of the Ammonites died. His son became king after him.

Now it came to pass after this, that Nahash the king of the children of Ammon died, and his son reigned in his stead.

NoteThe Ammonites were a people who lived east of Israel. They were neighbors, and often enemies.

2David said, "I will be kind to Hanun, the son of Nahash. His father was kind to me." So David sent men to comfort Hanun about his father. David's men came to Hanun in the land of Ammon to comfort him.

And David said, I will shew kindness unto Hanun the son of Nahash, because his father shewed kindness to me. And David sent messengers to comfort him concerning his father. So the servants of David came into the land of the children of Ammon to Hanun, to comfort him.

NoteKings sent trusted men to speak for them. These men carried the king's own words.

3But the leaders of Ammon said to Hanun, "Do you really think David is honoring your father by sending these men? His servants came to look over your land. They want to spy it out and take it."

But the princes of the children of Ammon said to Hanun, Thinkest thou that David doth honour thy father, that he hath sent comforters unto thee? are not his servants come unto thee for to search, and to overthrow, and to spy out the land?

4So Hanun grabbed David's men and shaved off their beards. He cut their long robes off at the hips. Then he sent them away.

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.

NoteMen in that land grew beards all their lives. A beard was a sign of being a grown man. Shaving it off was a way to shame someone.

5Someone went and told David what had happened to his men. David sent word to meet them, because they felt very ashamed. The king said, "Stay in Jericho until your beards grow back. Then come home."

Then there went certain, and told David how the men were served. And he sent to meet them: for the men were greatly ashamed. And the king said, Tarry at Jericho until your beards be grown, and then return.

NoteTheir long robes had been cut short, so their legs showed. That felt very shameful to them. Jericho was a city near the river, on their way home.

6The Ammonites saw that they had made David sick of them. So Hanun and the Ammonites sent a thousand bars of silver. They used it to hire chariots and horsemen from Mesopotamia, Syria-maachah, and Zobah.

And when the children of Ammon saw that they had made themselves odious to David, Hanun and the children of Ammon sent a thousand talents of silver to hire them chariots and horsemen out of Mesopotamia, and out of Syriamaachah, and out of Zobah.

NoteThe King James says "a thousand talents of silver." A talent was a heavy lump of silver, about as heavy as a big dog. A thousand of them was a huge pile of money. A chariot was a small cart pulled by horses, used for fighting. The King James says they "made themselves odious" to David. That means they had made him want nothing to do with them, like something that smells bad.

7They hired thirty-two thousand chariots. They also hired the king of Maachah and his soldiers. These armies came and camped near the town of Medeba. The Ammonites left their own cities and came out to fight.

So they hired thirty and two thousand chariots, and the king of Maachah and his people; who came and pitched before Medeba. And the children of Ammon gathered themselves together from their cities, and came to battle.

NoteMedeba was a town in the land of Ammon. Armies camped there before a battle.

8When David heard about it, he sent Joab out with the whole army of strong fighting men.

And when David heard of it, he sent Joab, and all the host of the mighty men.

NoteJoab was the leader of David's whole army. He decided how the soldiers would fight.

9The Ammonites came out and lined up for battle at the city gate. The kings who had come to help stayed by themselves out in the open fields.

And the children of Ammon came out, and put the battle in array before the gate of the city: and the kings that were come were by themselves in the field.

NoteA city had a high wall around it. The gate was the one way in. Soldiers stood there to keep enemies out.

10Joab saw that enemies were lined up in front of him and behind him. So he picked the best fighters in Israel. He lined them up to face the Syrians.

Now when Joab saw that the battle was set against him before and behind, he chose out of all the choice of Israel, and put them in array against the Syrians.

NoteThe Syrians lived north of Israel. Their land is also called Aram.

11He put the rest of the men under his brother Abishai. They lined up to face the Ammonites.

And the rest of the people he delivered unto the hand of Abishai his brother, and they set themselves in array against the children of Ammon.

NoteAbishai was Joab's brother. He was also a leader in David's army.

12Joab said, "If the Syrians are too strong for me, come and help me. If the Ammonites are too strong for you, I will come and help you.

And he said, If the Syrians be too strong for me, then thou shalt help me: but if the children of Ammon be too strong for thee, then I will help thee.

13Be brave. Let us fight bravely for our people and for the cities of our God. The LORD will do what he thinks is right."

Be of good courage, and let us behave ourselves valiantly for our people, and for the cities of our God: and let the LORD do that which is good in his sight.

NoteWhen LORD is written in big letters, it stands for God's own name.

14So Joab and his men moved up to fight the Syrians. The Syrians ran away from him.

So Joab and the people that were with him drew nigh before the Syrians unto the battle; and they fled before him.

15The Ammonites saw the Syrians running away. So they ran away too, from Joab's brother Abishai. They went back inside the city. Then Joab went home to Jerusalem.

And when the children of Ammon saw that the Syrians were fled, they likewise fled before Abishai his brother, and entered into the city. Then Joab came to Jerusalem.

16The Syrians saw that Israel had beaten them. So they sent for more Syrians from beyond the Euphrates River. Shophach, the leader of Hadarezer's army, led them.

And when the Syrians saw that they were put to the worse before Israel, they sent messengers, and drew forth the Syrians that were beyond the river: and Shophach the captain of the host of Hadarezer went before them.

NoteThe Euphrates was a very big river far to the north. Getting soldiers from there took many days.

17David was told about this. He gathered all Israel and crossed the Jordan River. He came to the Syrians and lined his men up for battle. So the Syrians fought against him.

And it was told David; and he gathered all Israel, and passed over Jordan, and came upon them, and set the battle in array against them. So when David had put the battle in array against the Syrians, they fought with him.

NoteThe Jordan is the river along the east side of Israel. The army had to walk across it.

18But the Syrians ran away from Israel. David killed seven thousand of their chariot fighters. He also killed forty thousand soldiers who fought on foot. And he killed Shophach, the leader of their army.

But the Syrians fled before Israel; and David slew of the Syrians seven thousand men which fought in chariots, and forty thousand footmen, and killed Shophach the captain of the host.

19Hadarezer's men saw that Israel had beaten them. So they made peace with David and served him. After that, the Syrians would not help the Ammonites anymore.

And when the servants of Hadarezer saw that they were put to the worse before Israel, they made peace with David, and became his servants: neither would the Syrians help the children of Ammon any more.

NoteBecoming his servants meant they now had to obey David. They also had to send him money each year.