2 Samuel 10:3-5 Beards

 ”And the princes of the people of Ammon said to Hanun their Lord, “Do you think that David really honors your father because he has sent comforters to you? Has David not rather sent his servants to you to search the city, to spy it out, and to overthrow it?” 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. When they told David, he sent to meet them, because the men were greatly ashamed. And the king said, “Wait at Jericho until your beards have grown, and then return.”“ II Samuel‬ ‭10‬:‭3‬-‭5‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

a. Do you think that David really honors your father because he has sent comforters to you? It’s hard to explain why these advisers to Hanun said this to the king of Ammon. It’s possible that they genuinely suspected David, or they perhaps used this as a way to appear wise and cunning to King Hanun. It is common for liars to suspect others of lying.

b. Hanun took David’s servants, shaved off half of their beards, cut off their garments in the middle…and sent them away: This was a disgraceful insult to these ambassadors from Israel. In that culture, many men would rather die than have their beards shaved off. This was because a clean-shaven face was the mark of a slave and free men wore beards.

i. “With the value universally set upon the beard by the Hebrews and other Oriental nations, as being man’s greatest ornament, the cutting off of one-half of it was the greatest insult that could have been offered to the ambassadors, and through them to David their king.” (Keil and Delitzsch)

ii. “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.” (Clarke)

iii. To cut off their garments in the middle was also an obvious insult and humiliation. “That the shame of their nakedness might appear, and especially that of their circumcision, so derided by the heathen.” (Trapp)

iv. To insult the ambassador is to insult the king. It was just as if they had done this to David himself. The same principle is true with King Jesus and His ambassadors. Jesus reminded His disciples: If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you. (John 15:18)

c. Wait at Jericho until your beards have grown, and then return: David didn’t use these men as political tools to whip up anger against the Ammonites. He cared more for their own dignity and honor and allowed them to wait before returning to Jerusalem. (Guzik)

Beards

It’s interesting how different cultures view beards differently. 

I recall on several different occasions, one when I was a young man, a grocery store owner’s wife said I had a beautiful beard (as being man’s greatest ornament.”) They were of Lebanese heritage. 

And when I was older a cousin’s wife said, “what’s that growing on your face mister?” She was of Finnish heritage.

One person viewed my beard as an ornament “held in high respect” and another saw it as disrespectful because I wasn’t clean shaven. 

What will king David do in response to this insult to his ambassadors?

Blessings