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.

2 SAMUEL 10:4KJV
Know the Bible

2 Samuel 10:4 (KJV)

What does 2 Samuel 10:4 mean?

2 Samuel 10:4 describes Hanun’s public humiliation of the men David had sent to him. By disfiguring their beards and exposing their bodies, Hanun treated David’s representatives with contempt rather than receiving them as visitors.

The storyteller reports Hanun’s actions; no one speaks in this verse. After Hanun’s advisers question David’s motives in verse 3, Hanun acts against the visitors and sends them away. The half-shaved beards and cut garments would make their humiliation visible as they traveled.

The Hebrew behind 2 Samuel 10:4

  • “servants” — עֲבָדִים (ʿavadim): This word can refer to people serving a ruler, including officials or representatives. Here, the men are acting on David’s behalf.
  • “buttocks” — שֵׁת (shet): This word refers to the buttocks or backside. The cut garments left an intimate part of the men’s bodies exposed, making the insult more than damage to their clothing.

Why 2 Samuel 10:4 matters

  • The attack falls on David’s representatives because of the message they carry. In verse 2, David sends them to express sympathy to Hanun after his father’s death; in verse 3, Hanun’s advisers suggest that the visitors are spies.
  • The men’s appearance continues to matter after Hanun sends them away. In verse 5, David tells them to stay at Jericho until their beards grow back, because they are greatly ashamed.
  • Hanun’s treatment of the visitors becomes a cause of conflict between the two sides. Verse 6 says that the Ammonites realized they had made themselves offensive to David and hired soldiers.

Where else these words appear

“garments” Hebrew H4063 · used in 2 verses

  • 1 Chronicles 19:4 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.

“buttocks” Hebrew H8357 · used in 2 verses

  • Isaiah 20:4 So shall the king of Assyria lead away the Egyptians prisoners, and the Ethiopians captives, young and old, naked and barefoot, even with their buttocks uncovered, to the shame of Egypt.

“Hanun” Hebrew H2586 · used in 10 verses

  • 2 Samuel 10:1 And it came to pass after this, that the king of the children of Ammon died, and Hanun his son reigned in his stead.
  • 1 Chronicles 19:2 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.
  • 1 Chronicles 19:6 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.

“off” Hebrew H1548 · used in 18 verses

  • Genesis 41:14 Then Pharaoh sent and called Joseph, and they brought him hastily out of the dungeon: and he shaved himself, and changed his raiment, and came in unto Pharaoh.
  • Numbers 6:9 And if any man die very suddenly by him, and he hath defiled the head of his consecration; then he shall shave his head in the day of his cleansing, on the seventh day shall he shave it.
  • Judges 16:22 Howbeit the hair of his head began to grow again after he was shaven.