The significance of 2 Samuel 10

There are two reasons why 2 Samuel chapter 10 was written. (1) This chapter records in detail the background and content of the battle that was briefly mentioned in 2 Samuel 8:3-12. (2) Furthermore, this chapter sets the stage for the sin David would later commit with Bathsheba. In that sense, it is a very important passage.

Misunderstood kindness

(1) The king of the Ammonites, Nahash, died. Nahash had once fought against King Saul (ref, 1 Sam. 11). Although he had been an enemy of Saul, Nahash seems to have treated David kindly. This likely took place during the time when David was fleeing. (2) David remembered Nahash’s kindness and sent a delegation of condolence to Hanun, Nahash’s son and successor to the throne, in order to comfort him. (3) However, Hanun misunderstood David’s goodwill and instead acted in a way that insulted David (the humiliation of the delegation was equivalent to David himself being dishonored). (4) The ones who negatively influenced Hanun were his highly suspicious servants. They treated David’s envoys as spies, shaved off half of their beards, which is something deeply valued by the Israelites, and cut off their garments at the waist, exposing their lower bodies. In the customs of the time, shaving off a beard was already a humiliating act, but shaving only half of it was even worse. (5) When David heard about it, he sent messengers and instructed the men to stay in Jericho until their beards had grown back, instead of returning directly to Jerusalem. This shows David’s compassion toward his subordinates. Those who harbor hostility toward their neighbor begin to doubt and misunderstand their neighbor’s words and actions. No matter how loving the act may be, the wicked cannot interpret it as goodwill. Have you ever experienced your good intentions being misunderstood and criticized? In such cases, the responsibility often lies with the one who misunderstood. Even if your reputation is temporarily diminished, if you continue to walk in trust of the Lord, a time will surely come when your honor will be restored, just as the beards of the envoys grew back. Do not be discouraged. Let’s continue to walk in trust of the Lord.