This document is about Hanun (son of Nahash). For other homonyms, please refer to the Hanun document. He was the king of the Ammonites during the time of David. His father, Nahash (King of Ammon), had shown favor to David, so when Nahash died, David sent envoys to console him. However, Hanun, who succeeded Nahash as king, did not trust David's good intentions and insulted the envoys, sending them back. Consequently, David raised an army and attacked Ammon. During this process, David committed adultery with Bathsheba. As time passed, Rabbah, the capital of Ammon, was eventually captured.
2 Samuel 10:1David)) said, “I will show kindness to Hanun the son of Nahash, as his father showed kindness to me.” So David sent by his servants to comfort him concerning his father. David’s servants came into the land of the children of Ammon.2 Samuel 10:2But the princes of the children of Ammon said to Hanun their lord, “Do you think that David) honors your father, in that he has sent comforters to you? Hasn’t David sent his servants to you to search the city, to spy it out, and to overthrow it?”2 Samuel 10:3So Hanun took David’s servants, shaved off one half of their beards, and cut off their garments in the middle, even to their buttocks, and sent them away.2 Samuel 10:4When they told David this, he sent to meet them, for the men were greatly ashamed. The king said, “Wait at Jericho until your beards have grown, and then return.”
1 Chronicles 19:2But the princes of the children of Ammon said to Hanun, “Do you think that David honors your father, in that he has sent comforters to you? Haven’t his servants come to you to search, to overthrow, and to spy out the land?”1 Chronicles 19:3So Hanun took David’s servants, shaved them, and cut off their garments in the middle at their buttocks, and sent them away.1 Chronicles 19:4Then some people went and told David) how the men were treated. He sent to meet them; for the men were greatly humiliated. The king said, “Stay at Jericho until your beards have grown, and then return.”1 Chronicles 19:5When the children of Ammon saw that they had made themselves odious to David, Hanun and the children of Ammon sent one thousand talents of silver to hire chariots and horsemen out of Mesopotamia, out of Aram-maacah, and out of Zobah.1 Chronicles 19:6So they hired for themselves thirty-two thousand chariots, and the king of Maacah with his people, who came and encamped near Medeba. The children of Ammon gathered themselves together from their cities, and came to battle.