1 Chronicles 19:2

2 King David said, "I must show loyal friendship to Hanun, as his father Nahash did to me." So David sent messengers to express his sympathy. When they arrived in Ammon and called on King Hanun,

1 Chronicles 19:2 Meaning and Commentary

1 Chronicles 19:35

Therefore shall ye abide at the door of the tabernacle of
the congregation
Or rather "within" it, as Noldius renders it, since they were not to go out of the door of it, ( Leviticus 8:33 ) whereas our version seems to leave it undetermined whether they abode without the door or within; where they were to continue,

day and night, seven days;
even the seven days of their consecration:

and keep the charge of the Lord, that ye die not;
not the charge of the tabernacle, and the service of it committed to them upon their investiture with their office, hereafter to be observed by them; but what was charged upon them to attend unto, during the seven days of their consecration; and the penalty being death in case of failure, was to make them more careful and cautious of transgressing; and which was the more necessary, as they were to be pure and holy at their entrance upon their work: and though this may seem somewhat severe, yet the aggravation of their sin would be the greater, as it was to a sacred and honourable work they were called, and to which they were now consecrating; and as what was required of them was what might easily be complied with: however Moses, to show that this was not of himself, but by divine authority, adds,

for so I am commanded;
that is, to declare unto them, that if they did not punctually observe the above orders, they must expect to die.

1 Chronicles 19:2 In-Context

1 Some time later King Nahash of Ammon died, and his son Hanun became king.

2 King David said, "I must show loyal friendship to Hanun, as his father Nahash did to me." So David sent messengers to express his sympathy. When they arrived in Ammon and called on King Hanun,

3 the Ammonite leaders said to the king, "Do you think that it is in your father's honor that David has sent these men to express sympathy to you? Of course not! He has sent them here as spies to explore the land, so that he can conquer it!"

4 Hanun seized David's messengers, shaved off their beards, cut off their clothes at the hips, and sent them away.

5 They were too ashamed to return home. When David heard what had happened, he sent word for them to stay in Jericho and not return until their beards had grown again.