2 Samuel 10:4

4 Entonces Hanún tomó presos a los embajadores de David, les afeitó la mitad de la barba, les cortó los mantos a la altura de las nalgas y los envió avergonzados de regreso a David.

2 Samuel 10:4 Meaning and Commentary

2 Samuel 10:4

Wherefore Hanun took David's servants
His ambassadors:

and shaved off one half of their beards;
that is, he ordered them to be shaved off; than which a greater indignity could not have been well done to them and to David, whom they represented, since the Israelites shaved not their beards, and were very careful of preserving them; for had it been the custom to shave, they might have shaved off the other half, and then they would not have appeared so ridiculous; and with other people it has been reckoned a very great punishment as well could be inflicted, and as great an affront as could well be offered, to mar a man's beard, or shave it off in whole or in part ^F16. The Lacedemonians, as Plutarch ^F17 relates, when any fled from battle, used, by way of reproach, to shave off part of their beards, and let the other part grow long; and with the Indians, as Bishop Patrick observes from an ancient writer, the king used to order the greatest offenders to be shaven, as the heaviest punishment he could inflict upon them; but what comes nearest to the case here is what the same learned commentator quotes from Tavernier, who in his Indian Travels tells us, that the sophi of Persia caused an ambassador of Aurengzeb to have his beard shaved off, telling him he was not worthy to wear a beard, and thereupon commanded it should be shaved off; which affront offered him in the person of his ambassador was most highly resented by Aurengzeb, as this was by David:

and cut off their garments in the middle, [even] to their buttocks;
and as they wore long garments in those countries, without any breeches or drawers under them, those parts by these means were exposed to view which modesty requires should be concealed ^F18; so that they must be put to the utmost shame and confusion:

and sent them away;
in this ridiculous manner, scoffing and leering at them no doubt; that since they came with compliments of condolence, it was proper they should appear in the habit of mourners, with their beards shaved, and their garments rent; cutting of garments, and standing in them from morning tonight, was a punishment of soldiers with the Romans, when they offended ^F19.

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FOOTNOTES:

F16 Apollon. Vit. Philostrat. l. 7. c. 14.
F17 In Agesitao.
F18 "Dimidiasque nates Gallica palla tegit". Martial.
F19 Valer. Maxim. l. 2. c. 2.

2 Samuel 10:4 In-Context

2 David dijo: «Le mostraré lealtad a Hanún, así como su padre Nahas, siempre me fue leal». Entonces David envió embajadores a Hanún para expresarle sus condolencias por la muerte de su padre.
Pero cuando los embajadores de David llegaron a la tierra de Amón,

3 los comandantes amonitas le dijeron a Hanún, su amo: «¿Realmente cree que estos hombres vienen para honrar a su padre? ¡No, David los ha enviado a espiar la ciudad para luego venir y conquistarla!».

4 Entonces Hanún tomó presos a los embajadores de David, les afeitó la mitad de la barba, les cortó los mantos a la altura de las nalgas y los envió avergonzados de regreso a David.

5 Cuando llegó a oídos de David lo que había sucedido, envió mensajeros para decirles a los hombres: «Quédense en Jericó hasta que les crezca la barba y luego regresen». Pues se sentían muy avergonzados de su aspecto.

6 Cuando el pueblo de Amón se dio cuenta de qué tan seriamente había provocado el enojo de David, los amonitas contrataron a veinte mil soldados arameos de infantería de las tierras de Bet-rehob y Soba, mil del rey de Maaca y doce mil de la tierra de Tob.