2 Samuel 10:3
1 Some time later, the king of the Ammonites died and was succeeded by his son Hanun.
2 And David said, “I will show kindness to Hanun son of Nahash, just as his father showed kindness to me.” So David sent some of his servants to console Hanun concerning his father. But when they arrived in the land of the Ammonites,
the princes of the Ammonites said to Hanun their lord, “Just because David has sent you comforters, do you really believe he is showing respect for your father? Has not David instead sent his servants to explore the city, spy it out, and overthrow it?”
4 So Hanun took David’s servants, shaved off half of each man’s beard, cut off their garments at the hips, and sent them away.
5 When this was reported to David, he sent messengers to meet the men, since they had been thoroughly humiliated. The king told them, “Stay in Jericho until your beards have grown back, and then return.”
Here the Bible tells a story about someone else. Ask yourself what it can say to us today. Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.
Compare
- BSB
- the princes of the Ammonites said to Hanun their lord, “Just because David has sent you comforters, do you really believe he is showing respect for your father? Has not David instead sent his servants to explore the city, spy it out, and overthrow it?”
- KJV
- And the princes of the children of Ammon said unto Hanun their lord, Thinkest thou that David doth honour thy father, that he hath sent comforters unto thee? hath not David rather sent his servants unto thee, to search the city, and to spy it out, and to overthrow it?
- WEB
- But 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?”
- ASV
- But the princes of the children of Ammon said unto Hanun their lord, Thinkest thou that David doth honor thy father, in that he hath sent comforters unto thee? hath not David sent his servants unto thee to search the city, and to spy it out, and to overthrow it?
- DARBY
- And the princes of the children of Ammon said to Hanun their lord, Is it, in thine eyes, to honour thy father that David has sent comforters to thee? Is it not to search the city and to spy it out, and to overthrow it, that David has sent his servants to thee?
- BLB
- And the princes of the sons of Ammon said to Hanun their lord, “Is David honoring your father in your eyes because he has sent to you comforters? Is [it] not for the purpose of searching out the city and to spy it out and to overthrow it [that] David has sent his servants to you?”
- ÅB
- Da sa Ammons barns høvdinger til Hanun, sin herre: Tror du det er for å ære din far at David har sendt folk som skal trøste deg? Mon det ikke heller er for å utforske byen og utspeide den og så ødelegge den at David har sendt sine tjenere til deg?
- OTB
- sa ammonittenes fyrster til Hanun, deres herre: «Tror du at David hedrer din far fordi han har sendt trøstere til deg? Har ikke David sendt sine tjenere til deg for å utforske byen, for å spionere på den og for å styrte den?»
- B1930
- Da sa Ammons barns høvdinger til Hanun, sin herre: Tror du det er for å ære din far at David har sendt folk som skal trøste dig? Mon det ikke heller er for å utforske byen og utspeide den og så ødelegge den at David har sendt sine tjenere til dig?
Study notes (Tyndale)
Original text and word study
Cross references
Genesis 42:9
Joseph remembered his dreams about them and said, “You are spies! You have come to see if our land is vulnerable.”
Read in contextGenesis 42:16
Send one of your number to get your brother; the rest of you will be confined so that the truth of your words may be tested. If they are untrue, then as surely as Pharaoh lives, you are spies!”
Read in context1 Corinthians 13:7
It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
Read in context1 Corinthians 13:5
It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no account of wrongs.
Read in context