1 Chronicles 19 Study Notes: Hanun Insults David’s Envoys
David sends messengers to comfort Hanun, the new Ammonite king, but Hanun shames them on his princes’ advice. The Ammonites hire Aramean armies, yet Joab and Abishai defeat them, and David crushes the Arameans until they make peace and stop helping Ammon.
General
Once the Ammonites saw they had made themselves hateful to David, what did they do (1 Chronicles 19:6-7)?
Answer: Paid silver to hire Aramean chariots and troops
The Ammonites knew they had made themselves odious to David, yet Hanun and his people did not seek peace. Instead they spent a huge sum of silver hiring Aramean chariot forces and cavalry, along with Maacah’s king and his army, and gathered for battle (19:6-7). They relied on hired military power. Psalm 20:7 contrasts those who rely on chariots and horses with those who trust in the LORD’s name, and Psalm 33:16-17 says that a king’s great army cannot save him and that horses are a false hope for rescue.
- 1 Chronicles 19:6-7 (BSB)“When the Ammonites realized that they had become a stench to David, Hanun and the Ammonites sent a thousand talents of silver to hire for themselves chariots and horsemen from Aram-naharaim, Aram-maacah, and Zobah. So they hired for themselves thirty-two thousand chariots, as well as the king of Maacah with his troops, who came and camped near Medeba while the Ammonites were mustered from their cities and marched out for battle.”The Ammonites hire Aramean chariots and troops and prepare for war.
- Psalm 20:7 (BSB)“Some trust in chariots and others in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God.”God’s people trust the LORD’s name rather than chariots and horses.
- Psalm 33:16-17 (BSB)“No king is saved by his vast army; no warrior is delivered by his great strength. A horse is a vain hope for salvation; even its great strength cannot save.”No army or horse can save a king, as the Ammonites would learn.
Theological
How did Hanun and his people respond once they knew David now regarded them as odious (1 Chronicles 19:6-7)?
Answer: Paid silver to hire Aramean chariots and troops
Rather than seek reconciliation, the Ammonites purchase Aramean chariotry and troops and muster for war (19:6-7), placing their confidence in hired force. Psalm 20:7 sets reliance on chariots and horses against trust in the LORD’s name, and Psalm 33:16-17 declares that no army or warhorse can secure deliverance, a truth the following battles demonstrate.
- 1 Chronicles 19:6-7 (BSB)“When the Ammonites realized that they had become a stench to David, Hanun and the Ammonites sent a thousand talents of silver to hire for themselves chariots and horsemen from Aram-naharaim, Aram-maacah, and Zobah. So they hired for themselves thirty-two thousand chariots, as well as the king of Maacah with his troops, who came and camped near Medeba while the Ammonites were mustered from their cities and marched out for battle.”The Ammonites hire Aramean chariots and troops and prepare for war.
- Psalm 20:7 (BSB)“Some trust in chariots and others in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God.”God’s people trust the LORD’s name rather than chariots and horses.
- Psalm 33:16-17 (BSB)“No king is saved by his vast army; no warrior is delivered by his great strength. A horse is a vain hope for salvation; even its great strength cannot save.”No army or horse can save a king, as the Ammonites would learn.
General
How did the war with the Arameans finally end (1 Chronicles 19:18-19)?
Answer: Hadadezer’s subjects sought terms and served David
After the Arameans brought in more troops from across the Euphrates, David himself led all Israel against them; they fled, and David also killed Shophach, their commander (19:16-18). Seeing their defeat, Hadadezer’s subjects came to terms with David and served him, and the Arameans would no longer help the Ammonites (19:19). God was again subduing David’s enemies as He had promised (17:10). David praised God for making him head over nations and causing foreign peoples to submit to him (Psalm 18:43-44).
- 1 Chronicles 19:19 (BSB)“When Hadadezer’s subjects saw that they had been defeated by Israel, they made peace with David and became subject to him. So the Arameans were unwilling to help the Ammonites anymore.”Hadadezer’s subjects make peace with David, and Aram stops helping Ammon.
- 1 Chronicles 17:10 (BSB)“and have done since the day I appointed judges over My people Israel. And I will subdue all your enemies. Moreover, I declare to you that the LORD will build a house for you.”God had promised David that He would subdue all his enemies.
- Psalm 18:43-44 (BSB)“You have delivered me from the strife of the people; You have made me the head of nations; a people I had not known shall serve me. When they hear me, they obey me; foreigners cower before me.”David praises God for making him head of nations and bringing foreign peoples to serve him.
Theological
What was the outcome of David’s campaign against the Arameans (1 Chronicles 19:18-19)?
Answer: Hadadezer’s subjects sought terms and served David
Defeated again under David’s own command (19:16-18), Hadadezer’s vassals sue for peace and submit to David, and Aram withdraws its support from Ammon (19:19). The campaign that began with Hanun’s insult ends with another fulfillment of the promise to subdue David’s enemies (17:10). David’s psalm credits God with making him head of the nations, so that foreigners submit and serve him (Psalm 18:43-44).
- 1 Chronicles 19:19 (BSB)“When Hadadezer’s subjects saw that they had been defeated by Israel, they made peace with David and became subject to him. So the Arameans were unwilling to help the Ammonites anymore.”Hadadezer’s subjects make peace with David, and Aram stops helping Ammon.
- 1 Chronicles 17:10 (BSB)“and have done since the day I appointed judges over My people Israel. And I will subdue all your enemies. Moreover, I declare to you that the LORD will build a house for you.”God had promised David that He would subdue all his enemies.
- Psalm 18:43-44 (BSB)“You have delivered me from the strife of the people; You have made me the head of nations; a people I had not known shall serve me. When they hear me, they obey me; foreigners cower before me.”David praises God for making him head of nations and bringing foreign peoples to serve him.
General
Why did David send messengers to Hanun after Nahash died (1 Chronicles 19:1-2)?
Answer: To console him, since Nahash had been kind to David
After the Ammonite king Nahash died and his son Hanun took the throne, David decided to be kind to Hanun because Nahash had been kind to him, and he sent envoys to comfort Hanun over his father’s death (19:1-2). David wanted to return good for good. The same desire showed elsewhere in David’s life, as when he looked for someone left from Saul’s family to be kind to for Jonathan’s sake (2 Samuel 9:1). Proverbs urges people not to hold back good from those who deserve it when they are able to give it (Proverbs 3:27).
- 1 Chronicles 19:2 (BSB)“And David said, “I will show kindness to Hanun son of Nahash, because his father showed kindness to me.” So David sent messengers to console Hanun concerning his father. But when David’s servants arrived in the land of the Ammonites to console him,”David sends messengers to console Hanun because Nahash had been kind to him.
- 2 Samuel 9:1 (BSB)“Then David asked, “Is there anyone left from the house of Saul to whom I can show kindness for the sake of Jonathan?””David likewise seeks someone from Saul’s family to bless for Jonathan’s sake.
- Proverbs 3:27 (BSB)“Do not withhold good from the deserving when it is within your power to act.”Proverbs urges giving good to those who deserve it when it is in one’s power.
Theological
What motive does 19:2 give for David’s embassy to Hanun?
Answer: To console him, since Nahash had been kind to David
19:2 states David’s motive plainly: Nahash had shown him kindness, so David would show kindness to his son, and he sent envoys to console Hanun. David repays good with good, as with his search for someone from Saul’s house to bless for Jonathan’s sake (2 Samuel 9:1), in keeping with the wisdom of not withholding good from those to whom it is due (Proverbs 3:27).
- 1 Chronicles 19:2 (BSB)“And David said, “I will show kindness to Hanun son of Nahash, because his father showed kindness to me.” So David sent messengers to console Hanun concerning his father. But when David’s servants arrived in the land of the Ammonites to console him,”David sends messengers to console Hanun because Nahash had been kind to him.
- 2 Samuel 9:1 (BSB)“Then David asked, “Is there anyone left from the house of Saul to whom I can show kindness for the sake of Jonathan?””David likewise seeks someone from Saul’s family to bless for Jonathan’s sake.
- Proverbs 3:27 (BSB)“Do not withhold good from the deserving when it is within your power to act.”Proverbs urges giving good to those who deserve it when it is in one’s power.
General
After Hanun humiliated David’s messengers, what did David tell them to do (1 Chronicles 19:4-5)?
Answer: Wait in Jericho until their beards grew back, then return
Hanun seized David’s servants, shaved off their beards, cut their clothing off at the waist, and then let them go, a deliberate public disgrace (19:4). When David heard, he sent men to meet them because they were deeply humiliated, and he told them to remain at Jericho until their beards grew back before coming home (19:5). David protected his servants’ dignity. Hanun had repaid kindness with insult, and Proverbs warns that trouble will not leave the house of someone who repays good with evil (Proverbs 17:13). David knew such treatment himself and lamented those who paid him back evil for good (Psalm 35:12).
- 1 Chronicles 19:4-5 (BSB)“So Hanun took David’s servants, shaved their beards, cut off their garments at the hips, and sent them away. When someone came and told David about his men, he sent messengers to meet them, since the men had been thoroughly humiliated. The king told them, “Stay in Jericho until your beards have grown back, and then return.””Hanun disgraces David’s men, and David tells them to wait in Jericho.
- Proverbs 17:13 (BSB)“If anyone returns evil for good, evil will never leave his house.”Those who repay good with evil bring lasting trouble on their own house.
- Psalm 35:12 (BSB)“They repay me evil for good, to the bereavement of my soul.”David laments being repaid with evil for the good he had done.
Theological
What did David instruct his disgraced envoys to do (1 Chronicles 19:4-5)?
Answer: Wait in Jericho until their beards grew back, then return
Hanun’s treatment of the envoys, shaving their beards and cutting their garments short (19:4), was a calculated public shame offered in exchange for kindness. David shields his men by having them remain in Jericho until their beards regrow (19:5). Proverbs 17:13 warns that evil will not depart from the home of one who repays good with evil, and David elsewhere laments those who paid him back evil for good (Psalm 35:12).
- 1 Chronicles 19:4-5 (BSB)“So Hanun took David’s servants, shaved their beards, cut off their garments at the hips, and sent them away. When someone came and told David about his men, he sent messengers to meet them, since the men had been thoroughly humiliated. The king told them, “Stay in Jericho until your beards have grown back, and then return.””Hanun disgraces David’s men, and David tells them to wait in Jericho.
- Proverbs 17:13 (BSB)“If anyone returns evil for good, evil will never leave his house.”Those who repay good with evil bring lasting trouble on their own house.
- Psalm 35:12 (BSB)“They repay me evil for good, to the bereavement of my soul.”David laments being repaid with evil for the good he had done.
General
When Joab found enemies in front of and behind his army, what did he say to his brother Abishai (1 Chronicles 19:12-13)?
Answer: Help each other, fight bravely, and leave the outcome to God
Facing the Arameans on one side and the Ammonites on the other, Joab divided the army, taking the best men against the Arameans and putting the rest under his brother Abishai against the Ammonites (19:10-11). He promised that each would rescue the other if needed, urged courage on behalf of their people and the cities of their God, and then left the outcome with the LORD, asking Him to do what seemed good to Him (19:12-13). The Arameans ran from Joab, and the Ammonites then ran from Abishai into their city (19:14-15). Joab joined real effort with trust in God’s will. God had told Joshua to take courage and not be afraid, because the LORD would be with him (Joshua 1:9), and Eli likewise yielded to God’s will when he heard the LORD’s word (1 Samuel 3:18).
- 1 Chronicles 19:12-13 (BSB)““If the Arameans are too strong for me,” said Joab, “then you will come to my rescue. And if the Ammonites are too strong for you, then I will come to your rescue. Be strong and let us fight bravely for our people and for the cities of our God. May the LORD do what is good in His sight.””Joab plans mutual rescue, calls for courage, and commits the outcome to the LORD.
- Joshua 1:9 (BSB)“Have I not commanded you to be strong and courageous? Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.””God commands courage because He is with His people wherever they go.
- 1 Samuel 3:18 (BSB)“So Samuel told him everything and did not hide a thing from him. “He is the LORD,” replied Eli. “Let Him do what is good in His eyes.””Eli submits to whatever the LORD sees fit to do, as Joab does here.
Theological
What did Joab urge Abishai to do in his charge of 19:12-13?
Answer: Help each other, fight bravely, and leave the outcome to God
Joab’s charge (19:12-13) unites mutual support, courageous action for God’s people and cities, and submission of the outcome to the LORD’s good pleasure, and the Arameans and then the Ammonites fled (19:14-15). Human responsibility and divine sovereignty stand side by side: the soldiers must fight bravely, yet the result belongs to God. Compare the command to Joshua to be courageous because the LORD is present (Joshua 1:9) and Eli’s submission to whatever seemed good to the LORD (1 Samuel 3:18).
- 1 Chronicles 19:12-13 (BSB)““If the Arameans are too strong for me,” said Joab, “then you will come to my rescue. And if the Ammonites are too strong for you, then I will come to your rescue. Be strong and let us fight bravely for our people and for the cities of our God. May the LORD do what is good in His sight.””Joab plans mutual rescue, calls for courage, and commits the outcome to the LORD.
- Joshua 1:9 (BSB)“Have I not commanded you to be strong and courageous? Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.””God commands courage because He is with His people wherever they go.
- 1 Samuel 3:18 (BSB)“So Samuel told him everything and did not hide a thing from him. “He is the LORD,” replied Eli. “Let Him do what is good in His eyes.””Eli submits to whatever the LORD sees fit to do, as Joab does here.
General
What did the Ammonite princes tell Hanun about David’s messengers (1 Chronicles 19:3)?
Answer: That they were spies sent to scout the land for attack
The Ammonite princes questioned David’s motives. They suggested David was not truly honoring Hanun’s father; instead his servants had come to scout out the land so it could be overthrown (19:3). Hanun believed them and treated a gesture of kindness as an act of hostility. Proverbs warns of the harm that follows when a king gives ear to falsehood (Proverbs 29:12), and it says the simple believe everything they hear, while the wise think carefully about their steps (Proverbs 14:15). Suspicion turned a friendly gesture into a costly war.
- 1 Chronicles 19:3 (BSB)“the princes of the Ammonites said to Hanun, “Just because David has sent you comforters, do you really believe he is showing respect for your father? Have not his servants come to you to explore the land, spy it out, and overthrow it?””The princes accuse David’s envoys of coming to spy out the land.
- Proverbs 29:12 (BSB)“If a ruler listens to lies, all his officials will be wicked.”Proverbs warns of the harm that follows when a ruler listens to lies.
- Proverbs 14:15 (BSB)“The simple man believes every word, but the prudent man watches his steps.”The simple believe everything, while the prudent think carefully, unlike Hanun.
Theological
How did the Ammonite princes interpret David’s envoys to Hanun (1 Chronicles 19:3)?
Answer: That they were spies sent to scout the land for attack
The princes recast David’s condolence as espionage, a pretext for scouting the land to overthrow it (19:3), and Hanun acted on their claim. Proverbs warns that a ruler who heeds lies corrupts his court (Proverbs 29:12) and that the naive believe everything while the prudent consider their way (Proverbs 14:15). Hanun’s credulity turned a gesture of goodwill into war.
- 1 Chronicles 19:3 (BSB)“the princes of the Ammonites said to Hanun, “Just because David has sent you comforters, do you really believe he is showing respect for your father? Have not his servants come to you to explore the land, spy it out, and overthrow it?””The princes accuse David’s envoys of coming to spy out the land.
- Proverbs 29:12 (BSB)“If a ruler listens to lies, all his officials will be wicked.”Proverbs warns of the harm that follows when a ruler listens to lies.
- Proverbs 14:15 (BSB)“The simple man believes every word, but the prudent man watches his steps.”The simple believe everything, while the prudent think carefully, unlike Hanun.