Hanun

Hanun, the Ammonite king, mistreated David's envoys, leading to a war between the Ammonites and Israel.

Hanun was the king of the Ammonites during the reign of King David of Israel. He is mentioned in 2Samuel 10 and 1Chronicles 19. After the death of Hanun's father, Nahash, who had shown kindness to David, David sent envoys to express his sympathy to Hanun (2Sa 10:1-2; 1Ch 19:1-2). However, Hanun's advisors convinced him that David's envoys were spies, so Hanun humiliated them by shaving off half of their beards and cutting their garments short (2Sa 10:3-4; 1Ch 19:3-4). This act was a grave insult and a violation of diplomatic protocol. When David heard about this, he was outraged and prepared for war against the Ammonites (2Sa 10:5-7; 1Ch 19:6-7). Hanun, realizing his mistake, hired Syrian mercenaries to help him fight against Israel (2Sa 10:6; 1Ch 19:6-7). However, the Israelite army, led by Joab and Abishai, defeated the Ammonites and their Syrian allies (2Sa 10:8-14; 1Ch 19:8-15). The conflict continued, and David himself later joined the battle, capturing the Ammonite capital, Rabbah (2Sa 12:26-31; 1Ch 20:1-3). Hanun's mistreatment of David's envoys and the resulting war highlight the importance of diplomatic relations and the consequences of disrespecting allies in the ancient Near East.

The son and successor of Nahash, king of Moab. David’s messengers, sent on an embassy of condolence to him to Rabbah Ammon, his capital, were so grossly insulted that he proclaimed war against Hanun. David’s army, under the command of Joab, forthwith crossed the Jordan, and gained a complete victory over the Moabites and their allies (2 Sam. 10:1-14) at Medeba (q.v.).